Authors: C. C. Hunter
“What was that, Kylie? Just a thank-you for saving your life … or was it more?”
Yup, that was the question she was afraid he’d ask. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “Maybe just a weak moment.”
He laughed. “Do me a favor.” He leaned closer.
“What?”
“Whenever you’re feeling weak, come see me.”
She went to give him a thump in the chest, but he stopped her. He brought her hand up to his lips, his green gaze never shifting from her eyes, and he gently kissed the top of her hand. The moisture of his lips sent a shiver, a wonderful kind of shiver, all the way down her spine.
For some unknown reason, that second kiss wreaked more emotional havoc than the first had. And that’s when she noticed how beautiful the sky was. It appeared … enchanted. The stars twinkled like something out of a Disney movie. Was Derek doing this? Was he using his gifts and making her see things differently? And did it matter if he was? She didn’t have the answer. “I should … should probably go. Tomorrow is parents day.”
“I’ll walk you to your cabin.” He arched a brow.
“I’m not kissing you again,” she blurted out, before she thought about it.
He laughed. “I bet you will.”
She knew he was right, but … “Not tonight.”
“I figured that. Good thing I’m patient.”
* * *
Derek’s kiss and maybe everything that came before it had helped Kylie not think about seeing her mom—about what she would or wouldn’t say about seeing her dad making out in the middle of town. Then there was the other question she had to ask. The question that made Kylie’s entire insides twitch.
The question Kylie hadn’t let herself think about.
But now, standing in the dining hall, waiting for her mom to arrive, Kylie wondered if she shouldn’t have been thinking about it. Face it, some things just weren’t meant to be blurted out.
Her mom walked in and Kylie saw her scanning the room for her. Kylie took the second to just notice her mom. Like her brown hair, her brown eyes. Like how Kylie didn’t look anything like her. Except for the nose. She’d for certain gotten her mom’s little ski-lift nose.
“I almost didn’t find you,” her mom said as they sat down at one of the least crowded tables. Her mom’s butt wasn’t on the seat when she said, “You haven’t been getting enough sleep, have you, Kylie?”
Was it some kind of mother radar or something that made a mom know these things? “Just restless,” Kylie lied.
Her mom leaned over the table and whispered, “You aren’t having those dreams again, are you?”
“No,” Kylie said.
Her mom cut her eyes in that don’t-lie-to-me stare.
“I swear.”
“Okay,” she said.
“Hello, everyone,” Holiday said at the front of the hall. “I know I don’t normally address you on these visits but I’ve got some news I’d love to share. First, I’m sorry to have to tell you that due to family issues, Sky Peacemaker, my co-leader of the camp, has to take an unplanned leave of absence.”
Kylie had to admit, Holiday managed to explain it without really lying.
“However,” Holiday continued, “we are in the process of looking for a replacement. Until then, we have a temporary—just temporary—replacement. And I’d like you to meet Mr. Burnett James. He comes highly recommended.”
Kylie wondered if Holiday knew how telling the second “just temporary” was? The fact that she was going to have to work with Burnett was no doubt eating her alive.
“My second news…” Holiday then went into her spiel about the camp becoming a boarding school.
Kylie watched her mom as Holiday did her dog and pony show. She half expected her mom to stand up and applaud and scream out,
Freedom at last, freedom at last.
Oddly enough, her mom was able to hide her excitement. Kylie felt a shot of guilt scratch across her conscience. How unfair was it that Kylie wanted to sign on full-time to the school, and yet she was going to be pissed at her mom for wanting the same.
After Holiday finished, Kylie looked back at her mom and said, “You want to take a walk? There are some paths through the woods that are nice.”
Her mom looked down at her feet. “Sure. Luckily I wore tennis shoes.”
Kylie decided to take her mom to a less woodsy trail that ended by the creek. It wasn’t as nice as her and Derek’s spot, but still pretty. She went by the cabin to get a blanket for them to sit on.
Her mom meandered around the cabin. “This is sparse, but nice.”
Socks came running out of her bedroom and attacked her mom’s shoelaces. “Oh, it’s sooo cute.”
Her mom picked up Socks, Jr., and held it up to her face. “Whose kitten is it?”
“Uh, mine.”
Her mom looked surprised. “Okay, but don’t you think you should have cleared that with me first?”
“I … yeah, I guess I should have,” Kylie said.
Her mom continued to stare at the feline. “Do you know what cat this reminds me of?”
“Socks?” Kylie said.
“Yeah. Do you remember her? We had that cat when you were born. Your dad got it for me the day we had our first sonogram. He was so excited, he…” Her mom stopped talking and blinked as if to chase the memory from her mind. “Yeah, cute kitten.” She put the feline down as if she half blamed the kitten for bringing on a painful memory.
Kylie saw the emotion in her mom’s eyes, and she wished she could punch her dad. She swallowed the knot forming in her throat and went to grab a blanket.
They walked in silence, and then her mom asked, “You are calling your dad now, aren’t you?”
Kylie almost lied, but then said, “The phone works both ways, Mom. If he wants to talk to me, he can call.”
“Honey, men aren’t always good at—”
“It’s not men we’re talking about. It’s Dad.”
“I’m sure he didn’t intentionally forget about coming to see you. His work sometimes can be challenging.”
“Really?” Kylie asked. “Is that why you barbecued his shorts on the grill?”
Chapter Forty-one
Her mom continued alongside Kylie, walking through the path in the woods. “I’m not very proud of doing that.”
“You should be,” Kylie said. “I think it was very fitting.”
Her mom looked at her before speaking. “He’s just going through something right now, Kylie. That’s all.”
The fact that her mom would defend him pushed Kylie over the edge. “Yeah, he’s going through his super-young assistant.”
Her mom stopped and grabbed Kylie’s arm. Tears filled her mom’s eyes. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.”
Kylie shook her head. “Why are you apologizing? Are you having an affair, too? I swear, if you’re seeing someone my age, I’m divorcing both of you.”
“No. I would never … I didn’t want … you to find out. You were always so close.” Her mom held a hand over her trembling lips for a second. “How did you find out?”
Kylie sensed it would hurt her mom to know that her dad brought the bimbo with him last weekend, so she lied. “I caught him in a lie.”
She shook her head. “He never was good at lying.”
Right then, Kylie wondered how good her mother was at lying. Did her dad even know the truth? She stopped moving and closed her eyes and considered the question she needed to ask.
“My, this is pretty,” her mom said.
Kylie opened her eyes and found her mom looking over at the stream. “Yeah.” Kylie moved closer to the stream and stretched out the blanket for them to sit.
Her mom sat down and stared at the water. “Is there really a waterfall here?”
“I’m told there is,” Kylie said, hoping to keep the frustration about never having seen the falls from her voice. And right then, she decided even if she had to go alone, she was going to see that falls—for some crazy reason, it seemed important that she went. “I’ve never seen it, though.”
“Why not?”
Kylie shrugged. “Supposedly, there’s a legend about there being ghosts there. Most everyone is afraid to go there.” Me included, Kylie thought, but didn’t say it—not that it would stop her next time.
“Really?” Her mom looked intrigued. “I love ghost stories, don’t you?”
“Sometimes,” Kylie answered honestly, and glanced away so her mom couldn’t read anything in her expression.
“Well, it’s peaceful here,” her mom said. “I like it.” She leaned over and patted Kylie’s hand. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
Call Kylie a coward, but she shelved the question she didn’t want to ask, and went for the less explosive topic. One her mom should be happy about. “What do you think about the camp turning into a boarding school?”
“Your camp leader sounded happy about it,” her mom said, still staring at the water.
“What do you think about me signing up?”
Her mom’s head snapped around. “What? Hon, that’s a boarding school. That means you live here.”
“I know,” Kylie said, honestly surprised at her mom’s reaction. “Just think, you wouldn’t have to put up with me.” Kylie tried to go for a teasing tone. But if her mom’s expression was any indication, Kylie missed by a long shot.
“No,” her mom said. “Let me make this clear. Hell, no. You have a home and it’s with me.”
Two things, two huge emotional realizations hit Kylie at once. One, she really wanted—no, make that needed—to stay at Shadow Falls Camp. Somehow, some way, she had to convince her mom to let her do this. And the second realization was that her mom didn’t want to get rid of her. Kylie had been so sure, so certain that given the choice her mom would have packed Kylie a little knapsack and had her out the door in no time.
With her emotions playing bumper cars in her heart, Kylie didn’t know what to say. “I … I really like it here, Mom.”
“You like it at home, too,” she said.
Not anymore,
was her true answer, but that suddenly seemed cruel. “But…”
“If this is retaliation for the divorce—”
“It’s not,” Kylie said. “I promise. I just … It feels right here. I’m getting to know who I really am. Remember how you used to tell me that I had ‘belonging issues’ because I didn’t want to join any of the clubs or teams at school? Well, here, I belong … I belong here, Mom.”
“You have Sara. You two are as close as sisters.”
“I love Sara. I always will, but we’re not … as alike as we used to be. We don’t even talk every day now. She’s found some other girls to hang with and honestly, I don’t fit in with them.”
Her mom’s eyes grew worried. “But—”
“Mom, please…” Kylie saw she’d made headway because her mom wasn’t arguing nearly as adamantly as she normally did. Then Kylie remembered another trump card. “You said your new job would require lots of travel. What do you think you’re going to do with me when you’re gone?”
“Well, your dad will take over.”
Kylie cocked her head. “Do you think I want to go over to his place while his girlfriend, who is practically my age, flaunts herself all over him?”
“Then I’ll turn down the promotion,” her mom said. “You are more important to me than … than any job.” Tears filled her mother’s eyes.
Tears filled Kylie’s eyes at the same time. She couldn’t help herself. Then because it just felt right, she reached over and wrapped her arms around her mother.
“I love you,” Kylie said, and held on. She held on tighter than she had ever held on before.
Her mom didn’t pull away. She patted Kylie’s shoulder. It wasn’t the warmest embrace, but it had potential. Then, not wanting to push her luck, Kylie pulled back.
“I’m sorry,” Kylie said.
“For what?” her mom asked, and Kylie noticed her mom’s face was a splotchy mess. Another thing they had in common that Kylie hadn’t realized.
“I’m sorry,” Kylie said. “I really don’t want to hurt you. And it’s not as if you have to make a decision today. I’m here all summer, but I really do like it here. And Holiday said the students could come home on the weekends. There would be all kinds of vacation days. And I’m only three hours away. Heck, you work out of your home so you could even move closer.”
Her mom sighed. “But you’re my daughter, baby.” She ran her hand over Kylie’s cheek. “I don’t want other people raising you.”
“Mom, would you get real? I’ll be seventeen in a few months. You’ve already raised me.” Kylie hesitated and then added, “Besides, you should be dating and stuff.”
Her mom’s eyes widened. “I don’t think I’m that brave.”
“Why not? You’re beautiful and with a new wardrobe, you could be … hot.” Her mom was much prettier than the tramp her father was involved with right now.
Her mom sighed. “When did my little girl grow up?”
“I don’t know.” Kylie grinned and lay back on the blanket. Her mom followed her lead and lay back. They listened to the creek water flow and stared up at the blue sky peeking out through the white cotton-ball clouds. Maybe it was Kylie’s imagination, but she could almost hear the falls even from here.
Finally, Kylie sat up. Her mom did the same. “Mom, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, hon.”
Kylie looked at her mom and just blurted out the question. “Who is my real dad?”