Grave Concerns (10 page)

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Nick lit a match and touched it to the edge of the newspaper, puffing his chest out as the fire began to build … and then almost immediately flamed out.

Upon returning to the cabin, Nick suggested going to bed early. Maddie countered with cuddling by the fire and making s’mores. She promised to make it worth his while if he pushed off their bedtime.

Twenty minutes later, Nick was still struggling with getting the fire going.

“Do you have any idea how many campfires I’ve built?” Nick asked, his hands landing on his hips. “I earned a badge for it when I was a boy scout.”

Maddie pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

“I have built so many fires I could be an arsonist if I wanted to be one,” Nick added. “I would be a good one, too.”

“You’d be a great arsonist,” Maddie agreed, pushing herself up from the lounger and leaving the blanket she wanted them to cuddle underneath behind. “How about letting me try? I haven’t started a fire in years. I could use the practice.”

“Don’t placate me,” Nick muttered. “You think you can start this fire and I can’t, don’t you?”

“I think that … you are the most wonderful man in the world and I need practice starting fires,” Maddie countered. “We still have a few months of camping weather in front of us, Nicky. I shouldn’t leave all the work to you. It’s not fair.”

Nick ran his tongue over his teeth. He knew darned well what she was doing. Finally, he took a step back and extended his arm in a sweeping arc. “Go nuts, love.”

“You don’t have to sound so sarcastic,” Maddie said, knocking Nick’s tower of logs down so she could reposition them.

“I’m not being sarcastic. I believe you can do anything you set your mind to.”

“Except getting this fire going,” Maddie said.

“Oh, no, I’m not falling for that one, love of my life,” Nick said, chuckling as he took over Maddie’s seat on the lounger and watched her work. “I think you can do anything. I think you can even make it rain glitter if you want.”

Maddie stilled, shifting so she could meet Nick’s amused gaze. “I … you remember that?”

Nick smiled. “Are you asking me if I remember fourth grade and the time when you told me that you could ride a unicorn and make it rain glitter? If so, the answer is no. It completely slipped my mind.”

“I … Nicky, I know I say this a lot, but I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I still have the bottle of glitter you gave me,” Nick said. “You told me that you collected it as it fell from the sky and I had to keep it and use it on something I really wanted … otherwise the magic wouldn’t work.”

“You kept it?”

“I’m keeping it for a special occasion. I already have all the magic in my world I ever wanted. I have you.”

“You’re going to get really lucky tonight,” Maddie said, turning back to the fire. “As soon as I get this fire going, I might even let you start getting lucky under that blanket.”

Nick watched her work, enjoying the determined tilt of her head as she struck another match and touched it to the newspaper. She repeated the process at different spots around the fire and then climbed under the blanket as he lifted it.

Maddie rolled to her side, snuggling close to Nick as they both waited to see if her fire would take. “You’re my magic, Nicky,” she whispered. “I don’t even need to bottle you.”

Nick’s eyes were heavy-lidded as he lowered his mouth to Maddie’s petal-pink lips. “Maybe we’re magic together, love. I think that’s something I could definitely believe in.”

“YOU
have to say it.”

“No.”

“You have to,” Maddie said, extending a warning finger and fixing Nick with what was supposed to be a stern look. Unfortunately for her, he found it adorable.

“Fine, Mad,” Nick conceded. “You’re a better arsonist than I am.”

Maddie giggled as he tickled her. “I’m a better fire builder than you. You have to say that.”

“I can’t say that, love. If I say that they’ll take away my man card.”

“Your man card? What’s that?” Maddie was puzzled.

“Think about it,” Nick prodded, slipping his hands underneath her tank top so he could rub the soft skin around her ribcage.

“Oh,” Maddie said, realization dawning. “Are you saying your man card is more important than me?”

“You don’t play fair, do you?” Nick’s eyes twinkled, the roaring fire illuminating his love. “Fine. You’re a better fire builder than I am.”

“I knew that would work,” Maddie teased, kissing his chin. “You’re putty in my hands.”

“I’ve been putty in your hands since kindergarten,” Nick said, flipping Maddie over so he could roll on top of her. “Now I’m going to make you putty in my hands.”

“What about the s’mores?”

“I’ll feed you chocolate for breakfast.” Nick pressed his lips to Maddie’s, sinking into the kiss as her body melded to his and her hands drifted to his back. He was trying to figure out how open she would be to romance under the stars when the sound of someone clearing their throat grabbed his attention. He edged to his side, scowling when he saw Kelly, Sydney, and Hayley approaching. “What are you doing here?”

Maddie shifted beneath Nick, her cheeks burning as she realized they had an audience. “Oh … um … .”

Nick reluctantly moved so Maddie could sit, cracking his neck as he situated himself in the chair next to her.

“We came to apologize,” Hayley announced, clasping her hands together and nervously hopping from one foot to the other.

“You mean Mom made you come and apologize,” Nick corrected.

“Grandma didn’t make me do anything,” Hayley said. “I wanted to come on my own, but everyone said you guys were out to dinner earlier. I … did you have a nice dinner?”

Nick took pity on his niece. He didn’t blame her for what happened. Kelly and Sydney were another story. “We did have a nice dinner, Hayley,” he said. “We had prime rib and crab legs. We were just about to have s’mores. Do you want one?”

Hayley nodded. “That sounds great. Um … can Mom have one, too?”

“No,” Nick replied, climbing off the lounger so he could rummage through the bag of goodies sitting on the nearby chair. “Come on, Hayley. Grab one of those pokers and start roasting marshmallows.”

“I’ll help you,” Maddie offered, moving to Hayley’s side.

Hayley’s expressive eyes searched Maddie’s face for a hint of malice. “Aren’t you mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because I helped my mom and Sydney play that joke on you,” Hayley replied. “I … I really didn’t mean to do it. It was wrong. I knew it was wrong. It’s just … .”

“I’m not mad,” Maddie said, gracing Hayley with a genuine smile. “Come on. I’ve been dying for a s’more.”

“Nick said you went through an awkward period when you were my age,” Hayley said, completely oblivious to Nick’s slouching shoulders. “He says that I don’t need makeup because you’re prettier without it and you went through an awkward period so I still have hope to develop boobs.”

Maddie pursed her lips to keep from laughing. “I think you and Nick had quite the talk this afternoon, didn’t you?”

Hayley nodded.

“I did go through an awkward stage,” Maddie conceded. “I was a total geek. Sometimes I think I’m still a total geek.”

“You don’t look like a total geek.”

“I think geekdom is a state of mind,” Maddie replied, doling out two marshmallows. “Why do you think you’re a geek?”

“Because I want to wear makeup and Mom won’t let me,” Hayley replied. “I’m just so … boring … to look at.”

“You’re not boring,” Maddie countered, glancing at a mute Nick and Kelly as they stared each other down. “You have a very interesting face. You have high cheekbones and your eyes are beautiful. You just have to give yourself time to grow into your looks. It will happen. Don’t worry about that.”

“How long did it take you to grow into your looks?”

“Um … .” Maddie cast a mental cry for help in Nick’s direction.

“She grew into her looks when she was seventeen,” Nick answered.

“Nicky!”

Nick ignored the scolding. “It’s different for everyone, Hayley,” he said. “You have a lot of time to grow into your looks. When it happens, it might be something that occurs out of the blue. Maddie did all of her … growing … in one summer. It took me a little longer to notice.”

“Don’t you think the growing would be easier with makeup?” Kelly asked, pointedly addressing Maddie.

Kelly opened her mouth to say something and Nick silenced her with a look.

“I don’t think you need makeup, Hayley,” she said. “Makeup is something that enhances … when it’s time. You definitely don’t need it now. When you need it, your mom will tell you.”

“Did your mom let you wear makeup?”

“My mom … didn’t really care about makeup,” Maddie answered, smiling. “She was kind of a bohemian hippie. She thought people were better in their natural state.”

“I agree,” Nick said. “Get to roasting those marshmallows, ladies. I’m dying for a s’more.”

“SO,
what restaurant did you go to?” Kelly asked twenty minutes later, munching on her s’more and trying to make conversation as she shifted back and forth on one of the metal chairs that was situated around the campfire.

“Um, it was some little place on the lake,” Maddie replied. Even though Nick declared Kelly and Sydney couldn’t have s’mores, Maddie ignored the admonishment and gave them one anyway. She was trying to make things better, but it wasn’t going well.

“It was the Lake Margrethe Grill,” Nick said. “The food was great. It was a nice change from hot dogs and hamburgers.”

“That sounds nice,” Kelly said. “I … um … .” She was clearly at a loss for what to say. Maddie was sympathetic to her plight. She knew the only reason Kelly was at the cabin was because Sharon made her come. Still, Maddie wanted to leave the door open for reconciliation … or at least a modicum of understanding.

“It was really nice,” Maddie said. “Nick loves prime rib.”

“Yes, and you really put up a fight when you were inhaling my crab legs.”

“You only ordered the crab legs so you could give them to me,” Maddie countered. “You don’t even like seafood.”

“I like seafood.”

“Since when?”

“I like shrimp,” Nick said.

“Fine, you like shrimp,” Maddie conceded. “You like shrimp and fish. You don’t like crab legs and lobster, though, and do you remember when I made that pasta with scallops for our dinner two weeks ago?”

Nick wrinkled his nose. “You tricked me. You said it was chicken.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“Are you guys cooking a lot of meals together?” Kelly asked.

“Does it matter?” Nick challenged. He was in a belligerent mood.

“I like to cook,” Maddie said, ignoring him. “Granny is a menace in the kitchen, so if I don’t cook she’ll either live off fast food or starve.”

“I’ve always loved Maude,” Kelly said, relieved to find a subject that didn’t make everyone uncomfortable. “She’s such a fireball.”

“Yes, she’s got … personality,” Maddie agreed. “Before we left she made Nick hang a disco ball in her apartment. Apparently she’s the queen of Blackstone Bay’s new party central.”

“Does that bug you?”

“No. She’s harmless. She’ll throw one party and realize it’s too much work to do another one. After that she’ll just have her Pink Ladies over so they can get drunk and play euchre.”

“Still, it’s nice you take care of her like you do,” Kelly said. “I suppose that you’ll be free to do whatever you want once she dies.”

Maddie stilled, her heart painfully rolling. “What?”

“That did it,” Nick said, pushing himself up from the lounger. “Get out of here.”

“What did I say?” Kelly asked, her eyes widening.

“You know exactly what you said,” Nick snapped. “Get out of here right now!”

“Nicky, it’s fine,” Maddie said, grabbing his wrist. “I don’t think she meant … .”

“She did mean it, Mad,” Nick argued. “You’re too sweet to believe the worst in people. She’s my sister. I know her. She meant it exactly how it sounded. That’s it. I’m done. Kelly, you need to take Sydney and get out of here! I’m not putting up with another second of this.”

Maddie knew she was lost in a dream before she even opened her eyes. In sleep her mind could focus, but the edges were often muddy. That’s how she felt now.

“Where am I?”

In her head, Maddie knew she was in bed with Nick, cuddled close to his side as they slept. He was blissfully unaware she was trapped in a netherworld, and for that she was thankful. After banishing Kelly and Sydney from the cabin, they attempted to return to their playful evening. It didn’t work. Finally, they both decided they needed some sleep.

Unfortunately for Maddie, she apparently had something else to do before she could rest.

“Is anyone here?”

No one initially answered, and then … . There it was. Someone was crying. The sound was low and guttural. The more Maddie listened, the more she believed the voice belonged to a child.

“Tell me where you are,” Maddie called out, narrowing her eyes as she tried to pick out a landmark to focus on. “Call to me.”

It was a dream, so the child couldn’t hear her.

Maddie studied the expanse above her, surprised to see the outline of a moon. It was faint, the center of the celestial object filled in with inky black while a small sliver of outline remained. She didn’t know a lot about her visions, but this one was clearly telling her that whoever she was supposed to be looking for was outside.

Maddie sucked in a breath, momentarily laughing at herself because she knew it wasn’t necessary to breathe in her dreams, and then turned her focus to a spot south of the moon. It took her a moment, but when she relaxed her eyes she caught the telltale evidence of tree ridges.

She wasn’t surprised. She could hear the crying because she was meant to do something about it. Since Maddie was in the woods, the person in danger was in the woods as well.

“I’ll find you,” Maddie called to the darkness. “I’ll … I’m coming.”

MADDIE’S
face was pressed against Nick’s bare chest when she woke the following morning. Nick’s breathing was slow and even, giving the appearance of restful slumber, but Maddie knew differently.

“Please tell me you got some sleep instead of stewing all night,” she murmured.

“Good morning, love,” Nick said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “How did you sleep?”

“I had a weird dream. I … wait a second … you can’t distract me. Did you sleep at all?”

“I slept, Mad,” Nick said, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I’m not upset. Don’t make yourself sick because you think I’m upset.”

“Do you know what’s funny?”

“
The Big Bang Theory
?”

“Oh, that was cute,” Maddie said, kissing his chin. “Do you know what else is funny?”

“
Modern Family
?”

“And it wasn’t cute this time,” Maddie mused. “You really can take a joke too far.”

Nick sighed. “Fine. What’s funny?”

“You and I spend all of our time worrying ourselves sick that the other one is going to be upset,” she answered. “If we didn’t upset ourselves because we’re worried about the other one being upset, no one would ever get upset.”

“That was profound,” Nick said, tightening his arms around Maddie’s waist. “I think what you’re saying is that neither one of us should ever be upset again.”

“That
is
what I was saying.”

“Good idea.” Nick rolled Maddie to her back and rested his weight on top of her. “How about we make sure that neither one of us is upset before we go down to breakfast?”

Maddie grinned. “What did you have in mind?”

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you asked that question, Mad. I’m about to show you.”

“GOOD
morning, son,” Don said, smiling as Nick approached the campfire. “How was your night?”

Nick scowled. “You’re a funny, funny man, Dad. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“Just your mother when I’m doing my standup routine,” Don replied, nonplussed. He was used to his children’s moods. “Despite the effort you’re putting into projecting that you’re in a foul mood, you have a certain spring to your step. Where is the reason behind that spring?”

“I … what? Why can’t you ever talk like a normal father?”

“Because then I wouldn’t be
your
father,” Don answered. “Where is Maddie?”

“Maddie had a bowl of cereal at the cabin and went for a hike,” Nick replied. “I don’t think she wanted to be down here for when Kelly and I see each other again.”

Don sighed. “What happened now?”

“Oh, Kelly didn’t tell you about her visit to the cabin last night?”

“Kelly and Sydney came back and … pretended everything was fine,” Don said. “I could tell everything wasn’t fine because Hayley was upset.”

“I’m not angry with Hayley,” Nick said. “She apologized to Maddie and meant it. Kelly and Sydney are another story. For the life of me I can’t understand why Sydney is still hanging around. I made it very clear that there was nothing here for her. All I can figure is that Kelly is filling her head with nonsense in an attempt to drive me crazy.”

“Your sister is a tough nut to crack, Nick,” Don said. “I’ve never seen anyone work so hard to be miserable. I guess you can’t call her work ethic into question.”

“And you’re being funny again.” Nick scanned the campsite. “Where is everyone?”

“Most everyone is still asleep. I like to get up before them because I know it’s the only quiet I’ll have while we’re here. They should be getting up soon. Your mother is making pancakes for breakfast.”

“Oh, well, that will make everything better,” Nick deadpanned. “Three of Mom’s pancakes will make me forget that Kelly suggested Maddie would be happy when Maude died last night because that meant she could take off without guilt again.”

“Ugh.” Don rubbed the back of his neck. “Did she really say that?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Don said. “Kelly should know better than saying something like that. Even if she believes Maddie is just biding her time until she can leave town again, believing Maddie doesn’t love Maude with her whole heart is crazy talk.”

Nick narrowed her eyes. He didn’t like the way his father phrased the sentence. “Do you believe Maddie is biding her time?”

“No.”

“Really? You didn’t have anything nice to say about Maddie when she was gone,” Nick pointed out.

“Son, I know about Maddie.”

“I … what do you mean?” Nick knew exactly what his father meant, but he needed time to absorb the words.

“I know what Olivia and your mother spent years hiding,” Don replied. “Maddie was always a good girl. I had trouble understanding why she left you the way she did. I’ll admit I turned on her there for a little bit. Finally, your mother couldn’t take it and told me what was going on. After that, well, I pretended to agree with you when you went on and on about how much you hated her.”

Nick was floored. “How long have you known?”

“Five years.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Don lifted his hands, palms up, and shrugged. “I wanted to tell you,” he said. “Your mother made me swear not to. She said it was important that Maddie come back to you. She thought if you knew that you would go after her.”

“And why would that have been a bad thing?” Nick asked, frustrated. “Maddie was alone every single day while she was away. She needed me.”

“And she came back to you,” Don pointed out. “Your mother is a complicated woman. She thought … and thought … and thought about this. She worried about you while Maddie was gone, son. She still believes she did the right thing. After seeing you and Maddie together, I agree with her. You’ve never been happier and Maddie is almost glowing.”

“I still don’t understand why you think me going after Maddie would’ve been so terrible.”

“Because no matter how brave you are, no matter how much you love Maddie, part of you would’ve always wondered if she only came back because she didn’t want to hurt you again,” Don supplied. “I’m not saying you wouldn’t have been happy. Maddie came back to you, though. That will always make a difference.”

Nick wanted to argue. He wanted to tell his father he was wrong. His heart told him the opposite. “Mom says I couldn’t handle what Maddie was dealing with when we were kids. Do you believe that?”

“I think that you and Maddie were too young to make it back then.”

“And now?” Nick had no idea why he was so desperate for his father’s approval.

“Now I think you and Maddie are already living your happily ever after.”

Despite himself – and the anticipation of Kelly’s imminent arrival – Nick couldn’t help but smile. “I know we are.”

“That’s why I want you to cut your sister some slack,” Don said, refusing to give Nick a few moments to bask in his happiness.

“No way,” Nick protested, his smile evaporating. “How can you possibly make excuses for her after what she said to Maddie?”

“I’m not making excuses for her. In fact, I think your sister is probably feeling pretty low because of what she said. You know she doesn’t mean half the stuff that comes out of her mouth.”

“So maybe she should stop saying it,” Nick suggested.

“I think she would if she could,” Don said. “Your sister is aware of how she comes off to people. She wants to change … be a better person … and yet she can’t get past what she feels she’s lost.”

“We all knew that she was never going to be happy when she married David.”

“Kelly didn’t know that, though,” Don pointed out. “She thought she was going to have a happy ending. She saw the three kids she always wanted and a husband with a decent job. She never saw him cheating on her. She never saw him abandoning her and Hayley. She never saw ending up bitter and alone.”

“If you’re trying to make me feel bad about being angry with her, it’s not going to work,” Nick said. “What she said to Maddie was unconscionable. What she did to Maddie yesterday was despicable.”

“And she’ll beat herself up over it until she can’t deal with it,” Don said. “We can’t fix Kelly. She’s going to have to fix herself.”

Nick blew out a frustrated sigh, dragging a hand through his hair as he lifted his head. His eyes landed on Kelly’s tear-streaked face. She’d heard at least some of their conversation.

Don glanced over his shoulder, frowning when he realized what was going on. “Kelly … I … .”

“Don’t bother,” Kelly said, wiping her hands down her face. “I already know I’m bitter and hateful. You don’t have to tell me again. I’ve heard it all.”

“You’re not hateful, Kelly,” Don said, getting to his feet. “You’re sad. That makes me sad because I’m your father and I want to fix things for you. I can’t fix this. You’re the only one who can.”

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

“Try to find some joy in this life, Kelly. It’s the only one you have. You have a daughter. You can have a bright future. You have to let go of the past to do it.”

“I think that’s easy for you to say,” Kelly shot back. “I don’t think it’s something I’m capable of doing.”

Nick and Don watched as she stalked away. Neither of them made a move to follow her. There was nothing they could say that would make this situation any better. She had to figure a way out of it on her own.