by C. J. Lake
“I'm not sure if she could, but I wouldn't want that,” Cady said, shaking her head, just thinking of it. “If my mom pulled any strings for me, she'd be watching over my shoulder all the time, micromanaging what I'm doing, making sure it reflects well on her. Uch, no thanks.”
Then her phone chimed; she scrunched her brow a bit. “It's a Skype alert from my mom.”
“Eerie,” Ember remarked. “You were just talking about her watching over your shoulder!”
“Hmm, she wants to talk right now. We usually talk on Saturday—oh, no,” Cady murmured, as she climbed off Torie's bed. “I hope she doesn't want to talk about my dad.”
“Cadence,” Hortense Killoren said as soon as Cady was in her own room and connected to Skype, “we need to talk about your father.”
Chapter Eighteen
We need to talk about your father.
The words had a heavy, dire sort of quality to them, indicating that this would not be a casual chat.
Even through the somewhat hazy lens of Skype, Hortense Killoren appeared formidable. As usual, her thick, charcoal-colored hair was obedient; it rarely moved once combed into place. Today she was clad in varying layers of starched khaki. Her tortoise-shell glasses were just shy of being “oversized”—and did little to mask the disapproval in her eyes.
“Rex told me everything.”
No surprise there. Just as some men held onto a mother's apron strings, Rex kept a koala-grip on their mom's lab coat lapels. “He told me frankly all about this woman who has wormed her way into your father's life.”
“He said that?” Cady interrupted, a bit curious. For whatever reason, Cady had been focused on her dad's impulsiveness with this engagement, but apparently Rex's assessment was more critical of Linda.
Hortense continued, “Rex said she's between forty-five and fifty-years-old, not terribly intellectual, that, overall, her demeanor is pleasant but giddy.”
“Giddy?” Cady repeated, surprised by that bit of flair from Rex.
“Meaning smiling and laughing excessively,” Hortense explained.
“Yes, I know what the word means, Mom,” Cady said dryly. “I just wouldn't have thought to describe Linda that way.” Perhaps because throughout their one dinner, Cady had only noticed Brandall's annoyingly giddy behavior. “But she's definitely bubbly,” Cady conceded.
“Dear God, that's even worse,” Hortense groused.
“Why is it worse?”
“Because 'giddy' implies a brief lapse in decorum, whereas 'bubbly' indicates a personality defect.”
“Honestly, I think she was just nervous, Mom.”
At that, Hortense's eyes narrowed with unmistakable suspicion. “Nervous—now why doesn't that surprise me?” Cady waited, seeing that her mom had some larger point to make. “Cadence, obviously the woman is hiding something,” Hortense elaborated. “Why else would she be nervous? She must have some ulterior motive. Good grief, to convince your father to marry so quickly! The most obvious answer is money. I'll need to know all the particulars of her financial situation.”
Cady shrugged a bit haplessly. “I don't know how you're going to get that, Mom.”
“Obviously I am counting on you.” When an incredulous laugh erupted from Cady's throat, it was not received well. “Cadence, is this a laughing matter?” Hortense demanded.
“No, of course not,” Cady stumbled a bit, “but...were you being serious?”
“Yes,” Hortense insisted.
Of course—what was Cady thinking? Her mom was always serious.
Still, she hoped to soften the stern expression on Hortense's face, telling her calmly, “Listen, Mom, I only met the woman once. And it was a very generic meeting; we talked mostly about eggplant Parmesan and the weather. We didn't have any deep conversations.”
“You need to find out everything you can about this woman,” Cady's mom persisted. “I'm more than 4,000 miles away, so obviously I'm not in a position to befriend her.”
Befriend her? Suddenly, she had a queasy feeling about where this was going. Obviously Hortense wasn't looking for Cady to become friends with Linda Croft. So, what then did she actually mean by “befriend”? Cozy up to her for the sole purpose of extracting damaging information and exposing her?
Swallowing uncomfortably, Cady tried to think of the best response, or at least one that wasn't painfully conflicted. On the one hand, her mother was right. No, they didn't know much about Linda Croft, and yes, in Brandall's haste, he could be making a big mistake by marrying her. At the same time, Cady didn't want to hurt her dad. Trying to sabotage his new relationship would, in fact, register somewhat high on the Hurtful Scale. He seemed so deliriously happy with Linda. While Cady couldn't say this to her mom, the truth was, she didn't recall ever seeing her dad so happy.
It was something of a hellish minefield. Cady didn't want to let down her father or her mother—yet any step she took now might cause one of them angst. A corrosive kind of uncertainty churned in her stomach. Weren't parents supposed to leave their kids out of their divorce issues?
Finally, Cady spoke, her tone even. “Look, Mom, I'm not thrilled that Dad's getting married, either—” She stopped herself, abruptly considering something. “Wait...is that what this is about?”
Hortense arched a charcoal brow. “What do you mean?”
Perhaps it was her mom's grim expression or her rigid posture that triggered a defensive reflex in Cady, who became more tentative in response. “I just mean...you and dad. Maybe—”
Hortense cut her off. “Cadence, stop. No. This is not about your father and me.”
“It's not...?” Cady said skeptically. “It kind of sounds like—”
“Cadence,” Hortense implored, her forceful tone becoming gentler (there might have been a shade of pity in there, too). “Your father and I are not going to reunite and you need to accept that. It's absolutely no reflection on you and Rex,” she added. “But our marriage ran its course. That happens. Now you are just going to have to put on your big girl trousers and face facts.”
Unexpectedly, Cady felt a sharp stab of emotion. Probably the only thing that kept her from tearing up at that moment was the ludicrous use of the word “trousers.”
“Fine,” she said after a pause and a steadying breath. “Then why do you care so much about this woman?”
“That should be obvious,” Hortense replied matter-of-factly. “I was married to your father for twenty-eight years. Naturally I would be concerned for his well-being. I thought you would be, too.”
Guiltily, Cady sighed. “Of course I am,” she mumbled.
“Good, then let's focus,” Hortense instructed, sitting up straighter (if that was even possible), and, dutifully, Cady stayed quiet as her mom returned to her initial point. “Obviously she’s after his money.”
“But Dad doesn’t have a lot of money,” Cady commented.
Hortense refuted that. “He does well enough. Really, why else is Linda Croft hurrying him into marriage?”
Inwardly, Cady wasn't sure about her mom's premise that Linda was pushing things. Considering how eager Brandall seemed to be to close the deal, couldn't it be that he was the one rushing—scampering to fill the void Hortense had left behind when she divorced him and took off to Greece? Of course it would be too confrontational to say that to her mother and there would be no point.
Suddenly Hortense gasped. It was a soft exclamation, a revelation of some kind.
“What is it, Mom?”
“I should have thought of it sooner,” Hortense murmured, shaking her head, again appearing deeply contemplative for another moment or two. Then she blinked meaningfully behind her glasses, and said: “She could be after his research.”
“Research?” Cady echoed doubtfully. “What research?”
Now Hortense lowered her voice a bit, as if not wanting to be overheard. “Cadence, I don't think I ever told you this, but, in the eighties, your father worked on a government project called Project Reverse Moonglow. Has he ever menti
oned it to you?”
“No.”
Her mom paused before confiding, “To put it in basic terms, it had to do with the manipulation and teleportation of photons in a simulated wormhole.”
The first response that came to Cady's mind was: Huh??
But then the words “teleportation” and “wormhole” sank in. Unsure, she asked, “Mom, wait…you don't mean time travel?”
“It never went anywhere, of course,” Hortense was quick to say. “But it was a very expensive project, and highly classified at the time. Perhaps Linda Croft knows about it, and is only trying to get close to your father now in an effort to—”
“Oh, Mom, please!” Cady blurted. “Stop, this is ridiculous. C'mon, she's a divorced, middle-aged lady looking to get remarried. Let's not get carried away with conspiracy theories here.”
“You know perfectly well that I never get carried away.”
“Fine, well, she doesn't strike me as a diabolical genius type who is trying to complete dad's work with time travel.”
At that precise moment, Torie was entering the room to borrow a book from Cady's bookshelf, and she did a double-take. Cady waved her off, as if to tell her not even to bother making sense of this conversation. “Of course she wouldn't be acting alone,” Hortense went on. “She was probably hired by somebody.”
“How would anyone even know about Project Reverse Moonglow?” Cady asked skeptically. “If Dad doesn't go around talking about it, then—”
“Cadence, you are not using cogent deductive reasoning and as a mother I can’t tell you how that hurts me.”
Cady shot a helpless look to Torie, who grinned knowingly in response, before quietly exiting the room.
“We live in the digital age, when information is more accessible than ever before,” Hortense continued didactically. “It's not impossible to think records of a government project could be breached.”
“I suppose,” Cady mumbled in halfhearted agreement.
“Now what are her scientific affiliations?”
“Wha...?”
“Pursuant to String Theory, I mean,” Hortense clarified (if you could call that clarifying).
Cady was close to snapping. “Mom, do you realize how bizarre and paranoid all this sounds?” she said with a sigh. “Please, I just can't buy this.”
A bit defensively, Hortense stiffened, “It was only a theory. Either way, we need to learn more.”
“Okay, agreed—”
“Now Rex told me that Linda has a son named Mick who attends BU.” At the abrupt mention of Mick's name, Cady blushed. “Rex said you would be the one to ask about him.”
“Why me—what's that supposed to mean?” Cady asked self-consciously.
Hortense looked at her blankly, explaining, “Rex told me that Mick was with Linda at Travelli's the night you met her.” Of course he did. For a man of science, Rex could be quite a chatty-kathy. “What's he like?” Hortense pressed.
Sexy, Cady's mind instantly replied, feeling a familiar sense of longing stir in her body. Confident, intriguing, a bit smug yet somehow very charming.
“Cady?”
“Beats me, it was just dinner, jeez.” Her cheeks were burning-hot as she guiltily tried to hide how well she knew Mick and his effect on her. Hopefully the unflattering, pallid lighting of Skype would help conceal her flushed, guilty face.
“But he does go to BU?” Hortense double-checked.
“Yes, but I've never seen him before in my life. It's a big school, Mom.”
“And what's his major?”
“I don't know.”
“If you didn't talk about school, what on earth did you talk about at Travelli's then?”
“Um...let’s see, uh…” Cady mumbled, struggling to remember.
Annoyed, Hortense huffed, “Do you know anything about Linda Croft's son at all?”
Irritably, Cady said, “I'm sorry I don't know the guy's major! What other kind of intel do you want?”
In a rare display of drama, Hortense threw her arms out with impatience, frustration. “What's his temperament? Is he clean-cut? How are his grades? Does he have siblings? Things like that!” When Cady stared stupidly for a second, Hortense scoffed. “I'm rather disappointed in you, Cadence. You went out to dinner with this woman and her son and apparently you can't tell me anything of substance about either one. You know, I rely on you and Rex to look after your father. Rex is as concerned as I am, but you seem rather cavalier.” Her voice had an accusing bite to it, which triggered the last burst of Cady's frustration.
“Look, Mom, I'll see what I can find out, okay? I'm not cavalier—but I do have to get going at the moment. I, uh, have a paper due tomorrow.” Enough with the inquisition already!
Fortunately, once Cady had played the homework card, the call ended pretty quickly after that. Hortense would never jeopardize Cady's GPA, even for a little extra browbeating.
After they said goodbye, Cady slumped down on her bed with a sigh—just as Torie entered her room once more, this time to return a book. As Cady glanced over at her with a look of defeat, Torie managed to cheer her up, remarking: “Wow, I can just imagine family photos when you were growing up. 'Everyone smile and say, cogent deductive reasoning!'”
In spite of her black mood, Cady laughed and threw a pillow at her.
Chapter Nineteen
It wasn't long before her mom's words sank in and took hold of her psyche. Cady should learn more about Linda Croft. The opportunity presented itself the following week.
Linda invited Cady shopping—a “girls' day”—an event that was pre-told by Brandall in a text messaging campaign.
Message #1: Linda is going to try to make plans with you soon. Please accept when she does.
Message #2: Linda just left you a voice message. Make sure you check your vmail.
Message #3: Please check your vmail and return Linda's call.
Of course once Cady got out of her poetry class, she did exactly as her dad directed—as any person with a semblance of manners would do anyway, so what was her dad so worried about?
And that was how she found herself at the Copley mall a few days later—making pleasant small talk and window-shopping with a woman who had stolen her dad's heart. Reminiscent of their evening at Travelli's, Linda was bubbly today, and was perhaps trying a little hard for Cady's approval. But that said...no matter how hard Cady tried to look at this woman through Hortense's lens, Linda Croft just didn't seem nefarious.
In theory, Cady wanted to dislike her—it almost seemed disloyal to her mom not to feel that way. Yet, in truth, it was almost a relief not to have to hate her future stepmom. Either way, Cady knew she owed it to both her parents to look critically at this woman and not simply take her at face value.
“Thanks again for coming out with me today! You probably have a million other things you'd rather be doing,” Linda remarked as they carried their cups of frozen yogurt across the crowded food court. With about six weeks till Christmas, the mall was packed. Even with much of the mad bustle spilling hungrily into the food court, Linda and Cady managed to find an empty table.
“Sure,” Cady replied with a friendly smile after they sat down. “Honestly, I was just going to study today.”
“I have a confession to make,” Linda said with an almost conspiratorial smile. “I've always wanted a daughter.”
Now Cady froze, her spoon halted in mid-air. Jeez, was she serious? They'd spent half an afternoon together and she was already her “daughter”?
Abruptly, Linda seemed to realize her misstep and walked it back. “It's just great to have someone to go shopping with,” she explained lightheartedly. “Don't get me wrong, I love Mick to death, but he's such a guy,” she added with a laugh.
“Yeah,” Cady agreed, reluctantly getting sidetracked with thoughts of Mick's masculinity. Apparently, in addition to his deep voice, muscular body and general intoxicating maleness, he also didn't like to shop.
Quietly, Cady sighed, thinking about him. She ha
dn't seen or spoken to him since the Halloween party. Of course it was for the best, but that didn't mean it made her happy.
Setting down her spoon, Linda cleared her throat. “Listen, Cady, there's something I wanted to ask you. I know we're just getting to know each other, but...will you be a bridesmaid?”
Oh, crap. “Um…sure,” she responded awkwardly after a halting moment. “If that’s what you want.”
“Really? Oh, thank you!” Linda gushed. “Yes, it would mean so much to me.”
Worried, Cady asked, “Have, uh, you guys set a date yet?” Her mounting dread now took the form of a nauseated stomach.
“No, no,” Linda assured her. “But I just wanted to ask.” A grateful breath dropped from Cady's lips; thank goodness for that, at least. She'd panicked for a moment there. God, this was all going too fast!
With a miserable, sinking feeling, Cady realized that this wedding was really happening. This thing with Brandall and Linda was not going away and worse than that: Linda was determined to be her new BFF.
Suddenly, Cady thought of her mom—specifically of her censuring tone and furrowed brow as she insisted that Cady look out for Brandall—and it sharpened her gaze.
Feeling a bit more determined, Cady pressed the issue of the wedding. “Linda, even though you haven't set a date yet, I'm curious: are you and my dad planning to get married soon?”
“Oh, I'm just enjoying being engaged!” Linda said brightly. Well, that was a relief (though, as Cady realized later, not exactly an answer). “I feel so lucky to have met your dad. I went through a pretty bad divorce a few years ago and I was starting to feel like there were no decent men left on this planet.”
“Oh, really?” Cady said conversationally, while her faint nausea persisted.
“Divorce can break you,” Linda continued more somberly, “and then you have to put yourself back together again.”
Cautiously, Cady asked, “What happened? If you're okay talking about it...”
Linda offered a shrug. “It’s really such a cliché, but it’s the truth. I gave Tony over twenty years of my life, but so much for that; it seemed as soon as he got a few gray hairs, he started panicking. He lost interest in the life we had. He just wanted to be young again.