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when he was a kid.
    “Place won’t be ready any time soon,” Henry pointed out. His voice had lost its usual sardonic edge. It now sounded faint and frail.
    “That shouldn’t prove a problem.” The way Lilith slipped so smoothly back into the conversation made Dan realize that she and Savannah had planned this tag-team approach ahead of time. “Mother only has one foster child living with her at the moment, and as it happens, Gwen is away at science camp. Of course I’ve moved out since my marriage, which means there’s more than enough room for you at the house.”
    A three-generational female tag team, Dan thought with admiration. There was no way either Savannah or Lilith would have dared volunteer such a thing without first getting Ida’s okay.
    “House?” Shaggy white brows flew upward like startled pigeons. “You suggesting I stay at that crazy old woman’s house?”
    “I’m going to say this one more time, Henry,” Lilith said with a swish of silk as she crossed her legs. “I do hope you’ll listen. My mother is not crazy. She can, admittedly, be eccentric. However, since it appears that your life has settled into the doldrums these days, perhaps having it shaken up a bit might not be such a bad thing.”
    Henry rapped the cane on the Berber carpeting with scant, muffled effect. “My life’s just dandy the way it is, damn it.”
    Not a single person in the room challenged the obvious lie.
    “All right,” he surrendered finally on a wheezing huff of breath. “Since you seem so determined to buy the place, but can’t meet my asking price, I reckon I don’t have much choice but to give you a break.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Hyatt.” Her eyes swimming, Savannah stood up and took both his hands in hers. “I promise you won’t regret this.”
    “I’m already regretting it.” He tugged his hands free, pushed himself out of the chair with a mighty effort, and looked up at Dan. “It’s time for Wheel of Fortune . You take care of the paperwork, then bring it to me to sign when it’s done.”
    “No problem.”
    “Better not be.” Warning stated, he shuffled away.
    The three of them watched him go. Finally, Savannah sighed. “I hope I never become that dried up and bitter.”
    “Of course you won’t.” Lilith’s full sleeve fluttered like a brilliant butterfly’s wing as she put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “Despite that horrid man you made the mistake of marrying, you’re still my sweet, open-hearted little girl who used to bring home stray kittens.”
    Savannah was watching Henry make his slow, painful way down the hallway. “I seem to recall you saying something about my aura being muddy these days.”
    “So I did,” Lilith agreed blithely. “But it seems to be glowing again.” She looked at her younger daughter with approval. “It does my heart good to see things finally working out for you, darling. And now that we’ve got this little transaction settled, I must run.”
    “I thought we’d go out and celebrate,” Savannah said.
    “Oh, sweetheart, I’d dearly love to, but I only have an hour to get ready for the dance at the VFW.”
    “The VFW?” Savannah was clearly surprised. And no wonder. Dan was also having trouble envisioning this former Vietnam War protestor—who’d been arrested back in the late sixties for throwing red paint on army recruiters—doing the two-step at a hangout for former military personnel. “You do realize that those initials stand for Veterans of Foreign Wars?” she asked. “Which you’re not.”
    “Well, of course I’m not.” Lilith combed a slender hand through her long slide of silver hair. “But Cooper is. Since my behavior after he shipped out to Vietnam all those years ago was admittedly less than admirable, I feel I owe him this one.”
    Savannah’s smile was soft and fond. “Better watch it, Mom. You’re entering the danger zone. Any moment now you might discover maturity.”
    “Wouldn’t that set tongues