Page 8

Monday hit like a bad hangover.

I dragged myself to class, wondering if the coffee I’d chugged that morning would ever kick in. I finally felt a rush of energy by the end of third period gym, but unfortunately, the buzz was killed shortly thereafter by a certain Canadian I needed to rethink my friendship with.

“Listen,” she said as we walked to lunch, “I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to get mad.”

“Well, this can’t be good—”

“I signed us up through the Student Council to volunteer for the Winter Festival tree decorating tonight.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “And this is why I never promise not to get mad.”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” she pleaded.

“If hell is your idea of a good time, then yes. Super fun.”

“It might be good for you. And don’t tell me you can’t go because you have too much homework. I know how much you finished last night.”

“An act I’m now regretting—”

“Seriously, Ky! It’ll be great, I promise.”

“Those are dangerous words, my friend.”

“And I stand by them.”

I let out a dramatic breath in defeat. It was clear the Canuck had no intention of backing down, and I didn’t have the caffeine in me to put up a fight. And maybe she was right. Maybe it would be fun.

Maybe .

* * *

At the end of the day, Tabby caught me trying to escape the parking lot without her and jumped in front of my vehicle to stop me. While I contemplated maiming her just enough to get out of our volunteer work with an ER visit, she ran over to the passenger’s side and hopped in.

“Perfect timing! I got caught up with Principal Thompson and was worried you’d head over there without me.”

“No worries there,” I muttered under my breath.

The city building wasn’t too far from the school, and we got a great parking spot only half a block away. As we walked up to the front lawn, and the massive conifer in the center of it surrounded by ladders, I looked at the group of people pulling string lights out of boxes to take stock of who was there. When AJ popped his head out from one of them, I ground to a halt. All I wanted to do was get out of there before he saw me, but I must have shone like a beacon, because it took all of two seconds for his gaze to turn my way. Seeing him there hit even harder than it had a few days before. I’d done a bang-up job of avoiding him since our breakup, since I knew his schedule as well as my own, but one slip-up in the hall and an unexpected volunteering ambush later had completely derailed my strategy. And every time I saw him felt like a sucker punch.

“He doesn’t really hate you, Ky.” Tabby’s sympathetic gaze made me want to run from the city building screaming.

“Are you sure about that? Because I'm getting definite ‘I hope you die in painful ways’ vibes coming from that direction.”

At that, she frowned. “That seems a touch dramatic.”

“And yet appropriate all the same.”

Her head lolled back as she let loose an exasperated sigh. “He’s hurt and sad, and probably angry because that’s easier than being the former two,” she said, leveling her piercing stare on me. “I think you of all people can understand that M.O.” Fair enough . “I’m not excusing his behavior, because I think he’s being a bit of a dick about it to be honest, but I understand it.”

“Maybe you could walk up and tag him with one of those patented Tabby haymakers and slap some sense into him for me. Or knock his anger away. Either works.”

She beamed at the thought. “I might just have to try that.”

“That’s my girl!” I shouted as I untangled a strand of white lights. “Jesus, it’s like a feral raccoon put these things away last year.”

“Maybe it was AJ,” she replied with a chuckle as she came over to help with the knotted mess. “But in all seriousness, have you tried talking to him?”

“Nope, but I nearly ran into him on Friday. Like literally.”

“And…?”

“Total disaster.”

She winced. “Did he say anything?”

“Negatory, my friend. He just shot flames at me from his eyes, then walked away, leaving me to burn.”

“Ooof,” she said, flinching at the details, “that’s rough.”

“Yep. Zero out of five. Do not recommend. But it’s fine. I’ve accepted that there’s nothing I can do about his reaction to the breakup, and really it doesn’t matter anyway,” I said, forcing a smile, “because I have you and Garrett and your significant others to keep me occupied and entertained—in a hostage crisis sort of way.”

“Stop it!” she said, slapping my arm as though I’d actually offended her. “You’re right, though; you’ll be fine. And if you’re really desperate for affection, I could totally make out with you.”

I nearly dropped the ball of lights in my hands. “Umm…I will take that dubious offer under advisement, Tabs.”

Her straight face cracked and she howled with laughter loud enough to draw the collective attention of everyone there, including AJ. Thankfully, Garrett’s sudden appearance distracted me from that fact. “What’s with North of the Border?” he asked as her self-induced hysterics continued.

“She volunteered to feel me up if I get lonely now that I’m single. Apparently, my reaction was comical.”

“Oooooh-kaaaay…”

“I was kidding,” she said between fits of laughing.

“Suuure you were,” I countered. “I’ve seen you check me out in the locker room before. You’ve been waiting for your chance this whole time, haven’t you?”

“ Maybe .”

“Poor Mark doesn’t stand a chance against the force of nature that is Kylene Danners,” Garrett said with a smile. “We should probably tell him now and put him out of his impending misery.”

“It’s the humane thing to do,” I added with a laugh. The image of Mark scandalized by my imaginary hookup with Tabby was every bit as entertaining as I’d hoped.

The lanky redhead just folded her arms across her chest. “He’d probably just want to watch.”

“We should call him now and tell him it’s going down,” Garrett joked as he pulled out his cell phone. “Hey, Mark? Yeah, you should probably head down to the city building. Your girl is putting the moves on Ky as we speak.”

“Stop it!” Tabby yelled, trying to swat the phone from his hands. But Garrett had always been an excellent wide receiver, and he spun away from her with ease.

“Yep, she’s about to do it now—”

“I do not want to make out with Ky!” Tabby’s protestation rang out like a tolling bell through the yard, and everyone there turned to stare at her. The poor girl turned as red as her hair.

“It’s okay, everybody. She’s just going through a little something right now. She’ll be fine once she has a snacky snack.” I looped my arm around her shoulders and ushered her over to where our bags lay on the ground. “C’mon, Red, let’s get you something to eat.”

Garrett tucked his phone away and followed us over. “I was just kidding, Tabs. I didn’t even call him.”

“Good, because I’d kick your ass if you had.”

Garrett and I shared a shocked look before I spun Tabby around in my arms. “I could not be more proud of you than I am at this moment, Tabitha Newberry.”

Her smile shone as brightly as the lights we’d been trying to untangle, but before she could respond, Mayor Applewood startled us all with his booming voice. “Kylene—or should I say ‘your highness’?—it’s so nice to see you out here tonight.”

I spun around to find the middle-aged man with a pendulous abdomen and receding hairline headed my way. He was dressed in a full suit for the event, and at that moment, I realized that I probably should have been wearing something other than ripped jeans and a hoodie, given that I was the festival’s queen.

“Mayor Applewood. It’s nice to see you, too.”

“Can I steal you away from your task for a moment to have a word?”

Aw shit .

“Sure thing.” I shot my friends a nervous look, then gestured to my grubby clothes before walking over to join the mayor. “I’m sorry about my outfit. I didn't even think about it until just now.”

“I’m not worried about that, Kylene. You’re out here helping. That’s the real spirit of your title.”

“Oh, okay. That's a relief. I thought I was about to be put in pageant queen timeout for breaking protocol or something.”

He led me over to the far corner of the lawn, out of earshot of the volunteers, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was important enough to necessitate such privacy. I tried not to let my mind wander through the barrage of dark possibilities it was all too happy to conjure.

“Listen…I know you’ve been through a lot lately, and I’m not trying to stir up any bad emotions, but I really wanted to apologize for your arrest regarding Judge Williams. I understand why Sheriff Higgins did what he did, but it all seemed very premature and public, and I can’t imagine how difficult that was for you. On behalf of the town of Jasperville, I want to take this opportunity to apologize. I’m truly sorry that happened.” He held my stare like the practiced politician he was, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that couldn’t be denied.

“I appreciate that, Mayor,” I said, wilting under his intense gaze, “but if I’m being honest, I think spending time in jail has really only upped my street cred, so it wasn’t all bad in the end.”

He looked at me for a moment, then realized I was joking—kinda. His laughter started like slow-rolling thunder until it finally broke into a hearty chuckle that practically shook the ground. “Oh, my dear girl, you are a funny one.”

I shrugged at his compliment. “It helps me get through life.”

“I’m sure it does. You know, if memory serves, your mother was quite funny too.”

My brows pinched together. “You knew my mom? How did I not know this?”

“‘Knew’ is probably a touch strong. We did go to school together, though. I believe I was a senior when she was a freshman, maybe? Even back then, she really lit up a room when she entered. It was no surprise that she won the Winter Festival Pageant when she entered it.”

“She did?” I asked, confused.

His smile fell away. “Well, there was a little bit of drama surrounding her crown. I think she was stripped of her title not long afterward.”

“Stripped of her title?” I muttered to myself. “What year did she even compete?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I must have been in college at the time, but I still lived here. I was working at the city building part-time. That’s how I remember hearing the rumors about it.” I could see the hesitation in his eyes, like an animal who’d cornered itself and had no way out. He knew the obvious question of ‘what rumors?’ was headed his way, so he spared us both the runaround. Instead, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, like he was still trying to buy himself a little time. “As far as I know, the gossip was just that: gossip. Do you remember the paperwork you signed when you entered the pageant? The fine print?”

“Not really.”

His lips pressed to a thin line. “It contains a list of reasons that would prohibit you from entering the pageant or representing Jasperville at future events—like a criminal arrest or prosecution, as you are already aware—and…pregnancy.”

Ho. Ly. Shit.

“I’m sorry, are you saying my mother lost her crown because she was pregnant ?”

“As I said, it was just gossip—”

“Gossip powerful enough to get her dethroned! Was there even any proof? Because I know nothing about this—”

“You and I both know that the court of public opinion is the one that counts most sometimes, especially in this town. Whether or not she was actually pregnant, I can only imagine that your mother stepped down to spare herself any further scrutiny.”

“Except my mother makes me look downright compliant when it comes to a challenge. There’s no way she’d have relinquished that tiara if she wasn’t knocked up.”

And there it was: all the confirmation I needed.

Mayor Applewood watched it play out in my expression, looking like he’d have given his left arm for a chance to start our whole conversation over again. “I’m so sorry, Kylene. I never meant to dump this on you—especially not like this.”

“I…I have to go,” I replied, my voice as distant as my careening thoughts.

I walked past him, picking up the pace as I passed the tree and the crowd, and headed deeper into town until I was in a flat-out sprint, as though I could outrun the truth the mayor had just revealed. I ran past the festival parade setup, the grandstand, and the shops beyond until my lungs burned, my legs ached, and the pain in my chest begged me to stop. By then, I was on the outskirts of town, staring down the setting sun and the looming reality that my mother’s past was filled with sordid truths that had been kept from me.

Of all the answers I’d been searching for over the past months, this one was suddenly the most important. And there were only a few ways to get it.

I didn’t dare ask Gramps for fear that he might have never known—I had no intention of dropping that bomb on him as it had been dropped on me. He didn’t need another heart attack. Prying that information from my mother, even if I thought I could, would only work if I could reach her, and her track record made that far from certain. My father was an option, but I still hadn’t spoken to him since the pageant debacle, and asking him was riddled with the same risks as Gramps.

Which left only one other choice.

As I pulled out my phone to call Meg and demand answers, I saw Dawson’s name flash on the screen. “Hello?”

“It’s me,” he said, cutting right to the chase. “I think I might have found something in the active case—”

“My mother got pregnant in high school,” I blurted out with all the tact of a rhino on coke.

An appropriate stretch of silence followed my outburst. “How do you know this?”

“Mayor Applewood just told me, unwittingly.”

More silence.

“Are you going to call her and ask about it?”

“No. No way.”

“Danners—”

“I was about to call Meg instead.”

“That’s a solid enough plan, assuming she’ll answer at all or tell you the truth.”

“Not answering is as good as confirming it’s true, so I’ll know either way.”

“Then I guess you’d better hang up and call her.”

“What about your thing—Dad’s case files?”

“It can wait,” he said, his tone a touch gentler than normal. “Call Meg, then call me later if you’re up to it.”

“Okay, I’ll do that…thanks, Dawson.”

Silence yet again.

“You’re welcome.” He hung up the second after he’d spoken those words. He wasn’t big on actually saying goodbye.

I took a deep breath, braced myself, and while the amber glow of the sun disappeared over the horizon, I dialed the only other person in the world who would know the truth about this sensitive information.

“Hey, kiddo. How—”

“Tell me about Mom and the Winter Festival dethroning.”

There it was. No preamble. No pretense.

Meg cursed under her breath. “Are you at home?”

“No.”

“Can you meet me there in an hour?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll see you then.”

And Meg, like Dawson, hung up without another word.

An ominous sign, indeed.