Whitney was dressed in the latest trends and though only seventeen, looked to be in her twenty’s. Cheryl had kept her up to date with pictures, but they didn’t do her justice. Chastity thought her shiny black hair looked like it should be in a shampoo commercial.
She smiled knowingly to Cheryl in seeing some of her fellow male passengers staring at her friend’s daughter, as they passed them by.
“Watch out mom.” Chastity leaned down to the car window toward Cheryl. “You’re going to have to start locking her up to keep the boys away.”
“Ha!” Cheryl got out of the car. “Don’t think I haven’t already tried.”
Cheryl was glad she made Whitney come with her. Her daughter provided the distraction she was hoping for. She didn’t even know if she should get out of the car after last night’s conversation.
Chastity called to confirm her flight plans and told her about her inheritance. It was obvious Chastity was primarily in shock, but Cheryl knew she was going to have to answer a lot of questions. She wasn’t quite sure what to tell her best friend’s daughter. She knew this day would come, but still wasn’t ready for it.
Cheryl shook off her apprehension and helped load up Chastity’s luggage, remembering Kylie’s words.
“When the attorney contacts her, Chastity is going to be mixed up. I knew someday she would figure it out, but I didn’t intend on it happening this way. I always thought I would sit down with her when she was much older.” Kylie confided, to Cheryl, while resting after a dose of chemo. “She’s going to come to you Cheryl, and she deserves the honest truth. Secrets don’t hide forever, but I wanted to protect her as long as I could. She’ll probably think I did her a disservice, but I did the only thing I knew how to do - and that was to protect my daughter. One day she’ll understand. I never told her because I couldn’t, and I am sorry to lay this burden on you.”
Cheryl felt bound to honor her friend’s wishes. She had tried to push Kylie into telling Chastity years ago but it was ultimately Kylie’s decision.
After Kylie’s diagnosis, she was torn between telling her daughter right away and waiting until she recovered from cancer. Cheryl told her to get well, and then she could decide. The plan to give Chastity the information after recovery just unraveled from there, and eventually Kylie was too sick to handle it.
It left Cheryl to be the responsible one, and she promised Kylie she’d try to protect Chastity as much as she could - under the circumstances.
Whitney struggled to lift the last bag into her mom’s car.
“Good thing we have lots of trunk room! Did you bring your whole closet?”
“Almost! I didn’t know how long I was going to stay. I even gave my resignation from the children’s art clinic, where I work.”
Although she didn’t have to work after her receiving her substantial inheritance, that’s not why she resigned. She wanted to dedicate time to finding out about her family.
“Cool. Can I borrow your clothes while you stay?” Whitney asked, breaking her train of thought.
“I don’t think they would fit you Whit. They might cover too much for your liking.” She teased and pointed to Whitney’s low cut jeans and tank top. “In fact, I may need to loose a few pounds and borrow a couple of outfits from you!”
Chastity got in and buckled up, thankful to be inside the cool car and away from the humidity. She glanced to the dashboard, where the temperature gauge read 102 degrees.
“Is it always this hot here?” Surely that can’t be right.
Whitney laughed from the back seat, as Cheryl replied,
“You’re used to those nice breezes in California. Here, the index makes it feel like 112 degrees when it’s only 102.”
“Only?” Chastity fanned herself.
“You’d better get used to it if you plan on staying for a little while.” Whitney laughed, chiming in from the back.
Chastity reached for the dash to turn up the air conditioner.
“Now I know why Whitney has convinced you into letting her wear the tiniest clothes possible! I think I’ll seriously be borrowing some of your clothes, Whit!”
After directing most of the airflow toward her, Chastity inspected the great state of Oklahoma, noticing how different it was from where she came from.
“This place is unreal! It’s hotter than Hades, and you’ve got oil pumps in the middle of no where.”
Once Cheryl pulled onto the highway, Chastity’s jaw dropped. There was flat land for as far as you could see, which made her feel like she should be in a horse and buggy crossing the prairie fields instead of in a luxury car leaving the airport.
As the drive progressed, she studied the local businesses and new developments that were being built. In seeing all the new construction, she marveled about how different it was from California, where buildings and condos were crammed into every space available.
There’s a sense of balance here. It’s developing - not over developed.
As Cheryl slowed down to exit, a large red pickup approached in the next lane.
“Is this the pick up truck capital of the world? I must have seen about fifty by now!”
She looked out her window in time to see the driver tip his cowboy hat to her, with cigarette in hand. She blinked, in awe and half waved, in return. As it sped by, she leaned forward to read the lettering, displayed across the tinted back window. It read, ‘Every rose has its thorns’.
“Oh my gosh!” Chastity laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me! What have I gotten myself into?”
Cheryl nodded in her direction. “You’ll be okay once the shock wears off. Hey, I’ve traveled all over too, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else. The people here are by far the most friendly and easy going people I’ve ever met.”
She put on her turn signal and slowed down to pull into her housing edition.
“Plus - the traffic is a breeze … and the cost of living is one of the best in the nation. You’re going to love it by the time you leave, you’ll see.”
Chapter 22
All three girls made supper as the radio played in the background.
“This is Dancin’ Dave McKay. We’re playing all your soft rock favorites on Magic one - oh - four - point - one, KMGL. Here’s Pat Benatar with Hit Me With Your Best Shot!”
The DJ turned up the music, as Pat Benatar’s smooth but tough voice floated through the kitchen.
Cheryl grabbed the salad bowl from Chastity to finish setting the table.
“This was one of your mother’s favorite songs. Especially after...” Cheryl’s voice trailed off and she turned to sit down for dinner.
Whitney gave her mom a knowing look and quickly made a plate. “I think I’ll take mine up to my room to let you two visit. Mom, tell dad I love him when he gets in tonight.”
Cheryl nodded to her daughter, and then grabbed the salad tongs to serve Chastity. “So how’d your showing go?”
“Decent ... decent enough to allow me to stay here a little bit.” She shoved some salad in her mouth.
“You may want to put some of your paintings or sketches down in the Paseo arts district. It’s the perfect place for your work. If you’re staying here for a while, you might consider it!”
Chastity nodded. “I may. I brought my portfolio and sketchbook. My drawings are what sold the best, and I have a few more that I don’t plan on keeping anymore.”
Cheryl poured some water from her pitcher and innocently asked, “You mind if I take a look?”
“No, I don’t mind at all. Gimmee a second.”
Chastity pushed her chair back to retreat to the guest room. She returned with her portfolio in hand.
“Most of them are pencil sketches and are kind of rough.”
She handed it over, carefully observing Cheryl’s face while she inspected her work. Letting anyone see her art was personal.
Cheryl flipped through, and immediately saw something that made her do a double take. One of Chastity’s drawings was a dead ringer for John Mikale.
She looked up and stared into Chastity’s questioning eyes, not sure where to start. She cut her eyes back down to the drawing.
“So did you sketch this after you found your mom’s newspaper clippings?”
Chastity shook her head. “Nope – that’s from high school?”
“So how did you know what he looked like?” Cheryl’s eyes widened. “Oh, so you did see him?”
Chastity shifted in her chair. “No, what are you talking about? This was just a face that would haunt my dreams, and so I put it to paper.”
Cheryl wasn't ready to have this conversation yet.
Quick! Change the subject! Change the subject!
She abruptly stood, and reached for the refrigerator door.
“So do you want some fruit for dessert? I’ve got cantaloupe and watermelon. Which do you prefer?”
Chastity jumped up to follow her around the table, desperate to know more.
“Stop pulling a Kylie and ignoring the subject. What are you talking about?”
Knowing she didn’t have a choice, Cheryl rested against the kitchen counter, defeated. Another part of Kylie’s puzzle was about to be revealed.
“Okay, I told your mom I’d tell you everything. So I will.” She dropped her head and sighed. “You’ve actually seen your dad.”
“No, I haven’t!” Chastity crossed her arms. “I’d remember.”
“You did, honey. When you were about seven years old. It was when you two were out shopping. You had just moved to North Carolina for her job with the restaurant group, and needed some warmer clothing.”
Chastity nodded affirming Cheryl’s information. “I remember our shopping trip. We didn’t get to go very often. It was a rare occasion that I could pick out something and take it home.” She narrowed her eyes. “How does he fit into this?”
Cheryl motioned to the kitchen chairs. “Come sit, and I’ll tell you everything.”
They retreated back to the table, so Cheryl could unravel more of Kylie’s past.
“Well, Kylie knew that John went into the military right after high school, but had no idea that he would be stationed anywhere near where you two would be living.”
Chastity felt like it was one blow after the other. “Did he track her down?”
“Not exactly, like I said ... she was looking for winter clothes for you. You were telling her what colors you liked best. You had a flair for color, even back then.”
Kylie loved to watch her daughter, no matter what she was doing - playing, reading, drawing, and even shopping. She had such personality and it made it a joy just to be around her.
As she was deciding how much money she could spend, she watched her daughter pick through all the different sweaters. Her budget was tight, but Chastity needed some winter clothes now that they were on the east coast.
She was about to tell her daughter to be careful, as she started spinning the clothes rounder, when she felt someone walk up behind her.
“Kylie? What are you doing here?”
She heard his deep voice, before she saw him. Just a few words from him made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Kylie spun around to face the man that had hurt her so many years ago, and who was still hurting her without even know it.
All she could think of was how she was going to keep her daughter on the other side of the clothes rounder, away from his view. She didn’t want him to know that he had any link to her, or have any reason to continue standing there.
Her heart fell, as Chastity bounded around the clothing rack toward her.
“Mom, can I have the green one?”
Kylie froze, as she watched everything unfold. She felt like that night was repeating itself all over again, as she had no control to protect herself and now her daughter. As John looked into Chastity’s eyes with recognition, something in Kylie snapped. She chose not to be helpless anymore.
She pushed Chastity toward the counter. “Sweetheart, take your sweater to the sales clerk right now. I’ll be there in a minute.”
John had been so shocked to see Kylie, in North Carolina of all places. At first, he thought his guilt had his mind playing tricks on him, until he got close enough to speak to her and smell her perfume.
He felt like he had been mowed over by a truck; as he watched the beautiful little girl, with the bold green eyes, skip over to the counter. Now, he realized that he had a daughter.
Before John could even open his mouth to speak, Kylie laid into him.
“Don’t you ever come near me again. Do you hear me? I want you to turn and walk away and stay there.”
She glared at him with the most intensity he’d ever seen. Her motherly impulses kicked in, and he knew she meant business.
John knew he had no right to ask, but forged forth, even though he already the answer. He’d seen himself in his daughter’s eyes.
“Is she mine?”
Kylie leaned forward and stared him down. “You have no right ... you never did.”
She spun on her heel, paid for the sweater in cash and rushed Chastity out of the store. Once they reached her car, she was shaking so much; she could barely unlock the passenger door.
“Get in quick, and lock your door.”
Kylie pushed her daughter’s door shut, ran around to the driver’s side, and sped off. On her way to their apartment, they stopped to rent a U-haul trailer. Once there, she called her next-door neighbor to help her pack up. The minimal furniture and belongings they had were loaded up quickly, and Chastity got her first crash course in packing on the run.
“So he found us?” Chastity asked herself - not expecting an answer. “Why don’t I remember any of this? Everything is so fuzzy.”
Chastity stared at the table in front of her, trying to remember the details of that day. She couldn’t recall anything past the green sweater she’d found.
Cheryl laid her hand on Chastity’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Chastity made eye contact, but Cheryl could tell she was a million miles away.
“Why can’t I remember what happened next?” Her voice shook.
“Kylie called me from a pay phone outside of town, and said you were pretty shaken up. Children often block out things that they can’t make sense of - things that scare them or take their security away ... what little of it you had. It doesn’t surprise me that you don’t remember.”
Cheryl picked up Chastity’s portfolio once more. “I guess part of you did or you wouldn’t have drawn him for all these years.”
“That makes sense.” She pressed her lips together and breathed in through her nose. She was ready to know. “So tell me. What happened next?”
“Kylie obviously didn’t have a job. She just left the one she had with the Mackenzie chain. She was supposed to open the their newest restaurant in North Carolina. They were pretty upset that she left, so she knew she wouldn’t get a referral from them.”
Cheryl stood to put the plates in the sink. She turned to lean against the counter, arms crossed.
“She told me to call Mr. Mikale for her and tell her that John found them. She wanted me to find out what John knew. She said she’d call back later after you’d been on the road awhile.”
“So what did Mr. Mikale have to say for himself?”
“He was very distressed when I called. John had already made contact. I guess he put two and two together and figured out why he’d been suddenly shipped off. The timing and Mr. Mikale’s rash decision gave John all the information he needed to finally understand that his dad had known about you all along. Mr. Mikale promised me that he wouldn’t help John find the two of you, but that John was hell bent on tracking Kylie down. He said John wanted contact with his daughter.”
“Hadn’t he done enough?” Chastity’s face was bright red, from anger.
“It’s natural to want to know your child, but you’re right he’d done enough.”
Chastity gave her an evil eye when it sounded like Cheryl was taking up for the man, who was supposed to be her father
.
Cheryl continued as if she didn’t notice. “Mr. Mikale’s promise gave me the in I needed to segue into why I had called him.”
“What happened next?” Chastity’s questioning eyes searched hers from across the table.
“I told him that it would be hard for his granddaughter, and I used that word heavily, to live life on the run - on limited funds. I also said that Kylie would need permanent monthly installments to protect the both of them.”
Chastity’s jaw dropped. “You blackmailed him this time?”
Cheryl’s eyes gleamed. “This is the fun part of the story. I finally got to stick it to him and it felt good!”
Chastity tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help it. The look on her face was priceless.
“Good for you Aunt Cheryl! Did he go along with it?”
“Mmm.” She hummed through her lips before speaking. “He didn’t want to at first, but he didn’t have a choice. This time I had the upper hand, and was the one in charge. He told me to give him a bank account number to deposit to, and he’d transfer a monthly fee.”
Cheryl took a sip of water before continuing. “I had a nagging feeling that one day he’d get old and sentimental, and end up breaking his promise to me, by helping John. I told him that he could mail me a monthly check. Then, I opened a savings account at my local bank to deposit his monthly installments. Then, I withdrew the cash – and had Dave drive across town to deposit it at another bank. With that much money each month, I didn’t feel safe doing it on my own. I mailed Kylie checks each month from the second account I opened. This way there was no trail for the Mikale’s to pick up on.”
“Wow, you had it all thought out. How much money did you get every month?” Chastity leaned forward.
“Well it started out being just a few thousand a month.” Cheryl winced, waiting for her response.
“Started out?” She sat there, in shock. Three thousand a month is a lot - especially for back then.
“As your needs grew or circumstances changed, I would up the amount Kylie needed.” Cheryl squirmed. “This makes me sound like a major deviant. If Dave knew I told you this part, he’d flip out.”
Finding Kylie Page 10
