The Girl Most Likely To... (15 page)

Besides, was it even possible to overreact these days? Madeline wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, thinking of the average night of network newssuicide bombings and schoolroom shootings, a killing spree here and a paranoid rampage there. Private delusions didn't always stay private.

Sometimes they exploded all over the place, changing history.

Madeline turned around and gasped. Carrie was right up against her. How had she moved without making a sound, especially draped in all that fabric?

I didn't mean to scare you, Carrie whispered.

Oh. Sure. No problem. Madeline braced herself on the edge of the sink and leaned back to gain a few inches of distance from Carrie.

It's not wise to pass judgment without all the facts, Madeline. Carrie said this as sweetly and as patiently as if she were showing a child how to use a salad fork. As your friend, I'm just giving you that bit of advice.

Madeline tried to produce a smile; all the while her heart was thudding in her chest. Thanks.

You were not privy to the events that led up to the wedding's cancellation.

OK. She tried to move a little to the left without Carrie noticing. It didn't work.

Carrie's eyes flashed. Since you brought all this up, how about we just stay put and finish this conversation?

Madeline nodded, mentally calculating how many steps it would take before she could lunge for the kitchen wall phone.

You see, that girlthat Kat Cavanaughshe is responsible for all this. She must have heard that Riley was about to marry me, and she used her poor dying mother to pass on the rumor about a baby, just in time to ruin everything.

Madeline jolted to attention, her focus moving from 911 to the word baby. What baby?

Carrie laughed. Oh, she claims that Riley fathered a child back in high school, a child no one has ever seen or met. She timed the rumor for maximum devastation, just in time to stop the wedding. She was jealous, no doubt. Carrie shook her head in disgust. Thenthis is the most despicable partthat woman led Riley on a wild-goose chase all over the country to find this alleged child. She did it to distract him, take his attention off of me, and ruin my life.

A baby?

So she claims.

Did he find it?

Of course not. There /is/ no baby. That's my whole pointaren't you paying attention? Carrie sighed with impatience. Remember when Riley told everyone he was taking a leave to care for a relative out west?

That was a liehe was out searching for the non-existent child!

Madeline hadn't heard anything this juicy since 1999, when Ralph down at the Sunoco had sent away for that mail-order bride who broke out in hives when she met him and cried for two weeks straight until he agreed to ship her back to Romania.

So this is why Kat Cavanaugh came back herewithout a child, you'll have noticedjust in time to ruin my plans for the second time!

Madeline tried to shake off the confusion. Riley got Kat pregnant? But Kat said they hadn't seen each other since sophomore year, before she disappeared. But that would make perfect sense! Kat was pregnant when she left town! Oh, this was just too delicious! This made way too much sense!

You have no right to judge me. Carrie's gaze drifted past Madeline's face to the window over the sink, where it seemed to settle in unfocused peace. You don't know how much I love Riley and how I only have his best interests at heart. You don't know that I am only doing my job as his woman. I am taking care of him, don't you see?

Carrie refocused on Madeline, cheerful again. And when he realizes everything I've done all this time to protect him, he won't want to wait another day for me to be his bride! And here I'll be…

She stepped away from Madeline, beaming now, gesturing to her gown like a game-show hostess. I'll have everything arranged! And, of course, you'll be a bridesmaid.

I will?

I've ordered you a gorgeous red velvet gown with a flattering empire waist. I had to guess at the sizesixteen?

Madeline felt her eyes go big.

Now do you understand all this, Maddie?

She gave a weak nod, sort of understanding.

So just relax. Carrie gave Madeline's shoulder a friendly squeeze. I'm not crazy. I'm just very, very efficient.

Riley pulled on a light jacket, took the cordless phone and a cold beer out to the front porch, and chose the sturdiest of the old wooden rockers for his purposes. Loretta plopped down at his feet.

Listen up, girl, he said to the hound, pointing the phone in her direction. This is just about the most important conversation I've ever had in my life, so keep the play-by-play to a minimum decibel level, if you please. /Aaahrooomfff,/ she said.

Riley set the beer on the porch floor and studied the wallet-sized photo of his son. In just two days, he'd handled the picture so often it had taken on the gloss of age. He flipped it over and stared at the phone numbers in Kat's handwriting. It was a small comfort, but he had to admit he was relieved to at least know where both Kat and Aidan were, and that they were both safe, even if she wouldn't answer his calls. As things stood, this thin scrap of paper was the only proof he had that Kat's visit had been real and not just the best fucking dream he'd had in twenty years.

He punched in the area code and paused, still not certain which of the numbers he should try firstthe dorm phone or the cell phone? Probably the cell. All the students at Mountain Laurel had cell phones plastered to the sides of their heads all day, every day, and he figured it couldn't be much different for the kids at Johns Hopkins. He hit the numbers quickly and waited for the ring.

He got a busy signal.

Riley disconnected and had begun to dial the other number when his phone rang. He blinked twice in disbelief, because Aidan's cell number had just flashed on the caller ID. He was nearly breathless when he answered. Hello, this is Riley Bohland.

The line stayed silent for an instant before a deep voice said, Uh, this is going to sound totally strange…

Hello, Aidan.

Or not.

A goofy smile spread all over Riley's face and he let out a laugh. It was all he could do. After all this time, his boy was on the other end of the line! And he sounded grown-up and strong. Funny. Smart. He sounded /real./ I just called you, Aidan. Your line was busy.

Because I was calling you, I guess.

Yes.

Wow. Look, I just wanted to introduce myself. I, uh, this is pretty awkward, but I don't have any freakin' idea what to call you: Dr.

Bohland? Riley? /Dad?/ I mean, that just sounds totally surreal coming out of my mouthI've never used that word in my life.

Riley closed his eyes and took a deep breath, saying a silent prayer of thanks for his boy's ner vous rambling. It gave Riley a chance to savor the timbre of Aidan's voice and the rhythm of his words. It was the sound of pure joy pouring down on him, and Riley let a tear roll down his cheek without wiping it away.

You can call me anything you like, Aidan. It's fine if you're not ready to think of me as your father. There's a lot to figure out between usa lot to get used to.

Cool, Aidan said. Then he went quiet again.

Cool, Riley said, smiling.

Uh, look. The thing is, my mom told me about you just today, at lunch. I never knew you existed until a few hours ago. It was kind of a shock, if you know what I'm saying.

Riley adjusted himself in the chair, uncrossing and recrossing his legs, rocking back and forth to relieve the tension. Whatever he did, he didn't want to push too hard, make Aidan angry, or make him regret what he'd learned that day. It was the same kind of shock for me. I didn't know you existed until last year.

Mom told me.

It took a lot of courage for you to call, Aidan. And I thank you. Riley began to relax, believing they were off to a solid start. I'm glad you're willing to talk.

Aidan sounded surprised. Of course I'm willing. I'm your kid, I guess.

You sure are, Riley said, shaking his head in amazement. You have no idea how obvious it is. I saw your picture.

You did? Which one?

Your mom gave me your senior class photo.

Aidan groaned. God, I hate that picture.

Riley laughed. He'd hated his senior picture, too. A year or two after graduation, everyone did, no matter how they'd primped and agonized over it at the time. It was another rite of passage he'd missed with Aidan.

One of thousands.

Riley felt a sudden sadness. Kat had never had a senior picture to hate.

She should have had oneright there in the /Underwood Overview,/ their high school's yearbook, the names Bohland and Cavanaugh separated by the same three kids who'd acted as yearbook spacers from kindergarten forwardbucktoothed Emily Bok, Travis Butt Head Butrick, and the pathologically shy Anna Callahan.

So I look like you?

Riley refocused on his son's voice. Yes, but you look so much like my brother, it's scary.

How many brothers and sisters do you have? Do they have kids? Do I have any cousins? By the excited way Aidan asked, it was clear this was a newand welcomeconcept.

No sisters and just one brother, Matthew. Your uncle Matt is the police chief of Persuasion. He's a few years younger than me, and he doesn't have any kids. No cousins.

Aidan remained quiet.

My parentsyour grandparentshave both passed away. My mother died when I was twelve. My daddy died about five years ago. You're named after him.

Did you know that? His name was Aidan Bohland.

No shit.

It's true.

OK. So I don't have any grandparents left at all?

Riley stopped the back-and-forth motion of the rocker, struck by the pain in his son's voice. Here Aidan was, suddenly discovering at age nineteen that he came from somewhere and was part of a family, only to find out much of the family was gone. Riley swallowed hard, remembering how Kat had expressly told him not to mention Aidan to Virgil, but what about the other way around? Aidan was an adult. If he wanted to initiate contact with his grandfather, that was Aidan's decision to make.

Besides, Riley's son had just asked him a question that deserved an honest answer.

I would ask that you get the details from your mom, but I will tell you that you do have a grandfatherVirgil Cavanaugh is his name. He's an artist and a retired college professor. He still lives here in town.

Aidan's silence made Riley aware of how cold that response must have sounded, how anyone would expect something more at the end of that sentence, such as, /and I'm sure he can't wait to meet you!/ Unfortunately, Riley didn't know what Virgil wantedor what he even deserved.

Jeez, Aidan said sarcastically. Is this where you tell me he was a quiet man, kept to himself, and no one ever suspected he killed squirrels in his basement?

Riley let go with a big laugh, which was Loretta's cue to begin her howling harmony. He tried to shush her, but she was on a roll.

What is /that/?

Riley wrapped his fingers gently around the dog's gray snout, muffling the howls. That's just Loretta. She's a talkative old coonhound. He patted her on her head and resumed his rocking. And no, Virgil isn't a psycho killer, but he's not the nicest guy you'll ever meet, and I'm not even sure your mom would want me telling you anything about him.

When Aidan spoke, his words were tinged with disappointment. Mom told me today that her mother died recently, but she didn't say one word about what's-his-name.

Virgil.

Right.

The loneliness Riley heard in his son's voice nearly broke his heart.

Aidan, if there's one thing you take away from this conversation, you've got to know that I started looking for you the minute I learned you existed. Riley stopped and took a breath before the emotions could overrun him. I tried to find you and your mom. It's a long story and I'll tell you all about it sometime, but the second I knew you were alive in the world, I went searching for you.

I know. Mom told me.

Riley detected anger along with Aidan's disappointment, and he didn't blame him. Look, I agree that your mom made a mistake when she chose not to tell you that you had a dad or I had a son. It was a whopper of a mistake.

You could say that, Aidan said, laughing uncomfortably.

I would have loved to have been your dad all this time.

Yeah.

But your mom had her reasons, Aidan. It's hard to see them from where we sit today, but Katyour momshe really believed she had no choice. Things weren't great for her here.

Apparently not. But did that give her a right to keep me in the dark for my entire life? I mean… Aidan paused and sighed. It's just that I'm so fucking pissed at her right now, I don't know what to do.

Don't cut her off, Aidan. Give it some time. You know, it took a lot of guts for your mom to tell you the truth after all these years, knowing how mad you'd be.

But she totally lied to me.

Yes, she did. Riley tried to soothe him without coming off as condescending. She lied to me, too. I understand how you feel.

No, you don't! You can't! Aidan stopped, lowering his voice as he continued. Look, this whole thing has just blown my mindit's like waking up one day and finding out that nothing is what you thought it was.

That's exactly what's happenedfor both of us.

Yeah. OK. Aidan took his time before he said anything more. So what do we do now?

Riley was wondering the same thing, and he smiled because he was so pleased with the person his son had turned out to be. He was articulate, sensitive, brave. But Riley was smiling mostly because his son had just asked him for guidance. He breathed deeply, images of Big Daddy steamrolling through his head. Sure, Big Daddy had done a lot of things right, but Riley would never bulldoze his kid the way his father had, and he'd always believed that, if ever given the chance, he'd figure out a way to be his own kind of father.