by Brenda Novak
“Why aren’t you answering your cell?” Jake asked.
It was on the nightstand by the bed he was supposed to sleep in, but he wasn’t about to reveal that. “I forgot my charger,” he lied. “But I’ll borrow one, so you can reach me later if you need to.”
“I’m glad you gave Tristan’s parents the number to the cabin.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
He didn’t answer that question. “Did Mom ever show up?”
Riley peered around the corner to see Phoenix scooping potatoes into a bowl. “Yeah.”
“And? Did that work out?”
He had to smile. Last night had been a little rocky at first. She’d been determined to shut him out and protect herself, but after they’d reached the bed she’d started feeling comfortable with him... “It sure did. I’m happy she’s here.”
“Is she happy?” Jacob asked.
Riley remembered almost pulling her into the creek the last time Jacob had tried to help him and felt his smile grow bigger. “I think so.”
“That’s a relief, anyway.”
Jacob didn’t sound as pleased as Riley would’ve expected; he sounded more upset or preoccupied than anything else. “So what’s wrong?”
“We stopped at the Gas ’n’ Go to fill up and get some snacks before heading to SF this morning, and...”
Riley felt a tremor of unease, not from anything Jacob had said, but from the way he was acting. “And? What is it?”
“Buddy Mansfield was there.”
Tightening his grip on the phone, Riley propped one foot against the wall. “He’d better not have said anything to you!”
“He didn’t threaten me or anything. But...I don’t like him anymore. Not even a little. He’s a jerk.”
Riley had never liked him a whole lot to begin with, but he had liked Corinne and the rest of the family. “Just ignore him.”
“I wanted to, but he said Aunt Corinne’s found Penny Sawyer, and that Penny would finally set us both straight on exactly who and what my mother is.”
Oh, God... Riley leaned around the corner again to see Phoenix sitting at the table beside Noah. When she glanced up at him, he slipped back behind the wall. “Your mother didn’t kill Lori on purpose, Jake. Penny grabbed the wheel.”
“I know that, and you know that. But...I didn’t get the feeling Penny’s going to admit it. And it sounded to me like she’s coming to town. If that happens, it’ll stir everything up all over again. Everyone will hate Mom, no matter what we say. I’m afraid they’ll make her life so miserable she won’t be able to keep living here.”
Riley had tried to find Penny himself on Facebook, had hoped to get her to tell the truth. Last night, as he was drifting off, he’d even considered hiring a private investigator to clear Phoenix’s name. But if the Mansfields had found her and were bringing her to town, he doubted she’d be saying the things he wanted to hear. “When?”
“He didn’t say—not that I heard, anyway. Tristan dragged me out of there pretty fast, so Buddy and I wouldn’t wind up in an argument.”
“It was getting heated?”
“Mostly on my part. I told him to leave my mom alone. But he won’t. And neither will Aunt Corinne. It’s so unfair.”
Riley rubbed a hand over his face. What was he going to do now? “Dad?”
“Don’t worry about anything,” Riley said. “Go to San Francisco and have a great time. I have your mother here with me. Nothing’s going to happen to her.”
“She’ll be there the whole weekend?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I was afraid to leave in case that Penny person showed up, and we wouldn’t be here when she did.”
“I’ll take care of it, like I said. Everything’ll be fine,” he insisted, but he was uneasy when he hung up.
24
As soon as she saw Riley return the phone, Phoenix walked over to the breakfast bar to get the juice she’d forgotten. She’d wanted to speak to Jacob, had been hoping he’d ask for her. Apparently, he hadn’t. “Is everything okay?” she asked as Riley began to load up his plate.
He nodded but didn’t seem quite as carefree as he’d been when he first came down to breakfast. “Yeah. Jake’s on his way to the city.”
“Is he excited?”
“I think so. He couldn’t talk long. They were all in the car.”
That made sense, but there still seemed to be...something that had brought a dark cloud. “He was just checking in, then?”
“He wanted to make sure you arrived safely.”
She grinned, remembering how often Jake had pushed her to come to the party. “He’s the one who got me up here.”
“He’s a hell of a wingman. I don’t know anyone else who could’ve managed that.”
“So...what time are we heading back?”
“We’re not.” He elbowed her, but his playfulness didn’t seem as natural as it had earlier. “Not today. You’re locked in for the entire weekend, so I hope you’re ready to have some fun in the sun.”
She lowered her voice. “I don’t even have a swimsuit. I came on the spur of the moment. I wasn’t really prepared.”
“I should’ve bought you one. I’ll do that when we get home.”
“I’ll buy my own...” she started, but he cut her off.
“For now, we’ll see if Gail has an extra.”
She was smaller than Gail, than all his friends, but she figured she could always go wading in her clothes. With her scars, she actually preferred that.
As she walked back to her seat so she could finish her breakfast, he clasped her upper arm.
“You’re okay with staying, aren’t you?”
Her heart nearly tripped over itself as she looked up, into his face. She wasn’t going to complain about spending another night with him. “I’m fine with it.”
“Thanks.” He held her chin while giving her a quick peck. “This is the perfect birthday.”
But if he truly felt that way, why did he seem sort of...troubled?
* * *
Phoenix sat on the deck of Gail and Simon’s houseboat with Riley and several of his friends. Music played in the background while Noah—who’d fixed her bike—blended and served margaritas. Several people braved the cold water.
Gail had lent Phoenix a pretty bikini that didn’t fit too badly. She wore a T-shirt of Riley’s over it, which he kept encouraging her to take it off, so she wouldn’t get a farmer’s tan. She wasn’t ready for his friends to see her scars, though. She already stood out enough. Last night she’d shown up at the party as a fifth wheel. Now his official date had left and most people guessed that he hadn’t slept in his own bed. Every once in a while, she’d catch one of his friends eyeing her curiously. They’d always smile when she looked up, but she could tell they were a little unsure about his latest decision.
She couldn’t blame them for being concerned. From their perspective—from almost anyone’s perspective—he could do a lot better.
“You’re awfully quiet.”
Riley had gone to get some chips and bean dip. This remark came from Levi, Callie’s husband, who was lying on her opposite side.
“I’m just...enjoying the sun,” she said, but she was enjoying more than that. Rubbing sunblock on Riley’s back or seeing him flash her that smile of his made her stomach do flip-flops. She was living a dream, being with him like this, especially with the houseboat and cabin and all the beautiful people he hung out with. They were the crowd she’d admired back in her high school days, although she’d tried to pretend she didn’t envy them.
“So you’re having a good time?”
She’d been having a great time. Just when she’d resigned herself to going without sex for another two or three years, she’d had the night of her life, and it’d been with Jake’s father. But she had to wonder where it would all end. So much of her relationship with her son still depended on Riley. If he decided she wasn’t innocent, after all, or that there was something else wrong with her,
Jake’s opinion could change, too.
But they weren’t back in Whiskey Creek yet. Why ruin these few days by worrying about the future?
“It’s been nice to get away,” she replied.
Levi sat up in his lounger and took off his sunglasses. “I hope so. Because...people are always going to talk. Or stare at someone who’s new or different. That’s life, and you can’t let it bother you. I can tell you that everyone here...they mean well.”
She glanced around to make sure no one could overhear what she said in response. Fortunately, Callie, Levi’s wife, was in the galley, trying to help Noah get the blender going again, since it had jammed. “I appreciate that. I really do. But I understand they’re Riley’s friends—that you’re Riley’s friend, too. You’re all afraid he’s making a mistake getting involved with me, and I can’t fault you for that.”
“If he cares about you and believes in you, there must be a reason.”
“He’s better off without me,” she said solemnly. “So are the rest of you.”
“Because...”
“Befriending me would be pitting yourselves against everyone else in Whiskey Creek.”
“If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes. But why don’t you let us worry about what we should or shouldn’t do?” He stood and peered over the side.
“Hey, jump in,” Brandon called the second he saw Levi. “Feels great!”
Levi turned to her and gestured at the water. “Shall we?”
Phoenix sensed that he was issuing a challenge—Be who you are—and realized how futile it was to hide anything. She’d been through a hard time, but she hadn’t deserved it. So she’d hold her head high and let people make up their own minds about her past.
With a nod, she stood up and peeled off Riley’s shirt. She felt Levi’s eyes lower to the scar on her abdomen. Then he grinned at her as if no one would ever care about that—and they both dived over the side.
* * *
The entire weekend was idyllic. Phoenix had never had more fun in her life. After Levi coaxed her into swimming with Brandon, she became less guarded around Riley’s friends. She began to see that she wasn’t as different as she’d always thought. Sure, she had a scandalous past, and everyone knew the terrible details. But Lincoln had served time. Levi hinted that he hadn’t been perfect. And as the group talked about Cheyenne and Dylan, who weren’t there because they hadn’t wanted to leave their baby, she began to remember Dylan’s reputation in high school. He’d been trouble with a capital T, and so had his younger brothers. Simon had made frequent appearances in the tabloids. Riley and his friends even teased Simon about his past. Then there was Callie, who had to be cautious about what she ate and what she came in contact with because of health issues, and Addy and Sophia, who hinted that life had, at times, been difficult for them, too. Eve had tried hard from the beginning to be welcoming, and the rest grew friendlier the more she interacted with them.
Riley’s friends added to the overall fun. But the best part was, of course, Riley and the nights they spent together. Sex had never been that good in high school. Phoenix hadn’t realized it could be so good.
When Sunday evening came around, she was even more reluctant to leave the cabin than she’d expected. Somehow she’d lost the fatalism that had insulated her from the worst blows of life, and she’d begun to hope. That hope was fresh and exhilarating. But it was also frightening because it meant she could get hurt again.
The fact that she could so quickly forget the lessons and scars of the past was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It’d taken only three days with the man she’d dreamed about for most of her life, a few new friends and plenty of good times and laughter to feel almost as if those years in prison had never occurred.
“Too bad we have to go back so soon,” she lamented as she zipped her suitcase.
Riley was a few feet away, packing his bag since he’d moved into her room after their first night together. He glanced up when she spoke, then walked over to take her by the shoulders. “This weekend was just the beginning. At least when it comes to us.”
She nodded. “Right.”
He frowned. “You believe that, don’t you?”
“I’m open-minded about it,” she joked.
He looked worried as he dropped his hands. “There is something I need to tell you, though,” he said. “Something I’ve been putting off.”
Now? Just when she’d let down her guard? Phoenix felt herself tense. “What is it?”
“Nothing to do with us, but...it will upset you. I waited because I didn’t want it to ruin the weekend, but I want you to be prepared.”
Her nails curled into her palms. “For...”
“When Jacob called?”
Her stomach plummeted. “You said he was okay!”
“He was, and he is. But...he was calling to tell me something that has him worried.”
“And that is...”
“The Mansfields have managed to track down Penny Sawyer.”
The memories of everything that had destroyed her life came rushing back. Lori’s death, the guilt she felt about being unable to control the car after Penny yanked on the wheel, the horror of what had happened afterward, that sick feeling of despair when no one would believe her... For a few days here at the cabin, she’d felt like a different person, a regular person. She’d begun to believe she might have the chance to outdistance all of that. So she’d relaxed—and here was the next punch.
“Let me guess. She isn’t coming clean.” It wasn’t hard to predict where this was going.
“She must be standing by her story,” Riley agreed, “or they wouldn’t be bringing her to town.”
She was coming to Whiskey Creek?
Phoenix moved away from him to sit on the bed. “Why are they doing this? I served my time. They can’t try me again. So what do they hope to accomplish?” she asked. But the answer was obvious. They were angry that Riley and Jacob had defected and befriended Lori’s “murderer.” The Mansfields wanted to convince them, and anyone else who might consider accepting her, that she was really the evil person they believed her to be. They wanted to push her out of their world completely.
“They’re looking for some way to feel better about what happened to Lori. That’s all. And punishing you makes them feel they’re doing what they can to avenge her.”
“It’s not enough that an innocent person sat in prison for half her life?”
“An eternity wouldn’t be long enough, since they think you’re guilty.”
She shoved a hand through her hair. “I’m afraid they’ll turn Jacob against me. I wish...I wish they’d leave me alone.”
“That would be nice, but at least you’re not on your own with this anymore,” he said.
She stared at him.
“I won’t let them hurt you.”
“You can’t get involved!” she cried. “If you and Jacob stand up for me, they’ll just become more determined to prove you’re wrong.”
He sat down next to her and took her hand. “I don’t have any choice.”
“Of course you do. You need to distance yourself, keep a low profile.”
“That isn’t possible.”
“Why not?”
He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them, then waited for her to look up at him. “Because I’m in love with you.”
She wanted to believe that. She’d longed to hear him say those words again. Maybe she could’ve believed him if they’d been able to stay in the idyllic world of the cabin. But they had to deal with the real world. They’d be back in Whiskey Creek within hours.
“Then you’d be smart to fall out of love,” she said. Like last time. She didn’t add that, but it was implied.
When he winced, she regretted throwing the past in his face. He’d obviously been hoping she’d slip into his arms and say the same thing to him. So far, she’d been careful not to declare herself. She’d given him everything else, but she’d held back those words
, because she was afraid they’d break the spell he seemed to be under, and she’d lose him again.
Besides, by pushing him away, she was doing him a favor. There were plenty of women in the world. Why would he want to be with someone he had to constantly defend when he could just as easily fall for someone else?
“My feelings aren’t as changeable as you think,” he said, and pulled her to her feet.
* * *
It was dark when she got home, but her mother must’ve been watching for her. As soon as Riley turned into the drive and Phoenix hopped out, the dogs came running from Lizzie’s trailer while Lizzie hid behind the door as she so often did.
“Home at last?” she called through that two-inch gap.
Phoenix managed a smile and waved. “Yeah.”
“You had fun?”
Riley climbed out, too, and glanced over but said nothing.
“It was...nice,” Phoenix told her.
“I suppose you got what you wanted, Mr. Stinson,” Lizzie said to Riley.
A muscle moved in his cheek. He knew she wasn’t being friendly to him, but he made a stab at responding politely. “I’m glad she came.”
“I bet,” her mother said with a cackle. “So does that mean you’re satisfied? You’ve accomplished your goal, and we won’t be hearing from you anymore?”
Phoenix came around the front of the truck and grabbed Riley’s arm as he started to head toward Lizzie’s trailer. “Ignore her,” she muttered, but he wouldn’t. He shook off Phoenix’s hand and stalked over.
Lizzie slammed and locked her door before he could even reach the steps.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he yelled. “I just have a few things to say, and I want you to listen.” He knocked, but she wouldn’t open up.
Phoenix knew she was more afraid he’d see how big she’d become than anything else. Her mother relished a good confrontation; it gave her an outlet for all the anger and resentment that made her so bitter.
“Riley, don’t bother,” Phoenix mumbled.
“I’d like to talk to her.”
“There’s nothing to say.”
“There sure as hell is!” He banged again but had to resign himself to speaking through the panel. “Hey, I get what you were implying, but you’re wrong, okay? I care about your daughter.”
