Perfect Wreckage

by Cowles, Catherine

  Kenna nodded woodenly, setting her paddleboard down beyond the reach of the tide. When she straightened, she gave an almost imperceptible roll of her shoulders. Preparing for battle. I had the sudden urge to stand between her and the woman at the picnic table, but I knew it wouldn’t be appreciated.

  Kenna strode towards Janet but stopped a few feet away. “You’re drunk.”

  “Whaths it to ya?” Janet slurred as she pushed to her feet. She wobbled and stepped to the side, revealing a tipped-over bottle of Taaka vodka. I winced. She might as well have been drinking jet fuel.

  “Please tell me you didn’t drive.”

  Janet took a shaky step forward. “I walked, but it’s none of your business. You’re too fancy for your mother now. Harriet thook you, and now you think you’re hot shit. But you’re nothing.”

  I stiffened. “Ms. Morgan—”

  Kenna held out a hand to stop me. “Do me a favor and grab our stuff, would you?” I didn’t want to take a step away from Kenna. I didn’t trust Janet not to attack her. “Please, Crosby?”

  I nodded and jogged to our towels, grabbing them and my keys quickly.

  “Got yourself a new fancy boyfriend, huh? Bet this one leaves you, too. Just try not to get knocked up this time.”

  Kenna kept every reaction from her face. It was only her clenched hands, knuckles bleached white, that gave away how that blow had landed.

  “Go wait in the car.” My thumb had already hit a contact in my phone, and the other line was ringing.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Who are you calling?”

  “Parker.” The sheriff could deal with this horrible excuse for a human being.

  “Oooohhhh,” Janet stumbled back against the bench. “He as hot as you? We gonna have a threesome?”

  Parker answered on the third ring. “Hey, Crosby.”

  “Any chance you got someone on Anchor?” The chain of islands shared sheriff’s department officers for most of the year, the smaller islands like Anchor only having dedicated deputies during the high-traffic summer months.

  “I’m on the island, actually. Just finishing up lunch at The Catch. What’s going on?”

  “Can you come over to Brookings Inlet? We’ve got a bit of a situation.”

  “That’s all you’re going to give me?”

  “That’s all I can say right now.” I worried if Janet figured out in her drunken brain that we were calling the cops on her, she’d become even more belligerent.

  Parker sighed. “I’m on my way. Be there in five.”

  “Thanks, man.” I hit End and turned back to Janet, who was spewing even more hatred at her daughter. “Sit down and shut up.”

  Janet stumbled back a step at my tone, the bench of the picnic table hitting the backs of her knees and forcing her to sit. “Well, thas not very nice.”

  “You treat other people like garbage, that’s what you should expect to get in return.”

  “Crosby…” Kenna’s hand squeezed my arm gently.

  “No. She doesn’t deserve your defense.” Janet deserved nothing but sitting in the drunk tank for a few hours and then getting booted off this island to go back to whatever hole she’d crawled out of.

  “I was trying to give her one last chance.” Janet’s eyes narrowed to slits as she spoke.

  Unease pricked at my skin, and Kenna tensed. “One last chance for what? Family bonding? I think I’ll pass.”

  Janet snorted. “To give me my money.”

  “I’ve told you, I don’t have any money to give you. And even if I did have extra cash floating around, it wouldn’t be going to feed your addictions.” Kenna’s voice remained calm, but the pink in her cheeks spoke of a mix of anger and embarrassment.

  Janet pushed shakily to her feet once again. “You’re gonna regret that, girlie. I’ve got other ways to get what I want.”

  Just as I was about to ask what the hell she meant by that, the sheriff’s SUV pulled up. At the slam of Parker’s door, Janet glanced over her shoulder. She let out a string of curses that would’ve made a sailor blush. “You called five-o on me, you cocksuckers?”

  “That’s what happens when you break the law,” Kenna said evenly.

  “I’ll show you breaking the law.” Janet lunged for her daughter, fist raised and screeching. I caught her around the waist at the last second, pulling her back as she thrashed. “Let me go, asshole. Thas my girl. I gotta teach her some respect.” My gut soured at the woman’s words.

  Parker jogged over. “What the hell is going on?”

  “A little help here?” I asked. Janet was remarkably strong for a woman who likely subsisted on mostly booze and cigarettes.

  Between the two of us, Parker got her cuffed. “Sit down, or I’ll have to tase you.” That shut the woman right up. Parker looked between Kenna and me. “Who is she?”

  Kenna cleared her throat. “She used to be my mother.”

  Parker cursed. “She’s drunk, and she attacked you. Do you want to press charges?”

  Kenna shook her head. “No charges. But can you take her in until she sobers up?”

  Parker’s face gentled. “Of course. If you change your mind about the charges, just let me know.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate you handling this.”

  Parker gave Kenna’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “That’s what we’re here for. You take care of yourself.” He turned to me. “And you look out for this one.”

  I forced a grin. “I’ll try, but she’s quite the troublemaker.”

  Kenna gave a small laugh just as I hoped, and Parker chuckled. “I’ll see you guys later.” With that, he escorted a visibly deflated Janet to his SUV.

  “Come here.” I opened my arms, and Kenna walked into them. No hesitation like there would’ve been just a few weeks ago, simply open acceptance. “I’m so sorry.” I wrapped her tightly in my arms, wishing with everything in me that I could erase the pain the past twenty minutes had caused, obliterate the agony of a lifetime of having Janet as a mother.

  Kenna burrowed her face in my chest. “It’s not the first time. It won’t be the last.”

  I pressed my lips to her hair, inhaling the mix of sea air and hints of something feminine and alluring. “You don’t deserve the hate and ugliness she was spewing.”

  She tipped her head back so that her chin rested on my sternum. “You’re right, I don’t. But people live with far worse. I’ll survive.” Her eyes closed a fraction. “I just hate that you and Parker had to see it.”

  I pulled Kenna tighter against me. “You don’t apologize for that. For her. That’s not your burden to take on.”

  Pain flitted across Kenna’s features. “She never loved me. It was always about what I could get her. Money from the state. Anything else having a kid might afford her.”

  “It’s her loss. She missed out on the greatest blessing in her life. One day, she’ll realize that. But you’re already gone.”

  “I’m not holding my breath for that day.” Kenna turned her face towards the ocean, resting her cheek on my chest. “She used to show up at The Gables occasionally. She’d demand that Harriet give her money because she’d stolen her daughter.”

  Tension thrummed through my muscles. “You’re more than a check. The gift your life is to the people who love you is priceless. No amount of money could ever cover that.”

  “But that’s what I’ve always been. A check from the government to keep me alive. A check from the Abbots to get rid of my baby. A check to give up my home. Someone always wants to write me away with a flick of the wrist. I kept thinking that maybe if I was perfect enough, they wouldn’t throw me away.”

  I pulled back, taking Kenna’s face in my hands. “Don’t let other people’s ignorance influence your value. You’re so much more than they could ever see. And you’re never more beautiful than when you let me get a peek of who you truly are, imperfections and all.”

  There was a battle warring in her eyes, I could see it. “Okay.”

  “Good.” I took
Kenna’s mouth in a slow kiss, her taste imprinting on my tongue. One day, this woman would see herself as I did. Strong because she’d been broken. Loving because she’d been hurt. Perfect in all of her imperfections.

  34

  Kenna

  “Are you sure you don’t want something? A juice, at least?”

  I gave my head a shake as Bell rubbed a hand up and down my back. If I ate anything, I’d just end up barfing when I reached the stand.

  “You look really pale…”

  “Gee, thanks.” I’d taken extra time with my appearance that morning, straightening my hair to within an inch of its life, applying a layer of understated makeup, I’d even done an internet search for court-appropriate attire. But there was nothing that I could do about the fact that all the blood had drained out of my head.

  Bell stopped rubbing my back and took one hand in hers as we sat on one of the courtroom benches. “Sorry, I’m just worried about you.”

  I gave her hand a squeeze. “I know. Sorry I’m being bitchy.”

  “Not bitchy, just sarcastic. And I know your sarcasm comes out when you’re feeling scared.”

  Something in me warmed at her words, and I had the sudden urge to cry. What was going on with me? Ever since I’d had my breakdown with Crosby and had told him about losing my girl, my emotions had been all over the place. It hadn’t helped that my mom was lurking around, along with Grant. I took a slow, deep breath. In a few weeks, everything would go back to normal, and my body and heart would no longer feel as if they were going haywire.

  Crosby glanced over his shoulder from where he was seated at the front of the room and gave me a wink. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d still be around in the same way he was now. My heart gave a painful squeeze at the idea of things going back to the way they were before. In a status quo where we bickered but didn’t know anything below the surface about each other.

  Bell bumped my shoulder with hers. “How are things there?”

  I gave a little jolt at her words, totally lost in my own world. One where I was staring very intently at Crosby McCoy. “Things are…complicated.”

  “I’ve found that things almost always get that way before they get good.”

  “Or before they get bad.”

  Bell turned towards me. “Have a little faith.”

  Having faith wasn’t my strong suit. I was more of a prepare-for-the-worst sort of person. I’d been through too much to have a Pollyanna outlook on life. And thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong meant that I could be prepared for them all. But it also meant I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  Bell let out a small growl. “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?”

  “I know what you’re thinking. That nothing ever works out for you. But that’s not true.”

  The stuff that worked out for me were mostly things that I willed into existence by my hard work and refusal to give up. Being the first person in my family to go to college. Finishing on time even after taking a leave of absence. Getting my accounting degree. Climbing the ranks at my job. “You’re right, there are a lot of good things in my life.”

  “Like Caelyn and me. Ford and the tiny terrors. Crosby.”

  My heart did a little stutter step at his name. He had brought a lot of good into my life, but that also meant he could take it when he left. And I was getting used to the energy, the vitality that he seemed to infuse my days with. It was corny as hell, but he reminded me of all the beauty that was in the everyday.

  I cleared my throat. “There’s a lot to be grateful for.”

  “And there will be even more once this case is settled, and you can officially make The Gables yours in every way Harriet wanted you to.”

  A wave of apprehension skittered across my skin. I hadn’t been brave enough to enter the main house yet. I knew all the memories I’d shared with Harriet would assault me as soon as I walked in the door. And I would break. I wasn’t strong enough to face it yet. But I would. Once the house was truly mine, I’d find a way to make it into the home Harriet had always wanted it to be, the one her family had never been able to give her.

  Voices and footsteps sounded, and I turned to take in the newcomers. Grant and Lacey led the way. She was pressed tightly against his side, and the sight had bile swirling in my stomach. The photos she’d sent me of the two of them played in my mind on an endless loop. The nausea had nothing to do with my feelings for Grant. Those had died a fiery death a long time ago. It was simply a sickening reminder that he was another person I’d loved, who had betrayed me in the worst ways imaginable. Lacey sent a sneer in my direction and looped an arm through Grant’s. Her father trailed behind the group.

  Bell leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. “One day, that girl is going to get what’s coming to her.”

  I wasn’t going to hold my breath. Lacey should’ve been hit by the Karma train a hundred times by now. But she always seemed to artfully dodge it.

  There was movement at the side of the courtroom, and then a bailiff appeared. “All rise.”

  Judge Moore strode in, his steps eating up the distance quickly. His gait was as no-nonsense as the rest of his persona. And I hoped that served me well. He called court into session. Soon, the lawyers were going back and forth in that language where I only recognized every fourth or fifth word.

  Mr. Hotchkiss rose. “We have a last-minute witness.”

  Crosby pushed to his feet. “Objection, Your Honor. I was not notified of any additional witnesses and have not had time to prepare for possible cross-examination.”

  Grant turned and gave me a wink. The action had my stomach roiling. There was so much evil in his eyes. How had I missed it all those years ago?

  Mr. Hotchkiss kept his face a mask of apology. “The witness just came forward this morning. I’ve barely had any time to prepare either. But I feel her testimony is vital to the case.”

  Judge Moore’s gaze narrowed on Hotchkiss. “I’m not a fool, Mr. Hotchkiss. And I don’t appreciate these kinds of antics in my courtroom.”

  “Your Honor—”

  Judge Moore held up a hand. “Quiet until you’re called upon.” His gaze focused on a paper on his desk. “Who is the witness?”

  “Janet Morgan, Kenna Morgan’s mother.”

  Bell sucked in an audible breath, but I was stone. She’d warned me to give her what she wanted. Now, she was making good on her threats. And Grant had been the one to deal the blow he knew would be the most painful—to have my mother turn on me, yet again.

  “Your Honor,” Crosby began. “Janet Morgan has not lived on the island for many years. She has had no contact with her daughter unless you count a scene yesterday where the sheriff was forced to remove her for public drunkenness.”

  “Irrelevant,” Hotchkiss argued. “Ms. Morgan was distraught over her daughter’s cruelty towards her and some information she’d recently discovered.”

  Judge Moore held up a hand and looked at Crosby. “How much time would you need to prepare for this witness?”

  “It’s hard to say, Your Honor. At least a day or two.”

  Moore nodded and turned to Hotchkiss. “You may call your witness now. But Mr. McCoy will have as long as he needs to prepare for cross.”

  “Your Honor—” Hotchkiss started.

  “That’s what you get for trying to manipulate my courtroom. Let that be a warning to you.”

  “What does that mean?” Bell hissed in my ear.

  “I have no idea.”

  The door at the back of the courtroom opened, and heels sounded on the tile. I braced myself and glanced over my shoulder. There was Janet. She wore heels that were better suited for a night out at a club, and a skirt that was about four inches too short for any sort of professional engagement. Her gaze met mine, and she grinned. It was ugly, malicious, and I knew in that moment that she would do whatever she could to make my life hell.

  Mr. Hotchkiss held open the little wooden gate so she could enter and
make her way up to the witness stand. She was sworn in, and then took a seat.

  “Ms. Morgan. How do you know Harriet Abbot?”

  Janet did her best to fight her grimace but was only partly successful. “She took custody of my daughter when I wasn’t in a place to care for her.”

  “And why couldn’t you care for her?”

  “Kenna was always a troubled child. She created problems around the home. Got in trouble in school.”

  Crosby leaned forward at his table. “Objection. Relevance? This has nothing to do with our case, and the witness is stating her opinion, one that has no basis in fact. The witness has a strained relationship with her daughter, and just yesterday threatened to make trouble for her.”

  “Sustained. I’ll note that, and you will have your chance to question Ms. Morgan as a hostile witness.”

  “Thank you, Your Honor.”

  Judge Moore motioned at Hotchkiss. “Proceed with a new question, Counselor.”

  A muscle in Mr. Hotchkiss’s cheek ticked. “Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Morgan, when did you return to Anchor Island?”

  Janet pursed her lips. “I’m not exactly sure. Maybe a week or two ago.”

  “And when you did, what did your daughter share with you?”

  My stomach roiled. I hadn’t shared a damn thing with Janet other than my wish for her to leave and my refusal to give her any money. But my mother could lie with the best of them.

  Janet arranged her features in concern. “She said that Harriet had left her The Gables, and as soon as the paperwork went through, she was going to sell the property to a developer. I asked her how she could do that since I knew how much it meant to the old lady, but Kenna said she didn’t care. She just wanted the money.”

  My fingernails dug into my palms so hard I could feel the skin break. But I needed the pain to stay silent. To stop me from jumping up from my seat and screaming “liar” at the woman who was supposed to care for me but had seemed to hate me from the day I was born. Why? I had no idea. The only thing I’d ever wanted was her love and care. But even that desire seemed to breed her hate.