I swallow and nod, unable to look my Dad in the eye. Why does this bother me? I want him happy. But it hits me that he’s been lonely, and I’ve been too naïve or self-centered to notice. “We can go out for dinner. I’ll keep my tantrums in check.” It’s hard to say the words though. I keep brushing my hair without looking at him. I’m near tears, and I don’t understand why.
Then he’s right beside me, taking the brush out of my hand and turning my face toward him. “You are my first and utmost love, Miss Virginia Paxton. That’s not going to change. Not now. Not ever.”
A tear travels down my cheek as Dad says what even I don’t want to see in myself. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Not going to happen.”
“You didn’t even tell me you were going to stay over there.”
“I’m sorry. It was sort of spur of the moment. One minute I’m here, the next minute she’s texting me asking me to come over. And I did sleep on the couch. I’m trying to be a good example for you.” He gives me a gentle squeeze. “I will try to keep you in the loop. If you promise me the same thing.”
“Okay.”
He gathers me in his arms and hugs me, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I feel safe in my Dad’s arms. “I’m glad you decided to stay here in Michigan for however long it’s for. Do you want to call your mother or would like me to call her?”
“I can call her.”
Someone knocks on the door downstairs.
“It’s probably Isaac and Ian.”
Dad releases me and grins. “It’s a good thing you have a chaperone, or else I’d have to go with you.”
“Hey, Ginnie!” Cassie calls up. “Mitch is here!”
I go to leave. Dad asks, “Who is this Mitch anyways? He shows up out of the blue. It’s weird.”
“He’s Isaac’s friends. They work together at the golf club. And now we all hang out.” I leave out all the parts of us being possibly related.
Cassie is full-out flirting with Mitch, and he seems to be soaking it up. I’m glad she’s letting the Isaac thing go. It makes me respect her and love her even more. Plus we have this bond now that we experienced the ghost together. It’s nice that she’s in this with me.
“What’s going on?” I ask once I’m down the stairs. “Were we supposed to meet today?”
“Cassie texted me last night and told me to stop by today. Said you needed to tell me something.”
“Oh, good thinking, Cass.”
She beams at me. “Let’s go by the lake and talk. I want to layout and soak up some rays anyways.”
It’s now I notice she’s in her skimpy bikini with a towel slung over her shoulders and tanning lotion in her hand. “When did you change?”
“When you were in the shower. Then I came down here to wait for Mitch.” She gave him her thousand-watt smile.
“All right, let’s go to the lake.” I yell up the stairs, “Dad?”
“Yeah?” He walks to the top of the stairs and looks down.
“Could you send Isaac and Ian to the lake when they get here?”
“Sure.”
Cassie and Mitch have already walked through the house and are waiting for me at the back door. Gran’s on the phone and watching Mitch with a hint of…annoyance? She sees me and turns quickly, pretending to be deeply involved in the conversation.
Mitch, Cassie, and I head outside. As we walk to the lake, Cassie is chattering away at Mitch. They seem complete opposites. Cassie is talkative and bubbly; Mitch is quiet and calm. Yet, they do complement each other. I wonder if anything will happen between the two of them.
We set lounge chairs next to each other on the sand. Cassie spreads out her towel, sits down, then begins to rub lotion on her arms. Mitch sits down beside her as do I.
“So, what happened last night?”
“A ghost!” Cassie exclaims, only to stop herself. “Sorry, Ginnie. You tell it.”
“What she said,” I joke.
“You both saw her?”
“Yes,” we said in unison.
Cassie looks at me, then says sheepishly, “Sorry.”
“Cassie came out here last night to get some fresh air.”
“You don’t have to hide the truth,” she interrupts. “I caught Isaac and Ginnie kissing, heavy-duty.”
“Okay, he gets the picture.”
Mitch chuckles. “Ouch.”
“Tell me about it,” Cassie says to him. “So, I overreact and run outside. Ginnie, being the brave, devoted cousin she is, follows me, although I’m sure she was nervous. Go ahead and finish the story.”
“We’re sitting on the ground, and I feel her.”
Cassie sits up and Mitch leans forward. “What?” Mitch asks as if the suspense is killing him.
“I turned around and she stood with her hand like this.” I hold my hand out and up.
Mitch sits back in fascination. “She’s telling you she comes in peace.”
“You skipped the best parts. All of sudden, Ginnie jumps up off the ground and says, ‘Come on, we have to go now.’ At first, I’m oblivious, but then I get goosebumps all over my skin and the hair on the back of my neck stands up.” Cassie is so animated, I decide to let her tell it. “We’re running for our lives out of the forest when I see her. I stop, and Ginnie and I grab hands. There she is standing as close to us as you are. She reaches out her hand to Ginnie. It’s like I could feel her pleading with Ginnie, so I told her to touch the ghost’s hand.”
“Whoa.” Mitch gets up and starts pacing.
“She said Ginnie’s name. Right?” Cassie looks over at me.
“Yeah, that’s what she said, but it was more than that.” I stop to remember the sensation. “At first I felt cold, but there was more. I felt pain. Not just physical pain, but something terrible.”
Mitch is staring at me, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open.
“Say something. What do you think it could mean?”
“I’m not sure,” Mitch says, still in shock. “Mom told me about the rumor of her sister being pregnant, but she dismissed it.”
“What are you saying?” I ask. “Barbara Blackstone had a baby? She doesn’t look old enough to…well, you know…”
“She was fifteen,” Mitch replies. “In our tribe, girls become betrothed before their sixteenth birthdays, so it’s possible. I have to ask Mom. But maybe that’s where the pain came from, or how she knows your name.”
“How does that explain how she knows my name? This is bloody confusing!” Now I stand up to pace.
“I told you. She wouldn’t be pursuing you if you didn’t have matching bloodlines.” Mitch says it so quietly that I stop to look over at him.
“How’s is that possible?” I ask though I think I know where he’s going.
“You’re blood relation to Barbara Blackstone. As in her blood runs through your veins. That’s why she’s able to communicate with you.”
“But I…have a…Dad and a…Mum…” I’m trying hard not to hyperventilate.
“How old is Uncle Sam?” Cassie asks.
“He’ll be forty on Friday.”
“Almost forty years ago, Barbara Blackstone disappeared.”
I turn to Mitch as his words sink in.
“No way,” Cassie whispers.
“That doesn’t mean anything.” I remember Aunt Sue’s recollection of a girl in the house. “Barbara went into hiding,” I say as the truth unraveled before me. “Oh, hell…My grandmother took her in. My Dad…”
“…is Barbara Blackstone’s son,” Mitch finishes.
“Hi, guys!” Ian’s greeting makes me jump, along with the other two. We stay quiet for too long because Ian says, “When someone greets you, you are supposed to greet them back. It’s called manners.”
“Hi, Ian,” I say, as do Mitch and Cassie.
“Are you ready to go golfing? Do you have a set of clubs? We have some to rent if you don’t.” He turns in my direction but doesn’t look me in the eyes.
“I brought Mom’s,” Is
aac says as he walks toward us. We make eye contact. My stomach alerts the swarms of butterflies to begin their chaotic flight. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Cassie says a little too sweetly. “Just discussing the ghost encounter from last night and how Uncle Sam is Barbara Blackstone’s son.”
“What?” Ian tenses up. His eyes dart from one spot to another, and he wrings his hands while moving from one foot to the other. “How do you know that? Nobody knows that for sure. You shouldn’t say things like that if you’re not sure. That doesn’t make any sense.”
I tap Cassie’s leg with my toe and shake my head. She mouths “sorry”, but I’m more than annoyed. Poor Ian can’t handle the stress of the body we discovered, let alone ghostly visits.
“It’s all right, Ian. Cassie’s playing a joke, that’s all.” Isaac rests his hand on Ian’s shoulder. Ian calms down a little, but his face is still drawn in and crestfallen.
“I was just teasing,” she adds. “Because Ginnie was so scared last night. I’m sorry.”
The awkward pause dangles over us.
Finally, I blurt to Ian, “Let’s get out of here. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go whack at some golf balls.”
A laugh escapes from Cassie. “Whack at some golf balls? You don’t have the slightest idea of how to play golf, do you?”
“How complicated can it be? Take a golf club, and then take a swing at it.”
My reply has garnered an eye roll or a look of disbelief out of the four of them. Even Ian makes eye contact with his brother before they both commence an exaggerated eye roll. “Fine, all you fancy pants, let’s golf. I’ll show you how easy it is.”
“Easy?” Isaac repeats. I’m not sure if he knows I’m only being annoying to get Ian’s mind off what blabber-mouth Cassie had just said, but…I don’t think so. “Want to wager how easy it will be for you to quit?”
“Quit? Me? Never.”
“She won’t make five holes,” Mitch says.
Now I look at him in disbelief. “You’re betting against me?”
“I believe in her,” Cassie says.
“Thank you.”
“She’ll go at least six or seven holes before she’s busted every one of her clubs in a fit of rage,” Cassie adds with a twisted smile.
“Hey!”
“And I say she’ll give up after three holes. Shall we say twenty bucks?” Isaac asks Cassie and Mitch.
They agree, but so do I. “What about me? Don’t I get a say?” I ask. “I bet I’ll finish the whole course or holes or whatever it’s called.”
“Without any help,” Isaac adds.
“Without. Any. Help.” I cross my arms to prove my point.
“I’m going to get dressed.” Cassie jumps up and runs to the house. “Don’t leave without me!”
“I guess I’m going golfing, too,” Mitch says. “I’ll need to collect my money.”
“And to watch Ginnie try to whack at some golf balls,” Isaac says, mimicking me, to which Mitch starts laughing.
“People need to stop mocking me. They don’t do a good job.”
Isaac and Mitch laugh louder. Ian comes over to me. “I know what you did,” he whispers.
“What? What did I do?”
“You changed the subject and got everybody mad at you.”
At least one person knows what I was trying to do. “Well, Ian, I wouldn’t worry. I enjoy a challenge.” I take his arm, and we walk up to the house. I hear Mitch and Isaac follow behind us. “So,” I say quietly to Ian. “Do you think I have a chance at winning?”
“No,” he answers curtly. “Not at all.”
23
It’s official. I hate golf.
“What is the purpose of hitting a ball to the other side of the course and whack at it until it falls into a little hole?” I munch on a French fry angrily. It didn’t make it any better that the other four had played golf many times and were fairly good at it. Even Cassie knew what she was doing.
They made it look easy. But it wasn’t easy. Since they didn’t help, I royally sucked at the game. The only thing they did accomplish was to make me look like a complete buffoon.
“Don’t be a spoilsport,” Cassie teases.
I glare at her and stuff another fry in my mouth. Mitch grins at me, and I make a face. He laughs. “Let me give you lessons.”
“Never.”
Isaac is still talking to the managers about getting his money back because after the sixth hole I refused to play. In my defense, not one golf club was hurt during any of my fits of irritation. I’m sure looking back on it I will find it comical.
“I guess I’m out the money,” Isaac says with a smirk and sits beside me again.
“Good. That’s what you get for not giving me any instruction.”
“It was worth it. You’re cute when you’re angry.” He winks at me, and I have to look away in embarrassment.
It’s a wonder he is still talking to me at all, after the way I behaved, but they all found it funny to see a British girl yelling at the golf clubs…and the trees…and even the golf balls.
Not my finest moment.
The only thing I accomplished is getting the attention off of Barbara Blackstone, and even I am grateful for that.
My cell phone vibrates, which is a nice pause from all the attention. I excuse myself to answer it.
“Hello?” I answer as soon as I’m outside.
“Hey there, sweetie. Just wanted to let you know that Laura and I are headed back to the airport to turn the car in.”
That could have been me going home. The twinge of doubt quickly fades as I glance through the window and see my friends at the table. I need to stay here. So I say, “Okay, Dad. Have a good time. Don’t do anything where you’d be embarrassed if I caught you.”
“Ha, ha, Virginia. I am a gentleman. And the rest is none of your business.”
“Don’t be so defensive.”
“Be good,” he says, ignoring my comment. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Oh, how was golf?”
“It’s a pointless sport.”
“Not so good?”
“Understatement.”
Dad laughs. “All right. Call me if you need anything. I trust you and Cassie to keep an eye on your Grandmother. Make sure to take her to mass.”
“Dad!”
“It won’t kill you.”
“You sure about that?”
The restaurant door opens and Isaac steps out. I say good-bye to Dad, then hang up.
“Everything okay?” Isaac asks.
“Other than making a complete ninny of myself on the golf course, everything’s daisies.”
Isaac gives a crooked grin that nearly does me in.
“Sorry I lost my cool out there. It’s a very frustrating game.”
“Ginnie, you don’t have to apologize. I knew what you were doing all along.”
“What’s that?”
“You changed the subject back at the house,” Isaac says quietly. “And it worked. Ian avoided a meltdown. I…we…wanted to say thank you all day, but we haven’t been alone.”
“So, you don’t think I’m a big ogre?”
“No, it was funny. You are cute when you’re angry or annoyed. Your forehead pinches together, and your mouth slightly frowns. Kind of like what you’re doing now.” He steps closer to me as I alter my facial expression. “Thanks,” he says again. “I mean it.”
“You’re welcome.”
He kisses me gently.
Before we go inside, he asks, “Is what Cassie said true about last night?”
Those words bring back a flood of memories. A shiver shoots up my spine. “Yes.”
Isaac looks grim. “Let me drop Ian off at home, then you can tell me what happened.”
We walk back inside, and I notice Cassie watching us. We make eye contact. She gives a wink and a half-smile, but I can tell it bothers her a bit. I make a mental note to talk to her in private when we are alone.
Isaac stays
true to his word and drops off Ian. Ian is entirely too perceptive for his own good. “You’re getting rid of me, aren’t you?”
“No. Well, yes, but only because I want to spend time alone with Ginnie.”
“You’re lying. You always glance down and to the right when you’re not telling the truth.”
Isaac doesn’t contest it. Then again, Ian doesn’t let him. “I know what you’re all doing. You’re going to talk about the ghost, and you don’t want me to hear. But I can handle it. And help. I’ve read enough Sir Conan Doyle to know how to be a sleuth.”
“If we decide to talk about the ghost, we’ll have Isaac tell you.” I hope my lie goes undetected.
“Will you tell me if you need help?” Ian asks. “I’m good at discovering.”
“I promise.” I hold out my pinky. “I’ll even pinky promise.”
Ian links his pinky with mine, and we shake on it.
When Isaac pulls into his driveway, Mitch comments, “What’s my mother doing here?”
It’s then I notice Bonnie Blackstone with her arms crossed, appearing rather agitated, and talking rapidly to Mr. Fulton. She acts like she can’t stand still and keeps moving from one spot to another only to walk back to Mr. Fulton.
Mitch opens the door before the Jeep has been put into park.
“Wait,” I say to him.
The worry is all over his face, but he waits for me.
“Let’s not say anything until we’re 100 percent sure,” I whisper.
“Why?” his face falls. “My mother would be ecstatic to know she has a nephew and a great-niece. Family’s everything to us.”
“Please. We’re making educated guesses. Just wait until we have actual proof.”
“You have proof enough.”
“Not to my father and grandmother.”
“She’s right,” Isaac says to Mitch. “They will take us seriously when we have scientific data.”
Mitch seems to mull it over. “Fine.” He shuts the door and jogs over to his mother.
Ian gets out of the car, too. He’s watching Bonnie Blackstone with intense fascination.
“Well, let’s go see what’s going on,” Cassie says.
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