by Kathi Daley
“Yeah. I’ve picked up quite a few tidbits throughout the day as well. What did Hope have to say?”
“Hope heard from several people that Bill was seen having dinner with Robert Harrison, or I guess I should say Harrison Roberts, and a woman with long red hair.”
“I spoke to Darcy Rosenthal,” I said. “She worked the pumpkin toss with me. She’s a waitress at the steakhouse. She told me that Bill was dining with Harrison and a redhead. She said that while their conversation started off cordial enough, as it went on, the tension between everyone involved seemed to increase dramatically. Darcy wasn’t certain, but she thought that the redheaded woman might have come with Harrison. She also thought she might be in town with the production company.”
“She is,” Cass confirmed. “I did some research and was able to verify that the redheaded woman seen with Bill and Harrison is an actress named Jennifer Ashford. She’s playing a supporting role in the movie, as is Harrison.”
“I remember seeing her name on the list Dex gave me. If I remember correctly, Victoria Medford has been cast as the female lead, and Jennifer Ashford is starring as her sister. I know Logan Underwood was cast as the male lead, but I’m really not sure what sort of role Harrison was cast to play. Dex gave me a packet of information, but it was incomplete. He said he’d send over an updated cast list once he had one.”
“Harrison has a minor role,” Cass informed me. “Based on what I’ve been able to find out, the movie is a murder mystery, which involves a group of people who, for one reason or another, find themselves trapped at an isolated resort. There’s a murder, and the character played by Underwood, sets out to find the killer while keeping everyone else safe until help can arrive. I’m pretty sure Victoria Medford plays one of the guests who ends up helping Underwood with the investigation. I assume there’s a romance between the two at some point. Jennifer Ashford plays Medford’s younger sister, which I suppose would qualify her for the supporting actress role.”
“Is there a supporting actor?” I asked.
“Vince Ravenwood. He plays the groundskeeper, who, according to the gossip mill, turns out to be the killer.”
I knew that Vince Ravenwood was a seasoned actor who’d starred in many movies in his youth. I’d loved everything he’d done and found I was even more excited about meeting him than I was about meeting Logan Underwood.
“Anyway,” Cass continued, “I guess one of the men Hope spoke to, Jason Winters, told her that he’d left the steakhouse just behind Bill and the two people he’d dined with. He told her that Bill and the woman were standing near Bill’s car, arguing when he arrived in the parking area. He didn’t hear everything that was being said, but the woman was waving a document of some sort in Bill’s face and demanding that he sign it.”
“A document? I wonder what sort of document.”
“I don’t know,” Cass answered. “I spoke to Jason, and he didn’t know. Jason told me he came out of the steakhouse, noticed the argument but didn’t linger, got into his own vehicle, and left.”
“And Harrison?” I asked. “What was he doing during this altercation?”
“Jason said he didn’t see him, but he also admitted that he was mostly trying to mind his own business, so he wasn’t looking for him.” Cass stopped walking when we arrived at my car. “Do you want to drop your car at your house? I thought we could go out for a nice dinner rather than gorging ourselves at the food court. It might work best with one car.”
“Yeah. I like that plan. Do you want to take Milo home?” I glanced at the dog who was poking his head out the backseat window of Cass’s truck, which was parked two spots over from where I’d parked.
“I do. How about I follow you to your place, we can drop off your car, and you can change if you want to. Then we’ll head out to my place, so I can drop Milo off, and change out of my uniform. Then we can figure out where we want to eat.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I opened the driver’s door of my SUV. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Chapter 6
After a brief discussion, Cass and I decided on an upscale restaurant specializing in Mexican food. I chose the shrimp enchiladas with a creamy white sauce, which was served with a black bean and avocado salad, while he chose a shredded beef burrito with traditional red sauce and refried beans. The restaurant was perched on the edge of Foxtail Lake, and while the sun had already set, the moon was high in the sky, creating a very romantic setting, especially when the real wood fire and soft lighting were taken into consideration. It seemed a waste of atmosphere to discuss the ins and outs of the case Cass was working on, so by mutual consent, we decided to focus our conversation elsewhere.
“This is nice,” I said after we’d placed our orders. “It’s been a while since the two of us have had a chance to really talk.”
“It does seem as if we’ve been going in different directions as of late.” Cass took a sip of his margarita. “I chatted with Gracie while you were changing your clothes. She told me that Ethel is going to be moved to rehab, and that it might be quite a while before she’s well enough to come home.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “It isn’t looking good. She survived the stroke, which we’re all so grateful for, but according to what her doctor told Gracie, Ethel has a long road ahead of her in terms of recovery.” I paused and then continued. “Actually, at her age, there isn’t a guarantee she will ever fully recover.” I leaned back in my chair. “Gracie and I both think it’s only a matter of time before she’s going to be facing the realization that she’s no longer healthy enough to continue as Paisley’s guardian.”
Cass picked up a chip, dipped it into the salsa the waiter delivered, and then popped it into his mouth. “Do you know if there’s a plan in place for Paisley should that occur?” he asked after he’d swallowed.
“According to Gracie, Ethel has a niece who is reluctant but willing to take Paisley, but this niece already has a bunch of her own kids, and Gracie and I are concerned that Paisley will get lost in the mix. Gracie and Ethel briefly discussed the idea of either Gracie or me taking over as Paisley’s guardian. Gracie is willing, of course, but she pointed out that given our ages, I might be the better choice.”
Cass raised a brow. “Is taking over as legal guardian for Paisley something you’re willing to do?”
I looked him in the eye. “I don’t know. Maybe. With the curse and all, I’ve never given a lot of thought to being a mother. I guess I just figured it wasn’t in the cards. And to be honest, I don’t even know if I’d be a good mother. But I do love Paisley, and I want her to be happy.”
“Do you think she wants to stay with you?”
I nodded. “She does. She told me she wants to stay with Gracie and me if something happens to her grandmother. Foxtail Lake is her home now, and she’s terrified about being uprooted again. She’s also terrified about being sent to live with someone she doesn’t know.” I felt a catch in my throat. “I was younger than Paisley when my parents died, but I remember being terrified about being left alone in the world. If it hadn’t been for Aunt Gracie, I really don’t know what would have happened to me.”
“You didn’t have any other relatives?”
I shook my head. “No one I knew. My dad had a couple cousins I’d never even met who I suppose would have been approached if it hadn’t been for Gracie and her willingness to raise me the same way she’d raised my mom and my aunt, Penelope.” I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Gracie never had children of her own, but she was a mother. She raised my mom and Penelope almost from birth, and she raised me from the time I was four. I know she’s willing to raise Paisley as well, but she isn’t wrong about the fact that, while she is willing to help, perhaps given my age, I might be the one better suited to take on the role.”
Cass placed his hand over mine. “It seems like you have a big decision to make.”
“Yeah. I guess I do.” I looked Cass in the eye once again. “Do you think I’d be a good mother?”
He smiled. “I think you’d be an excellent mother.”
I wasn’t quite as certain as he was, but being there for Paisley now the way Aunt Gracie had been there for me when I was four, did feel like the right thing to do.
“And you won’t need to do this alone,” he added. “You know that both Gracie and Tom will continue to be there for Paisley, and you know that if you need me, I’ll be there too.”
“Thanks,” I said as I noticed the waiter walking toward us with our plates of food. “That means a lot.”
Once the food was delivered, the conversation took on an easier tone. We discussed the Harvest Festival as well as the upcoming Halloween Festival later in the month. Cass told me a funny story about a burglar who’d accidentally locked himself in the basement of the house he was trying to rob, and I told him about the starring role in the play Paisley had been awarded after the girl who’d been chosen to play the role had broken her arm. We briefly discussed Thanksgiving as I reiterated the fact that he was invited to the house to have dinner with the family, which seemed to lead to a discussion involving Christmas, tree cutting, and the annual festivities in town.
After we finished our meal, we decided to go back to the converted boathouse where he lived, open a bottle of wine, and cuddle up under heavy blankets while we looked at the stars. I had to admit that spending time alone with Cass was something I’d both dreaded and longed to do ever since that night five months ago when Cass had convinced me to let go of my fear and spend the night under the stars in his arms. While the night we shared talking and kissing had been magical, and all our nights together since then had been magical as well, I knew Cass wanted more out of our relationship. I knew that I did as well. The question in my mind, however, was how exactly that would look. I had no doubt that Cass ultimately hoped he could convince me that the curse I’d lived my life avoiding wasn’t actually real, and a future that included marriage and children really wasn’t out of the question. But lifelong beliefs weren’t easily released, and I simply wasn’t sure I would ever be able to give Cass what he both wanted and deserved.
In the meantime, I supposed these fairly innocent make-out sessions were nice, even though they were frustrating. I’d pretty much convinced myself that even if we took the next step and actually slept together, it would probably be fine. I wasn’t certain what act would cause the curse to kick in, but it seemed to be linked to marriage and children rather than passion. Of course, once I went there with Cass, it would be hard to go back to the friendship we’d shared for most of our lives, which caused me to wonder where we’d end up in the long run.
“Before I came back to Foxtail Lake and disrupted your life, did you have some sort of a plan?” I asked Cass after we’d settled onto a lounger for two.
“A plan?” he asked. “What do you mean by a plan?”
“In terms of marriage and family. Did you plan to marry and have children one day?”
He tightened his arms around me. “I suppose the thought had entered my mind, not that I had any sort of immediate plans to do so. When you came back to the lake, I wasn’t even seriously dating anyone.” He paused. “Why do you ask?”
“I guess you know where I stand on the whole marriage and family thing.”
He shifted a bit, so we were facing one another. “I do.”
“I guess I just wondered if it mattered.”
He frowned. “Mattered? What do you mean?”
“I guess it just occurred to me that you and I seem to be working up to something. I’m just not sure, given the situation, what that something might be.”
Cass paused. He looked uncertain, but eventually, he spoke. “I guess that’s really up to you. I do understand how you feel about the family curse, and I do understand that you have reason to feel the way you do. Personally, I don’t believe in curses, but I respect your beliefs and understand where they stem from. Having said that, if it were totally up to me, yes, I’d want us to marry and have a family someday. But marriage and family isn’t the most important thing to me. Having you in my life in whatever form you are comfortable with is the most important thing. As long as we are together, we can let the rest work itself out.”
I wanted to be noble. I wanted to do the right thing and simply let Cass go so that he could build a life with someone who could give him everything he deserved. Instead, I found myself melting into his body as I found his neck with my lips. I wasn’t sure where Cass and I would end up, but in this moment, kissing Cass under the stars, felt as if everything I would ever desire had been condensed into this singular moment.
Chapter 7
Sunday
My evening with Cass making out under the stars was magical, but as I’d already acknowledged, frustrating as well. I wasn’t a teenager, and a relationship that involved a lot of making out, but little else was bound to get old at some point. I wanted to let myself move forward with Cass. I wanted to wake up to him every morning and go to bed with him every night. I wanted to give myself to him completely, and yet, I was terrified. Rolling over onto my back, I stared at the ceiling. I’d been meaning to take the time to really sort through my feelings, and since Paisley was with Anna, and I didn’t need to be at the haunted barn until this afternoon, now seemed as good a time as any. I was an adult in my thirties. I’d had intimate relationships in the past. Not a lot, but a few. As far as I knew, nothing awful had happened to any of the men I’d slept with, so in my mind, it seemed clear that sex in and of itself was not the igniting factor. Of course, I’d never loved any of the men with whom I’d had relationships, so maybe it was love and not sex that set things off.
Of course, Gracie clearly loved Tom, and while I’d never been so bold as to ask outright, I suspected there was an intimacy factor involved in their friendship. I didn’t know the extent of things, but clearly, Gracie loved Tom, and he seemed to love her as well. Neither Gracie nor Tom had died prematurely, so perhaps intimacy, even in the presence of love, wasn’t the igniting factor.
I’d spent a lot of time in my youth studying the curse, but I guess in a way, I still didn’t understand exactly how it worked. What I did know was that my great-great-grandmother, Edwina Birmingham, seduced Jordan Hollister away from her best friend, Hester Stinson, and, in retaliation, Hester, a purported witch, had laid a curse on the happy couple. That curse had stipulated that any Hollister daughter born to Jordan and Edwina, or any daughter born to their descendants, would suffer the tragic and early loss of their beloved. Neither Jordan nor Edwina were concerned about the curse because the couple only had one child, a son they named Samuel. Samuel married a woman named Anastasia, who he brought to live at Hollister House. Anastasia gave birth to twin daughters, Gwendolyn and Gracie.
Aunt Gracie had never married or had children, and although she seemed to love Tom, and was even most likely intimate with him, neither had suffered premature death. Gwendolyn, on the other hand, had moved to Denver, where she married a man named Richard Hastings. Richard fell to his death on the couple’s first anniversary, so Gwendolyn, who was pregnant with twins at the time of her husband’s death, moved home, where she delivered Phoebe and Penelope. On the twins’ second birthday, Gwendolyn died of a broken heart, leaving Gracie to raise her nieces.
My mother, Phoebe, married a man named Roderick Collins. Ten months after marrying, they had a daughter, me, and four years after that, Roderick and Phoebe were killed in an automobile accident. And then there was Penelope, who never married or had children. She loved to travel and never seemed to stay put until an unfortunate encounter with a French artist, a hot Ferrari, and an ill-advised joy ride ended in her death on a narrow country road just outside Paris.
I supposed the fact that although Penelope never married or had children, yet she still died a premature death, might be something worth thinking about. I’d always assumed that Gwendolyn and Richard, as well as my mother and father, had died early due to the curse, but the fact that Penelope didn’t fit the pattern and yet had still died at a young
age, might indicate there was more going on than I’d initially believed.
“Do you need anything before I head over to the Harvest Festival?” Gracie asked after poking her head in through my partially open bedroom door.
“No. I don’t have a shift until this afternoon, so I’m taking advantage of my downtime to lay around and not do much of anything.”
“Seems like a good plan. I’ll let you get back to it.” She started to close the door.
“Aunt Gracie.”
She opened the door once again. “Yes, dear.”
“Have you ever stopped to think about the specifics of the family curse?”
“Specifics?” She looked surprised by my question.
I sat up, tucking my pillows behind my back. “What specifically activates it? Is it falling in love? Being intimate? Marrying? Having children? I’ve never really understood at what point the curse becomes active.”
Gracie entered the room and sat down on the corner of my bed. She paused before answering. I sensed that she understood the seriousness of my question. “I’m not really sure what act specifically activates the curse. I guess I figured the curse must be tied either to marriage or to children, but I never really stopped to decide which. Both your grandparents and your parents died after they had children, so I suppose that might be the trigger, but I do sometimes wonder what would have happened if both my sister and my niece would have married, but decided not to have children. Would they have been able to live out their natural lives with the man they chose to love or were they destined to die a premature death at the moment they fell in love?”
“What about Penelope?” I asked. “She died young, and she neither married nor had children. I guess I’ve always attributed the death of my parents to the curse, and Penelope’s death to her own actions, but recently, I’ve had cause to really consider things. I’m beginning to think that my prior logic really doesn’t stand up under any sort of scrutiny.”
