Abandoned Girl (Neighpalm Industries Collective, #1)

by Winston, Lexie

  By the time we slow, I'm breathing heavy, and Phoenix has a light sheen of sweat to his coat. The little lake at the back of the large property is the perfect place for a rest and an afternoon picnic. Its surface glassy in the afternoon sun, it looks cool and refreshing. We climb off the horses, removing their tack and releasing them to graze and get a drink. They’re trained not to run away and will stay close by for when we want to return.

  Pulling off my boots and jeans, I join Maxine in the knee-deep water while Melinda and Chuck set up our picnic, the two of them in deep conversation. The temperature is a refreshing bite on my overheated skin. No words are exchanged; none are needed as we bask in the afternoon sun, and the sound of insects fills the comfortable silence.

  "Girls, come and get a drink." Melinda's voice breaks through our moment, and, smiling at each other, we wade out and back up the grassy bank to the shade of a tree. Melinda has laid out a rug to sit on, but we both choose the grass until our legs dry. Once we’re settled, she hands me a little plastic cup of coffee. "Do you feel better?" she asks, giving one to Max too.

  "Yeah, I needed that," I tell her, taking a sip of the liquid gold in a cup—the coffee warming my rapidly cooling body. The lake water has done the job of cooling me down, and sitting in the shade is now taking it too far.

  "Harlow, have you thought about what you're going to do now that you've graduated? Are you going to take Doc Davies up on his offer of a position on his team?" Chuck is going to avoid the obvious elephant in the room, and I could kiss him for that alone, but did he have to ask the one other question I’ve been avoiding? The three of them wait for my answer, and the pressure makes me squirm slightly.

  "Yeah, I guess I probably should. God knows I have enough student debt to pay off. Taking a job with him would certainly start working on that," I reply, Melinda and Chuck nodding their heads in agreement. They offered to pay for university for me, but I just couldn't allow it. I got by on scholarships and financial aid, and now is the time to make good on it. To me, family is here for love and support, not for money. I’ll make my own way whenever I can. I always figure out how to make it work.

  "I mean, I would prefer to work for myself, and you guys have made that an option by adding the clinic, but it would take time to build up clientele, and my loans won’t wait for that," I try to explain, but I can just tell by the look they exchange that they're about to offer to take care of them again.

  Before I can refuse, Maxine has to add her two cents in. "That’s all well and good, but you and I both know that your heart is set on something else." I shoot her a dirty look, not knowing why I continue to confide in the pushy bitch.

  Melinda and Chuck look at her with questions in their eyes, and before I can stop her, she’s blurting it out. "Harlow wants to work with exotic animals, zoo creatures and such. It's always been her dream since Nana Summers and Nana Boston took us to the aquarium and the zoos when we were small. You couldn't shake her happy smile after she got to feed the beluga whales, and she almost wet her pants when we saw the tigers." Wow, thanks heaps, bitch. Share my dream with everyone, why don’t you? My thoughts simmer with anger, but underlying it is embarrassment because there it is. The one thing I’d never shared with anyone else but Maxine. Knowing that getting an internship with a vet that does this is near impossible, it just feels like a joke to have it put out there into the world for other people to know.

  “Really? I had no idea." Melinda’s voice is full of surprise, and Chuck has a funny look on his face. The two of them tilt their heads, looking at me in a combination of confusion and like they’re trying to figure me out.

  "You're worried you'll have to leave the state to get one, aren't you?" He’s always been able to see right to the heart of the matter, so I answer with honesty. Might as well put it all out there now that Max has opened this up.

  “Yes, I'm worried that, after all you guys have done for me, I’ll have to leave, and it will put pressure on our relationship. You guys have been the foundation in my life, and I’m worried my absence will rock that foundation, and I need to know that you’ll always be there, always have my back, because without you...I may just crumble.” My fears come rushing out in one giant gasp as though my mind hates this idea of being vulnerable and has decided it’s now or never.

  "Oh, honey, no." Melinda's cry of dismay sounds around the paddock, startling the horses. "No matter where you are or what you're doing, you’ll always be a Boston." Maxine’s smug face says it all. She's been trying to tell me that for years, but Diane did a number on my psyche, and I always found it hard to believe.

  "Well, it's something I need to think about, but I have other pressing worries right now." My words put a stop to the conversation, but I can see in Chuck’s eyes he's not going to let it go. He might not say something now, but I'm sure he’ll corner me again later.

  By now, the sun is starting to sink low in the afternoon sky, so we pack up our picnic, re-saddle the horses, and head back the way we came. The nerves build again the closer we get to the house, causing Phoenix to be skittish. He’s obviously picking up my emotions through my body language; horses are so intuitive to people's feelings, you can’t fool them at all. But his little jolts and startles don't even shift me slightly in the seat; they just help to keep my mind off the things that are bothering me.

  When we return home, I take care of Phoenix's grooming and feeding and wish everyone goodnight. As I walk by the aviary, I can see from the outside light that the owl is perched happily on a branch, his eyes wide as he takes in his surroundings. A scuffling sound in the bottom of the cage draws his and my attention. Wishing the field mouse luck, I head up my stairs to my apartment.

  Chapter Seven

  Harlow

  My night is spent tossing and turning, thinking about possible scenarios for the following day. Eventually, I fall asleep and dream fitfully, visions of Diane and all the words of rejection and hate that she ever viciously spewed at me playing like a broken record over and over inside my mind.

  I wake early the next morning, tangled in my blankets, covered in sweat, and with tears streaming down my face. Damn her, how is she still affecting me so many years later? Her death and the revelations about my father have brought all my issues screaming back; not for the first time, I make a note that maybe I should pay my therapist another visit. For her to torment me in my dreams is one thing. For this to all escalate and make me backslide into the broken little girl I used to be is another. I can’t let that happen.

  Throwing back my blankets, I head into my ensuite and take a quick shower. It's almost eight o'clock already, which may be early to other people, but it’s borderline late for me. I must have forgotten to set my alarm before I went to bed, and I guess nobody wanted to wake me for morning feed rounds.

  Putting on my regular work uniform, a pair of stretchy riding pants and a t-shirt, I work my hair into a braid, tying it off with a hair tie. Pulling on a thick pair of socks, I head downstairs to find my work boots. After I quickly shove my feet in and lace ‘em up, I feed Jenny and DS before heading over to the main house for breakfast and to see if the Summers have arrived

  Removing my boots again before I enter, I nudge open the back door, the sound of Nana Summers’ sweet voice easily traveling across the space between us. She’s already talking about how horrible it was that they had missed out on so much. She sounds like she's been crying, and my heart about breaks at the thought of one of my favorite people getting so upset. I hover in the mudroom, my nerves getting the better of me. Turning around to head back outside, the door slips from my hand in a freak gust of wind and slams shut.

  "Harlow?" Melinda calls out. There’s no hiding my entry anymore, so I trudge into the kitchen, head down and shoulders hunched, trying to make myself seem as little as possible. Jesus, I’ve fallen back on my old habits from those nightmare visits with Mom. Straightening my shoulders, I take a deep breath and look up at the couple.

  Tears glisten in Nana's eyes, but she
looks happy, and Poppy Summers has a big broad grin on his face. "Hally, my love, come give your poppy a big squelch." With those familiar words, everything falls into place for a moment, and just maybe everything is going to be okay.

  I cross the floorboards to be enveloped by him and his strong arms. His familiar designer fragrance surrounds me with notes of sandalwood and brings me such comfort and reminders of some of the happiest memories of my childhood. He’s shaking with emotions as he whispers in my ear, "My sweet, sweet girl. You don't know how happy we are to discover you are one of us. We just wish it’d been sooner, and we hadn't missed out on so much time."

  "For goodness sake, Howard, stop smothering the girl! Let her breathe, please.” Nana sounds exasperated, and I can feel her tug on his shirt until he grumbles but lets me go. A smile threatens to break out, the scene one that I know all too well. For all of her “nagging” at Poppy, Nana loves him so much, and he’s always taken it all in amused stride. Before I can say anything else, Nana has grabbed me and wrapped me up in her arms. Her smaller body is surprisingly strong for a woman her age. The tightness of her hug and her familiar violet smell add to the feelings of calm.

  She doesn't say anything; she just holds me tight, breathing me in as I do the same. Eventually, we part, and tears streak her face. I pull away and grab a tissue from the nearby buffet cabinet and gently wipe them away.

  Patting the seat in between them, they both sit and gesture for me to follow. I study them while coffee is made. I haven't seen them in a few months, but they haven't changed. Poppy is a tall, ruggedly handsome gentleman, with steel gray hair cut neat around his ears and swept to one side across his forehead. He has age lines on his face, though most of them are from laughing, a sign of his generally happy disposition. His skin is tanned from all the outdoor activities they do, but he looks just as comfortable wearing a suit and heading for a business meeting as he does in jeans and boots. Meeting his sparkling brown eyes, he winks at me before putting in his egg order with the Bostons’ housekeeper Sherry. It’s with that action I realize he has the same color eyes as me, and they’re also shaped similarly. A rush of happiness flows through me at this thought.

  Turning to Nana, she's looking at me too. Her blonde hair is streaked with gray and is pulled back into a bun sort of thing at the base of her neck. She hasn't got any makeup on this morning, and the fine lines of age she wears so well are showing. Her eyes look a little strained under her elegantly refined blonde eyebrows, but that's to be expected. One of those eyebrows raises as if to say "What?" I shrug my shoulders in response, taking a moment before I answer.

  "Just looking at you guys from a new perspective and thanking my lucky stars that dreams do come true." Her lips purse together in shock before a brilliant smile crosses her face. It's true though. I've always wished that they were mine for real. Between Maxine, Melinda, and Chuck, I got the parents and sister that I could only have dreamed of, and knowing I really do have grandparents who are just as wonderful as them brings a lightness to my life.

  Breakfast is served, and we chat about benign things until it looks like Grace and Howard are ready to burst.

  Chuck starts to laugh, willing to take the lead and get us moving toward the reason we’re all gathered here. "Shall we address the giant elephant in the room? Grace, Howard, would you like to start?"

  They look at each other, and with a nod from Nana, Poppy starts. "Hally, honey, we would love it if you would come back to California with us and get to know our son and his family. We haven't said anything to him yet because we wanted to see how you felt about it, but it really would make us very happy if you could."

  My feelings soar with joy at how accepted I feel with these two wonderful people, but the doubt and anxiety at how everyone else will react rears its ugly head in equal measure.

  "I don't know," I begin, and they start to argue.

  Barely a moment goes by before Melinda stops them with a firm, "Hear her out first, please." They nod their acceptance, looking properly chastised though excitement still gleams in their eyes.

  "I have so many things going on in my head," I explain to them. I might as well put it all out there. "I have reservations about meeting your son. I'm not a cute baby that he can get to know as I grow. I’m a fully grown adult, with my own life, and, well, what if he doesn't like me?" The words come rushing out now. "And what about his kids? They may feel a bit put out at his biological daughter appearing all of a sudden. Then there’s my job offer with Doc Davies to consider and paying off my student loans. If I go to California, I doubt he'll hold a job for me until I come back."

  I stop abruptly, noticing they're all looking at me with wild eyes. "Sorry, I didn't sleep much last night, and these are the things I'm worried about."

  Poppy pats my hand, a soft smile on his face. "Don't apologize, a problem shared is a problem halved." He always manages to make me smile. He likes to spout off random bits of wisdom, saying they make him seem like he's “sage and deep” as he gets older.

  Nana has a look of determination on her face as she thinks about what I've just told them, and she waves a hand in my direction. "Well, you don't have to worry about your university debt. Howard and I paid for all our grandchildren's schooling, and we’ll certainly be paying for yours as well." She takes out her phone and starts making notes. "Give me the next bill, and I will have Brad’s PA take care of that." Her words are breezy as her fingers fly across the screen, but I just stare at her with my mouth open. She must realize I haven't responded and looks up at me. "Close your mouth, dear. It’s unladylike to stand there with it open."

  "But, but, but," I stammer out, and Maxine, on the other side of the table, just giggles. "You do know I'm a vet?"

  "Yes, yes," Poppy says, patting me on the leg, "and such a clever one too, getting the first two years of the undergraduate courses done while in high school. I tell you none of our other grandchildren did that, so it must be my genes flowing through your body." He winks at me, and the others at the table laugh, but I still have no idea what to say.

  "Look, we have seven grandchildren, eight now, and we made sure each of them got a quality education, even if it was just to fall back on, like Oliver." That must be one of the grandson’s names, and when Maxine’s eyes gleam and she squirms in her seat, I know that I'm going to hear all about him later. "You already got that brilliant education, and we would be poor grandparents if, when we can afford to take care of the bill, we didn’t. This way, you’re not weighed down with all that debt and are free to make an informed decision instead of one brought about by financial issues." I go to speak, trying to argue my case again, hopefully more successfully, and she holds up a hand. "No, I won't hear another word. It's done. We’ve already missed so many special moments in your life. Give us this, please," she pleads, a tone that I’ve never heard from this strong-willed woman. Not that she’s a terror about it, but Nana’s wealth has meant that she really doesn’t have to say please to anyone; what Nana Summers asks for, Nana Summers gets, usually quite quickly and with a smile.

  I look around the table at the others, not believing what she’s just said. The bill is astronomical; that’s the whole reason why I’ve always fought off Chuck and Melinda’s attempts to pay. Chuck smiles at me, a teasing glint in his eye. "Just nod your head and say thank you, Harlow. You won’t get her to change her mind; the woman is a force of nature." Poppy's nodding in agreement, the surest sign that if I try to fight this battle, I’ll lose.

  "But that right there is what I'm worried about," I point out to them all. "I don't want your money, and I certainly don't want to be accused of being a gold-digger or anything."

  "Pshh." Nana’s words are a hiss, so much formidable strength packed into just that one sound. "You’re a Summers. You were born into this family, not married in, and anyone who says anything else, send them my way. I'll put them in their place."

  This time it's Melinda who’s nodding her head with a look of awe in her eyes. "Oh yes, Nana Summers is
a feast to behold when she is on the warpath. I remember when I was accused of being a gold-digger..." Melinda had married into Chuck’s wealthy family, having come from a poor farming family. Her horse skills were unparalleled, and that's how she caught Chuck's eye, but there were some who were...reluctant to believe their honest love story.

  "Goodness, Grace set them straight. I’ve never seen someone scurry away so fast in my life."

  Nana has the classic haughty look of a snob on her face; nose in the air and haughty eyes, her mouth pursed. "Being gold-diggers themselves, those social-climbing bitches wouldn't know quality stock when they see it. But I do." Her face breaks out in a smile, and we all laugh as she blows a kiss at Melinda across the table.

  "But what about your son and his kids? I don't want to stir up a happy family, and it's not like we're going to bond like brothers and sisters. That boat has definitely sailed." Nana and Poppy exchange an almost knowing look, and Poppy winks at her, not exactly the reaction I was expecting.

  "I think our plan is still possible," he assures her mysteriously, not giving away anything I can make sense of. She gives him a small nod and stands up.

  "You leave the worrying about my family to me. It's time they all got a swift kick up the backside. They've all become complacent, just going through the motions. My grandchildren are almost, dare I say it, spoiled. I think you’re going to be just what they need to stir up the monotony of their everyday lives. Now, Maxine gave me a strand of your hair when we first got here, and I had that couriered off for DNA testing. There’s no doubt in mine or Howard’s minds, but this will stop any of the naysayers."