Masks and Lies

by McKechnie, A C J

  “Then I was so focused that women never entered the picture. When I graduated and started on my career, again I was so focused that I didn’t have time for anyone in my life. Then the business took up so much of my time that again I never bothered with any of the usual things that people did. I was busy becoming successful, building a company to do good, to help, to be able to employ others and make their lives better.

  “When I was finally settled and successful I thought about dating again but I just never came across anybody to tempt me. Most women were either intimidated by me, or only wanted me for what they thought they could get out of me. Then there were the others who weren’t looking for a relationship but instead a good time. There was nobody to interest me,” he said, and Kendra looked at him thoughtfully.

  “You said when I first arrived that you had no other children. You were so sure of that fact as well. And you can be sure because you’ve never been with anyone else, haven’t you?” she queried.

  “Yes,” he assured. “There’s only ever been your mother, Kendra.”

  “Even at college?”

  “Oh, I tried,” he said with a rueful smile. “But I didn’t feel right taking a girl to bed when all I could see was your mother’s face in my mind’s eye,” he explained, and Kendra blushed, thinking at how much more honorable he was than her. She’d have used Notaku a month ago and done exactly what her father had refused to. And he was correct, it wouldn’t have been right of her.

  “You still loved her,” she said softly and watched as he nodded.

  “You can’t just flip a switch and turn off an emotion as strong as love,” he said sadly, and Kendra realized that he was thinking back to all those years ago.

  “No. You can’t,” she agreed just as sadly as she thought of her own feelings. Looking up, she noticed her father studying her closely and wondered what he was thinking. Instead of getting a chance to ask, however, the man spoke instead.

  “So there is no one for you to meet, Kendra. And I doubt there ever will be,” he added, and Kendra focused on him again. He still cherished the memory of his first love. In fact, it appeared as though it would be his only love. A fact which had Kendra smiling softly to herself. Maybe there would be a fairy-tale ending, after all.

  She just had to work a little magic.

  * * *

  “Mitchell.”

  “Sheriff,” Mitchell greeted in return and smiled to himself. He was making definite progress in Granville. Things had changed in the past few weeks. He’d taken Notaku’s advice and started trying to endear himself to the citizens of the town, and it seemed as though he was making progress with them all.

  They all knew what had happened. They all knew how appallingly he’d treated Kendra, and how badly he’d behaved. They all knew, and they’d all gotten over it. He’d had to explain himself to everyone personally first. He’d had almost everyone in town visit his table and grill him about it all. He’d been honest and frank, and they’d gone away with thoughtful looks on their faces. When he’d next seen them they’d been wary and cagey, but not antagonistic.

  Now, however, they were starting to become friendly with him. Which was making everything a lot easier for him to deal with. It meant that he wasn’t feeling so tense all the time. He’d been a ball of nerves those first couple of weeks, but now he could relax.

  He wouldn’t say that everyone was cheery, but at least now there weren’t any aggressive vibes being fired at him. At least the cold he felt now was due to the snow falling outside and not the frosty reception from the people around him.

  “Peach pie,” Betsy said as she placed a plate in front of him, and Mitchell smiled up at her in thanks while she continued to stare at him through narrowed eyes.

  “Thanks, Betsy,” he said before focusing on the food in front of him. When he noticed her still standing beside him he looked up in surprise at her. “You okay?” he asked as she continued to study him. When she sat down opposite him Mitchell found himself even more surprised and waited for her to speak this time.

  “You never ask,” she said, and he felt his brow furrow in confusion.

  “What?”

  “You never ask about her,” Betsy elaborated, and Mitchell looked back down at his pie again.

  “I figured you weren’t likely to tell me anything,” he admitted with a shrug.

  “Well not if you never ask I won’t,” she said, and Mitchell looked at the woman in surprise.

  “And if I do ask?” he ventured and watched as she shrugged.

  “Couldn’t hurt now, could it?”

  “How’s she doing, Betsy?” he asked sincerely. Ever since he’d made the decision to stay in Granville all of his ties back to Kendra had been severed and he had no way of knowing anything about her, no way of hearing any news about her, and he’d had to stop himself from going to see her, tracking her down, ignoring Howard Powers’ warnings and reinstating himself into her life. If Betsy was willing to give him any sort of information about her and her well-being, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.

  As the older woman studied him intently Mitchell thought for a moment that she wasn’t going to answer but eventually Betsy decided to speak. “She’s doing good, Mitchell. Getting to know her dad and letting her mom back into her life as well,” she said, and Mitchell’s eyes widened before a smile spread on his face.

  “I always knew she’d be better off with family around her,” he said proudly.

  “Don’t get too all-fired cocky there,” she warned sternly, and his smile drooped.

  “What does that mean?”

  “She still ain’t happy, Mitchell. Still pining away after a low-down dirty snake,” she said, and he winced. He’d thought they’d gotten over this. “She don’t say nothing, but I know that girl well enough to know that she’s still hurting. Still in love,” Betsy added, and Mitchell looked at her in surprise.

  “You think?” he asked with his heart racing and hope blooming.

  “I do. But that don’t mean that she’s ready to trust you. It’s gonna take a heck of a lot to get herself back to that point,” she warned, and he nodded. He knew that he’d have a difficult time ahead of him with regards to winning Kendra back, but even a sliver of hope was more than he thought he’d have at this point. It had only been a month since they’d last spoken to each other, since she’d been so furious and angry with him, he hadn’t thought that she’d be anywhere near thinking well of him, or admitting that she still loved him, yet.

  “She don’t know you’re here,” Betsy added slowly as though unsure whether or not to say any more. “She thinks you just up and left out of her life, Mitchell.”

  “You haven’t mentioned me hanging around?” he asked.

  “I weren’t sure if it would hurt her more,” Betsy said with a shrug. “At first I didn’t know what your intentions were, then I weren’t sure if she could handle it. Now I don’t know what to do,” she said with a sigh.

  “I didn’t abandon her, Betsy,” Mitchell said softly.

  “I know. Now.”

  “And I never meant to hurt her. Never.”

  “You knew you would though.”

  “I knew I’d hurt myself. I knew she’d be angry. But I honestly never thought that she’d love me back. So no, I never thought that I’d be able to hurt her that much.”

  Staring at him, Betsy sighed, and Mitchell noted the tension around her lips as she did so while she placed a hand on her chest again. She’d been doing that more and more lately, and he was starting to worry about the older lady. She’d looked worn out and tense since Kendra had left. He’d thought it had been worry about her friend, but now he was wondering if it was more to do with the extra workload that she had on her shoulders.

  “You did though,” Betsy said sadly. “And you did more damage than you can even imagine.”

  “Is this to do with her drinking?” he whispered across the table at the other woman and noticed Betsy’s look of shock and surprise.

  “She t
old you?” she asked with a furrowed brow, and Mitchell shook his head. “Then how the heck do you know?”

  “Howard Powers,” he said and noticed Betsy’s mouth pinch tightly again. “He had a rant at me before telling me to get out of everyone’s life. Told me that I was responsible for all of Kendra’s problems,” Mitchell said with a hand down his face. He still felt the weight of that accusation. He could have stepped in earlier two years ago and maybe have prevented the whole thing from getting out of hand. If he had, there might have been a good chance that Kendra would never have given herself to Notaku that awful night.

  Shaking his head to remove the memories and images that were resurfacing, he instead focused back on Betsy across from him whose mouth had pinched even more tightly.

  “It weren’t his place to tell you something like that,” she said angrily. “And it sure as heck weren’t his place to lay the blame at your feet,” she said even more angrily, and Mitchell was taken aback by Betsy’s defense of him. “Kendra made her own choices. Choices that she’s perfectly aware of. Choices that she’s perfectly capable of taking responsibility for. You didn’t drag her into that bar, and you sure as heck didn’t fill those glasses for her. And you sure as all get out never made her repeat that.

  “From what she told me you tried to keep her away from it all. She chose to walk away and back into the nearest watering hole. It was not your fault. Kendra is and was a fully grown woman who made her own choices at the time. It was no more your fault than her mom’s or Howard Powers’ himself,” Betsy affirmed, and Mitchell looked at the woman in surprise. Betsy wasn’t one to keep her thoughts hidden. If she truly believed that Mitchell should shoulder any of the blame, she’d have had no qualms about placing it there. The fact that she didn’t spoke volumes to him.

  “I don’t know how much she told her dad or how much he told you,” she continued, “but Kendra wouldn’t blame anyone but herself for her actions. She accepts responsibility and the blame associated with it.”

  “Why didn’t she tell me, Betsy?” he asked quietly.

  “Would you want to let the person you loved know the worst thing about you? Kendra ain’t proud of her behavior. Let’s not forget that she thought you’d be moving on. She didn’t think you had a real future. Why expose a vulnerable part of herself unnecessarily?” Betsy asked.

  “How many people know? How much support does she have?” he asked sincerely, hoping that she hadn’t had to deal with it all on her own.

  “Me. Jeff down at Lucky’s no fool. He knew the moment Kendra stepped into the bar when she got off the bus what was going on with her. Sent her down to me at the time. Others probably have their suspicions but the only other person she told other than me was Notaku,” Betsy confided, and he tried to ignore the spurt of jealousy the name brought with it. The fact that Kendra would confide in the man spoke volumes to Mitchell. Growling Bear insisted that the woman loved Mitchell, insisted that Kendra wanted Mitchell instead of himself, but all of her actions seemed to say otherwise.

  Betsy must have read something on his face as she placed a gentle hand on his own clenched one and squeezed while saying, “He’s a good friend, Mitchell. A good man who was there when she needed him. He’s a friend. A friend who’s always been supportive, loyal, and honest with her. You should be grateful to him, you know. She was lucky to have him when she most needed it. He helped her. He saved her from a slippery slope.”

  “He’s a better man than me,” Mitchell said honestly.

  “Not for Kendra he’s not,” she affirmed, and Mitchell looked up at the older woman. “Kendra don’t need Notaku, she don’t even want Notaku like that. She needs and wants you. You’re what’s best for her. If you can manage to prove yourself to her and earn her trust again, you’re what she needs. Of course if you hurt her again, then that’s a different matter, but I don’t think you will. Will you?”

  “If I ever get another chance with her, I’ll do everything in my power to make it up to her and never hurt her again.”

  “An impossible promise, but I don’t think that you’ll hurt her like this again. And I don’t think that you’ll abuse her trust again,” Betsy mused as she studied him. “What you gonna do while you wait anyway?” she asked as she settled back against the seat again.

  “Not sure,” he shrugged. “I sold my apartment in the city. I’ve got money to spare sitting in my bank so it’s not like I have to do anything for the moment, but I am bored just sitting around doing nothing,” he said with a sigh.

  “Not the best time of the year to find something to do neither. Nobody’d be looking for any help hereabouts on the farms,” she mused, and Mitchell suddenly had a thought.

  “What about you, Betsy?”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah. With Kendra away surely you must have an opening here?” he asked and watched as she smirked at him.

  “You wanna be a waitress at a diner, Mitchell?”

  “It’s something to do, right? And you could do with the help, couldn’t you? Joanie’s still busy at school as well,” he added.

  “I s’pose,” she said warily as she looked about herself then sighed. “Actually, you’re right. I could do with some help. You don’t happen to know how to make any chocolate pies, do you?” she asked, and he grinned widely.

  “Sorry, Bets,” he said, “not one of those talents that I picked up in my life.”

  “Pity. But I suppose everything else would be easy enough for you to handle. I’ve gotta say though, I never thought I’d have a city boy acting as a waitress in my diner,” she said with a shake of her head.

  “Does that mean that I’ve got the job?” he asked with a hopeful smile.

  “If you can stand all the teasing you’re gonna be letting yourself in for, then sure. Ain’t had no one else ask for it,” she said as she made to stand. “I’ll reheat that pie for you, then you can finish it up before I show you how it all works,” she added before she sauntered off with his plate, and Mitchell smiled more widely.

  His life was completely different to how he’d ever thought it would be, but he had to admit that he was probably the most relaxed and content that he’d been in a long time. The only thing that could make it better would be for Kendra to come back and forgive him, give him another chance. But even if that never happened, he could be happy here with these people and this atmosphere.

  For the moment he’d embrace what he had, and he’d enjoy it. Even if he never got Kendra back, the woman had had a lasting impression on him, and he was grateful for that. Incredibly grateful.

  Chapter Twenty

  Christmas was just around the corner, and Kendra was hoping that her ‘surprise gift’ was going to be a pleasant surprise for everyone involved. She was nervous though. Everything could blow up in her face, but she’d spent the last few weeks testing the waters and thought that she was doing the right thing.

  If nothing went as she hoped though, it didn’t really matter in the long run. Yeah, things might be uncomfortable and feelings might end up hurt again, but she thought it worth the risk. At least she hoped it was.

  As her hands started to tremble with nerves she cast her glance about herself and noticed the lights shining over the bar to the side. Drawing in a deep breath, she straightened her spine and avoided the temptation in front of her. She didn’t need any liquid courage, she had plenty of her own. At least she thought she did.

  When her eyes veered back to the establishment she chastised herself, gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and tried to picture the bottle that Notaku had marked back in Granville on her bookcase and the line there. She’d gotten rid of it as soon as she’d finished her call with her mom the first time, but the image remained imbedded in her brain for her to draw upon.

  If she could get through having her estranged father turn up, her heart broken by a liar, and reconnecting with her mother without touching the stuff, then surely she could cope with this.

  Kendra looked up at the boards overhead and cursed th
e unpredictability of air travel. If the plane didn’t land soon, she was going to have to find some other way to distract herself. In fact, maybe she should do that anyway. Getting out her cellphone, she dialed Betsy’s number and decided to update the woman on her current endeavor.

  “This better be important,” came the harried voice, and Kendra found herself surprised at the tone in her friend’s voice.

  “Bets? Is that you?” Kendra asked in surprise.

  “Kenny?” the woman said in just as much surprise.

  “Yeah. What’s the matter?” Kendra asked in concern.

  “Ugh. Nothing,” she said with a sigh, and Kendra could hear an array of masculine voices in the background. She felt her heart speed up when she thought she recognized one of them as Nick, but shook off the peculiar thought and instead focused back on the woman on the line.

  “Doesn’t sound like nothing,” Kendra ventured.

  “Just a little problem with the heating. And the electrics. And of course with all the cold weather and snow that meant that the plumbing froze up as well, didn’t it?” the woman growled in exasperation.

  “Oh, Bets,” Kendra said in sympathy. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “From where you are?” the woman said in surprised amusement. “I don’t think so, honey. I’ve got enough help here as it is. Though why these lot don’t call Mark in to help I don’t know,” she said loudly, and Kendra smiled. Joanie’s boyfriend had magic in his hands when it came to any sort of household problem, he’d have most likely fixed it all by now if they’d called him.

  “Fine!” Kendra heard called out over the din and smiled at the Sheriff’s voice. “That boy sure did manage a fine job of the lock on the jail,” he continued, and Kendra smiled more widely.