Always With Me

by Barbara Freethy

  "It's not harsh. I don't think I knew her, either. But that's because she didn't want me to know her deepest secrets."

  "I wish she'd felt free to talk to me. Maybe she'd still be alive."

  "Don't go down that road, Mitch."

  "Too late. I've been down and back a million times," he said with a sigh. "Anyway, Becca is gone, and her secrets died with her. They don't matter anymore."

  "They might matter, Mitch. I don't want your mother doing the same number on Hailey that she did on Rebecca."

  "I don't think she did anything that bad. It wasn't like Rebecca never spoke to my mom or dad. They didn't see each other often, and Becca never came back to Whisper Lake, but they weren't completely estranged. Anyway, it appears that you don't need my intervention anymore. I'm actually happy not to be in the middle."

  "I hated putting you there. Any thoughts on whether your mom will be able to get your dad on board with me being in Hailey's life?"

  "None whatsoever. But if she doesn't talk to him soon, Hailey will. One way or another, he's going to find out, and then who knows what hell will break loose?"

  "I've figured out your mystery," Keira told Gianna as she set her purse down on the front counter at the antiques store a little before five on Tuesday.

  "What mystery is that?" she asked warily.

  "The girl in the photo wearing your locket—what else would I be talking about?"

  "Oh, right. What about her?"

  "My mom said her name was Jill. Well, I pressed my mother a bit more today, and she told me that the girl's name was Jill Harper. Her mother was Theresa Harper."

  "Theresa Harper?" she echoed in surprise. "The dining hall director from the camp—that Theresa Harper?"

  "Yes. She lives on the north shore, and I found her address." Keira slid a piece of paper across the counter.

  "This is amazing," she said, her heart racing. "What about Jill? Do you know where she is?"

  "I couldn't find her anywhere in this area, but I'm sure her mother knows where she is. You can start with her."

  She stared down at the address, feeling emotionally torn. She'd wanted a clue, but now that she had one…

  "Is something wrong?" Keira asked.

  She lifted her head to meet Keira's inquiring gaze. "I never thought I'd actually get a lead."

  "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

  "I think so. I'm scared."

  "I can understand that. But I also know this question has been plaguing you your entire life."

  "It has always been in the back of my mind," she admitted.

  "Then talk to Theresa Harper. You may find out her daughter has nothing to do with you."

  "You're right. Just because she had a similar locket doesn't mean anything."

  "Exactly. Or Jill could be your mom. Either way, you have to know, Gianna."

  "I will look into this tomorrow. Thank you, Keira. This is huge. I owe you one."

  "I'm glad you said that, because I need a favor. It's not really for me, but I need your help."

  "With what?"

  "An intervention. I want you to go to the café with me now and convince Chloe to stop working. I went by there at lunch and she was practically asleep on her feet. She looks horrible, and she said something to me about not having heard from Kevin in the last few days. I tried to talk her into going home, but she wasn't listening. I say we kidnap her, take her out to dinner, get her mind off Kevin, and encourage her to start taking it a little easier."

  "I'm on board, but what about the dinner rush at the café? Is Chloe the only one there? Maybe she can't leave."

  "Marina is working today, and she told me she has the café covered, but Chloe won't stay home."

  "Then let's go get her," she said, grabbing her bag.

  "Great. My car is outside. I'll drive."

  Minutes later, they got into a sleek, white BMW, and Gianna couldn't help but appreciate the gorgeous leather detail. "This is very luxurious."

  "It helps my street cred as a successful real-estate agent," Keira said with a grin. "I sometimes drive clients around, and I want them to think I'm good at my job."

  "From what I hear, you are good at your job. But is Whisper Lake big enough for you?"

  "There are quite a few new houses going up these days, especially at Sandy Point and on the west shore. But I also work properties in Chambers and Paxmore," she said, referring to the new housing developments in nearby suburbs.

  "You must be extremely busy."

  "I am. I like my job. It was never my dream, you know that. But since Mom's accident, I had to step up and take over her business, and I discovered I'm good at it."

  "I'm really glad, Keira. I felt bad that you had to give up your dreams of being a fashion designer. You worked so hard to get your degree and then you had your dream job in New York. I really admire you for being willing to give it all up for your mom."

  "It's been her and me against the world for as long as I can remember. And it will always be that way. I just want her to be completely better."

  "So do I."

  "And I'm not the only one willing to sacrifice for family. You're doing that for your aunt."

  "I'm not as selfless as you, Keira. There was a big part of me that jumped at the chance to help Aunt Lois because it got me out of LA. The last three months have been difficult. I was looking for a new job, but nothing was right. My friends—well, a lot of them were really Jeff's friends, so they were gone. I lost my coworker friendships, because they're still at Jeff's company. I was floundering."

  "I'm sorry. What went wrong with Jeff? You've never told me much."

  "It wasn't one thing; it was a lot of things. I felt like I was compromising a lot, and he wasn't compromising at all. I had to fit into his life; it wasn't going to work the other way."

  "Which is why he never made time to see me and Hannah when we visited you last year."

  "He had trouble making time for my friends, my needs." She sighed. "I have made so many mistakes when it comes to men. I don't know what is wrong with me. I keep picking the wrong guys."

  "We've all done that."

  "Yes, but you figure out they're wrong before you get engaged."

  "Why do you think you don't?"

  "Because I've been too impatient to get to the next part of my life. I've always wanted to skip ahead, so I ignored the little things, the nagging doubts. But when the wedding date became real, when deposits were put down, that’s when my brain woke up. So that's it. I'm done with love."

  Keira smiled. "Sure you are."

  "I mean it. I'm not going to fall again."

  "Have you told your face that? Because the way you looked at Zach Barrington the other day…"

  She frowned. "I didn't look at him in any particular way. Jeez, you sound just like Hannah."

  "And probably anyone else who saw you together."

  "We were hardly together at your party."

  "That's right. You tried like hell to avoid each other. I swear I thought I was back at camp, watching the two of you dance around each other the way you did in the beginning of your relationship. You couldn't trust that the cutest boy at camp was interested in you."

  "And he probably didn't have a clue why he wanted to hang out with the most awkward girl there," she said dryly.

  "He saw the real you."

  "He did," she admitted with a sigh.

  "You saw the real him, too. Until you convinced yourself that he'd stolen your necklace and everything about your relationship was a lie."

  "I had solid evidence—or I thought I did at the time."

  "No, you had fear. I didn't see it then, and I'm sure you didn't either, because we were stupid girls, and you were caught up in your first real love. But I think you jumped on the missing necklace as a way to push Zach away."

  "In retrospect, that might be true. But, like you said, I didn't know it at the time."

  Keira shot her a look. "So, what now?"

  "Nothing. I'm busy with the store
and Zach has his work and other issues to deal with."

  "Is one of those issues Rebecca's daughter? I heard he's trying to get the Carvers to let him see the child."

  "Yes, he is, and he deserves to be in that little girl's life. He adores her. He really just wants to do right by her. The Carvers need to get over their own egos and let him in."

  "Wow, you have changed your mind about him."

  "He's a good guy, and I'm impressed with how hard he's fighting for this kid who's not even his."

  "It does seem admirable. It also sounds like he's going to be in town awhile, as are you," she added pointedly.

  "Stop trying to make this more than it is."

  "You should stop trying to make it less than it is, Gianna."

  "It's not the right time."

  "You can have fun with him without getting engaged."

  "Apparently, I can't," she said with a wry smile.

  Keira laughed. "If he proposes, just say no."

  "It's not going to get that far."

  "So, it's going to get somewhere?"

  "I don't know. You are so pushy," she complained.

  "I like to close deals."

  "Well, this deal is not even open."

  "Sure it is. But I will back off—for now," Keira added, as she parked the car. "I'm glad to have you home, Gianna. I've missed you. Maybe you should think about staying here permanently."

  "My life is in LA."

  "Your life was in LA. It could be anywhere now. But enough about you. Let's go butt into Chloe's business."

  "Yes, let's do that," she agreed, eager to get herself off the hot seat.

  Keira grinned. "It's what friends do."

  "I'm fine. I'm working," Chloe protested, as Gianna and Keira each grabbed one of her arms. "Let me go."

  "Nope. This is an intervention," Keira said firmly.

  "It's a kidnapping," Chloe complained. "And I need to get my purse."

  "I've got it," Gianna said, as Marina handed her Chloe's purse.

  "Traitor," Chloe told Marina.

  "You need a break," Marina said.

  "It's the dinner rush. I can't leave," Chloe replied, waving her hand toward the dozen tables that were all filled.

  "I have everything under control," Marina assured her.

  "So, you're coming with us," Keira said, as they walked Chloe out the front door to a handful of applause from the locals, who all urged Chloe to get some rest.

  "I have my car. I can drive myself home," Chloe said with annoyance, as they moved down the street.

  "I'm driving," Keira said, opening her car door for Chloe. "Get in."

  "You're so damn bossy. I'll take the back."

  "Just to be contrary?" Keira asked, as Chloe got into the backseat. Keira rolled her eyes at Gianna. "The hormones have made her crazy."

  "I'm not crazy; I'm annoyed," Chloe retorted, as Gianna and Keira got in the car. "This kidnapping intervention better involve food, because I was just going to make myself a sandwich."

  "You need to eat something you didn't have to prepare or serve," Keira said. "We're going to Delmonico's."

  "Ooh, pizza," Gianna said, happy at that thought.

  "Hannah is going to meet us there," Keira added.

  "Another traitor," Chloe muttered. "I guess Delmonico's is fine, although, they are one of my competitors."

  "Your café is always packed," she said, turning in her seat so she could see Chloe. "I don't think you have to worry."

  "It's packed because I work hard. When I'm not there, things slack off."

  "You're not going to be there once you have this baby—at least not for a few months," she pointed out. "Right?"

  "I don't know. It depends on how much leave Kevin gets." As Chloe finished speaking, she started blinking her eyes really fast, and then her mouth crumpled.

  "Chloe, what's wrong?" she asked in alarm. "Are you crying?"

  "It's the hormones," Chloe said, between short little sobs.

  "I'm pulling over." Keira stopped on the side of the street.

  "We can keep driving," Chloe said, dabbing at her eyes with her fingers. "The waterworks will pass soon enough. I'm just feeling emotional because… Oh, it doesn't matter."

  "What's going on?" Gianna asked.

  Chloe stared back at them. "I haven't heard from Kevin since Saturday. It's been three days. He rarely stays out of touch this long, especially now when I'm so close to my due date. He has to be on a mission. That's the only reason he wouldn't call or text or email. I just don't know when he's coming back. And I'm freaking out."

  Gianna's heart went out to Chloe. She always seemed to have her life together, but there was obviously a lot going on underneath the surface. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sure he'll call as soon as he can."

  "I want it to happen already. The longer he's out of touch, the worse my imagination gets."

  "He's going to be fine," Keira said firmly. "And so are you. You need to stop being so stubbornly independent and let us be there for you. You're not alone, Chloe. We're here. And half the damn town would drop everything to help you."

  Chloe gave them a watery smile. "Everyone is being really nice. I shouldn’t complain."

  "You can complain," Gianna said. "You can go off on a really long rant about how unfair it is that you have to be nine months pregnant and all by yourself because of the damn army."

  "The damn army," Chloe echoed. "Unfortunately, Kevin loves everything about it."

  "He doesn't love it more than you."

  "Sometimes I'm not so sure. He sees his team more than he sees me. But I knew what I was getting into, and I love him." She drew in a breath and let it out. "I'm okay. We can go to the restaurant now. Besides being emotional, I am actually hungry. And, by the way, you guys are lousy kidnappers, but you're really good friends."

  "We're not that lousy—we got you in the car," Keira said, as she pulled back onto the roadway.

  "Only because I didn't want to make a scene at the café."

  "Everyone cheered us on for getting you out of there," Gianna reminded her.

  "That's because people are too worried about me. I'm fine—most of the time."

  "Well, when you're not fine, you should tell us."

  "I don't want to bother anyone. You all have your own lives, your own challenges."

  "That doesn't matter," Keira assured her.

  "Let's talk about something more cheerful," Chloe said. "I heard the barbecue at your house was amazing, Keira."

  "It was great, but we missed you."

  "I know. I'm sorry."

  "You don't have to apologize, although you did miss Gianna flirting with her camp boyfriend."

  "Really?" Chloe asked with interest. "Let's talk about that."

  "I know I'm a good distraction," she said. "But let's not talk about Zach."

  "Gianna likes him," Keira said, ignoring her.

  "I saw that the other night at the bar," Chloe replied. "When Zach arrived, neither one of you could look anywhere else."

  "That's how they were at the party. I can't blame Gianna," Keira said. "Because Zach is even hotter now than when we were teenagers. My God, that man is mouthwatering. I bet he's a great kisser."

  "Stop," Gianna said, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Nothing is going to happen between Zach and me. We're just friends."

  "Friends who want to have sex," Keira said.

  Gianna leaned over and turned on the radio full blast. "I think we need some music," she yelled.

  Keira laughed. "You can drown me out, but it doesn't make what I say any less true."

  Chapter Seventeen

  The truth will set you free. Gianna stared at the framed, needlepointed saying that a customer had just placed on the counter, feeling like the message was meant more for her than the elderly woman who'd handed her ten dollars for it.

  "Are you all right?" the woman asked.

  "Sorry. Here's your change."

  "Thank you. This will go perfectly in my grandson's bedroom. He tends to
bend the truth a lot. I think he could use a reminder every night before he goes to sleep."

  Somehow, she didn't think the woman's grandson would appreciate the homespun art, but that wasn't for her to say.

  As the woman left, she glanced at her watch. It was three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, and she was quickly running out of time to make the decision that had been rolling around in her head all day. She pulled out the piece of paper with Theresa Harper's address on it. If she wanted to get to the other side of the lake, now was the time to go.

  "Do you have somewhere else to be?" Nora asked, as she joined her behind the counter with a quizzical smile. "You've been checking your watch all day."

  "I have an errand to run. Are you okay to stay until closing?"

  "I was planning on it. Feel free to leave whenever you need to."

  "Thanks." She'd just grabbed her purse when the door opened, and Zach walked in.

  A happy wave ran through her. Keira was right. She didn't just want to be friends with Zach. And even if she kept lying to everyone else, she needed to be honest with herself. She hadn't seen him the day before, and she'd missed him way too much. She didn't know what she was going to do about that, but maybe admitting that small truth to herself would set her free.

  "Hey," he said, giving her a warm smile.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "I was in the neighborhood. How are things going?"

  "Not too busy today. I was actually just about to leave." She was very aware of Nora's interested smile. Nora was a fantastic part-time employee, and also a fantastic gossip. Whatever conversation she was going to have with Zach she didn't want to have in front of Nora. "I'll see you tomorrow," she told the older woman.

  "I'll be in early," Nora said. "I have to leave at one, so why don't you come in a little later if you like?"

  "That sounds good. Thanks." Her truck was in the back, but she'd finish her conversation with Zach and then get it.

  "Where are you headed?" Zach asked, as they reached the sidewalk.

  "Well, I'm still debating…"

  He gave her a curious look. "What does that mean?"