A Reason to Forget (The Camdyn Series Book 3)

by Christina Coryell

  “You didn’t give up, Grandpa,” Hannah responded without emotion, causing him to become visibly saddened. Cole must have noticed it, too, because he cleared his throat to talk to Charlie again.

  “That sounds like good advice, sir, and I will definitely take it to heart.”

  My husband is truly amazing. I can’t imagine reminding myself not to give up, because I fall in love with him all over again every single day.

  “I’m glad you have a quality husband, Camdyn,” Charlie grinned. “That will keep an old man from worrying about you.” Grateful for his kind words, I smiled at him as I thought that we must truly be kindred spirits, like I used to read in Anne of Green Gables when I was a girl.

  Yeah, I like that. Charlie Camden is definitely a kindred spirit.

  “Grandpa, I really do think we should go home,” Hannah interrupted again in a rather hateful manner.

  Hannah, not a kindred spirit. (Mentally sticking out my tongue at her over the dinner table.)

  “No, Hannah,” Charlie replied curtly. “When I’m ready to go, I’ll let you know.”

  Hannah just got schooled. Boom.

  Camdyn, you really should grow up a little in your internal thoughts – you’re very childish.

  “Cole, do you like sports?” Meg interjected. “Bill has quite a collection of signed baseball memorabilia in his office.”

  “Seriously?” Cole wondered, and I knew at that moment I had completely lost him. Bill rose from the table with Cole stepping out of the room behind him, chatting about baseball. Charlie used that opportunity to excuse himself for a moment, and Meg told Maureen she would see her out, since she had to get to bed early. Jasper and Tucker wandered out of the room without so much as a backwards glance, talking about something they had seen on that tablet they were staring at all evening. When I realized Hannah and I were left alone, I nervously glanced at the doorway wishing for an escape.

  Not seeing a way out of the room without being completely rude (which I wasn’t entirely convinced that Hannah didn’t deserve, by the way), I decided to look at her and give her a slight smile. Altogether unsurprisingly, she didn’t reciprocate my action. Instead, she sat there coldly focusing her glinting green eyes on me unapologetically, and even though I was keenly aware that she despised me, I found her strangely intriguing.

  “What is it that you want, exactly?” she sneered.

  “Want?” I questioned, taken aback by her hostility.

  “Grandpa seems to think you are here by some miracle, right when he needed a little faith,” she said accusingly. “All of this is just a little too convenient for my tastes. Grandma’s barely been gone a week, and here you come sniffing around looking for information. And this mother you supposedly haven’t seen in years, conveniently she pops back up right as Grandma... Grandpa may be naïve and blindly trusting, but I live in the real world, and this smells fishy to me.”

  “I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, Hannah, but rest assured that I want nothing from you.”

  “Of course, not from me,” she retorted. “I haven’t quite figured you out yet, but I will. When should I expect Darlene to come knocking on the door? She’ll follow you soon enough, I would be willing to bet.” Part of me wondered exactly how old Hannah was, because at the moment she was acting like a spoiled teenager. I soon remembered that I had only a moment before been mentally sticking my tongue out at her, though, so I reserved my hasty judgment.

  “If Darlene and Rita are the same person,” I replied, trying to keep my cool, “which I’m not fully convinced of, by the way, then I’m sure that the fact that she’s remained away from here so long is reason enough for you to forget whatever scheme is going through your mind.”

  “Scheme,” she laughed angrily, “that’s rich, when you’re the one who introduced yourself to me with a fake name. Or is your name really C.W. whatever, and Camdyn is a fake name?”

  “Well, I’ve seen Maureen off,” Meg announced as she returned to join us, smoothing the back of her skirt as she sat next to Hannah. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Hardly,” Hannah announced as she rose. “I’m going to check on Grandpa.”

  “I can’t imagine what would become of Dad if Hannah didn’t micromanage every second of his existence,” Meg whispered after Hannah retreated, shaking her head. “I’m afraid she will probably find a reason to spirit him away, unfortunately. How long are you and Cole staying in town?”

  “Only until tomorrow,” I answered hastily, glad that I wasn’t the only one who noticed Hannah’s impatience. “We have a late flight.”

  “That means we will have time to visit tomorrow,” she stated hopefully.

  “Grandpa and I are leaving, Aunt Meg,” I heard Hannah announce from the hall, causing Meg to raise her eyebrows. Trying to change the subject, I asked if I could help her clear the table, but she insisted that I not touch anything. I was slightly relieved when Cole and Bill finally returned to the room.

  “Cole has agreed to go to the Phillies game with me tomorrow,” Bill announced to Meg, causing me to turn to Cole with wide eyes. “That is, if you don’t mind, Camdyn. We thought it would give you and Meg some time to talk.”

  No, Cole, please! I begged him with my eyes, but as soon as he started to look slightly guilty, he just turned to focus on Bill.

  “That would be lovely,” Meg agreed. “You two can just come over here, and then Cole can go with Bill while Camdyn and I get acquainted.”

  As soon as the plans were settled, I made our excuses and practically dragged Cole to the door, getting ready to thoroughly excoriate him as soon as we were out of earshot. He opened the car door for me, and I slid inside without so much as looking at him. When he was in the driver’s seat, he tried to give me one of those killer smiles, but I refused to turn in his direction.

  “Babe,” he whispered, and I looked up at the dark night sky out my window.

  “Don’t you ‘babe’ me,” I ordered. “You might as well get us another hotel room, because you are sleeping alone tonight, you backstabber.”

  “You don’t mean that,” he stated quietly, his fingers trailing up my arm. I jerked away from his hand, causing him to gasp. “Do not make me climb across this car, Camdyn. I will do it.”

  “I can’t believe you’re just going to leave me so you can go to a baseball game,” I shook my head.

  “I love you, sweetheart,” he protested. “I flew both of us out here on a whim, just to make you happy.”

  “Stop trying to change the subject,” I demanded, and at that he leaned across the car, kissing the back of my neck. I felt goose bumps spread across my arm, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of having a reaction. Instead, I concentrated on looking out the window while he moved his lips right beneath my ear, kissing me again.

  “If I’m in another room, it’s going to be really hard to kiss you,” he quietly spoke in my ear.

  “Good, I don’t want you to,” I informed him.

  “No?” he asked, turning my face towards him and pausing close enough that I could feel his breath against my cheek.

  “No,” I repeated, my body betraying my mind as I leaned into his kiss. He responded hungrily, pulling me to him as he partially lowered himself toward my side of the car. I twisted in the seat to get closer to him, my knee hitting the gear shift in the console.

  “Can I please stay in your room?” I could feel his smile against my lips as he breathed the words.

  “Are you trying to manipulate me?” I managed to ask before he kissed me again.

  “Yes, this is the only power I hold over you,” he laughed.

  Wow, you are so wrong about that.

  That thought was immediately followed by what had to have been the loudest honking horn I have ever heard in my life, and Cole and I bolted up just in time to see bright headlights facing my window from where the car rolled to a stop at the street’s center line.

  “What in the…” Cole muttered, scrambling back into his seat. He yelled so
rry to no one in particular as he put the car in drive and moved over to the side of the road. The car that had honked at us whipped past us, laying on the horn again, and I glanced over at Cole with my hand pressed against my cheek.

  “You knocked the car into neutral, acting all crazy,” he grinned over at me with one eyebrow raised higher than the other. “You so can’t resist me.”

  “I’m still mad at you,” I retorted, fighting back a smile.

  “Just stay mad at me, then,” he chuckled. “We’ll make up back at the hotel.”

  When I looked over at him, he made a kissing face and winked at me, and despite my attempts otherwise, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  Chapter Eight

  Cole was whistling in the shower the next morning, and I knew it was because he was going to be spending the afternoon with his new friend Bill, sitting behind home plate, watching a major league baseball game, and eating brats and pretzels that were roughly the size of his head. In the meantime, I was going to be enjoying my afternoon with the “maybe aunt” who wanted to discuss the life of Darlene, which was leaving me a little less than enthusiastic.

  While I listened to him whistle, I couldn’t help but think that it was very unfair the way guys and girls bonded. Guys could meet each other, immediately make plans to go to some sporting event, and then go sit together and eat junk and cheer for the team. By the end of the game, they were best buds. Girls, on the other hand – we had to talk things out and work them through, and figure out what we had in common…

  If Meg and I could just go to the ballgame, things might turn out much better.

  “So, there’s a chance that Darlene could be your mom,” Meg would say.

  ”True,” I would answer. “Did you see that awesome catch?”

  “Yes, that was sensational.” (Fist bump.)

  Notice…no awkward silence.

  There was no silence from that man in the shower, either, who was now full-out singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” I had thought he might be sympathetic about the situation we found ourselves in, since he was clearly getting the advantage, but apparently he wanted to rub my nose in it. When he neared the end of the song and conveniently replaced our sacred team’s red feathered mascot with the word “Phillies,” I couldn’t sit there any longer. Popping into the bathroom unnoticed, I slid my hand under the shower curtain and turned the water as cold as it would go. Hearing him shriek like a girl did give me a momentary surge of pleasure, I must admit. The only drawback was that I had nowhere to escape when he practically launched himself out of the shower. Shrinking against the wall, I waited for his reaction with wide eyes. To my surprise, he just laughed quietly and shook his head.

  “I deserved that a little, didn’t I?” he wanted to know.

  “Completely,” I agreed.

  “You do know I have to pay you back, though, right?”

  “Not you,” I insisted. “You’re above those kinds of petty reactions. Besides, you just said you were going to root for the Phillies. The Phillies. Have you no decency?” He wrapped a towel around his waist right then, as though illustrating that my point was valid.

  “You would attack my honor over baseball loyalty?” he taunted, and I folded my arms across my chest.

  “Do you have any honor, Mr. Parker?” I chided. “I’m not sure you do, being so easily swayed. My fidelity and allegiance to my team will remain undeterred, although I’m hesitant to bestow the same distinction upon you.”

  “You little literary brat, trying to confuse me with your big words,” he smiled. “You ought to know that I’m just trying to torment you.”

  “Oh, I know what you’re doing,” I stated with a chuckle, “but you’re being all traitorous. If the Cardinals start losing after this, it will be your fault.”

  “How about I try to play Jedi mind tricks on the Phillies during the game, in such a covert way that not even Bill knows what I’m doing, to try to make them lose? Would that meet your approval?”

  “It’s obvious you’re trying to make fun of me, but yes,” I informed him. “If they do manage to win, though, that’s only going to prove that you don’t know as much about Star Wars as you think you do.” He moved across the bathroom to where I was standing by the wall and slid his arms around my waist, and I tried not to smile.

  “Now you’re aiming below the belt,” he commented, shaking his head. “Why don’t you just attack my manhood while you’re at it?”

  “I didn’t know you so closely associated Star Wars with your manhood,” I teased, which made him laugh as he lowered his forehead until it nearly rested on mine. Once I made the mistake of looking into his eyes, I knew I was done for. The corner of his mouth went up, along with that one eyebrow he had a habit of raising, and I decided I might as well give in. As soon as that thought went through my head, an easy smile spread across his face.

  “Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?” he asked in a whisper.

  “What?”

  “The way you look at me. You’re the answer to a million unspoken prayers, you know that?”

  “You’re just being all nice so I’ll forget about the baseball game,” I breathed, but he shook his head.

  “No, I’m really unbelievably happy,” he clarified, bringing his hand up and running his thumb across my cheek. “I constantly feel like I should be asking you to stay with me, but you’re really mine now, aren’t you?”

  “Completely,” I nodded, eyes filling with tears. “Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”

  “If you love me even half as much as I love you, then it has to feel good,” he smiled, causing me to sigh.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “It feels crazy wonderful.” Closing the space between us, he kissed me in a way that threatened to make my knees fold beneath me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Pulling back, he stared into my eyes again.

  “So now, are you finished being mad at me, or do I need to kiss you again?” he teased, showing me his familiar smile.

  “I’m probably going to be mad at you for at least another thirty minutes,” I laughed. He kissed me once more, and then told me to hurry up and take a shower so we could check out of the hotel. I did as he requested, but I was admittedly so nervous that he would come back in there and freeze me like I had done him that I took a tepid shower from the beginning.

  And yes, it was as miserable as it sounds.

  -§-

  As it turns out, I didn’t need to worry about sitting in that big house with Meg all afternoon, because as soon as Bill and Cole left for the game, she informed me that she was taking me to Longwood Gardens. She wanted to look at the water lilies first, which we had to access through the Conservatory, so we started walking. For a moment she was content to simply talk about the landscape, but I knew instinctively that wasn’t going to last. Patiently I waited for her to bring up Darlene, and I wasn’t surprised when it only took a short time.

  “So you don’t think Darlene has amnesia?” she blurted, as though that was a perfectly normal question and a natural way to bring up the subject.

  “I couldn’t tell you that, Meg,” I stated carefully. “She has never told me anything about her family. I’ve not been around her enough to have those types of conversations.”

  “You don’t really believe Darlene is your mother at all, do you?” she asked then, not seeming particularly upset about that fact.

  “I don’t know what to think.”

  “Well, I don’t blame you for that,” she sighed, folding her arms across her chest protectively. “I’m sure that came as a bit of a shock. I don’t doubt that she is, though, since you had the book.”

  The book – that is strange, I will admit. I’m not making sense of it myself.

  “What exactly happened with her?” I wanted to know. “You told me she went to St. Louis, but you didn’t really explain.”

  “Yeah, I hated to talk about it in front of Dad,” she said sadly, rubbing her arms as though she was cold in spite of the warmth of th
e June day. “We were both in high school. I was a sophomore, and Darlene was a senior. She was a cheerleader, so popular – I always sort of lived in her shadow. I don’t suppose I minded, though – she was so charismatic and beautiful, she just drew you in. She was a good sister, and we were very close. At least, I thought we were.”

  “And she ran away?” I prodded, while she paused at a railing and looked out in front of her.

  “No, not exactly,” she continued. “Right before Christmas, she told me she was pregnant. She swore me to secrecy, and I didn’t tell a soul. She couldn’t hide it forever, though, and somehow Mom found out. I thought then that Darlene must have told someone who slipped and told our mother, but looking back on it, she could probably just see the symptoms. Either way, Mom confronted her about it. They were in Darlene’s bedroom, but I had my door open a crack, and I could hear them.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Mom wanted to send her to St. Louis to stay with our aunt, just until the baby was born, but Darlene was very hostile about it. She didn’t want to leave school – she thought that her future was going to be ruined, and she wanted things to go on the way they were. Of course, Mom told her that it was too late for that, and she had to live with the choices she made.” At that point, Meg started walking again, and I stepped up behind her. “So, Darlene, in this cold voice – I remember it so well – said that she did have choices, and she wasn’t going to have the baby. ‘Of course you’re going to have the baby,’ Mom had said, so calmly, but Darlene just laughed. ‘I’m eighteen, and you can’t tell me what to do.’”