Mystic Falls

by Vickie McKeehan

  Gemma chewed on that. “It didn’t happen to Zeb.”

  “Don’t be so certain,” Leia warned. “Zeb has to maintain a good front for those who live on the Rez. He’s tribal police but still lives in that compound surrounded by his entire family. They stick together like glue just as they did a hundred years ago. But, the thing is, don’t let his outward appearance fool you. Zeb is a sharp cop who uses state-of-the-art methods just like Lando does. Zeb knows his stuff when it comes to the latest in solving crime. He may speak Hokan around his family, but he’s not as entrenched in the culture like he wants everyone to believe.”

  “You would know him better than I do,” Gemma muttered and added a sidelong look for emphasis. But she quickly went on before it could take hold. “I’ve always thought the great thing about this town is that people here come from all over the place. Coyote Wells is a melting pot. Marissa and Jean-Luc were proof of that. They came here from other countries and learned to adapt to California ways, even Native customs. I found an altar in Marissa’s solarium and it wasn’t for Catholic prayers.”

  Lydia nodded. “Marissa was very open-minded, and she’d lapsed a bit as a Catholic. She kept it there for the Native American rituals she practiced.”

  “She practiced burning sweetgrass and sage with her clients?”

  “For cleansing,” Lydia added.

  “So, Ballard was right? Lots of different people came to her door for help.”

  “Your grandmother was more than willing to guide anyone through the maze of life. All they had to do was ask. Last year she solved the mystery of who sideswiped Radley Fisk’s little sports car when it was parked at the market. And if she could help discover whether a spouse was truly cheating or locate a lost cat, Marissa was always happy to help.”

  Gemma let out a laugh. “A lost cat? Her abilities weren’t exaggerated then. No wonder Mrs. Fenton from next door keeps asking me if I’ve seen Tansy, her ragdoll feline.”

  “I’m not sure who’s more lost, Mrs. Fenton or Tansy,” Leia declared as she gestured the two women toward the table. “Time to move this discussion over food. You let my shrimp dish get cold and I’ll make someone pay.”

  Gemma shook her head. “No chef wants that. I love this dish over rice.” She looked at Leia. “You made this for me.”

  “I did,” Leia answered and raised her wine glass. “Welcome home, my friend.”

  Lydia did the same. “We’re glad you’re back.”

  Gemma’s eyes watered. “You guys are the best. After everything that’s happened…you’d welcome me back like this…it means a lot.”

  “Dig in,” Leia said quickly, chatting on about the Talia Davis wedding reception she’d catered the night before. “I wished you’d been there. Talia seemed downright hyper. She wanted to do everything except pay attention to her new hubby. I give it six months.”

  “Ouch, that’s a dire prediction,” Gemma added. “What is it about marriage that makes it so hard for two people to completely trust each other or bare their innermost feelings or share their darkest secrets?”

  Lydia pondered that. “Maybe because once either of them drop their carefully constructed façade, the fear is there that they may not like what they see.”

  “Very deep,” Leia pronounced. “I just got the sense that Talia wasn’t all that happy. Shame, too.”

  “How long did they know each other before getting serious?” Gemma wanted to know.

  “Some insanely short amount of time, like four months.”

  Gemma couldn’t imagine getting that serious after such a brief amount of time. It made her so uncomfortable, she cleared her throat and changed the subject. “I found Mystic Falls a tremendous inspiration yesterday. I was there for hours and came away feeling…refreshed like I hadn’t felt in…years. Is that normal, Lydia?”

  “Most likely. But I think a lot depends on what an individual takes away from their visit. All I know for certain is Mystic Falls means a lot to our tribal ancestors, probably because they identify it as a power source, like Shadow Canyon and Spirit Lake. All three are celebrated because it’s where Mother Earth comes together with the Great Spirit. The fact that battles raged on at each spot and wars brought tremendous suffering isn’t lost on my people.”

  “It makes sense. I read that battlefields were significant draws for psychic phenomenon and paranormal activity,” Gemma supplied.

  “It seems that the tribes have always been fighting in a race against time for a place to live, a place to call home. Whether it was the Spanish or the white settlers who came later, a lot of people died on what is considered sacred ground. That’s a fact, a part of history. Does knowing that help you in some way understand how Marissa’s ability became stronger after she arrived here?”

  Gemma understood that simple statement. “I get it now. Gram might’ve been born with an innate gift but living here provided her with a way to strengthen her power, to use certain inspiration she didn’t have before she got here.”

  Lydia smiled. “Maybe that will happen to you, too.”

  “I spent the afternoon in the library trying to find anything I could on Mystic Falls. There isn’t much, a newspaper article here, a mention in an old periodical there. Now I’ll turn my focus on the other sites.”

  “Don’t be surprised if you can’t find anything more than that,” Lydia said. “Shadow Canyon and Spirit Lake are as much a mystery as Mystic Falls.”

  Leia took another sip of wine. “Not to change the subject from this fascinating bit of geography, but do I dare ask about your mother? You two still haven’t patched things up yet?”

  “Are you kidding? If it weren’t for the wine I’d avoid the subject entirely because who wants to sit around and spend their Saturday night discussing my mother.”

  “I think you should,” Leia urged. “It might help. You’re among friends.”

  “Thanks for that. But there isn’t much to add. We’re always at war with each other. It’s just our way of life. Talking about it won’t help. I should know, I’ve spent thousands on therapy. And I don’t want to be that boring guest who won’t shut up about the same old issues.”

  Lydia simply waved that idea away. “I can’t believe Genevieve wanted you to sell Marissa’s business after all Marissa’s hard work. Your grandmother’s shop was such a gathering place. We were all so afraid you’d walk away from it.”

  “So was Marissa’s chocolate,” Leia added. “We’re glad you decided to come back where you belong and pick up where she left off.”

  Lydia nodded. “That’s why it’d be a shame for it to fall into Marshall Montalvo’s hands. That’s the way I feel about the restaurant. It’d break my heart if Leia here walked away from it.”

  Gemma warmed to that idea. “Exactly. But my mother didn’t even want me holding on to the house, the place where I grew up. The fact that she was so heartless about it pissed me off.”

  “It took a lot for you to stand your ground,” Leia stated. “I know how persuasive Genevieve can be when she gets going.”

  Gemma turned to Lydia. “You know I was a fool for ever leaving your son. You know that, don’t you? That isn’t the wine talking either.”

  Lydia’s lips curved. “I hated to see him hurt like that and for so long, but Genevieve was never going to quit until she’d broken you two up. We were all aware of the pressure she put on you.”

  Gemma looked relieved. “I figured as much. I suppose it was inevitable. And if it wasn’t, I can’t change the past anyway. I take full responsibility.”

  “Honey, you were only nineteen,” Lydia said, patting her hand.

  “Old enough to know better, old enough that I knew how much I loved Lando.”

  “Still do?” Lydia prompted.

  “Probably. But that ship has sailed. It’s common knowledge he’s dating Jennifer Hollis now.”

  “Jennifer lives in Klamath,” Lydia pointed out with a grin. “She’s not local. You clearly have the advantage.”

  “Leave it t
o Mom,” Leia noted with affection. “She’s always looking for the inside track. The upside is you look amazing tonight.”

  “And it’s wasted on…oh…sorry…I didn’t mean it was wasted on you guys.”

  “But it is,” Lydia said. “Leia could fix that if you want.”

  Leia high-fived her mother. “Mom’s gonna take care of doing the dishes. Why don’t we go down to the Duck & Rum for a bit and listen to some music? We could let our hair down like the old days, like the time we did when you came back for Marissa’s sixty-fifth birthday party. Remember that? She had such fun that night. We could think of it as a tribute to Marissa.”

  “Lordy, is that old shack still around?” Gemma asked.

  “You know it was Marissa’s favorite dive.”

  Gemma leaned back in her chair and drained her glass. “We closed the place down that night. What happened to us after that, Leia? You and me. I don’t remember another time we talked. That must’ve been four years ago.”

  “Five. I don’t know. I got busy at the restaurant and I’m sure you had all you could handle at the law firm. Time just got away from us.”

  Gemma tipped more wine into her glass. “Here’s my promise to you tonight. That’s never going to happen again. Never again will I lose my way, especially with who I want in my life. I want you in my life Leia, like my sister, and you Lydia like my second mother, second only to Marissa. If you want to talk about old times, those were the best.”

  The three women clasped hands, and in unison pledged, “Then let’s make it happen.”

  11

  Adam Greendeer owned the Duck & Rum, a bar at the end of Water Street on the south side of town. It had been around since the 1960s and was hardly upscale or trendy. In fact, it was just the opposite. Five decades of stale smoke and grunge stuck to the rafters in a desperate attempt to cling to the past. The place did offer a spot where people could hang out and listen to live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

  Tonight, the neon sign out front announced that Fortitude would be the featured rock band, hitting the stage at nine.

  When Gemma and Leia walked in, the joint barely had room enough for two more people. But they managed to squeeze in at the end of the bar to place an order for the house specialty…mojitos.

  Gemma heard her name shouted over the racket and then Leia’s. Glancing to her right she saw Lando already sitting at a table with who else but Jennifer. The former cheerleader looked perturbed to see Gemma. But Jenny couldn’t very well insist Gemma leave because of Leia.

  Gemma didn’t miss the dirty looks from Jenny. Without overthinking the situation, she went with instinct. “How’s it going, Jennifer? Sorry if it looks like we’re here to horn in on your date. It wasn’t planned.”

  Lando spoke up. “No problem. I’ll be going on stage soon. It’s good you’re both here. That way Jennifer won’t have to sit at the table alone all night.”

  Gemma looked puzzled and cut her eyes toward Leia before turning back to Lando. “Why are you going on stage?”

  “I play lead guitar and do vocals.” He pointed to another group of men sitting with their wives or girlfriends at another table not far away and added, “We’re Fortitude. I thought you knew.”

  Gemma glared at Leia before taking note of the four guys she recognized from high school---Jimmy, Dale, Radley, and a guy who used to go by the name of Bosco. She was beginning to think she’d been had.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and sent another glare toward the chief. “Really? A guitar-playing cop? I thought you gave that up.”

  Lando looked horror-stricken. “Give up my guitar? No way. This is my wild side. It doesn’t happen often. The band only plays together on weekends and only here. The rest of the time we’re working hard at our regular jobs. Since Jimmy and Dale are both cops, it works well if a fight breaks out. Greendeer has built in bouncers.”

  “That’s some selling point for Adam. So who’s minding the store tonight?” Gemma wanted to know.

  Jimmy piped up, “If all hell breaks loose and Payce needs our help, we drag out our Glocks and hit the streets in plain clothes.”

  “Poor Payce.”

  “No, really. Payce loves working Saturday nights,” Dale explained. “That way he has Sundays and Mondays off to spend with his kids.”

  Lando continued with the introductions. “Bosco is the bartender here during the week. And our drummer Radley teaches school. It’s about the only time any of us get to let our hair down so here we are.”

  “Oh really? Blink and I could miss you letting your hair down. Never. It’s a good thing I’m here to see it in person, otherwise I wouldn’t have believed it.”

  “Come on, smartass,” Lando said as he took her by the arm and pulled her into the hallway that led to the restrooms. “Whatever happened to your wild side, Gemma? You used to have one. I noticed you hardly ever smile much anymore. Why don’t you come up on stage with me after the second song?”

  “Are you drunk? Has the police chief had one too many beers tonight? What’s wrong with you? You know good and well I flunked piano lessons. What exactly am I supposed to do up there? Shake a tambourine?”

  “You used to sing, Gemma.”

  Panic began to rise in her throat as she realized where this was going. “In the choir, Lando. A hundred years ago when I was in middle school.”

  “I bet you still know the words to Wild Night though, right?”

  “Not in front of a crowd like this. I’d be lucky to remember my own name. This isn’t karaoke where the words are plastered on a screen. You know I don’t do well in front of crowds.”

  “I remember when you used to love to sing. You used to dream about singing. And sometimes you sounded just like Sheryl Crow. You practiced in front of the mirror.”

  A crimson color creeped into Gemma’s cheeks at the reminder. “I was a kid holding a hairbrush. Back then, every little girl wanted to grow up and sing like Sheryl Crow or Alanis Morissette. I can’t believe you expect me to sing…on stage…in front of people. Have you asked your bandmates about this? How do they feel about me horning in on the spotlight?”

  “Are you kidding? They all thought it was a great idea to bring in a female vocalist and put her out front. Come on. You’ll be fine. Fortitude will be on stage for ninety minutes tonight, maybe even longer depending on whether the crowd gets into our music. You never know with this place. We can take our time coming up with the right song if that’s what’s bothering you. But I’d really like to hear Wild Night. Come on,” he prompted again. “It’ll be fun, just like the old days when we were kids. Everybody will get a kick out of seeing us together.”

  “You’re on a date with Jennifer,” Gemma pointed out.

  “Jennifer doesn’t sing,” he said with a grin. “You do. And the band could really use some new tunes in our repertoire.”

  “Why didn’t you mention this…earlier? I could’ve prepared something.”

  But there was no response because Adam Greendeer had already stepped to the mic to introduce Fortitude. She watched Lando pick up his guitar and walk on stage like he belonged there right along with the other members of the band. He seemed so comfortable in the spotlight it made her realize the man had layers, lots of different layers she knew nothing about.

  Gemma went back to the table, only to get another pissed-off look from Jennifer. Leia, however, was all excited. “What do you plan to sing?”

  “Did you know about this?” Gemma said, upping her voice so she could be heard over the music and letting the accusation hang in the air.

  “No way, but I think it’s a great idea. I’d forgotten what a great voice you used to have.”

  “That was twenty years ago.” When the waiter brought over her mojito she downed the contents in one quick gulp. “I can’t believe Lando would do this to me.”

  Leia took her hand. “You’ll do fine. Just relax.” She shoved her drink closer to Gemma. “Have more rum. It’ll give you a nice buzz.”

 
But there wasn’t time to finish it off. To get the crowd on their feet Lando started the set off with a song from the Black Crowes and then went straight into Ramblin’ Man. Before she knew what was happening, she heard Lando make an announcement.

  “Fortitude has a little treat in store for you tonight, folks. Here, for a limited time only, my ex, Gemma Channing. You guys remember Gemma, don’t you? If you do, then you know the woman has a set of pipes on her. And since we’ve recently mended our fences, put all that resentment in the past, I want you to hear her belt one out for you tonight like the old days. Come on up here, Gemma. Remind these good ol’ folks in Coyote Wells just how you could’ve been our very own Adele. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and welcome back Gemma Channing!”

  The crowd went wild with applause. The loudest seemed to be Leia, getting to her feet, using her fingers to whistle through her teeth, then clapping like a fool.

  Gemma nervously stepped up on stage and stood in front of the microphone. She leaned in and quietly said, “This should be interesting, folks. I haven’t done this in…a very long time. Be patient with me. Don’t expect too much.”

  But when Lando started strumming the first chords to Wild Night, she slid into the vocals as if ten years hadn’t sailed by for both of them.

  To Lando, her voice was like silk and satin. The way she belted out the words in that soothing contralto, letting her deep, soulful voice tell the story, it made him want to take her to bed.

  Once she finished the song, he wasn’t surprised when the crowd seemed to agree she hadn’t lost her touch with a song. They began to cheer in a raucous, roaring mass of bodies jumping up and down.

  She exchanged looks with Lando, who went over to where she stood and whispered in her ear, “I hate to say I told you so but you’re as good as I remember. How about another? For your adoring fans.”