people first, just the way you taught me."
"I shouldn't be carrying tales," Thad said, "but then, Adam didn't swear me to secrecy. He told me his marriage was one of convenience more than anything else. He has a stepson, you know. A troubled boy, from what he told me."
"I believe, and I have always believed, that Adam loves you," Billie said gently. "I think the two of you have to sit down tnd have a long talk before one of you does something that ca i't be corrected."
"I'm going to work on it, Grand," Sawyer said, just as gently.
Billie noticed that Sawyer's eyes kept sweeping the room,
{33}
always coming to rest on Riley and Shadaharu Hasegawa.
4 i wish there was something I could do," Sawyer said, knowing her grandmother would understand what she was referring to.
"I can feel Riley's torment, and I know just how Mr. Hasegawa feels. If they can meet at some point, things might be all right." Billie's eyes brimmed with tears. Thad reached out to clasp her hand in his. He, too, understood.
"Don't count on it, Grand," said Sawyer. "Riley wants it all. Mr. Hasegawa wants all of Riley. Culture, honor, duty— an awesome threesome, if you follow me. Riley is in an awful position, or as Cole would say, between a rock and a hard place. I honestly don't know what he'll do. I lie awake nights worrying about him, and when I try to talk to him, he says he's working on it. I feel we should be doing something, at least talking to him."
"No, that's the worst thing we can do," Thad interjected. "When and if he needs our help, he knows we're here for him. Riley has to work this out himself."
"Thad, darling, perhaps you could talk to Mr. Hasegawa. Tell him of Riley's torment. He'll listen to you. You've been friends for so many years."
"Darling Billie, I would cut off my arm for you, but in this instance I cannot, I will not, interfere. And for the very reason you just mentioned. We have been friends for many years, and Shadaharu himself was the one who drew up the boundaries that were not to be crossed. I've always respected them, as he has."
"I know, I know. I'm grasping at straws. I still can't believe he traveled all this way in his condition. He's not mentioned his illness once. I couldn't say anything, unless he did. I feel so helpless."
"Welcome to the club," Sawyer said wryly. "I don't know about you two, but I think I'm going to take a nice warm shower and a nap. I understand we're all going to dance the night away, and I want to be prepared."
"I think you're right, darling," Billie said, getting to her feet. "The part about the shower and the nap. I'm not sure I can dance the night away. What's your feeling on that, Senator Kingsley?" she asked playfully.
Thad laughed. "It's my feeling—and mind you, it's just my feeling—that those of us who can dance the night away will, and those of us who can't, won't."
{34}
"And he's off the hook again," Billie said. "Spoken like a true politician."
As the room emptied, Cole shifted from one foot to the other. Riley's slight nod told him he, too, could go upstairs. He touched the old Japanese on the shoulder and poked Riley playfully. "Five-thirty in the central hallway, Coleman."
"We'll be there," Riley said lightly.
In the quiet of the room, with only the logs crackling in the fireplace, young eyes stared deeply into old eyes. No words were spoken. Riley lowered his head first, in deference to his grandfather. He let go of the thin, veined hands he'd been holding. He got up from the ottoman and jammed his own hands into his pockets to stop their trembling.
The old man leaned back and stared up at his grandson. He was so American. Even his height. By Japanese standards, six feet three inches was of monster proportions. He would have to listen to his grandson's tortured words. He thought he knew what Riley was going to say, and he dreaded hearing it. He waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts. Nothing in his long life had prepared him for this moment. How was
"I shouldn't be carrying tales," Thad said, "but then, Adam didn't swear me to secrecy. He told me his marriage was one of convenience more than anything else. He has a stepson, you know. A troubled boy, from what he told me."
"I believe, and I have always believed, that Adam loves you," Billie said gently. "I think the two of you have to sit down tnd have a long talk before one of you does something that ca i't be corrected."
"I'm going to work on it, Grand," Sawyer said, just as gently.
Billie noticed that Sawyer's eyes kept sweeping the room,
{33}
always coming to rest on Riley and Shadaharu Hasegawa.
4 i wish there was something I could do," Sawyer said, knowing her grandmother would understand what she was referring to.
"I can feel Riley's torment, and I know just how Mr. Hasegawa feels. If they can meet at some point, things might be all right." Billie's eyes brimmed with tears. Thad reached out to clasp her hand in his. He, too, understood.
"Don't count on it, Grand," said Sawyer. "Riley wants it all. Mr. Hasegawa wants all of Riley. Culture, honor, duty— an awesome threesome, if you follow me. Riley is in an awful position, or as Cole would say, between a rock and a hard place. I honestly don't know what he'll do. I lie awake nights worrying about him, and when I try to talk to him, he says he's working on it. I feel we should be doing something, at least talking to him."
"No, that's the worst thing we can do," Thad interjected. "When and if he needs our help, he knows we're here for him. Riley has to work this out himself."
"Thad, darling, perhaps you could talk to Mr. Hasegawa. Tell him of Riley's torment. He'll listen to you. You've been friends for so many years."
"Darling Billie, I would cut off my arm for you, but in this instance I cannot, I will not, interfere. And for the very reason you just mentioned. We have been friends for many years, and Shadaharu himself was the one who drew up the boundaries that were not to be crossed. I've always respected them, as he has."
"I know, I know. I'm grasping at straws. I still can't believe he traveled all this way in his condition. He's not mentioned his illness once. I couldn't say anything, unless he did. I feel so helpless."
"Welcome to the club," Sawyer said wryly. "I don't know about you two, but I think I'm going to take a nice warm shower and a nap. I understand we're all going to dance the night away, and I want to be prepared."
"I think you're right, darling," Billie said, getting to her feet. "The part about the shower and the nap. I'm not sure I can dance the night away. What's your feeling on that, Senator Kingsley?" she asked playfully.
Thad laughed. "It's my feeling—and mind you, it's just my feeling—that those of us who can dance the night away will, and those of us who can't, won't."
{34}
"And he's off the hook again," Billie said. "Spoken like a true politician."
As the room emptied, Cole shifted from one foot to the other. Riley's slight nod told him he, too, could go upstairs. He touched the old Japanese on the shoulder and poked Riley playfully. "Five-thirty in the central hallway, Coleman."
"We'll be there," Riley said lightly.
In the quiet of the room, with only the logs crackling in the fireplace, young eyes stared deeply into old eyes. No words were spoken. Riley lowered his head first, in deference to his grandfather. He let go of the thin, veined hands he'd been holding. He got up from the ottoman and jammed his own hands into his pockets to stop their trembling.
The old man leaned back and stared up at his grandson. He was so American. Even his height. By Japanese standards, six feet three inches was of monster proportions. He would have to listen to his grandson's tortured words. He thought he knew what Riley was going to say, and he dreaded hearing it. He waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts. Nothing in his long life had prepared him for this moment. How was
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