Read FLOWERS and CAGES for Free Online

getting them from Maggie wasn't easy. In so many ways, she was like their mother. Beautiful in a wistful kind of way. The soft, flyaway blond hair, the pale blue eyes. The slight build that ran toward brutally thin. And the ability to pretend the world was perfect even as it crumbled into a million irrevocably broken pieces.
    Dalton couldn't help his mother. No one could have. But he tried with Maggie. When they were younger, that meant chasing away bullies. Someone always seemed to be after her and—according to her and her tear-filled eyes—it was never her fault. Dalton hadn't asked a lot of questions. If someone pushed his sister—he pushed back. In his mind, that was what older brothers did. Older and wiser, Dalton understood that Maggie brought trouble on herself. Like their mother, she enjoyed the drama. Knowing that Dalton would clean up after her gave Maggie added courage to cause mischief and mayhem.
    After Dalton had left home, he sent a check whenever he could—guilt money. Maggie was upset at first, but soon she found a succession of boyfriends who—for a short time—were willing to play protector. It was a race to see which would happen first. They either grew tired of her games or Maggie decided she wanted a new toy to play with.
    Dalton had been in prison three months when Maggie wrote him with two pieces of news. Their mother had died—her liver finally gave out. And Maggie had gotten married. She didn't give him many details. Simply that his name was Norris Mayhue, they were moving to Buffalo where Norris had an amazing job waiting, and that she was blissfully happy.
    Dalton hadn't expected the marriage—or Maggie's bliss—to last long. Last month, Maggie and Norris celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. Maggie always sounded happy, but with his sister it was hard to tell. As long as Dalton continued his practice of sending money every month—the amount had increased dramatically over the years—she kept her problems to herself.
    "We need to talk, Maggie. Someplace private."
    "Don't worry about it. Tilly and Sly are never here. They belong to the country club. If it isn't golf, it's tennis. In the evenings, they usually eat in the dining room and play bridge until after midnight." Maggie giggled. "The perfect in-laws. I haven't seen them more than five minutes at a stretch since we got here."
    The house looked comfortable. Too much seventies avocado for Dalton's taste, but to each his own. The sofa was a riot of flowers, the pattern carrying over to the curtains. Wall-to-wall carpet—not a sliver of hardwood to be seen—covered the floor. It was clean and neat. And made Dalton grateful for his dark oak and stainless steel.
    "Would you like a glass of ice tea?"
    Maggie would have continued to the kitchen if Dalton hadn't taken her arm and led her to the sofa.
    "I'm fine. Sit and catch your breath." Dalton took the chair opposite. "Where is Norris?"
    "Looking for work."
    "At this time of the day?"
    "It's all about networking. Especially in a small town."
    Dalton frowned. He thought this was a social visit. The fact that Maggie's husband needed a job was a surprise. Searching his brain, Dalton tried to remember what Norris did for a living. Hardware store manager? Or was it a feed store?
    "Was he laid off?"
    "No." Not meeting Dalton's gaze, Maggie picked at a loose thread at the seam of her blue cotton skirt. "He decided working at the Tool Shed had become a dead end. And those Buffalo winters." Maggie shuddered. "Norris decided it was the right time for a change. A fresh start is exactly what his career needs."
    "Is that why Norris sold the story to the tabloids?"
    "He didn't mean any harm, Dalton," Maggie said earnestly. "He wanted a little extra cash for the move."
    "By selling me out?" Dalton felt a wave of bitterness.
    The story didn't matter. Most of it was a matter of public record. It was the betrayal that rankled. Norris had married Maggie knowing that Dalton was serving time. At the