Shadow Creek (21 page)

“Brianne?” a faint voice answered.

“Tyler, Tyler, thank God. Where are you?” His response was inaudible. “Never mind. Listen, we’re at Starbright Campsites near Lake George. What time is it?” she hissed toward Hayden.

He checked his watch. “Almost nine o’clock.”

“I’ll meet you at the front entrance to the campground at midnight,” she said, not sure whether Tyler was even still on the line. “Did you hear me? Tyler?” Again, static filled the airwaves. And then, nothing. “Damn it. It’s dead. I don’t know for sure if he heard me.”

“You really think that’s a good idea?”

“Do I think
what
is a good idea?”

“Meeting your boyfriend. Your mom’ll be pissed.”

“My mom will be sound asleep.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Unless you’re planning on telling her …”

“No, of course not.”

“ ’Cause then I’d have to come back and kill you,” Brianne said without smiling. “You know that, don’t you?”

“You’re one scary chick,” Hayden said.

Brianne laughed, feeling better about tonight already. It was almost nine o’clock. Everyone was exhausted. In another hour,
they’d very likely be asleep, including James, with whom she’d be sharing a tent. She’d plead a weak bladder, make hourly trips to the john, so that in the unlikely event James woke up, she’d have an excuse ready. It would be easy. Like taking candy from a baby, she thought, wondering if Hayden could tell her where
that
expression came from. “Let’s go,” she said, eager now to get back to the camp.

Which was when they heard the rustle of leaves and the cracking of twigs and knew they weren’t alone. Someone had been watching them. Someone had overheard their entire conversation.

A bear? Her mother? Brianne held her breath, not sure which option she preferred.

“Excuse me. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” a voice said, as a man stepped out of the shadows.

It took Brianne only a few seconds to recognize the familiar uniform of the park rangers: the crisp beige shirt, the tin badge, the holstered gun. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said with an audible groan.

“You two mind telling me your names?” the ranger asked.

“Why should we?” Brianne challenged.

“Hayden Parker,” Hayden answered, speaking over her, his back automatically straightening, his shoulders stiffening, as if he’d been instructed to stand at attention. “This is Brianne Rowe. We’re staying at Starbright Campsites.”

“Henry Voight. Pleased to meet you,” the ranger said with a sheepish grin. “Look, believe it or not, I was once as young as you are, and I’m truly sorry to have to do this, but I’m afraid I have to insist you get back there. It’s really not a good idea for you to be out here alone at this hour. It’s dark, there are animals—”

“We were just about to head back,” Brianne interrupted,
thinking that, in the dark, the ranger didn’t look much older than Hayden. And he was much cuter, she couldn’t help but note.

“Then please allow me to escort you,” he said.

“No, really, that’s not necessary.”

The ranger’s smile hardened with authority. The smile said it wasn’t up to her. “It would be my pleasure.”

Brianne gritted her teeth. She knew from experience there was no point in arguing.

J
ENNIFER TURNED OFF HER tiny flashlight and closed the book she’d spent all evening pretending to read, wondering if she’d fooled anyone. She shook her head, deciding she was no different than the others. They’d all spent the night pretending: Melissa and James acting as if they were having a grand old time singing show tunes and sharing ghost stories around the campfire when they’d undoubtedly rather be in Manhattan, sharing a luxury suite at the Plaza; Brianne playing the role of obedient daughter while, all the while, her eyes were hurling invisible daggers at her mother; Val going off with some guy she’d known from high school when it was painfully obvious to anyone with half a brain that she was still hung up on her soon-to-be ex-husband. Not to mention that ridiculous kiss. In clear view of everyone. What was that all about? Was
Val challenging her to report it to Evan? Did she really think it might make him jealous? Did she really think he’d care?

Would he? Jennifer wondered, trying to erase all such thoughts from her mind.

Go ahead, make a fool of yourself, she told Val silently, glancing toward the campfire through downcast eyes to where Val was now not so comfortably lodged between her two friends. I’m not going to be the one who reports your adolescent maneuverings to Evan. What you do is of no concern to me. Or him.

Hopefully he got the message she’d left for him after they were forced to vacate their suite, telling him where they’d be and asking him to contact her through the campground office, since her cell phone was pretty much useless out here. So far, nothing. Jennifer glanced in the direction of the entrance to the camp, praying to see Evan striding purposefully toward her, a big smile on his handsome face, his arms open wide to embrace her, but all she saw was Val in animated conversation with Melissa and James. Go ahead—pretend to ignore me, she thought. Pretend you aren’t acutely aware of my every move. Pretend you aren’t enjoying my discomfort. Pretend you’re not loving every fucking minute of this whole awful, ridiculous sideshow of a weekend.

Jennifer’s eyes dropped toward the ground. They were no better than the unruly children they’d watched running around the campfire earlier in the night, waving long sticks and shouting, “Bang! Bang! You’re dead!” as they pretended to mow one another down with machine guns. She’d breathed a deep sigh of relief when their parents had finally, mercifully, sent them off to sleep, although one little girl continued to cry out, at regular intervals, for her mother.

Sudden tears swam into Jennifer’s line of vision, catching her off guard. Do we ever stop needing our mothers? she found herself wondering, watching as an image of her once-vibrant mother filled the dark sky, only to start breaking up and disintegrating in the cool air, shrinking and caving in on itself, her cheeks hollowing out, her eyes retreating inward, as if seeing only pain.

Amazing, she thought, how in the end, it all came down to mothers.

Do we ever stop missing them? Do we ever stop crying out for them, however silently? Do we ever outgrow our desire to crawl inside their arms and press our head against their breasts and wallow in the singular comfort of their unconditional love?

Do we ever grow up? Do we ever even graduate from high school? she thought with a chuckle. How fitting that Gary should turn up on this, of all weekends. She pretended to be yawning as she pushed some hair away from her eyes while secretly stealing another glance at Val.

She’d been plagued by Valeries all her life. While she might have been routinely selected head cheerleader and regularly voted Most Beautiful, it was the Valeries of this world who generally triumphed in the end. They somehow managed to get the grades and the guys without alienating anyone. They were just pretty enough to attract attention, but not so attractive as to be considered a serious threat. They were smart, but smart enough to keep it under the radar. They were the girls nobody begrudged being voted Prom Queen and Most Likely to Succeed, not because anyone thought they were particularly worthy of such honors but because they seemed the least dangerous choice.

But you
are
dangerous, aren’t you? Jennifer thought now, as
Val’s eyes reached through the darkness toward hers, grabbing them and refusing to let go. Your confidence is your weapon of choice, and you wield it without mercy.

Jennifer felt herself melting under the intensity of Val’s gaze, and she looked away, pushing herself to her feet and taking off with no clear idea of where she was headed. She felt Val’s eyes following her. “Careful,” she heard somebody say as she tripped over her feet, righting herself before her knees hit the ground, then continuing to stumble toward the far end of the camp. “Too much to drink,” she heard someone mutter with disapproval.

A sudden impulse seized her—the urge to run, as far and as fast as she could. Run from the campsite, from the mountains, from all the Valeries of this world. I give up! she imagined shouting back at them as she fled. You win. I’m tired of trying to compete. I’m tired of never measuring up. I’m tired of being the object of your scorn, of pretending to be who you think I am, tired of pretending to be who you
want
me to be.

“I’m just plain tired,” she said out loud, coming to an abrupt halt in front of the row of portable toilets at the far end of the camp.

“So, go to bed,” a voice said from out of the darkness.

Jennifer spun around. “Brianne?” she asked, watching the girl emerge from behind a line of dense trees, followed immediately by two young men. One of them was Hayden. She didn’t recognize the other. “Where have you been? Your mother’s about to call in the troops.
Again
.”

“Too late. They’re already here.” Brianne motioned toward the uniformed stranger. “This is Henry,” she said, introducing the park ranger. “Henry, meet Jennifer.”

“A pleasure.” Henry extended his hand, his eyes swallowing her in one appreciative glance.

Jennifer noted his handshake was surprisingly gentle,
although his gaze was direct and penetrating. “Is there a problem?” she asked guardedly, thinking she should have run away when she had the chance.

“No problem,” he said. “I just thought it was a little late and a little dark for these two to be off in the woods alone.”

“If you’re asking if I was caught with my pants down,
again
,” Brianne said, repeating both the word and the emphasis, “the answer is no.”

Jennifer tried not to look either shocked or annoyed, although in truth she was a bit of both. “You should probably go reassure your mother.”

“Honestly,” Brianne said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, “you’d think I was two years old.” She turned toward the park ranger. “So, you want to come meet Mommy?”

“No, thank you. I think my job here is done.”

“Coward,” said Brianne over her shoulder as she turned and walked away.

“Love the shoes,” Henry called after her.

Brianne extended one bare arm above her head and waved without looking back.

“Nice meeting you,” Hayden said, offering his hand to the ranger.

“Easy, there,” Henry said as Hayden pumped his hand enthusiastically. “That’s quite the grip you’ve got.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean …”

“That’s all right. A strong handshake is usually a good indicator you have nothing to hide.”

Hayden looked vaguely puzzled by the remark. “Okay, yeah, well … I don’t … have anything to hide, that is.”

“You’re sure of that?” the ranger teased.

Now Hayden looked startled, as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Hey, man, just kidding,” the ranger assured him.

Hayden began quickly backing away.

What was that all about? Jennifer wondered, watching Henry as he watched Hayden disappear from sight. In profile, the park ranger seemed older than he did face-on, his nose wider, his jawline squarer, more pronounced. Probably about my age, she decided, thinking he looked exhausted, maybe even as tired as she felt. “It’s a little late to be patrolling, isn’t it?”

“Normally, yes. But we were asked to put in a little overtime.”

“Any particular reason?”

A look of concern flashed through the ranger’s eyes.

“Not that you’re obligated to tell me anything,” Jennifer immediately qualified.

“No, it’s okay.” He paused, clearly debating with himself whether to continue. “A man’s been reported missing,” he said after another pause of several seconds.

“You mean David Gowan?”

Henry looked surprised. “Yes. You know him? Have you seen him?”

“No,” Jennifer said quickly. “Just that we were all staying at the lodge last night, and this morning, we heard he’d disappeared. You still haven’t found him?”

“Not yet,” Henry admitted. “But if he’s somewhere in these woods, he’ll turn up sooner or later. Although probably not tonight.” He checked his watch. “I was actually just about to pack it in when I ran across Brianne and Hayden. And, just to set your mind at ease, they
were
fully dressed.”

Jennifer smiled wearily. “Not really my concern.”

Now it was Henry’s turn to smile. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, seemingly in no hurry to leave. “Do you mind my asking what your relationship
is
to Brianne? Not
that you’re obliged to tell me anything,” he added, with a sly smile. “I mean, I’m not asking in any official capacity or anything. It’s just that … God, you’re beautiful,” he said in the next breath. “Sorry to sound like such a dolt. I’m sure you hear that all the time.”

Jennifer lowered her eyes and tried not to smile. It was true. She was used to this reaction from men. Still, after the last twenty-four hours, it felt nice to be acknowledged in a positive way. “Believe me, it’s not something you get tired of hearing. In fact, thank you. I think I needed that.”

“Entirely my pleasure. Anytime.”

“Brianne is my fiancé’s daughter,” Jennifer explained, deciding she’d better put the park ranger out of his misery before he got his hopes up too high. If Henry
was
entertaining any thoughts of cuddling around the campfire, it would be in everyone’s best interests to put those thoughts to rest as soon as possible.

He nodded understanding. “I had a feeling you might say something like that.” He stared idly in the direction of the center of the camp, his brow furrowing in obvious confusion. “And yet, didn’t I hear you say that Brianne’s mother is here, too?”

“Aha! The plot thickens. Yes, Brianne’s mother is indeed here, too.”

“You got a sort of
Big Love
thing going on?” Henry was referring to the once-popular TV show about a man with several wives.

Jennifer laughed out loud. “No, I’m afraid there’s not a lot of love going on around here, big or otherwise.”

“Sounds even more interesting.”

“It isn’t, really.”

“But it
is
none of my business.”