Grave Concerns (11 page)

Maddie wanted to separate from Nick for two reasons – and Kelly was only one of them. While she didn’t want to bear witness to Nick’s anger, especially when she was convinced it wouldn’t do any good, she wanted to search the woods surrounding the campground even more. If her dream was any indication, someone needed help. Maddie was hopeful she would be able to provide that help without anyone being the wiser regarding her gift.

Nick’s immediate acceptance of what Maddie could do was a godsend. Maddie spent years hiding her abilities because her mother drilled the need for secrecy into her head. Once she admitted the truth to Nick it was if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Then, when she found out her mother confided the truth in Sharon and the woman wasn’t disgusted by her, more weight evaporated. Maddie wasn’t ready to come out to the world, but she was getting comfortable in her own skin. It was a liberating feeling.

Despite all that, Maddie didn’t want to risk exposing her secret when Nick’s family was around. She wasn’t as worried about herself as she was about Nick. She had no doubt he would stand with her. She didn’t want him to make a choice like that, though. It would kill her to think that Nick was distancing himself from his family in an effort to protect her.

That’s why she was searching for the child on her own. She couldn’t rest if she didn’t look, and if she could find a way to assuage her conscience with a search that didn’t put Nick in danger of being embarrassed, she was keen to do it.

Maddie was familiar with the woods. Sure, she wasn’t familiar with these particular woods, but she knew how to mentally mark a trail so she could find her way back out. She picked continuous landmarks – mostly abnormal-looking trees – and pressed forward. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but something inside urged her forward. She was heading in the right direction. She could feel it.

“I see you’re on a search, Sunshine.” Olivia Graves popped into view, jolting Maddie.

Maddie pressed her hand to the spot above her heart and frowned. “Don’t do that, Mom. You know it freaks me out.”

“If I could figure out a way to materialize out of thin air with warning, I would,” Olivia replied, her ethereal figure matching Maddie’s pace as they continued to trek farther into the forest. “Are you looking for something?”

Olivia Graves had only been dead for a few months, but Maddie keenly missed her presence. Even though Olivia opted to stay behind in her ghostly form until Maude was ready to pass over with her, Maddie wished she could hug her mother almost every day. Still, something was better than nothing. Having Olivia around to talk to was one reason Maddie was starting to embrace her gifts.

“I had a dream.”

“About?”

“Someone was crying in the woods,” Maddie replied, pressing her eyes shut briefly and then shifting her trajectory to the right. “I think someone is lost out here … or maybe in trouble. It sounded like a child, although I can’t be a hundred percent sure.”

“Well, we’ll find this child together then,” Olivia offered, smiling serenely at her only child. “You look good.”

“You always say that,” Maddie said, making a face. “I think it’s a mother’s job to tell her daughter that she looks good even when she’s not wearing makeup and she tied her hair back while it was still wet.”

“Yes, you took the words right out of my mouth,” Olivia deadpanned. “You’re in a mood this morning. What’s wrong?”

“Who says anything is wrong?”

“I’m your mother, Maddie. I know when something is wrong. I raised you. Even though you’re generally a happy person these days, you still have small bouts of unhappiness that even Nick can’t wipe away. Talk.”

“It’s his sister,” Maddie admitted, ducking under a branch. “Sharon really wanted everyone to have a nice camping trip and get to know one another again, but Kelly hates me and is making things difficult.”

“Kelly doesn’t hate you.”

“You sound like Nick.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Olivia said dryly. “What does he say about all of this?”

“He’s angry, Mom. He feels as if he needs to protect me.”

“And you feel guilty because he’s protecting you from his sister,” Olivia finished. “You’re worried he’s going to resent you eventually because he pushed his family away because of you.”

“He’s not pushing everyone away,” Maddie countered. “John knows about what I can do and he’s fine with it. In fact, he’s keen to learn more. He’s pretty enthusiastic and funny. Sharon knows because you told her … although I still haven’t figured out why you didn’t tell me that.”

“I needed you to make the decision to come home on your own, Maddie,” Olivia replied. “You needed to be ready for this life when you finally got your courage together. I couldn’t force you to do what I wanted. You had to decide what life you wanted to live and then go after it on your own.”

“I know,” Maddie muttered. “It’s just … I can’t help feeling that Nick and I missed out on time together.”

“You have a lifetime ahead of you,” Olivia countered. “Stop worrying about the past and focus on the future instead. You can’t change the past. You can mold your future.”

“You always had a way with words, Mom. That was beautiful.”

“I have a lot of time on my hands to think of wonderful things to say these days,” Olivia replied, her eyes twinkling.

“I don’t suppose you’ve checked in on Granny over the past few days, have you?” Maddie asked, holding a branch back so her mother’s ghostly form could move forward.

Olivia giggled. “I can walk through that branch, Sunshine.”

“Oh, right,” Maddie said, making a face and moving back to her mother’s side. “Have you checked in on Granny?”

“Your grandmother is perfectly fine,” Olivia replied. “She’s been taking care of herself for a very long time. A week apart is not going to kill her.”

“I’m worried about the house,” Maddie admitted. “She’s threatening to throw huge parties in her new apartment.”

“Yes, well, I wouldn’t worry about that.”

“Has she thrown a party?”

“She has,” Olivia confirmed. “She had twenty people over.”

“Ugh. Is the house a mess?”

“They all went home before eight,” Olivia replied. “Mom’s friends are her age. Once the sun sets they have to be in bed. They can’t help themselves.”

Maddie pursed her lips. “Was Granny disappointed?”

“She was asleep on the couch before they left.”

“Oh, no. Poor, Granny.”

“She’s fine,” Olivia said. “I … do you hear that?”

Maddie tilted her head to the side, her mother’s conversational shift serving as a stark reminder that she was on a mission. “I … think so.”

“It sounds like crying to me,” Olivia said, pushing forward. “Come on.”

KELLY
was angry.

It felt like an understatement when she admitted it to herself, but there it was. She didn’t realize until she heard her father and brother talking, but she deserved their ire.

For years she’d been making excuses for her behavior. She felt the world owed her something. No, that wasn’t right. It was more that she felt the world betrayed her so it owed her payback. Listening to Nick and her father made her understand that she’d made things ten times worse than they needed to be.

David was a loser. She should’ve realized it from the start. She was so caught up in dreams that were never going to happen that she refused to see the truth, though. Once those dreams were yanked away from her, she found she had nothing left to cling to. She let herself wallow after that. Then she turned herself into a martyr in her own mind.

She was Kelly Winters, after all. She was a single mother and no one could possibly understand her plight. She felt like an idiot. She’d wasted years pining away for a man who could never be hers. When she saw Nick pining for Maddie, she thought he was a kindred spirit. She’d been wrong. Nick found his dream. She was jealous of that, and the realization hurt.

Kelly needed time away from her family to think so she ducked into the woods for a walk. She needed to clear her head. Not only that, she also had to gather her courage. She owed Maddie Graves a big apology. Despite her epiphany, Kelly didn’t know if she would ever be able to get behind Maddie and Nick’s relationship because she was terrified Maddie would crush her brother’s heart. What she said about Maude, though, was unforgivable.

Kelly had just about convinced herself to turn around when she caught a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye. She recognized Maddie’s blond hair straightaway, but what puzzled her was the fact that the woman appeared to be talking to herself. Kelly didn’t blame her. She was probably blowing off steam. Kelly often talked to herself when no one was looking.

Kelly made up her mind quickly and followed Maddie. Now was the best time for an apology – especially because she could do it without an audience. If she was going to eat crow, it would be better if it was just the two of them.

“I THINK
we’re close,” Maddie said, pressing her eyes shut again. “I … close. I just can’t … .”

“Maddie?”

Maddie froze. She recognized Kelly’s voice. Her shoulders stiffened as she turned, her mind busy as she tried to think of a plausible explanation for being this deep in the woods. Kelly didn’t give her a chance to volunteer one.

“I owe you an apology,” Kelly said. “I’m so sorry for what I said about Maude. It wasn’t fair or right.”

“What did she say about Mom?” Olivia asked curiously.

Maddie couldn’t answer her mother without making Kelly suspicious, so she opted to ignore her. She hoped Olivia wouldn’t take it personally. “I know you’re sorry, Kelly,” Maddie replied, the sound of a clock ticking furiously in the back of her mind. She needed this to be quick if she was going to find what she was looking for. “Your brother doesn’t see the hurt when he looks at you. I do. I knew you regretted what you said about Granny when you said it.”

“That’s it?” Kelly looked surprised. “Aren’t you going to yell at me? Aren’t you going to tell me I’m a terrible person?”

“I don’t think you’re a terrible person,” Maddie countered. “I think you’re sad and you don’t know what to do with yourself. I … .” Crap. The crying in her head was getting louder and yet she couldn’t hear the voice in the woods any longer. “You know what? This is a really bad time. Can we talk about this later?”

“Why can’t we talk about it now?”

“I … .” If Kelly was anything like Nick, she wasn’t going to let this go. The Winters were notoriously stubborn. Maddie didn’t have time to argue, and she wasn’t capable of making up a lie that Kelly would conveniently accept. “Fine. Walk with me. You can’t talk for a few minutes, though. I need to be able to hear in case something is out here.”

“What are you expecting to be out here?” Kelly asked, curiously moving to Maddie’s side. “What are you looking for?”

“I think I heard someone crying,” Maddie replied. “I … it sounded like a child. I’m trying to see if someone is lost out here.”

“Oh,” Kelly said, straightening. “I … okay. I’ll help.”

“Great. I think it was this way.”

Kelly wordlessly followed Maddie as the persistent blonde followed the growing sobs in her head. Finally, the two women happened upon a clearing. It was there that Maddie found what she was looking for.

The girl was small, maybe eight if Maddie had to guess. Her face was streaked with tears and dirt, and her pigtails were askew. She was sitting in the middle of the field, lost for all intents and purposes.

“Holy crap,” Kelly mumbled. “You really did hear a child crying.”

“You’re going to have to start believing me when I talk at some point,” Maddie said, lifting her hands in a placating manner as she approached the child. “I’m not lying and I’m not going anywhere.”

Maddie turned her attention to the girl. “Hello, sweetheart. Are you lost?”

The girl looked terrified, but nodded.

“Do you want me to help find your family?”

The girl nodded again.

“Okay,” Maddie said, moving closer. “Can you take my hand and come with me? We can get you something to eat and drink, and then maybe you can tell us how to find your parents. How does that sound?”

The girl looked conflicted. Maddie had a feeling she knew why.

“Your parents probably told you not to talk to strangers, huh?” Another nod. “My name is Maddie Graves. Now I’m not a stranger. If you come with me, I promise I’ll help you find your parents.”

That was the last push the girl needed. She hopped to her feet and threw herself at Maddie, wrapping her arms around Maddie’s waist as she burst into a fresh round of tears. “I want to go home.”

“We’re going to take you home,” Kelly said, her eyes glued to Maddie. “We’re going to make sure you’re safe.”

Maddie smiled at Kelly as she petted the child’s head. “We’re definitely going to make sure you’re safe.”

“You need to make sure everyone is safe,” Olivia said, her gaze trained on the tree line on the far side of the clearing. “Someone is in those trees, Maddie. Whoever it is wants to hide. I don’t think you’re safe here. I … start heading back to the campground right now. Don’t dawdle. Move now.”