The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) (5 page)

“Is it that late already?” Hardin
murmured, consulting his own wristwatch. He feigned a surprised whistle. “You
know what they say about how time flies... I’m sorry, but I really do need to
make this call, and all my information is back at the hotel.” He looked
appropriately apologetic.

“Oh, no, no, we understand, don’t we,
Bob?” Lisa assured the worried younger couple.

“Sure, sure. You go on now, and we’ll
get the check.”

“No, of course not. Dessert was my
treat.”

“Already taken care of,” Bob said,
holding up a lean palm to stop any further argument. “You can treat next time.”

“Well, then, thank you for dinner.”
Hardin held out his hand for a shake, as Makenna gathered up her purse and said
her goodbyes to Lisa. With another glance at their watches, they hustled to the
door.

Monroe, Louisiana

April, 1992

The reflection in her mirror looked
different today.

Short, clipped hair. Plain blue jeans,
without sparkles or butterflies. A blue and orange striped t-shirt. Instead of
her favorite pink sneakers, these were bright orange.

“We’re going to play a little game.” Her
mother made the announcement as she tucked the t-shirt into the waistline of
the little girl’s jeans. She called it a game, but her face was somber.

“I like games!” the child said.

“And I think you’ll be very good at this
one. You know how you like to play in the mud and get dirty?”

The little girl nodded. “It’s fun, but
you always say little girls ought not to be so dirty.”

“That’s why you’ll like this game. You
like to climb on things and play outside, don’t you? And you like to play with
cars and trains and dump trucks?”

The little girl nodded vigorously. “Boy
toys are so much better than girl toys.”

“So for this new game, we’re going to
pretend that you
are
a boy,” her mother said. “Doesn’t that sound like
fun?”

If she still had curls, they would have
bounced all around her face in delight. Instead, her newly shorn head felt
light as air as it bobbed up and down enthusiastically. “Yes!”

“We’ll have to call you something
different. Do you like the name Charlie?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Okay, good. Then Charlie it is. We’re
going to try to see how many people we can fool, by pretending you’re a little
boy. We’ll tell people you’re our son and we’ll only call you Charlie and we’ll
buy you boy clothes and boy toys. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“Do I get to play in the dirt and climb
trees and pick up rocks?”

“Most little boys do.”

“And I don’t have to wear a dress
anymore with the pokey stuff on the edges?”

“No more lace dresses,” her mother
promised.

“Can I have a dog?”

Her mother frowned. “I don’t think our
new apartment allows dogs.”

“But I like this house!”

“We’re moving, Charlie. To a nice little
apartment in a very big town.”

“You just called me Charlie,” the little
girl giggled.

“The game has already started. That’s
who you are now, and it’s important that you don’t forget. You are a little boy
named Charlie now.”

When her mother had gone, the little
girl looked into the mirror. She thought about the game she liked to play, when
she pretended to visit with the image on the other side of the glass. Did
little boys play the same game?

Just in case, she put her hand up to the
cool pane of glass and smiled at herself. “I have to go now. It’s been fun
playing with you. And I promise, I’ll never forget you.”

Well known for her penchant for making
lists, Makenna had a long one started early the next morning. Before noon, a
half dozen items were already checked off.

Find Grocery Store
. Done. An early
morning outing in town had revealed a small market with ample provisions for
her week’s stay. She didn’t buy much, mostly snacks and fresh fruits and a case
of bottled water she could pre-chill in her refrigerator, along with a couple
of bottles of locally produced wine.

Call Kenzie
. She waited
until returning from the store to call, allowing for the time difference and
Kenzie’s need for a good night’s rest. Her friend was much more alert this
morning, and therefore in much more pain. Makenna was able to ask more
questions about the assignment, but she knew her friend’s attention span was
waning, giving way to the painkillers the nurse administered as they were
talking. Makenna was able to cross off the third item on her list,
Devise
Plan of Action
, but her questions were far from over. Promising to call
again later, she wished her friend a good day and hung up the phone.

Number four on the list was
Check
E-Mails
. She was hoping to find a reply from one of the jobs she had
applied for, but nothing popped up.

Check with Magazine for Updates
. Checking into
her friend’s e-mail account, she skipped over everything but the messages
marked from
Now
. There was nothing new, but she read old messages,
hoping to learn more about the current assignment. Kenzie had been rather
sketchy on details.

Before heading out the door to begin her
day, Makenna completed the sixth item on her list,
Text Hardin
. She
wished him a great day and mentioned what fun she had had the night before. His
quick reply came just as she stepped into the hallway.

Already out
enjoying the day.

Perfect
practice! I had fun, too.

Maybe again
tonite?

Let me know when
you get back. Be safe.

A silly smile spread across her face.
She knew she was acting like a schoolgirl with a new crush, but it was so
gratifying to have a man find her attractive and to be genuinely interested in
her. The fact that he was handsome and so physically fine did not hurt the
equation one bit.

Practically licking her lips in
anticipation of seeing the blue-eyed man again, Makenna shot back a reply as she
took the stairs.

      Sounds
like a plan.

      Watch out
for cars!

      TTYL.

She slipped her phone into her pants
pocket and hoisted the backpack over her shoulders as she stepped out into the
day. It was sunny and gorgeous. Unlike Texas, there was no humidity in the air,
so even though the sun was warm and bright, the light breeze whipped the heat
away.

She set off on foot, deciding to take a
stroll around the town and see what the culture was like. Like any resort town,
the main road was congested with places to eat and places to sleep. Storefronts
were bright and compelling, eager to have you step inside and spend your money.
There was a good mix of sporting goods stores, general mercantiles, souvenir
and gift shops, specialty shops and convenience stores, as well as businesses
offering professional services, entertainment, and guided tours. Makenna
snapped several wide-angle shots of the town, found a few unique services and
storefronts to get a close-up picture of, and documented a few of the community’s
daily activities through her camera lens. She found a small eatery for lunch,
visited with a few of the locals and fellow tourists, then set out for more sightseeing
by foot. A stroll to the north led her along the river that flowed right along the
main road into town. The shallow waters flowed over a rocky riverbed and
tempted her with dozens of photo opportunities.

As she made her way back toward the
hotel, pleased with the day’s efforts and the exhilarating feel of walking in
the fresh air and sunshine of a warm mountain afternoon, her gaze wandered over
the picturesque town beyond. Gorgeous. She stopped to snap several shots with
her borrowed camera.

She stopped back by the hotel and called
Kenzie, hoping her friend would be more alert and could offer more insight into
this assignment. Luck seemed to be on her side.

“I’m really not sure what angle you’re
after,” Makenna admitted.

“Is it pretty up there?” Kenzie asked
unexpectedly.

“Gorgeous, and I haven’t even made it
out of town yet.”

“What do you think will happen if a
major electric company comes through the area?”

“At the very least, they’ll have to cut
right-of-ways and clear a path for the lines.”

“Now look around your room. How many
things do you see that require electricity?”

“A dozen or so?” Makenna guessed,
glancing around. “Four, no five lights in the kitchen, electric stove,
refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, blender, dishwasher… two lamps in the
living room, ceiling fan with three lights, television, DVD player, several
outlets... Wow. Guess it’s more like two dozen things, just in these two
rooms.”

“So how do we balance the need for
electricity with the need to preserve nature?” Kenzie challenged.

“I-I’m not sure.”

“Most people aren’t. We all want the
modern conveniences, but few of us consider the true price. That’s what this
assignment is about.” 

“Hmm. That’s a lot to consider, but I
think I can work with that,” Makenna said thoughtfully. She paused for a moment
before changing gears. “Are you familiar with NorthWind Energy?”

“Aren’t they the ones in charge of the
project?”

“Yes, but I mean other than this
project. Have you heard anything about them being involved with organized
crime?”

“Organized crime?” Kenzie hooted. “I
think the altitude has done things to your brain, girlfriend!”

“Hmm. It’s something to think about,
though. A huge multi-million dollar project, government grants and subsidies,
edging out the little guy. Has good potential for the mob.”

“Has potential for a good movie, maybe,
but this is real-life. Stick to the plan, sister.” There was a new edge to
Kenzie’s voice, but Makenna attributed it to the frustration of not being able
to cover the story herself.

“Okay, so tell me the plan.”

The two friends bounced a few ideas off
one another and Makenna scribbled notes as they talked.

“You see,” Kenzie said after their
brainstorming session, “I knew you could do this. You might even do this better
than I would.”

“I don’t have your talent behind the
lens, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

“Ha-ha, you’re already talking like a
photographer! Best shot, get it?” Kenzie snickered on the other end.

“At least you’re able to laugh about all
this. Ah, Kenzie, I feel so awful for you. Surgery, recovery, a bruised
spleen... Not to mention, wrecking your car.”

“I think the cuts on my arms hurt almost
as bad as my leg! There’s hardly an inch that’s not bruised. But, meeting
Robert almost makes it worth the pain. He promised to come by when he gets
through with his rounds.”

After listening to her friend relay the
intern’s wonderful attributes, Makenna made a confession of her own. “You’ll
never believe this, but I’ve met someone, too.”

“Already? Spill!”

“His name is Harden Kaczmarek and he
actually only lives about forty-five minutes from us, around Gruene. He’s got
the most amazing blue eyes, and a body to die for.”

“Mmm, delish! How did you meet him?”

“We sat together on the plane, actually,
and exchanged phone numbers. And then, believe it or not, he’s staying at this
very same resort! We had dinner together last night and we’ve already texted
this morning, planning to have dinner again tonight.”

“Ooh, sounds promising! Is he a good
kisser?”

“Kenzie! We just met yesterday. Besides,
we said goodnight in the lobby. I didn’t want him following me to my room, in
case he’s a pervert or something.”

“I know these days it’s hard to tell
about people, but do me a favor, Kenna. Don’t over-analyze this. Just go with
your gut feeling. What’s it telling you?”

“That he’s a good guy. A really hot,
good guy.”

“Okay, and what name did you use when
you met him?”

“Yours.” For a moment, she felt a tinge
of guilt for deceiving him.

“Okay, so as the real Kenzie Reese, I
can tell you exactly what she would do, and what you should do: Go for it! This
is your chance to step out of your box and swing a little. If it turns out you
really like this guy, you can come clean with him once you get back home. But
if not, this is the perfect opportunity to have a little vacation fling, a
chance to kick up your heels and live a little. I think you should definitely
go for it.”

“I’ve been telling myself the same
thing. Chances are, I’ll never see him again once we get back home, so I might
as well have a little fun while I’m here.”

“Exactly! And if you’ll dig around in my
suitcase, you’ll find a couple of little outfits that will be perfect at
catching his attention.”

“I saw one of them,” Makenna said dryly.
“I might also catch pneumonia.”

“Oh pooh, it’s not that skimpy! And
you’ll look great in it. Your legs are longer than mine, making it even shorter
on you. But save that for tomorrow night,” her friend cautioned. “Tonight you
should wear the green sweater.”

“The holey one you wear with that
flesh-colored camisole under it?”

“Yep. They can’t help but stare all
night, trying to see through the holes, trying to decide if that’s skin or
material they see under there!” She laughed, recalling the hapless men she had
teased with that very outfit. “Wear the jeans with the rhinestone pockets and
the silver strapped heels. You’ll have him eating out of your hand by the time
the night’s over. And this time, let him walk you to your door. If things are
going really good, invite him in for a night-cap.”

“We’ll see,” Makenna hedged. “You know
I’m not as good at this kind of thing as you are.”

“But this week you are me, remember?
Just do whatever you think I would do.”

“Okay, well, right now, I think you would
get back to work. I’m going to poke around in the neighboring town this
afternoon, and drive up into the mountains and see some of the sights. This
morning I just kicked around town, got a feel for the place.”

“Make sure you take a flashlight and that
your phone is charged.”

“Now who’s being cautious?”

“Hey, you’re traveling alone into the
mountains. Don’t take any chances.”

“Believe me, I won’t. And you take care
of yourself, too.”

She could hear the sigh through the
phone. “I’m sure they’ll be in here any minute, poking me with another needle.
They obviously have me mistaken for a pin-cushion.”

“I really am sorry, Kenzie. I wish I
could be there for you.”

“It’s not that I don’t miss you,
girlfriend, because I do. But you’re doing me such a huge favor by being where
you are.”

“Have you called your mother yet?”

Her friend’s sunny demeanor slipped.
“No,” she admitted. “And don’t you dare call her, either!”

“You really should tell your mother
you’ve been injured, Kenzie. She would want to know.”

“My mother hasn’t bothered calling me in
three and a half years. I could be dead, for all she knows. My father, too.”

“But you aren’t, Kenzie, and they are
your parents.” Her reproach was gentle.

“Then they should act like parents. My
family isn’t like yours, Makenna. Never has been, never will be. Just let it
go, sister. Don’t go there.” There was a firmness in her voice that Makenna
knew not to argue with.

The best friends had few secrets from
one another and shared every aspect of their lives, except for one: Kenzie’s
family life. After a difficult and emotionally starved childhood, her raven-haired
friend had become estranged with her parents shortly after graduating high
school. The Reagan family had happily “adopted” Kenzie into their fold and
given her the family she so obviously craved. Kenzie was there for every
holiday and every family gathering, and she and Makenna were truly sisters, in
every way other than blood.

“All right, I promise. I’m sorry I
brought it up, Kenzie. Please don’t let this get you down.”

She heard a smile come into her friend’s
voice. “Well, someone just walked through the door, and already my spirits are
better,” she murmured into the receiver. “I’ve got to go now, Makenna, the
doctor’s here.”

Makenna laughed, amazed at how quickly
her friend rebounded. “Okay, okay, you talk to your handsome doctor now. Tell
him to take extra good care of you.”