CHAPTER 25
The next few days passed in a whirlwind of preparations, shopping, and phone calls. As soon as the ads hit the papers, the phone lines had gone crazy. They’d booked nearly the whole campground for the next month within a few hours. And that was without the added benefit of being able to advertise that Brookside was actively haunted.
Sydney still didn’t know if she wanted that to be a well-known fact. She was all about having ghost tours, but didn’t know if capitalizing on the spirits in residence was a good idea. It felt wrong and she told Daisy so.
“I agree. I’m fine with just doing the ghost tours. And not yet, either. We need to re-establish Brookside.” Daisy leaned back in her chair and grinned. “We’re doing it, aren’t we? Making Gramps’ wish come true.”
Sydney nodded. She hadn’t been able to say much lately and let Daisy be excited for both of them. Nothing felt right in her life right now. Except re-opening the campground. Even the spirits that had come to her for help avoided her now. Maybe she sent out too much negative energy or something. Or maybe they were acting on the compassion they had in life and knew she was hurting.
Guests were due to arrive by noon tomorrow. Everything was ready. They’d gone all out for their grand opening. The weekend would be filled with music, food, and fun activities. Daisy practically vibrated with excitement. Sydney was having trouble finding even a smile.
So far, Al hadn’t given them any more information, even though they called him every day. Jace had left without a goodbye and Sydney refused to torture herself by calling him.
Violet had stayed out of the picture, too. Since they were reopening the campground ahead of schedule, her plans were finished. Even though Sydney was pretty sure Jace stopped her legal action against the property, she wouldn’t put anything past the woman.
The lack of information was draining.
She stood and stretched as the phone rang. “Your turn. I’m going for a walk.”
Daisy answered, a smile on her face and in her voice and Sydney heard her say what they’d both been repeating constantly since they started taking reservations.
There were maybe six sites left for this coming weekend. And the calendar was similar until well into August. At least she’d be too busy to moan over her broken heart and terrible luck. Now if she could only apply that and actually be happy they had achieved what had seemed impossible only a few weeks ago. Of course, Gramps’ hidden money had helped immensely. She couldn’t help but wonder if they would have been able to ever open without the extra cash.
She wanted to think they could have. They’d had a great plan, one that required many sacrifices of their own comfort and a slightly higher rate than they were now charging. Gramps’ money only made things easier.
A car stopped but she kept going. Daisy had arranged for one of the local papers to come out and do an article about the re-opening. Sydney knew they wanted to talk to both of them, but figured she’d catch up with them in a few minutes. Once she had a chance to clear her head and stretch her legs.
She passed the circle of cabins where they’d spent so much time and couldn’t help the pang of loss and loneliness that settled over her. The guys might have been a huge pain in the butt but having them here had been fun.
As far as she knew, Daisy hadn’t spoken to Tucker since the morning he came to see the kittens. Then again, Daisy kept her cell phone off most of the time. Sydney wanted to ask her but could never find the courage. Bringing up Daisy’s love life hurt as much as thinking about her own. She had to get over Jace.
She had no choice. They could never be together.
Her brain knew that. Her dreams were a different story. Every night she dreamt of him and what their future could have been if it wasn’t for the shared DNA. Every morning she woke in tears, her heart breaking all over again for what she’d never had the right to want despite him being perfect for her in every way possible.
Lately, sleeping had been a chore. She didn’t want the dreams so she stayed up as long as possible in the hopes that she would be so tired they wouldn’t come.
But they always did.
Her cell phone rang but she ignored it. Daisy was probably reminding her that they were scheduled for this interview and photo shoot. She forced her feet to move past the little cabin where she’d learned so much about love and life. Her phone rang again and she pressed the silent button on the top, not looking at the number and not caring who tried so hard to get a hold of her.
Reaching the edge of the property, she sat on one of the benches that closed off the rest of the land Gramps left them. They had a few years until they could expand the campground, if they even would. Sydney kind of liked that the land was free and the animals that sometimes ventured from the woods into the campground. Except for the bears. At least they’d moved on for the season, with the help of some park rangers with tranquilizer guns.
Still, the sites that bordered the woods often brought deer into the campsites. She worried about that. Worried that the campers would make the animals depend on humans for food. They’d adopted a strict no feeding policy to deter that and to keep the peskier types of critters from over taking the campground. The last thing they needed was a band of raccoons or squirrels ravaging through their guest’s belongings. Hopefully it worked, or else they’d at least have to put up a fence to keep at least some of the animals out.
Peace filled her. She couldn’t help the feeling that Gramps approved of what they’d done and the sense grew stronger with the smell of his aftershave. Since his journals had turned out to be mostly cryptic messages and odd references, she figured she’d never know the dynamics between him and Violet. The sense that he felt he could save her stuck though, and for the first time since Violet started issuing orders and acting strange, Sydney found some compassion for the woman.
Her phone vibrated this time and she finally checked the caller ID. She still didn’t pick it up, knowing that was stupid since they’d called Al every day and this was the first he’d returned their call. She scrolled through the missed calls. Daisy had called her twice and the other number was one she didn’t recognize.
She supposed she should return to the office and get her portion of the interview over. Maybe she could take a nap afterward. They’d need every ounce of energy they could muster in a little more than twenty-four hours.
Two cars were now parked in the lot in front of the office. She didn’t spend too much time thinking as she opened the office door. Daisy’s laugh filtered through and she forced her best smile on her face and entered.
Except the only faces she saw were familiar ones. Al and, God forbid, Jace. He didn’t acknowledge her. His eyes were blank and his expression grim. She wondered what that meant, hoping Violet hadn’t found a way to get her hands on the campground after all.
Al smiled broadly and hugged her and it was all she could do to return his embrace.
“You sure like to keep things on your own terms, don’t you?” She hadn’t meant to sound rude.
Luckily, Al just laughed. “I know you’re mad at me. I would be, too, but I didn’t want to talk to you until I had all the information. I asked Jace to join us because he has a right to know the truth.” Al motioned for them to sit.
Sydney dumbly followed orders even though she had a million questions
“Violet did have a child when she was a teenager. A girl. Her parents shipped her off to a home for girls to give birth. She was supposed to give the child up for adoption.” Al took a drink from the coffee cup in his hand. Sydney had to stop herself from telling him to get on with it.
“The baby was stillborn. A girl. Violet was distraught. She maintained that the baby was Del’s even though there was much talk over who fathered the child. Apparently she wasn’t a one-man type gal. Her parents refused her requests to come home. They didn’t believe Del was
good enough for her and they figured she’d just get into trouble again so they sent her to a private school and moved away from the area.”
Sydney really wanted to tell him to get to the point, but Al appeared to need them to know everything so she stayed silent.
“I didn’t know any of that. That’s much different than what she told me. Are you sure your sources have the right information?” Why did the sound of Jace’s voice cause that razor-sharp pain to slice through the remnants of her heart?
“Absolutely correct. No doubt at all. That’s what took me so long to call this meeting. I triple-checked my facts and more.” Al stopped in front of Jace and still Sydney couldn’t look at him.
“So, the baby Gramps fathered died at birth?” Daisy asked.
“Yes. If that child was even his. A year later, Violet got pregnant again. There’s no way that child was Del’s. She refused to give the baby up for adoption as her parents insisted. She had another girl. The child died at age two from the whooping cough.”
“Kay said Violet claimed that baby was Del’s daughter.” Sydney finally found her voice.
“That’s what she told him. It wasn’t true. A year later, she again found herself unwed and pregnant and married the baby’s father. A guy she met while bussing tables at the diner in the town where she lived. Remember this was a long time ago. Unmarried mothers were considered an embarrassment.” Al leaned against the desk and grabbed his coffee cup.
“Was that my grandfather, or whatever he was to me?” Jace asked.
“No. Her first husband was a truck driver. He was killed when his truck caught fire about three weeks after they wed. That baby died as well, before birth.”
Sydney felt a pang of sympathy for Violet. Three dead babies was a lot to consider.
“A few years later, she met and married your grandfather,” he told Jace. “They had three more miscarriages and one baby that died at three months before finally having a healthy daughter, your mother. She apparently inherited Violet’s childbearing difficulties and hemorrhaged after you were born. She was very young, not quite eighteen. Your father was only a little older. He shipped out for boot camp without even knowing your mother was pregnant and was killed by an artillery accident a few months later.”
“Grandmother said they died in a skiing accident.” Jace’s voice was quiet.
“In collaboration with the DNA results, I’d sign my life on this as fact. None of you are related in any way.” Al sat in the oversized chair.
Sydney waited. Her heart alternately swelled and deflated. She wasn’t related to Jace. But he thought she’d forgotten how she felt for him. His comments to her when he’d found her and Marshal in the woods came back to haunt her.
Daisy stood. “So why did Violet tell so many different stories?”
“I’m sure Jace isn’t even aware, but Violet has been under psychiatric care since shortly before his grandfather died. I could not legally learn the exact diagnosis or anything else, but I think a hard evaluation of her life could give cause. She’s dealt with a lot. Remember I went to school with Violet and Del. Violet loved him, but her love twisted to obsession. She tried convinced him the story you were told was true, Jace. He really only pretended to believe you were his grandson because he liked you so much.”
“Wait. I thought she said Jace was his son.” Daisy stood beside her and Sydney resisted the urge to grab her hand.
“Did she say that? Well, it doesn’t matter either way. It’s not true. While Violet did come here to see Del while your Gram was away, nothing happened. She told him their daughter had died. Del was polite, even flirted, but he did not cross the line. Your Gram would have skinned him alive. So that story was never told to Del.”
“So why did he think Jace was his grandson then?”
“He didn’t. He adopted Jace as a grandson. I think because they were so much alike. Del loved Violet. He always did. And I really think he believed he could bring her back. All that pain she went through, I always got the impression Del felt responsible for some of it. Like if he had been with her, he could have prevented some things. I think he realized marrying her was a mistake. It took him a while. She was wonderful to him, just not to anyone else. When she turned that side onto him, he finally understood why his family stayed away.”
“That’s why he left the money.” Daisy covered her mouth as the words spilled out, and Sydney wanted to poke her. They hadn’t told a soul about the box of money Gramps had hidden for them.
“So you found it then? I thought so. Good. That’s what he wanted. He even had me draw up legal documents that the money was yours if you weren’t the ones to find the box. Right before he died, he realized what a terrible situation he’d made. I think he kind of knew that all along. No offense, Jace. Violet is seriously unbalanced.”
“None taken. I don’t consider the Violet you’ve all seen as my grandmother. She definitely wasn’t perfect, but she loved me and I knew that.” Jace sounded sad, and it was all Sydney could do not to reach out to him.
“There is something you need to know.” Al stood and stood in front of Daisy. “According to the DNA tests, you and Sydney aren’t even related. I had them done a second time and each result matches. You and Sydney aren’t even cousins. And you are not Nadine’s daughter.”
Daisy faltered, and Sydney reached over and put her arm around her shoulder.
“What do you mean?” Sydney stared at Jace.
“There is no record of your birth. I did the best I could searching medical records, but that’s a dead end without a court order. I talked to a few people who knew Nadine and they don’t ever remember her being pregnant.”
“What are you saying?” Daisy’s voice was so quiet, Sydney had to strain to hear.
“Nadine is not your biological mother.” Al dropped a stack of papers onto the desk. “I checked for kidnappings, but haven’t had much luck. This is the information I found. It’s yours. Do with it what you want but take some time to recover from this shock first.”
Desperation covered Daisy’s face and Sydney gathered her into her arms. “It doesn’t change anything. You have always and will always be my sister. I’ll help you with whatever you decide to do.”
Sydney’s heart broke for her sister who had been through so much already. Now to find out the woman who abandoned her as a young child hadn’t even birthed her would be a blow almost too big to deal with.
Over Daisy’s head, Jace caught her eye and shook his head in a sad gesture of commiseration.
Daisy sniffed. “I’m okay. Really. This is actually good news. It means I don’t have that terrible woman’s blood in my veins. I always knew something was wrong there. Now I know what.” Daisy smiled, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.
“Good girl. You’re going to be okay.” Al hugged Daisy. “When you’re ready I’ll go over some of your options.”
“I’m ready now. Tell me what I need to know.” Daisy squeezed Sydney before seating herself back at her desk and facing Al with a bright smile.
Jace’s phone rang and he turned to answer the call. Sydney felt the information press down on her. Sure, she and Jace weren’t related, but that still didn’t mean he really wanted her now.
Sydney opened the front door and slipped out, heading for the pond via the trail behind the office. She listened for the sounds that would indicate Jace followed. Instead, a ghostly figure passed, oblivious to Sydney’s pain or presence. The soft noises of the woods soon covered the sounds of the real world and she dropped onto a bench, staring at the pond without really seeing the ducks that glided on the smooth surface.
“Mind if I join you?”
Sydney jumped, turning to Jace’s handsome face.
“It’s a free country.” It didn’t come out as sarcastic as she’d intended. Dang. She wanted him to know how muc
h he’d hurt her the last time he’d had anything to say to her.
“So you’re mad at me?” Jace didn’t sound mocking so she turned to him and poked him in the chest.
“How dare you? How could you believe that I would run right into Marshal’s arms after finding out that we could never be together?” She couldn’t help the anger.
“I didn’t mean that. You have to know I didn’t mean that.” Jace put his hands up.
“How? You make snide comments and then disappear until today. How was I supposed to know?”
“I’m sorry. I guess you wouldn’t. I was angry, as angry as you were. I followed you so I could talk to you and then found you and Marshal hugging. I was jealous, even though I knew there was nothing between you two.” Sydney wanted to launch herself into his arms, but she forced herself to wait. “Being related to you was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and couldn’t stop thinking about you even though I knew I had to let you go. I just couldn’t. I was angry with the world for the blood that supposedly ran through our veins. Every time I closed my eyes I saw you. Every time I slept I dreamt of you.” Jace reached out and grabbed her hand and she finally eased against him.
“I know. I think I went a little bit crazy there for a while. I just kept thinking about how unfair it was that after all we’ve been through that there was no way we could even be friends. I not only lost the love of my heart, I lost my best friend.” Sydney let the tears fall.
“I love you, Sydney. I think I have since the first time you yelled at me when you thought I was in cahoots with Grandmother.”
“What did Gramps leave you in his will?”
“His fishing gear and the cabin on the river.” Jace wiped her tears away.
Prelude of Lies Page 28