Lakeside Sweetheart (7 page)

“Let her sit a while,” Wanda said. “She'll be in when the others start coming. She has her eye on a boy she met in school, and I'm not so sure that's a good idea. He's not exactly a good influence, so we've been keeping an eye on that situation.”

Rory nodded. “Okay. We'll give her some space. I'll go help Carl with the cups and ice.”

Wanda chuckled. “Check on my husband's choice of drinks, too. He got sugary soda when I told him to get lemonade.”

“We can have both,” Rory said. “I have big cans of powdered lemonade.”

Rory glanced around one more time when he heard the door to the sunny gathering hall opening. Would Vanessa show up?

Chapter Seven

V
anessa stood on the front steps of her house, casting covert glances over at the church. She'd been standing there at least ten minutes, watching as a few adults and several teenagers trickled into the church gathering room.

She should go on over there and get it over with. She'd gone by Marla's Marvelous Desserts and bought two dozen cupcakes, and she sure couldn't eat them all by herself.

Well, actually she could do that. But she shouldn't. She wouldn't. Unless tonight went badly, and then she'd bring them back home and eat at least three. But she'd promised Marla she would make an effort.

“Oh, please do,” Marla had said, all cheery and smiling. “Rory tries so hard, and a lot of these kids need the affirmation of good adult friends. You'll be perfect, Vanessa.”

Not so perfect but she was interested.

Steeling herself, she grabbed the cupcake boxes and checked her black jersey flared skirt and floral T-shirt. She'd pass muster since most of the teens were wearing shorts and T-shirts anyway.

Halfway there, she noticed a young girl sitting on the top of an old picnic table near the curb. The girl looked so dejected and alone, Vanessa's heart went out to her. Maybe she'd come inside and Vanessa could meet her. But what would they talk about? The weather? The latest movies?

Vanessa felt out of her element. How could she even think she might be able to be some sort of mentor to a troubled teen? She'd be leaving soon and besides, she avoided children like the plague.

As she neared the church, the girl glanced up and right into Vanessa's eyes with a daring stare full of attitude. She had short brown spiked hair and wore a torn bright blue T-shirt over baggy black pants, the dark kohl around her eyes matching her even blacker lace-up boots. Bangles and string bracelets of every shape and color folded against each other like an accordion up and down both her wrists. And a big clunky necklace full of various charms weighed down her neck like an albatross.

Immediately intrigued, Vanessa smiled. “Hi,” she said as she neared the girl.

The girl kept staring but didn't say anything.

Vanessa tried again. “I...uh... I love your jewelry. Eclectic.”

A distrustful stare followed by surprise and a mumbled, “Thanks.”

“Are you going inside?”

“I'm waiting for someone.”

“I'm new here,” Vanessa said, her heart hurting for this girl. She looked forlorn and lost, and her attitude was too familiar. “I kind of dread going in there.”

The girl gave her another bored glance. “Why?”

“I don't like being part of organized religion.”

A snort followed by another baffled stare. “Then why are you here?”

Vanessa moved a couple of feet closer. “I don't know, really. It's just that—”

A tall, lanky boy with jet-black hair walked up behind the girl and put his arms around her waist. Giving Vanessa a sullen glance, he said, “Hey, baby,” into the girl's triple-pierced ear.

“Rocky,” the girl said with a real smile that made her beautiful. “I thought you'd ditched me.”

“Never. But you could ditch this stupid place and come with me.”

The girl shot Vanessa a glance—part tell-me-stay and part don't-you-dare-stop-me.

Vanessa saw trouble all over this. “Hey, let's get inside before all the food is gone.”

The girl glanced back at Romeo-Dracula and then gave Vanessa a strange glaring look. “I have to go inside, Rocky. My foster mom won't let me leave with you. So if you don't want to stay, I guess we can't do anything together after all.”

Rocky shot Vanessa an accusing stare full of blame. “So, don't ask her. This nice lady won't tell, will you?”

Vanessa stepped closer. “I don't want to sound bossy, but you really should come inside with me. You're right. Your foster mother will be worried.”

“Hey, lady, back off,” Tall, Dark and Pale said, his winged eyebrows reminding Vanessa of a skinny bat.

The girl whirled on him. “She's trying to be nice.”

“Nice?” The boy stepped away as if he'd been burned. “Nice? Is that seriously a word?”

“It is if you know how to use your manners,” the girl said. “Which you obviously don't.”

“Whatever!”

The boy gave Vanessa a rage-filled glare and turned to stalk away. The girl hopped off the bench and almost went after him. But she pivoted instead, her face full of a jagged resolve. “Well, that didn't last very long.”

“I'm sorry,” Vanessa said. “I shouldn't have interfered.”

But she was glad she had.

The girl brushed past her with more than a dollop of swagger. “I was gonna break up with him anyway.”

Vanessa wanted to say something else when she looked up to find Rory standing outside the gathering hall doors, a surprised grin on his handsome face.

“How much of that did you hear?” Vanessa asked Rory after Kandi whirled past him with her gaze on her boots.

“Enough,” he said, wondering why Vanessa and Kandi had been talking in the first place. “Did she say something smart-alecky to you?”

“No. We were beginning to have a conversation when some sort of Goth James Dean tried to entice her to go away with him.”

Rory took in Vanessa's pretty outfit and the white boxes marked with Marla's trademark dessert label. “So...you stopped Kandi from making a really bad mistake?”

“I suggested we should go inside, yes.”

“Good move. Wanda, her foster mother, told me Kandi has been hanging out with a boy who might not be suitable. So where is Mr. Wonderful?”

“He got mad and swooped away after Kandi basically told him to get some manners.”

“Good for her.” Rory took the pastry boxes. “You brought goodies.”

“I wasn't sure what to bring,” Vanessa said, looking as if she'd like to run back home. “I wasn't sure if I'd even come.”

“I know.” He leaned close. “You can leave at any time. We have several exit doors.”

She gave him one of her half smiles. “Thanks.” Then she glanced toward the door to the building. “So that girl, Kandi, is in the foster program?”

“Yes. She just turned sixteen. Lost her mother when she was ten and never knew her father. The Peppermons have had her for about six months now. She's a handful but she's been through a lot. She's been better lately, but her mom's birthday is this week. She would have been thirty-two if she'd lived.”

Shock registered on Vanessa's face. “She died?”

“In a car wreck. She was drinking and driving. She had Kandi when she was sixteen, so I'm sure the whole thing is weighing on the girl.”

The shock changed to understanding. “Oh. That's horrible.”

Rory wondered if Vanessa was thinking of her own mother. “Yep. Kandi's acting out because she misses her mother. She has no grandparents who live near. Her mother's parents live in California and don't really want anything to do with her since she gave them so much trouble when they did try to raise her.”

They strolled into the long building behind the church. “I can't imagine that,” Vanessa said. “Even on our worst days, my mother and I still tried to communicate. Obviously, we never succeeded but still...”

“Maybe you two were closer than you realized.”

She glanced around the room full of teens of various sizes and ages. “Maybe so. I guess we'll never know now, will we?”

Then she took the pastry boxes from him and marched toward the food table.

Rory decided Kandi wasn't the only female around here with attitude. But Vanessa had pushed aside her issues to come tonight. It was a start. He followed her and began introducing her to various people.

“I think you met Kandi Jordan outside,” he said to Vanessa when they walked by the girl. “Kandi, this is my friend Vanessa Donovan. She lives across the street, but she's only here for a few weeks. She came back to clean out her house and sell it.”

Kandi shot Vanessa a sullen glance. “Why are you selling your house?”

Vanessa's eyes grew wide with concern. “My mother died a few weeks ago. I don't want to live here so I have to sell it.”

Rory filled in the blanks to keep the awkwardness at bay. “Vanessa loves vintage stuff, and she's agreed to hold her estate sale in conjunction with our rummage sale here at the church. If you volunteer to help out, I'm sure you might find some cool items.”

“I don't need anything,” Kandi said before turning away to talk to another girl.

But Rory saw the way she sent a kohl-eyed glance back at Vanessa. “I think she's warming up to you,” he whispered to Vanessa.

“Right.” Vanessa shook her head. “Reminds me of myself at that age.”

“I imagine you were cute at that age.”

“I was a real pill,” she replied. “All gangly legs and messy hair. And braces.”

“I wore braces,” he said. When he spotted Miss Fanny, he nudged Vanessa toward where the older woman sat holding court. “I want you to meet someone.”

Miss Fanny looked up at Rory with a wide smile, and then her gaze moved to Vanessa, her hands going to her mouth.

“Miss Fanny, this is Vanessa. Your neighbor.”

“Hello,” Vanessa said, her eyes moving from the woman in the chair to Rory, a questioning look in her eyes. “It's nice to meet you.”

“You look like your mama,” Miss Fanny said. “She was a pretty woman.”

“You knew my mother?” Vanessa asked, her words caught on a breath of surprise. She sent Rory another glance, this one with a tad of accusation coloring it. He didn't remind her that he'd mentioned this to her.

“I sure did,” Miss Fanny said before Vanessa could argue the point. “We were good friends back in the day. Artists, you know. Sensitive and so sure we could save the world with words and colors. I live right next to your house. I wish I could talk to her over the fence one more time.”

Vanessa's eyes went misty. “Me, too.” Then she gave Rory an expression full of pain. “It's good to see you. I...I think I need to find the ladies' room.”

“Down the hallway,” Miss Fanny said, pointing. After Vanessa hurried away, she lifted her eyes to Rory. “I didn't mean to upset her.”

“She's still grieving,” Rory explained. “In more ways than one.”

“Grief never really goes away,” Miss Fanny said, eyeing the hallway. “I could go and check on her.”

“I think she'd rather be alone right now,” Rory said. “I'll send someone in if she's not out soon.” He checked his watch. “I need to bless the food so we can get started.”

But he took one more glance toward the ladies' room. Would Vanessa come out, or would she sneak out the back door and go home?

* * *

She should go home.

Vanessa blew her nose and stared at herself in the mirror, her gaze moving over the fresh flowers on the vanity and the picture of a mother and child walking along the lake centered on the wall over an inviting wooden bench. When she heard someone coming in, she threw the tissue in the trash and pushed at her hair.

Kandi stood behind her with big eyes wide with questions. “So...your mother died?”

Vanessa put on a brave face. “Yes. She'd been sick for a while.”

“My mom died in a bad wreck. Her birthday is Friday.”

Vanessa turned to face the girl and noticed her vivid green eyes. “I'm so sorry to hear that.”

“I was young,” Kandi said. She shrugged and leaned over the counter, her black polished nails raking through the tufts of spiky hair around her face. “I don't really remember much about her.”

Right. A ten-year-old would remember a lot of things.

Vanessa figured Kandi remembered way more than she needed to. “Do you have pictures of her? Things that might help you remember?”

Another shrug and then a swipe at dark red lips. “I have two pictures. I'm in one. And I have some clothes and stuff. I move around a lot, so I don't have much of anything.”

“The Peppermons seem nice,” Vanessa said, not wanting to upset the girl.

“Nice.” Kandi actually cracked a smile. “There's that word again.”

“Yep.” Vanessa smiled right back, remembering how that seemed to be her new word. “Let's change it to special, understanding, sweet, tolerant—”

“Fun, playful, determined, demanding, fair,” Kandi finished. “I like them. I didn't like some of the others.”

A dark shadow passed over the girl's eyes. A shadow that Vanessa recognized immediately. But before she could ask Kandi if anything had happened to her in one of the other homes, a woman poked her head inside the door.

“Preacher wanted me to check on you two and tell you supper is served.”

“We'll be right out,” Vanessa said. “Ready, Kandi?”

The girl nodded and brushed past the woman at the door. “As ready as I'll ever be.”

Vanessa and the woman exchanged knowing glances. “I know that feeling,” she said with a smile.

The woman grinned. “Me, too.” Then she gave Vanessa a big smile. “I'm Barbara, by the way. I'm the church secretary.”

“Nice to meet you,” Vanessa said. She cringed inwardly. That word
nice
was being overused today.

When Vanessa came back up the hall, she saw Rory and waved. He walked over to her. “Want to sit with Miss Fanny and me? Or do you want me to walk you home with a to-go plate?”

“I'm staying,” she said, her tone firm. “I'm hungry.”

“That's a good sign,” he said.

But Vanessa wasn't staying for the food. She wanted to get to know Kandi a little better. Because she needed to know if that young girl had suffered the same humiliation that she had.

And if so, she intended to do something about it.