Prelude of Lies (10 page)

“He could, and if he is, then you don’t have to choose between him and Tucker. It’s a bonus.”

“That would mean I let a married man feel me up.” She shuddered.

“Doesn’t count. He didn’t tell you. You didn’t know. And you still don’t,” Sydney pointed out, confused by Daisy’s erratic behavior.

Eventually she was going to have to tell Daisy the only secret she’d ever kept from her. After all the hiding and spouting off nonsense about Daisy’s beliefs and ghost stories, Sydney thought she’d better have ample room to run or else get her hair yanked out like the fights they had as pre-teens.

Right now was not that time though. Daisy practically breathed fire at the notion that Graham could be married. Her reaction was unusual and only meant her sister was falling for her less-than-ideal vision of a mate.

“I’ll kill him,” Daisy screamed into the mattress before rolling over and scooting off the bed. “I’m going to go clean something. Good night.”

Drained, Sydney crawled under the covers and closed her eyes tight. Was she really the freak she’d always thought? She’d rejected all of this stuff so long ago. For a while, she’d poured her experiences into her journal to get them out of her head since no one wanted to hear what she had to say.

Journal. Gramps had kept a journal of stuff that happened at the campground. Could she have inherited this weird gift from him? What about Daisy, did she have the same abilities? Was that why he insisted they run the campground? Did he take care of the wandering spirits that roamed these woods?

A chill moved across her, but she refused to open her eyes. Ever since she’d come back to Brookside the experiences had started again. The first night she’d felt the breeze, she’d opened her eyes to find an elderly woman standing beside her bed.

Sydney couldn’t deal with the sleep interruption tonight. She would not open her eyes.

Then, she did.

After scrubbing the bathroom in candlelight, Daisy punched the pillow wishing it was Graham’s head. They’d had a blast at Kay’s, but ever since coming back to the campground their little group had come unglued. Maybe this place was as cursed as some seemed to think.

Sydney was acting weird. Weirder than normal, she should say. Maybe it was that Sydney was going against her morals and beliefs to have a little fun for the first time in her life. Yeah, right. As if she’d act on her hormones. Daisy saw Marshal’s frustrated expression as he’d left their cabin. Of course, some of that could be related to her earlier-than-expected arrival.

Daisy could understand that being the reason if she’d looked out the window and found her sister dry humping a tree. But the woman had been reaching into thin air with total amazement when they’d arrived back at the campground and that crazy shit had happened, like she’d taken a hallucinogenic drug or something. Truthfully, the scene had freaked Daisy out and she thought about making an appointment with her psychiatrist friend for Sydney. Maybe the stress of trying to get this place open was taking its toll.

Lightning lit her tiny room, casting weird shadows. She was exhausted, but furious, and didn’t know if she’d be able to fall asleep. Especially with Graham’s sexual descriptions rolling around in her thoughts. Still, she drifted, shoving the negatives of the evening to the back of her head. She concentrated on how good it felt pressed up against Graham, and all of the naughtily wonderful things he’d promised.

Oh. If he would only make good on the things he’d whispered into her ear. Graham might be a little too prissy for her, but he sure knew how to give a girl a fantasy.

She let herself get lost in the thoughts, until something heavy crashed outside the cabin window.

CHAPTER 9

Daisy rushed out of bed, bumping into Sydney at the door.

“What the hell was that?” Sydney didn’t appear to have slept yet either. Maybe they needed to have a talk that didn’t include bitching about men.

“Probably more bad news.” That was all Daisy could think of, too. Good things never happened during a storm.

Daisy grabbed the flashlight and opened the front door, only to be yanked back by Sydney.

“You’ll get soaked. Here.” She handed her a poncho and Daisy slipped it over her head, impatient. She waited until Sydney copied her movements, keeping silent at the irony of Sydney’s bright yellow poncho. Wasn’t it just yesterday Sydney insisted Daisy was more the brightly colored one of their duo?

Daisy shined the light in the direction of the crash and almost burst into tears. Cabin C was demolished. A huge tree now lay through the center of the building, the walls tilting in, toward the hole the tree created, the blue tarp Tucker’s crew had put up to cover the hole in the roof now waving in the wind.

“Do you realize how far this storm has set us back?” Thank goodness, serious Sydney seemed to be back. “We won’t pass Violet’s inspection next week. God only knows if we’ll be able to open in time to stop her.”

And they would lose the stash of cash Gramps had wanted them to have.

Damn.

The guys circled the damage, shaking their heads in sympathy.

“Come on. There’s nothing we can do out here but get wet.” Sydney grabbed her arm and tugged, urging her back inside before Graham had a chance to catch up with them.

Daisy wiped the moisture from her eyes and followed, positive she’d never find sleep.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly and still Daisy woke with an ominous feeling. She could hear Sydney in the kitchen area, softly humming to herself. They’d survived the storm, but who knew what damage awaited them in the aftermath?

When did she turn into such a prophet of doom?

Climbing out of bed, she dressed and joined Sydney, just as the strong, dark coffee finished trickling into the pot.

“You look like hell. Didn’t you sleep?” Sydney turned, her hair still wet.

“Only about an hour. What got you up so early?” She plopped down at the table, not sure if she should take a shower or wait until the day ended and she was sure to need another.

“Tucker. He got here before first light. I think he was disappointed that I came out and not you.” Sydney laughed, but Daisy didn’t share her joke.

“Too bad for him.” Why was she in such a foul mood? Well, besides the cabin disaster?

“Tucker brought this for you. It’s from Uncle Al.” Sydney passed her a large envelope, the end sealed with Al’s trademark clear snowman-covered Christmas tape. “Something you want to talk about?”

A family code. If the tape was on, the contents were private. She and Sydney learned to respect the boundary, though sometimes the curiosity killed them. Like she figured it was doing to Sydney now.

“I’ll let you know.” She took the envelope and stood.

Sydney stopped her with a cup of coffee and a one-armed hug. “I’m here.”

Nodding, Daisy closed her bedroom door and tossed the envelope on the bed. Did she really want to know what was inside?

She must, or she wouldn’t have asked Al to find out.

Her father. Her parents.

Why should she care about the people who’d created her and then abandoned her? Dropping to the bed, Daisy ripped off the silly tape and slid the contents out.

Her mother was alive, though not in the best of shape mentally. Her visits to an outpatient mental facility were listed, the details of her extended visits not included. Daisy couldn’t help but wonder if the drugs had done that to her mother, or if mental illness ran in her blood.

The man listed as her father lived in town. This town. He was recently widowed and worked as a mechanic in a local garage. Daisy had probably talked to him when she’d gotten gas a few days ago. Not that she’d remember. Not that she believed the man was really her father.

Now that she had the facts, she still didn’t have the answers. Maybe it was time to talk to the parents who raised her and see if they would tell her anything.

She picked up her phone, pleased she had a signal. Even though she and Sydney used the same cellular carrier, and had identical phones, they each found signals in different locations, at different times. Another weird and baffling Brookside Campground mystery.

Dialing home, she waited. Her mom would be up this early. The call would probably put her into cardiac arrest though. As expected, her adoptive mother answered with a concerned hello. Daisy immediately told her all was well, wondering if she should even bother with the questions she needed to ask.

“Then what’s wrong? This is early for you.” Though still worried, her mom sounded a bit more relaxed. “You guys make out okay with the storms?”

“I don’t know yet. Not really. It was rough. We lost one of the cabins. Tucker is here with his crew and I can hear the chainsaws already.” She hesitated.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

Thank goodness for mother’s intuition. Daisy had almost chickened out and made the call all about the severe storms.

“I had Uncle Al investigate stuff on my parents.” She paused, wondering how her mom would take the news.

“I wondered when you would.” The understanding nearly undid Daisy. “What do you want to know?”

Daisy swallowed. “Most of what I want to know they have to answer for. Like why. I guess I want to know what my mother was really like.”

“Nadine was the star of the show.” The words were a bit sarcastic, but still affectionate. “My sister was destined for greatness and fame. She sang, danced, and had a flair for the theater. And she was nice. Probably the kindest, most compassionate person ever. Your gramps loved her. Said she would be the one to take our family to fame. She broke his heart, I think. He took us both in when I met your dad. He treated Nadine like a daughter, like he did me. I couldn’t figure out why he was so kind. He accepted both of us like his own children. Families are weird like that, though.”

That made Daisy smile and cry. “So what happened to her?”

“She got mixed up with the wrong people. People who thought greatness came from inside of a pill or liquor bottle. Everything changed after she realized it was easier to ignore our childhood than deal with it. I know I’ve only eluded to what we went through and I’m sorry for that. Maybe one day I will tell you and Sydney what happened to us as children.” Mom sniffled.

“You don’t ever have to. It’s okay.” Her heart was already broken from the few things her mom had said. She was almost scared to know.

“Thanks, honey. We’ll see. Anyway. My Nadine was gone once she started hanging out with those people. I was devastated that my big sister had left me. In her place was a wicked, nasty person who didn’t care about herself, much less anyone else. We didn’t speak for years. Then, one day, she called. I thought I finally got my constant prayer—my sister back. She’d cleaned herself up, gone through rehab and was in her last semester of college. I was so proud. After that, we talked almost every day.”

Daisy knew there was a big “but” coming soon.

“She was the maid of honor in our wedding. It was a very special day for me, and for her, too. She was healthy and acted like she had when we were girls. We knew Gramps before I knew your father. We grew up not far from the campground and both had jobs there as teenagers. In fact, your grandfather introduced me to your dad. He said he knew we were destined to be together. He was such a great support to Nadine and me.”

“This doesn’t end well,” Daisy managed.

“For me it does. But for Nadine . . . you know it doesn’t. We vacationed together at the campground the summer after your dad and I’s wedding. We all had a great time.”

“And?”

“She’d met a man while in town. Said he was with a band and they needed a female singer. Nadine saw fame and fortune. She went to meet him on Wednesday and I didn’t see her again until she dropped you at my door. Seems we both conceived that weekend. Only she never bothered to let me know I was going to be an aunt.” Her mom sniffed.

Daisy wasn’t the only one her birth mother had hurt. She’d never thought about how her mom figured into the equation. Now she felt like a jerk for bringing the subject up.

“When she dropped you off, she seemed clean. So did you. She swore she hadn’t touched a single vice while pregnant. But motherhood was trying for her, especially since she hadn’t heard from your father since the night she told him about you. I had no reason to doubt her. Okay. I had a lot of reasons to doubt, but I wanted to believe her. Her story about who fathered you changed four times in the short period of time she was there.”

“Oh. I think I know the rest.” Daisy’s heart sank and she wiped tears from her cheeks.

“No. You don’t. Six months after she dropped you off, she tried to take you back. Things were different. She was different. Drunk, or something, and with the worst group of guys I’ve ever seen in my life. I didn’t even want them in my house. They all made such a fuss over you, saying how pretty you were and how awesome it would be to have you with them, but so very creepy. There was no way you were going anywhere with them.”

“You never told me that.”

“I know I didn’t. It was awful. I couldn’t let you go with her. They all stank of booze and cigarettes. You know me, I never judge people by the surface appearance, but that gang, well, they embodied evil. I told her she couldn’t take you. I just knew they were up to no good. I made up some story about you being sick and needing medicine, medical tests, and doctor visits. She handed you back to me and left without asking what was wrong with you. She called me once a week after that, usually in the middle of the night. Telling me what town and what band was playing, always a message. I didn’t speak to her again until we tracked her down and made her sign the adoption papers.”

“Did she ask about me when she called?” Why was that important? And why had she actually asked?

“I’m sorry, honey. Usually she just wanted to borrow money or wanted the phone number of someone who owed her a favor. Usually, she wanted to talk to Gramps, but I quit forwarding the messages when she got too weird and cumbersome. Gramps could never say no to Nadine and I didn’t want him to have to deal with her constant demands for the money she needed to feed her habit.” Daisy had never thought about that. Had never realized that technically she wasn’t even blood related to Gramps. And yet, he’d stuck by her, helped her, given her half ownership to the thing that had mattered most to him. He’d loved her through his dying years. Hell, he’d even stuck by her drug-addicted mother, even though there had been no blood to obligate him.

“Oh. What did she say when she signed the papers?” Why was she torturing herself?

“Nothing. She asked if there was any money in it for her. We told her no, that we’d need the money to take care of you and that if she was lucky we wouldn’t sue her for support. That was all it took to get her to sign her rights over. We showed her your picture, but she didn’t even look. I’m sorry, honey. I know you hoped for a fairy tale, but there isn’t one here. Your mom got mixed up in bad stuff and it ruined her. All I can tell her is that she isn’t the same person I grew up with and I’m sad. Sad for you and sad for me.”

Daisy realized just how many bad memories she’d dredged up for the person who loved her no matter what. “I’m sorry. I never meant to cause you pain.”

“No. You need to know. I understand. What are you going to do? I assume you know where she is?”

“Kind of. The information Al gave me says father works in town as a mechanic.” Would she see him?

“Remember he may not really be your father, but follow your heart and do what feels right. You can’t go wrong that way. And remember, I’m going to be here no matter what. We all are. I’m sure you already know that if you’ve shared this with Sydney.”

“I haven’t. I will. You will always be my momma. I just need to figure this out. I’m not doing it to hurt you. I just want to know why. Why she got rid of me? Was I such an awful child that I drove her back to drugs?” She hadn’t meant to say that.

“Oh my. God. No, honey. You brought so much joy into our lives. I can’t imagine ever not having you. You’re my baby girl. You always will be.” Her mother didn’t bother to hide her tears.

Daisy’s face was covered in tears, too. “Thank you. I’ll let you know what I find out. If I do anything. We have so much to handle here. I might have no choice but to wait.”

“Things happen for a reason. Remember that.”

“I always do. Love you, Momma.” Daisy waited until her mother hung up before closing the line.

So much to think about. She felt like she was losing her formerly solid grip on reality. A reality that included the occasional indulgence in fairy tales and ghost hunting, but a pretty good way to live.

Maybe this campground was to blame for all the questions and unsettled emotions. Maybe the ground really was cursed by ancient spirits and demons. In the past, she’d always felt at home here. Like the minute she stepped on the grounds all her troubles slipped away, or at least to proper places, leaving her with the sense that everything was going to be okay.

What changed, and when did it change? Was it the stress of preparing the campground for opening while dealing with Vile Violet’s threats and stipulations? Was it the men running around, each with an offer of companionship and sexual promise? Or was she going crazy, as her mother obviously had?

Daisy leaned back onto the pillows and closed her eyes as the thoughts assaulted her sleep-deprived mind. When were things going to be okay? When was she going to find the answers she needed and why did she keep dreaming of two different men, each with a happy future?