Oberon Boxed Set (Books 1-3) Welcome to Oberon

by P. G. Forte

Scout hesitated. She’d been wondering how to bring the conversation around to Lisa. It had been easier than she hoped it would be. Easier, and about a thousand times more awkward. The ensuing conversation was likely to destroy the fragile bond Marsha had been trying to build between the three of them. She was surprised to feel a pang of disappointment, but she suppressed the emotion ruthlessly. She couldn’t afford the luxury of friendship right now. Or pride either, for that matter. She needed answers.

  “Okay, so maybe I did sleep with him.” She shrugged. “But it was only the one time. And I told Lisa I didn’t want him. She just didn’t believe me.”

  “Gee, imagine that,” Lucy drawled.

  “Anyway,” Scout continued. “She didn’t leave just on account of me and Glenn, you know.”

  Lucy looked disgusted. “Oh, right,”

  “No, really. You read her letter, didn’t you? She had other issues.”

  “Maybe. Other issues with you,” Lucy said, eyes narrowing. “Like the whole math thing.”

  “Oh, don’t even go there. You guys promised you’d stop. But you didn’t, did you? Lisa was upset about that? Well shit, so was I! She had it coming. You all did.”

  “We had it coming? We got expelled from high school.” Lucy glared at her. “My parents decided they couldn’t trust me about anything. It took me years to live that down. Not to mention that just about everyone in Oberon thought we were freakin’ Satanists or something.”

  “Look, I’m really sorry things went as far as they did. But I’m not the one who started it. And, anyway, Lisa had other problems too, you know. Problems that had nothing to do with me. Like the little matter of her being pregnant.”

  Lucy’s face went white. “You – How did – You couldn’t have known about that.”

  “Oh? Well, you did, obviously.” Scout eyed her coldly. “And gee, Luce, I wonder what else you’ve maybe been keeping to yourself?”

  “She’d only just found out about it. She wasn’t going to tell anyone yet.”

  “Well, she did.”

  “Not you.” Lucy shook her head solemnly. “She might have told someone, but it wouldn’t have been you. Not the way she felt about you right then.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Marsha said gently “It wouldn’t have made any difference.”

  “How can you say that?” Lucy demanded, turning on her. “If things had been different, if Scout hadn’t made things so hard for her just then, maybe she never would have left!”

  “The Lisa I knew would never have left anyway,” Scout said quietly, surprised at the tears that glittered in Lucy’s eyes. “Not that way. Somebody has to know something about what happened to her. Something they’re not telling.”

  “Like what?” Lucy looked perplexed. “And why would anyone have kept quiet, if they knew something that would have helped find her?”

  Marsha sighed. “I don’t think the what or the why are all that important. Sometimes things just happen.” She looked at Scout sorrowfully. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but you’re not going to find her. Sometimes, no matter how much we want to do a thing, it can’t be done. You need to move on with your own life now, Scout. Just let it go.”

  “You may be right, Marsha. But I can’t. Not yet, at any rate.”

  “So, you’re still planning on sticking around?” Lucy asked, the muscles around her jaw clenching tensely.

  “Yeah, sorry to disappoint you. But I am.”

  “And I still think that’s wonderful. But tell me, what are you gonna do for a social life while you’re here?” Marsha asked, in an apparent attempt to restore their previous good humor. “Any plans?”

  “Social life?” Scout looked startled. “I don’t know what you mean. What kind of plans?”

  “Well, I know you said you were out with Glenn the other night, but how about you and Nick? Are you going to start seeing him again, too?”

  Lucy’s beer glass hit the table with a loud thunk. “Oh, damn it to hell, Marsha. Shit. Bad idea, okay? Very bad idea. Nick’s got a life now, you know? He does not need Scout coming back here and fucking with it.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t know about that, Lucy. Maybe he’d like it.” Marsha twinkled. “What do you think, Scout? You want to fuck with his life? Or maybe just with him?”

  “I didn’t really come back here to socialize,” Scout said, carefully avoiding Lucy’s glare. She shrugged. “Anyway, for all I know, Nick could be happily married with half a dozen kids.”

  Scout busied herself with cutting and chewing a piece of her steak while she waited to see if either of them would answer the question she had not exactly asked.

  “That’s not the point,” Lucy replied, after a moment, her voice edged with frost. “I’m sure you’re both over each other by now. And I can’t imagine why either of you would want to do anything so purely stupid anyway. You weren’t exactly good for each other back then, were you?”

  “Maybe not,” Scout admitted softly. But her heart beat excitedly. He wasn’t married. He couldn’t even be seeing anyone seriously, or Lucy would surely have mentioned it. Maybe there was a chance she could bring a few of her fantasies to life, after all?

  “But maybe you could be now. Right?” Marsha asked with a small, knowing smile.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Marsha. Whatever they had – or thought they had – it’s been over for twenty years,” Lucy insisted.

  “Over?” Marsha stared at Lucy in disbelief. “Lucy, give me a break. You saw the two of them today. I know you did. Shit, they’re almost as bad as you and Dan.”

  Lucy glared at Marsha. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Dan and I – what do you mean, bad?”

  “Lucy, please.” Marsha’s smile widened. “When you guys get into one of your moods, you’re not exactly subtle, you know. Anyway, this afternoon the rest of us could have been in Mongolia, for all those two cared. Whatever else it is, it ain’t over. Am I right, Scout?”

  Scout merely shrugged. She was aware of Lucy fuming beside her. There didn’t seem to be any way to answer that question without making her more angry.

  “Oh, well.” Marsha sighed at last. “Don’t worry about it. Things happen if they’re meant to. Otherwise, they don’t. Eventually, everything works out for the best.”

  Lucy snorted. “If that’s not the most nauseating, Pollyanna-esque piece of crap I’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is. A lot of things that happen are just shit from start to finish. What are you supposed to do then?”

  Marsha smiled. “Well, Luce, in cases like that, you just have to look for the lesson in it, you know? And just keep believing that things will work out the way they’re supposed to. Like I said. Eventually.”

  “Eventually?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “And what are you supposed to do in the meantime?”

  “Well, that’s what dessert’s for.” Marsha’s eyes twinkled. “Which reminds me, did I mention that they also do a really incredible Kahlua Cheesecake here?”

  Back to Top

  * * * *

  Chapter Twenty

  * * * *

  “Oh, yeah,” Marsha moaned, eyes closed in ecstasy. “Oh, that’s good. That’s really good.” Along with the cheesecake, the source of her present bliss, she had ordered coffee laced with more Kahlua and topped with whipped cream.

  “So, I’m guessing you really like Kahlua, huh?” Scout asked as she dug into her chocolate parfait.

  Lucy paused with her coffee cup half-way to her mouth and rolled her eyes at Scout. “You wanna know just how much she likes the stuff? She named her daughter after it.”

  “What? No way.” Scout stared at her. “Marsha, is this true? You have a daughter named after a liqueur?”

  “Oh, like that’s such a big deal?” Marsha put her fork down on her plate and stared at Scout challengingly. “And I suppose no one has ever been named Brandy? Or Sherry? Or... oh, I don’t know, I’m sure there are more names like that. Anyway, it’s only her middle
name. And it made perfect sense, really. She never would have been conceived without it.”

  She sighed tragically as she picked up her fork again. “Of course, my mother has never, ever forgiven me for it. I mean, she’s gotten over the fact that I never married Jasmine’s father. She’s gotten over the fact that he was just this guy I met on vacation in Jamaica, and that I kind of had to make up a last name for him on the birth certificate. But that damn middle name. I’ll never live it down. She didn’t take on half so much when I had the twins. Although my in-laws were absolutely devastated over their names. Which really surprised me, I must say. After all, they’re English. They live in England. I didn’t even think they’d make the connection.”

  “What are the twins’ names?” Scout asked curiously.

  “Frank and Jesse,” Marsha said around a mouthful of cheesecake.

  “Oh. Well, okay. The outlaw motif is a bit much, I suppose. But I do see your point. It is an American thing, after all. And they’re both really nice names. I like them.”

  Lucy laughed softly. “Oh, but you haven’t heard the half of it yet! Go ahead, Marsha. Tell her what Alex’s last name is.”

  “My ex-husband’s name,” Marsha announced grandly. “Is Alexander Harrington James the third.”

  “Which would make the boys...” Lucy prompted, a crooked smile lifting one corner of her mouth. Scout felt her eyes widen as it hit her.

  “Oh, no,” she whispered, trying hard not to laugh. “Not Frank and Jesse James?”

  “Got it in one.” Lucy chuckled.

  “Oh.” She took a deep breath and fought hard for an even tone. “Well. What can I say? They’re still nice names.”

  Marsha sniffed. “Well, that’s what I said. Although I have to admit I really like my daughter’s name the best. It has such a nice ring to it, you know? No matter what my mother says. Jasmine Kahlua Quinn. There ain’t nothing wrong with that.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Lucy agreed, as she savored the last bite of her key lime pie. “I’ve always liked it. ‘ Course, you know, if I went with that philosophy, I’d have had to name my kids Weed and Hot Tub.” She paused and considered the idea. “I guess, if you think about it, Weed wouldn’t be so bad a name. I mean, what with the nursery, and all. And he’s always grown like one. But can you imagine Hot Tub Cavanaugh? Jeez. It sounds like... well, actually I don’t know what it sounds like. But it doesn’t sound good. What about you, Scout? You ever think about having kids?”

  Scout grimaced. “That’s a joke, right? I can’t even keep a dog for more than a couple of days without losing her. Besides, I don’t know anyone I’d want to have a baby with.”

  “Really? I know. What if you and—” Marsha began. But stopped when she saw the others’ faces. “All right, never mind. Shutting up now. Anyway, speaking about your dog, I’ve been thinking we should put up some flyers. You know, those missing pet flyers you always see? We could put one up at the shop about your dog, Scout. Maybe someone has seen her.”

  “But what about Robyn?” Lucy asked. “I mean, sure, let’s find Scout’s dog, too. But Robyn is a little more important, don’t you think? Do you think maybe some posters would help us find her?”

  A look of pain crossed Marsha’s face. “No,” she said quietly. “I don’t think we’ll find Robyn that way. In fact, don’t think we’re going to find her at all.”

  “Just like Lisa,” Scout mused. She finished up the last of her parfait, took a sip of coffee and pretended not to notice the startled, worried look the other women exchanged. It seemed to her they both knew more than they were telling her. Maybe about a lot of things.

  “So. Tell me something, Scout,” Marsha began quickly, in what seemed to her another deliberate attempt to change the subject. “I still don’t understand. If you and Nick were so hot for each other, why were you sleeping with Glenn? That was pushing the diversion thing a little far, don’t you think?”

  Scout groaned. “Please, it’s too embarrassing. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Well, what’s up with that? We tell you our embarrassing secrets and now you want to hold out on us?”

  Scout stared at her, surprised. Is that what this was all about? “What embarrassing secrets did you tell me?”

  “My kids’ names! Shit, just ask my mother. She assures me every time we speak that they’re an endless source of embarrassment to her. Which is why we don’t talk very much. So come on.”

  “Yeah, Scout.” Lucy leaned forward, her eyes glittering maliciously. “Tell us. What was it like with Glenn? Must have been something pretty special, the way he was ready to dump Lisa for you.”

  “Like I said before, we only did it once. And there really isn’t much to talk about. But no, if you must know, it wasn’t all that special.”

  “So, you’re saying that practice doesn’t make perfect? That when you made love with Glenn the earth didn’t move?”

  “Glenn and I did not make love, Lucy.” Scout was stung into answering. “It was just sex.”

  Lucy shrugged. “Oh, well, if you’re gonna split hairs. Having sex, making love – what’s the difference?”

  “You don’t think there’s a difference?”

  “Not at sixteen, I don’t,” Lucy retorted. “Or eighteen, or however old he was.” She waved her hand dismissively. “At that age, I think it’s mostly too many hormones and too little practice. Although, I guess that wouldn’t have applied in this case, would it – the lack of practice, I mean. At least, certainly not on his part.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Scout mused. “Maybe that’s true most of the time. But even at that age, even without a whole lot of practice, it could still be great, I think.” She sensed the unasked question hanging in the air, and left it to hang there. If Lucy wanted to know anything else about her and Nick, and their non-existent sexual relationship, she could damn well ask him herself.

  “Oh, I’m with you, Scout. One hundred per cent.” Marsha nodded in agreement. “And Lucy, I can’t even believe I’m hearing shit like this from you, of all people. I was nineteen when I met Jerry – you know, Jasmine’s father? And he was only seventeen, I think, but man, it was cosmic.” She sighed a little wistfully. “I guess that’s why I was kind of thrilled when I learned I was pregnant. I was scared as hell, of course, but part of me was so happy that I was going to get to keep a little piece of that magic.”

  “Just what do you mean, me of all people?” Lucy demanded, coloring angrily. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you this evening, Marsha, but I don’t think I like it.”

  “Oh, cool your jets, Lucy. We’re just having fun. Anyway, maybe it just seemed so special with Jerry because it was my first time, you know? Maybe I just made it into something more special than it really was.”

  “No.” Scout shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think so. Glenn was my first, and I knew even then that what we did was no big deal. I just—” she broke off, aware that the others were looking at her with identical expressions of surprised confusion on their faces. “What?”

  “But you said he wasn’t even your type,” Marsha reminded her, gently. “Your first time? Why him? I mean, why wouldn’t you wait and do it with someone you at least cared about?”

  “Because I couldn’t, okay? The person I cared about had made it real clear he didn’t even date virgins.” Scout glanced challengingly at Lucy, braced for another sarcastic comment, but for once, Lucy didn’t appear to have one. “I’d wanted him to be the first, but... well, not if it meant losing him. So I had to, you know, get it out of the way. Before we could – Anyway,” she continued more briskly. “At least with Glenn, I knew I wouldn’t be risking rejection.”

  “Well, that’s for damn sure,” Lucy agreed, having at last found her tongue. “You definitely wouldn’t have had any worries on that count.”

  * * *

  The phone rang later that night, after Scout had gone to bed. She snaked one arm out from beneath the covers, feeling around in the dark for the receiver, too slee
py to turn on the light, or to sit up, or even to open her eyes. “Hello?” she yawned into the phone.

  “Scout? It’s Nick.”

  At the sound of his voice, she felt a warm thrill run through her. He had never called her before, she realized. The fact registered with a sad little shock. They had been cheated out of so many things. They had never even spoken on the phone. Maybe that was why the sound of his voice in her ear now seemed so incredibly, almost unbearably, intimate. As if he were right here in the room with her. In the dark. In her bed.

  Desire swept over her like a tidal wave without any warning at all. She felt her breath catch in her throat. Several seconds passed before she was able to speak. Even then, she could barely manage a whisper.

  “Oh... hi,” she breathed the words softly. And then waited while another, even longer pause stretched itself out into the darkness before she heard him clear his throat.

  His voice sounded painfully impersonal when he spoke. “I, uh, I’ve been thinking about your dog.”

  “My dog?” she repeated, stupidly. He’d been thinking about the dog? He was calling her in the middle of the night to talk about... a dog? Their very first telephone conversation ever and he wanted to talk about—

  “You didn’t say whether you had checked the shelters in the area. Or whether anyone had contacted you,” Nick continued relentlessly. “I’m assuming it was wearing tags. Would that be correct?”

  “Tags? Jesus, Nick, I don’t know. She wasn’t even really my dog. Well, I mean she is now, sort of. She belonged to Caroline. You know, my stepmother? But I think she’d just gotten her, so I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know if the dog was licensed?”

  “Look, as far as I know, Caroline hadn’t even named the damned thing.”

  “Okay. Fine. So, about the shelters. Have you checked with any of them? There are several in the area, you know. And dogs can range pretty far, especially if they’ve been gone a few days. Animal Control hasn’t contacted you?”

  “No. Actually, I haven’t really been thinking about this too clearly. I’ve had a bunch of other things on my mind. But I guess I’d better get out there tomorrow and check, huh? Oh, no, wait. I can’t.” Scout sighed. “I forgot. My car is being fixed. I guess I could still call around, though.”