The Truth About Family Read online

  Usually, Danni didn’t mind hauling a few pieces of seasoned oak from their own personal stack but tonight it was just one more thing she didn’t want to do. She’d rather spend the evening with her new friends or at home listening to music. She smiled as she remembered the expression on her dad’s face when he’d heard her new hip-hop CD. It’d been somewhere between appalled and frightened. Good.

  “See? I told you once we got here, you’d have fun,” her father said, mistaking her smile for something else. “Let’s get that wood to Henry so we can get some hot cocoa.”

  Danni quickly replaced her smile with a sour expression as they trudged through the snow toward the brightly lit festival, the sounds of laughter, quartet singers and horses clip-clopping down the square filling the air between them.

  “Whatever you say,” she answered, hoping the acid in her tone was enough to convey how much she couldn’t stand to be around him anymore. She was rewarded with a brief flash of wounded feelings, which made her feel worse, but she refused to acknowledge it. “Just because you dragged me out here doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it. I’ve always thought this was dumb, anyway,” Danni lied, wishing that were true. She loved the Winter Festival. Sleigh rides, hay bale jumps, fresh cream cocoa…it was almost something out of a movie set. But instead of giving in to the delighted tingle in her stomach she glowered. “How long are we going to be here?”

  “Is this going to be your attitude all night?”

  “What do you think?” Danni shot back.

  “I don’t appreciate your tone, young lady,” he warned.

  “And I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

  “Danni—” he started, looking as if she’d just sucker punched him but she cut him off before he could say anything.

  “Don’t bother,” she answered sharply. “Just leave me alone.”

  She threw down the few pieces of wood she was carrying and broke into a run, nearly stumbling in her haste to get away from him. Her heart felt as if it were beating right in her throat and tears filled her eyes. Misery at her father’s betrayal threatened to swallow any joy the Winter Festival may have created.

  “Danni!”

  The sound of her father’s voice at her back only made her run faster. People went by in a blur as she pushed her way through the crowds, seeking only to get away before he could see her tears.

  Sparing a quick look behind her, she was relieved to find that she’d managed to lose her dad in the crowd. As she turned, she ran smack into a warm body carrying something wet. Something that was now trickling down both their fronts.

  “Oh, gross!” Danni exclaimed, forgetting that the accident had been her fault. “What is this stuff?”

  “That would be fresh cream,” the woman answered, shaking her hand free of the white coating. She gestured toward a booth manned by Vera Hampton and surrounded by the longest line Danni had ever seen at the Winter Festival. “For the infamous Granite Hills hot cocoa. Apparently, it’s what makes the stuff good enough to travel all the way from New York for a cup. And now, thanks to you we’re both wearing it.”

  Danni grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t see you.”

  The woman sighed, then shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It’s kind of fitting for the day I’ve had.” She extended a hand, cream and all to Danni. “Name’s Erin. What’s yours, kid?”

  “Danni,” she answered, grimacing as their hands connected and made squishy sounds. “Do you have a towel or something?”

  “Yeah, I think there’s a roll of paper towels tucked away somewhere at the booth. Come with me. This stuff might freeze and then we’ll be in a whole lot of trouble.”

  Edging past the long line, Danni followed Erin around the booth to the back where bags of supplies were within easy grasp. Erin tore into the plastic of a new paper-towel roll and handed Danni several sheets. “It’s not a shower but it’ll have to do,” she said, wiping her hands and the front of her sweater. “Unfortunately, by the end of the night we’re both going to smell like sour milk. Hope you don’t have a hot date or anything like that.”

  Danni cracked a smile. Like her dad would let her date. Although the thought had potential in terms of freaking him out. She’d have to give it some serious consideration later.

  “Erin, where’s that cream?” a voice called from the front of the booth. Danni looked at Erin and mouthed another apology.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Erin said. “To run the risk of using a cliché, there’s really no sense in crying over spilled milk, right?”

  “I guess.” Danni chewed the side of her cheek, not quite sure what to make of Erin, but suspecting that she was pretty cool.

  The flap separating them from the operating side of the booth parted and Mrs. Hampton poked her head out. “Erin? The cream?”

  Before Erin could answer, the woman’s gaze dropped to the obviously soiled fronts of their tops to the wad of paper towels at their feet, and her expression changed from annoyance to concern as she immediately recognized her. “Oh! Danni, what happened?”

  “A minor traffic accident,” Erin answered for them. “Fortunately, your cream was the only victim.” Taking a final scrub at the front of her sweater, she noted with a wry grin, “I see you two know each other?”

  Stupid small towns. A person couldn’t sneeze without someone on the other side of town knowing about it. “She works with my dad,” Danni acknowledged sullenly.

  “That’s right. Known her since she was this high.” Mrs. Hampton motioned to her knee, then took in the state of Danni’s sweatshirt and exclaimed, “You’re soaked through! If you stay like that you’ll catch your death out here and your poor father will be beside himself. Where is Colin, by the way?”

  For a second, Danni thought Erin hadn’t caught that last part until her eyes widened in recognition.

  “You’re not by any chance Colin Barrett’s daughter, are you?”

  Danni’s face fell and she answered glumly, “Yeah.” Then, she added under her breath, “Unfortunately.”

  Erin and Mrs. Hampton exchanged perplexed glances and Danni took that as her cue to leave but Mrs. Hampton was faster.

  “Oh, Erin, you’ve got to help Danni find her dad. She’ll freeze for sure with all that milk on her or at the very least catch a cold and I couldn’t live with myself knowing that. Would you mind?”

  Erin nodded but seemed concerned about leaving the older woman in the lurch. “You sure you can handle the booth for a while?”

  “If you can get me another batch of cream I’ll be fine for an hour or so. Danni can help you.”

  “Sound all right with you, kid?” Erin turned to Danni, but it wasn’t as if Danni were really expected to disagree.

  Grown-ups. Why did they ask questions you aren’t supposed to answer? She wanted to say no but she was raised to be polite and couldn’t bring herself to be rude. Besides, Erin seemed cool enough for an adult. She figured she could hang out for a while. It wasn’t like she could hide from her dad forever, anyway.

  ERIN STOLE A LOOK AT THE TEEN beside her and wondered at the cosmic irony. Of all the kids to run into, it had to be Colin Barrett’s daughter.

  “Alright, let’s go get that cream for Vera so that we can find your dad,” she said, shouldering her camera bag.

  “What’s that?” Danni asked.

  “My camera and all the lenses,” she explained as they walked out of the booth and into the small throng of people. “I’m a photographer for a magazine called American Photographic. Ever heard of it?”

  Danni shook her head and Erin shrugged. “Well, I’m not surprised. It’s a magazine geared toward a more mature age group.”

  “I’m not a baby,” Danni retorted, obviously stung by Erin’s remark.

  “Oh, I don’t mean that,” Erin said. “When I say ‘mature’ I mean more like retired. You know, old people.”

  Danni cracked a smile and answered with a sheepish “oh.” “So are you on assignment or something?”

  “Something like
that.” She drew a deep breath. “My aunt and father were in a bad car accident and I came back to make arrangements for the funeral.”

  “I heard something about an accident on Old Copper Road,” she admitted, then asked solemnly, “Who died?”

  “My aunt. Caroline Walker. Did you know her?”

  Danni’s eyes widened. “Yes, she used to deliver cookies to the school around Christmas.”

  Erin’s eyes misted even as she chuckled. “Yeah, she used to do that when I was a kid, too.”

  “Even though it’s against the rules to send treats to school unless they’re made at a bakery or sealed, they made an exception for Ms. Walker. I guess they figured she’d never put anything bad in the cookies like some people.”

  Erin nodded. “I suppose so.”

  “She was real nice,” Danni offered, biting her lip. “I’m sorry.”

  Erin accepted her condolences and they walked in relative silence, each checking out the sights before Danni returned to the subject of Erin’s work.

  “So, they’re making you work even though your aunt died? Don’t you get some kind of leave?”

  “Oh, the decision to work was my own,” Erin answered. “I know it seems weird to actually want to work at a time like this but photography has always been my outlet for everything…even grief.” She risked a smile. “It’s cheaper than a shrink.”

  Danni giggled. “I’ll bet.”

  “And, I’m up for this really big promotion and it would’ve been a bad idea to take time off if I want to be seriously considered.”

  “That sucks,” Danni said, her nose wrinkling. “Sounds like your boss is mean.”

  “He is.” Kid, you have no idea. “But he’s the best in the business and I’m going to write my ticket with his name on my resume.”

  Danni looked confused. “What does that mean?”

  Erin laughed. “It means if I can survive everything Harvey Wallace can throw at me then I will walk away from American Photographic with the credentials to open the door to any magazine in the business.”

  “Are you any good?”

  Danni’s blunt question startled her. “Of course, I’m good.”

  “Then why do you need some old mean guy to write you a ticket to someplace that you can get to yourself?”

  Erin did a double take. “Are you sure you’re only thirteen?”

  “Yeah, but I’m in all advanced classes.” Danni grinned.

  “I’ll bet.”

  “So, what’s your assignment about?”

  “It’s a spread called Hometown America,” she answered, surprised at the girl’s interest. “I figure the Winter Festival is a perfect fit for what my editor is looking for.”

  “Have you found anything yet?”

  Erin shrugged. “Nothing really but I’ve been busy helping Vera at the booth.” She gave Danni an assessing look. “Maybe you could help me out.”

  Danni’s face lit up at the prospect and Erin smiled at her enthusiasm. “Yeah? How?”

  “Well, if you see something that seems particularly pretty or interesting, let me know and I’ll shoot it. Sound good?”

  Danni nodded and a deal was struck. They made quick work of getting another batch of cream for Vera and then they set off through the festival.

  They’d only been walking a few moments when Danni ventured a possibility.

  “You know my dad said that the Winter Festival is one of the last places you can find a real true bonfire at a public function because of the liability or something like that.” She turned to gauge Erin’s reaction to her suggestion and Erin rewarded her with a thoughtful nod.

  “You know you may be onto something, kid,” she said. “Let’s check it out.”

  As they approached the area cordoned off for the bonfire, Erin only had to take one look around to know that Danni had good instincts. People from all ages enjoyed the welcome heat from the massive blaze, while sparks of hot embers floated into the night sky before expiring in a flash like doomed fireflies. The glow from the fire gave everything a peachy tint that softened and diffused, and the sound of laughter carried on the subtle breeze. She knelt and carefully pulled her high-end Nikon digital from the bag and selected an appropriate lens for the low light. She knew without having to look that Danni was watching her carefully, totally absorbed in what Erin was going to do next. She smiled to herself and lifted the camera to her eye. She’d snapped two or three shots when her eye fell on the scene that sent her photography senses twittering.

  It was old man Henry. A face, though half-hidden in shadow, she recognized. Despite the years, his craggy, yet surprisingly gentle features hadn’t changed all that much. Swallowing the lump that had inexplicably risen in her throat, she focused on her subject.

  As if sensing her direction, Danni trained her gaze on the old man. “You almost can’t see his face….” she whispered.

  “That’s okay,” Erin whispered back, taking a quick moment to adjust her f-stop. “I’m more interested in his profile and his hands.”

  Henry was resting his hands atop the long-handled shovel he used to keep the logs in place as they burned. The light from the fire softened the lines on his face but there was no mistaking the quiet contented expression. This was a job he did every year and it gave him purpose. She swallowed and snapped another picture, immortalizing old man Henry with megapixels and digital bits. She lowered her camera and shot a quick smile at Danni.

  “You think it’s gonna be a good picture?” Danni asked, her tone hopeful.

  “Probably one of the best,” she answered truthfully. In one of his rare moments of generosity, Harv had once said she had a knack for knowing what was going to stand out to make a good photograph. It was her gift. Old man Henry reminded her of a brick building she’d photographed in Illinois that everyone had taken for granted until it was torn down. Tears pricked her eyes suddenly and Erin had to blink hard to force them back. Time to move on. She turned to Danni with a bright smile. “Want to get something to eat?”

  Later, as they were finishing their fish and chips, Erin knew it was time to broach the subject of Danni’s father. It’d been nearly an hour and they still hadn’t found Colin. Nor did it seem as if Danni were in a hurry to be found. Tossing her trash in the bin nearest them, Erin leveled with her.

  “Your dad is probably worried sick right about now. I figured we’d run into him, but seeing as we didn’t, does your dad by any chance have a cell phone so that we could call him?”

  Danni’s formerly contented expression fell sour but she gave a short nod.

  Perplexed by Danni’s obvious reluctance to find her dad, Erin held off making the phone call. “What’s going on? Anything you want to talk about?”

  Danni gave her a look that was probably meant to appear rebellious but for someone who was a pro at projecting an attitude to hide something else entirely, she knew the kid was hurting. “I take it you and your dad aren’t getting along right now.” When Danni failed to answer, she ventured a little further. “What’s the fight about?”

  “Nothing you’d want to hear about,” she answered darkly.

  “Let me fill you in on a little secret. If I didn’t want to know I wouldn’t ask. I don’t do things out of courtesy. My aunt used to say it was one of my most enduring character flaws. So, if I ask, it’s genuine.”

  Danni’s eyes widened at Erin’s frank tone but she seemed to loosen up a bit.

  “I don’t know your dad that well but I’ve got to say he seems—” strong, reliable, even caring “—pretty nice. Am I wrong?”

  “Oh, yeah? Well, he’s a liar,” Danni shot back.

  A liar? Erin hadn’t expected that one. “How so?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she answered glumly and Erin knew enough to back off. The kid would talk when she was ready.

  “Okay, let’s call your dad before he has the entire Granite Hills P.D. out looking for you.”

  “He would, too,” Danni mumbled.

  Any good fa
ther would. Erin smiled and dialed the number Danni had given her. She took a discreet, steadying breath and braced herself for another encounter with Colin.

  Five minutes following the quick phone call, Colin strode into view. It took extreme effort to keep her facial expression from betraying the unexpected flutter that had begun in her belly the moment he appeared, but she did it.

  “Thank God, you’re all right,” he said in one breath and thanked Erin in the next. “I was out of my mind worried when I couldn’t find her. I didn’t think it was possible to lose someone in a place so small but I was wrong. Thank you for finding her.”

  Erin nodded but waved away his thanks. “I didn’t actually find her. We ran into each other.” When he didn’t understand, she pointed to her soiled shirt. “We both got cream down our fronts, which is actually the reason why we were looking for you. She needs to change or else she’s going to catch a cold or something.”

  As if on cue, Danni sneezed and Colin agreed with Erin’s logic. He turned to Danni, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get you home, then.” He looked at Erin. “How about you? Do you have something to change into?”

  Erin sighed, wishing she had time to go home and change, but knew she didn’t. Vera was probably wondering what was taking her so long. “I’ll be fine.” When he didn’t seem convinced, she tried making light of his concern. “Don’t worry, I’m a big girl. I can handle a sniffle or two. Really. Don’t worry about it.”

  Despite her assurances, he did seem worried. Finally, he gestured for her to follow. “Come with me, I’ve got a sweatshirt in the truck that you can borrow.”

  Erin started to protest but Danni stopped her. “He’s right, Erin. It’s pretty cold out here. Just take the sweatshirt.”

  It was hard to refute logic, especially when it felt as if ice crystals were starting to form on her chest. She grudgingly relented but tried not to put too much value into the gesture.