by Kristie Cook
“Hi. We’re looking for Gabby Guillaume.”
She frowned, her eyes volleying between Cora and me. “I’m Gabby. How can I help you?”
Cora and I exchanged a glance. She was too young to have taken care of me seventeen years ago. “I think someone made a mistake. We’re looking for Gabrielle Guillaume who worked here seventeen years ago?”
The nurse frowned. “That was my aunt. I’m named after her. What is this about?”
I explained about my birth and wanting to thank her aunt. The nurse’s expression changed as I spoke, from confusion to surprise then finally wariness.
“Ooh, that’s sweet,” another nurse overheard us and said. She was short and curvy and had a kind smile. A third nurse had her back to us and was busy punching the keyboard.
“She’s thinking of nominating her for an award,” Cora said.
“The Daisy Award,” I explained.
Nurse Guillaume smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “She would have loved that, but my aunt is retired now and moved back to Louisiana. If you leave your number, I can give it to her and explain what you want. If she wants to talk to you, she’ll give you a call.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” I scribbled my cell number and name on the piece of paper. “Um, you don’t happen to know Kayla Jemison and Sally Mullin, do you? They worked here with her.”
Nurse Guillaume shook her head. “That was before my time, but Aunt Gabby might know. I’ll ask her if she knows how to contact the other two.”
“Thank you.” We left the Women’s Center and entered the elevator, but I couldn’t get rid of a weird feeling about the nurse. “Do you think she reacted kind of weird?”
Cora frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but she seemed almost reluctant to help us.”
We headed to the parking lot, but just before the car started, I thought I heard a motorcycle engine roar to life. I looked around, but there was no biker. Not that I expected to catch a glimpse of Torin. He probably used rune magic to move at a super speed.
***
Eirik was talking to Torin when we arrived at my house. While Eirik crossed over to our place, my eyes connected with Torin’s. There was a flash of something in his eyes. Anger? Grim determination? I wasn’t sure.
“Hey, what took you guys?” Eirik slipped his arms around my waist and kissed my temple.
Aware of both Torin and Cora watching us, I closed my eyes and tried to savor the feel of Eirik. I’d always loved the way he smelled. Now I craved a different scent. I imagined different arms holding me, different lips kissing me. My senses leaped at my thoughts and guilt followed.
Eirik turned me around, cupped my face, and kissed me. He angled his head and deepened the contact. I welcomed the invasion of his tongue and clung to him, desperately using him to erase Torin from my mind. It didn’t work. My body knew he was just a substitute. Instead of passion, I found comfort. Instead of heat, I got warmth.
Eirik eased off the kiss and looked over my shoulder. I knew then that he’d kissed me to warn Torin off or prove something. “Let’s go inside.”
Cora disappeared with Torin while Eirik and I walked to my house. Once I finished explaining our visit at the hospital, we worked on uploading the photographs onto his computer and cropping them. When Cora finally joined us, she was quiet. Too quiet.
“You okay?” I asked, but she just shrugged.
While the two of them finished with the slideshow, I worked on the eulogy.
“I’m home,” Mom called a while later. The scent of fresh pizza reached us before she popped her head into my room. “Pizza, drinks, and wings for my hardworking crew.”
Eirik jumped up, took the box, and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mrs. C. I was starving.”
“You’re growing,” she teased him then gave me the bottle of soda and plastic cups.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Take a look.” Cora turned the laptop and tapped a key. The slides showed pictures of Kate with other swimmers—in the pool swimming, at meets, doing team cheer, at parties and dinners my coach loved to have before meets, and around town during fundraising gigs for the team.
Mom smiled and patted Cora’s shoulder. “That was beautiful. I’m sure Kate’s parents will appreciate all the hard work you guys put into it.”
“Yeah, I wish I could say the same about my eulogy,” I mumbled. I had half a page written, and it sounded pathetic.
“You’re giving a eulogy?” Mom asked, not masking her surprise.
I sighed. “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking when I volunteered.”
“I’m sure it will come to you, sweetie.” Mom squeezed my shoulder and disappeared downstairs.
Thirty minutes later, I threw the pencil down. “I need help, people. Desperately.”
Cora scrunched her face. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t know her.”
“You urged me to volunteer, you traitor,” I retorted.
“Since when do you listen to me?”
“Since always.” I threw a pillow at her, and she blocked it with her greasy hands. “Eew, you got pizza sauce on my pillow.”
“Serves you right for throwing it.” She kicked the pillow out of the way and glanced at Eirik. “Are you going to help or just demolish the food like a starved ex-convict?”
Eirik licked his fingers then reached for another chicken wing. “I don’t talk when I eat.”
“Grrr-ross,” Cora said, watching him suck the flesh off the bones.
He smacked his lips and winked at her then glanced my way. “Maybe you should just say a line or two and let the slideshow speak for you, Raine.”
“We’ll see.” I jumped up. “Anyone want anything else? I’m going downstairs to talk to Mom. She’s good with people and always knows what to say.”
“About everything,” Cora said.
“And everyone,” Eirik added.
Laughing, I headed downstairs. I reached the bottom and froze. Mom wasn’t alone. A familiar voice mingled with her softer voice, and my heart leaped. Torin.
As though aware of my presence, Torin looked up and stood. I swallowed, my senses soaking him as though I hadn’t seen him earlier. I walked toward them, my heart racing so hard I felt lightheaded.
“Did you finish your eulogy, sweetie?” Mom asked.
“No, I need help. Kate wasn’t very outgoing, so we know next to nothing about her,” I said absentmindedly, my eyes not leaving Torin’s. I wanted to look away, but couldn’t. His eyes held me spellbound. He watched me as though every expression on my face was of utter importance to him. “I didn’t know you two had met,” I added, my voice breathless.
“Your mother and I met a few days ago,” he said, cocking his eyebrows. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why should I?” My face grew warm, the conversation we’d had in the closet at school flashing in my head.
“Torin wants to know if it’s okay for him to throw a party tomorrow night for the swim team. Isn’t that thoughtful of him to ask all the neighbors first?” Mom said.
“Just being neighborly, Mrs. Cooper.”
I dragged my eyes from Torin and glanced at Mom. She wore an innocent grin, which didn’t fool me one little bit. I couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t told me the two of them had met. Taking a deep breath to calm my pounding heart, I focused on their conversation. “Have you spoken with Mr. Peterson yet?”
Torin chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a funny guy. He said it was no problem at all, that we should have parties around here more often.”
“Really?”
“Really. We met the day I arrived and hit it off.” He grinned. “We share a passion for unique mailboxes.”
I giggled.
Torin grinned back. “I came over to personally invite you to my party, Freckles.”
“Me? I, uh...” Did he just call me Freckles in front of my mother?
He bowed stiffly and proper like an English gentleman. “Please. It will be an honor to have you there.”
“I, uh, okay. I’ll be there. I mean, we’ll be there.” A chuckle drew my attention to Mom, and I blushed. I had completely forgotten her presence.
“It’s been a pleasure talking to you again, Mrs. Cooper,” Torin said. “I better head home. I’ve a lot to do between now and tomorrow.”
“You should ask Raine to help. She’s good with parties.”
I glared at Mom. “I can’t. We have Kate’s funeral in the morning and shopping for a Homecoming Dance dress in the afternoon.”
“That’s okay, Mrs. Cooper. I have a few friends coming over to help.”
Who? I wanted to ask, feeling jealous, but he was still talking.
“I promise to keep the noise to a minimum, but if the music becomes too loud, please, feel free to stop by and let me know.”
Mom chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I can sleep through a tornado.”
I snorted at the lie. Everybody appeared to be bending over backwards to be nice to Torin. He must have drawn be-nice-to-the-new-neighbor runes on them or something.
“Do walk Torin to the door, sweetheart,” Mom added.
I gave her a sharp glance, but she just smiled. The challenging look in Torin’s eyes told me he wouldn’t move until I escorted him to the door. Sighing, I led the way to the front entrance, my eyes darting upstairs when I reached the foyer.
“Don’t worry. Golden Boy doesn’t know I’m here,” Torin whispered. “Not that I care if he does.”
“You should. If you haven’t noticed, he doesn’t particularly like you.” I opened the door and stepped aside for him to pass.
“That’s because he knows he’s not worthy of you,” Torin whispered as he walked past me. Then he turned and added, “I wish you didn’t have to bring him tomorrow night, but I’m willing to have you anyway I can.”
His boldness didn’t surprise me anymore, but his words thrilled me even though I knew they shouldn’t. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why not? They’re true. Come on, walk me to the driveway.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“I’ve missed you.”
I’d missed him so much I wanted to close the gap between us and touch him. I opened my mouth to tell him how I felt but the words got trapped in my throat. Instead, I stared helplessly at him. The yellow security light danced on his chiseled cheekbones, the sculptured lips, the lock of black hair on his forehead, and his impossibly gorgeous eyes.
“I also know a thing or two about Kate that you might find useful.” When I still hesitated, he added, “Scaredy-cat.”
“Not.”
“What do you think I’m going to do with your mother a few feet away and Mrs. Rutledge peering at us from behind her curtain?”
Sure enough, I caught the subtle movement behind our neighbor’s curtain. I rolled my eyes and closed the door behind us. “Nosey crone,” I mumbled.
“Be nice,” Torin said. “So? Did you find any answers at the hospital?”
I smiled, getting my equilibrium back. “So that was you on the bike. Are you stalking me again?”
“It’s called guarding, Freckles. So what did you learn?”
“You want me to share info? Start by telling me what you know.”
He stopped, crossed his arms, and studied me with a wicked smirk. “Okay. Kate Hunsaker was the person behind the nicknames.”
“What?” The switch in topic caught me off guard.
“Kate was the one who came up with nicknames for your teammates.”
“Yeah. Right.”
“You are called Slinky because of your favorite slinky toy. Cora makes funny expressions when bored so she’s Eyezz. Eirik is Houdini because he pulls disappearing acts during practice. Jimmy Baines is Condor because he looks like a condor when he does butterfly. Jess is Eel …”
I stared at him with round eyes as he listed the nicknames of all the swimmers on my team and the stories behind the names, most of which I didn’t even know.
“I had no idea. How did you know? Never mind. You probably got all that from talking to other swimmers.”
He chuckled, the sound low and sexy. “Actually, no. When I recruit, I come prepared with background info on everyone on my list. So? What were you doing at the hospital?”
Still absorbing what he’d just said, which explained why he knew so much about me, I studied him. “Where do you get your information?”
“From my superiors.”
“So you know everything about me?”
“Nope, just relevant stuff. Quit procrastinating and tell me why you went to the hospital.”
“I figured that if you didn’t mark me, then someone must have.” I quickly explained what my mother had told me about my birth. “Did you know about that?”
He made a face. “No-oo. Go on.”
“My doctor didn’t have any answers, so I went to the hospital to find the identities of the nurses who took care of me. Unfortunately, they don’t live here anymore.” I explained about the three nurses and what we learned from Nurse Guillaume. “I got strange vibes from her, but …” I shrugged. “I could be wrong.”
“No, always trust your instincts. What are the three nurses’ names?”
“Why?”
“So I can track them down.”
“Without me?” I asked.
“I work better alone.”
“Not this time,” I protested. “My birth, my investigation, so wherever you go, I go.”
“You do know I can go to the hospital and get the information on my own, like that.” He snapped his fingers.
He’d have to go through Debbie first. I grinned. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
He frowned. “You know something that I don’t?”
I gave him a toothy grin. “Oh yeah and loving it.”
“One day you’ll come to trust me, Freckles.” He caressed my nose. “See you tomorrow.”
I could still feel the heat from his finger on my nose as I entered the house, closed the door, and went to join Mom. She’d been watching something on TV but turned it down.
“Freckles?” she teased.
“I hate that name.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, I could tell.”
I made a face. “Are you going to help me with the eulogy?”
Mom patted the stool next to her. “Tell me what you know about Kate?”
I sat and sighed. “Hmm, she was quiet and shy. When you talked to her, she’d just clam up.”
“Put a positive spin on these things that defined her. Quiet and shy becomes thoughtful. Clamming up just means she was a good listener.”
When Mom finished, I was grinning. I hugged her. “You’re the best, Mom.”
“Raine?” she called as I ran toward the stairs.
“Yeah?” I turned and walked backwards.
“It’s nice to see stars in your eyes.”
I made a face. “I’m going to pretend I don’t know what you mean.”
“As long as you understand what you’re getting into. Have you thought of what you’re going to do about it?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Be careful.”
Seriously, mothers shouldn’t be involved in their daughters’ love lives.
AN OBSESSION
Kate’s wake and funeral service were beautiful. Not that a funeral could ever be deemed a thing of beauty, but her family made it memorable. There were flowers inside and outside the church, colorful balloons, teddy bears, and swim-themed stuff placed near the entrance. A photo montage cycled on the video screens as soft religious tunes played over the speakers. Photos and a photo board were also set up next to Kate’s coffin at the front of the room. The turnout was huge, which made me dread my turn at the podium even more.
The pastor spoke first, followed by various relatives and friends. Doc gave a beautiful eulogy. By the time he was done, there was not a single dry eye. M
y turn arrived too soon.
Taking a deep breath, I walked to the front.
For one brief moment, everything I had rehearsed flew right out of my head as I studied the audience. What had I gotten myself into? I glanced at the cards in my hand. They had talking points, but I couldn’t focus on a single one. Panicking, I glanced at Eirik. He nodded encouragingly. Cora gave me two thumbs up.
As though on cue, Torin entered the church. He leaned against the back wall and crossed his arms. I hadn’t expected him to attend the funeral even though I’d seen Jess and her friends on the bus. As usual, my heart skipped. He smiled, and the weirdest thing happened. I felt a boost of confidence, like I could conquer the world. The smile didn’t just have the ability to make me weak in the knees. It said he believed in me.
Exhaling, I glanced at the top card. “First, I’d like to offer my condolences to the Hunsaker family,” I read. “It’s not easy losing someone you love. Kate and I first met in junior high when we swam for the Kayville Dolphins. Two years later, we both made varsity as freshmen.” I frowned, hating the way my speech sounded stiff and rehearsed.
I flipped the cards upside down and pushed them aside, then focused my attention somewhere above everyone’s heads—the golden rule of public speaking. Or imagining everyone naked, which would be iffy since Kate’s grandparents were seated right in front of me. Without intending to, my eyes locked with Torin’s.
“I had an entire speech rehearsed and written down, but I’ve decided it’s not good enough. Rehearsed speeches are boring, something Kate wasn’t. Kate was full of surprises. She was the glue that held the swim team together even though some of us didn’t know it.” Warming up to the subject and becoming less nervous, I made eye contact with Kate’s grandparents and talked to them. “You see, in any sport, there’s something the teammates do that makes everyone feel special and part of the group, makes new members feel welcome. We give each other nicknames. We put these special names on kickboards and jackets, flippers and trophies. Parents don’t hear anyone scream their daughters’ and sons’ name at meets. Instead you hear Condor and Slinky, Houdini and Sparkplug …”
