Light from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 3) (28 page)

“Daddy.”
Kenzie choked out the word on a broken voice, thick with tears.

“Go,
now,” he said. He hugged her hard one last time and set her away from him. His
own eyes shimmered with tears. “Go have a fine life. Both of you. Every time
you look into the mirror, I want you both to see your mother. Find the light.
That light is a piece of her soul, shining through you. She loved you girls
with all her heart.” Joseph stepped back, moving toward the door and the
officials waiting on the other side. “Goodbye, my ladies. Tamara and Tressa,
Daddy’s tiny treasures.”

With
those softly spoken words, Joseph Mandarino stepped out of their lives. Again.

“Where
are you going so early this morning?” Makenna stumbled into the kitchen for a
cup of life-restoring coffee, surprised to see her sister already dressed and
eating a bowl of cereal.

“Kate
called with an assignment. I’m going out early, before it gets too hot. You
know what August in Texas is like.”

Fumbling
in the cabinets for a coffee mug, Makenna nodded. “Hot and humid. I can’t
believe I picked the most miserable month of the year to get married.”

“Let’s
hope your flowers don’t wilt between the florist and the church.”

“You
think you jest,” her sister muttered gloomily.

“You
could always take Harry up on his offer to move the wedding to New Hampshire.
Or Colorado, if you prefer. Come to think of it, you could even have it at
their DC home, if you wanted to.” Kenzie frowned, her spoon suspended mid-air.
“Four houses in three states is definitely too much.”

“But
wasn’t the temperature great in Colorado this weekend? If Mom and Mrs. K hadn’t
already gone to so much trouble, I might actually consider it.”

“I’ve
seen the organized chaos they’re calling preparation,” Kenzie laughed. “Miles
of tulle. Invitations to and replies from over three hundred guests. Enough
food to feed the entire state. Frou-frou everywhere. Can you imagine trying to
change all that mid-stream? It would be like stopping a runaway train with a
yield sign.”

“And
they are loving every single minute of it,” Makenna grinned, taking the seat
opposite her sister. “Those two women are like two peas in a pod. Any hopes I
had of a small wedding evaporated the minute those two heard we set a date. We
keep telling them only close family friends, but since both our mothers have a
habit of collecting family, it means the list is unending. Just yesterday Mom
realized we hadn’t invited our preacher that moved away ten years ago. She put
in an emergency phone call this morning, and now we have two more attendees.”
She sighed, pushing aside a handful of curls and propping her forehead into her
palm.

“Not
to mention the dozen or so that plan to come from our most newly acquired set
of relatives.”

Makenna
brightened immediately. “I know, but isn’t it great? We literally just met our
family, but I already like them so much! I can’t believe our uncles want to
come to my wedding. And Shayla and her family? She just met me, but she’s willing
to pack up her husband and two kids to come down to my wedding. It’s
incredible.”

They
had spent the weekend in Colorado, meeting their long-lost relatives. The
ensemble included three uncles and their wives, seven cousins, four
cousin-in-laws, and five children. With the exception of one reserved aunt and
her daughter, all of their family had greeted them warmly and without judgment.
They had been especially fond of their cousin Shayla, who was almost their
exact age.

“It
was something, alright,” Kenzie agreed, but her tone was slightly less
enthusiastic. She was still overwhelmed with the realization that she now had
family. It was no longer just her and her father and
that woman
; her
cold, lonely family had been replaced by a noisy, boisterous clan of welcoming
arms. She finally had the family she always craved, but it left her feeling
oddly bereft.

Makenna
sensed her sister’s mood and placed her hand over Kenzie’s with a little pat.
“He’s going to be okay, Ken. He finally got out from under his connection to
the mob. Going into WITSEC gives him a second chance at life.”

“Heaven
only knows he’s a natural. Assuming a new identity is second nature to him,”
Kenzie agreed. She pushed her soggy flakes around without attempting to eat
them. “That’s not what worries me. And Lord help me, I thought I was through
worrying over him… But seeing him again reminded me that even though he is a
genius, he needs someone to watch over him. He’s too smart for his own good. He
gets so focused on his work, he glosses over the mundane facts of life, things
like eating and taking care of his health and remembering what day it is. For
all her faults, at least- at least Ellen was always there for him. Without her,
or us, he’s all alone.”

“Being
a genius does seem to have its own set of misery. It amazed me how he could be
talking normally one moment, then go off onto some deep theoretical tangent the
next.”

Kenzie
sighed. “Now you understand how difficult it was to have a father-daughter
relationship with him growing up.”

“At
least you got to see him again. I know that was one of the things that bothered
you the most, leaving home without saying goodbye.”

“I
finally feel like I have closure. That part of my life is finally done. And
with him coming forward and giving testimony, even our part in the trials will
be minimal. Now that we know what really happened to our mother, I can finally
shut the door on the past and have a sense of peace. I still wish I could
remember her, though.”

“Believe
me, I understand. But now that the pain and anger have lessened, maybe the good
memories will have a chance to come through,” Makenna said, patting her hand
again.

“I
hope so, for both of us. I’m just thankful the mafia has finally given up.
Pretending to have killed our father when they took him into custody was a
stroke of genius on the Rangers’ part.”

Makenna
nodded. “We were just a stepping-stone to get to our father, so with him
supposedly dead, there’s no reason to bother with us any longer. Which means no
more looking over our shoulders and no more being followed. No more security
detail, thank goodness.”

“Until
our grandfather becomes the most powerful man in the United States, of course.
I don’t care how much he downplays it, there will be no escaping the media and
the Secret Service if he becomes President.”

“From
the frying pan into the fire,” Makenna mumbled.

“I
can’t believe when I finally get a family, it’s full of politicians!” Kenzie
bemoaned.

“You
might need to lighten up on Harry, you know. You gave him a pretty hard time
this weekend over his Foreign Aid policy.”

“There
is so much poverty and need in our own country I simply cannot fathom why we
should give away millions of dollars to help people in other countries! We-”

As
Kenzie quickly became indignant, Makenna put up a halting hand. “Forget I
mentioned it. Save your arguments for the next time you and our grandfather see
each other. After all, you two seem to enjoy bickering, almost as much as you
and Travis do.”

Makenna
regretted her comment immediately. At mention of the absent Texas Ranger,
Kenzie’s green eyes turned murky and her animated face stilled with deadly
aplomb.

“Gee,
I’m on a roll this morning,” Makenna chastised herself. “I’ve put both feet in
my mouth. Just ignore me, I haven’t had enough coffee yet.”

“It’s
all right, Makenna. I am fully aware of the fact that Travis has not called me
in one week, three days, fourteen hours and eighteen - no, make that nineteen-
minutes. He can’t hide behind the undercover case anymore, because that was
done weeks ago. By now, it’s obvious that he just doesn’t have time for me.”

“Kenzie,
I know he cares about you.”

“I
know he does, too. Just obviously not enough.” She blew out a long, sad breath
of resignation. Getting to her feet, she pushed her chair under the table with
an air of determination. “And you know what? I deserve better. I spent my
entire childhood in the background, trying not to be seen, trying to earn love
by the things I
didn’t
do. As an adult, I felt compelled to draw the
spotlight. I wanted people to see me, to appreciate me and love me for the
things I
did
do. I tried to be brilliant, I tried to be fun, I tried to
be obvious.”

“And
now?” Makenna asked softly. “Now that you’re so old and wise, what is it you’re
trying to accomplish? You are an amazing person, Kenzie. Smart and talented and
warm. You don’t have to work at making people admire you. Or love you. It’s
pretty impossible not to, actually. And please don’t give me some silly notion
about forcing yourself to fall in love with Craven.”

“No,
even I see how foolish that was. And from the looks of it this past weekend, I
sensed something brewing between him and our cousin Natalie.”

“Does
that upset you?”

“Not
really. I do love Craven, but it’s a different kind of love. He’s been a good
friend and I wish him happiness, even if it’s with someone I know and happen to
be related to.” Kenzie reached for her camera bag and slung it onto her
shoulder. There was a light of determination in her eyes, a ring of confidence
in her voice as she made her next declaration.

“If
nothing else, finding out about my past has given me a confidence I never had
before. People don’t realize how profound a parent’s love is to a child. It
becomes the foundation of their lives, the building block for their future and
their self-esteem. Now that I know my mother, my
real
mother, loved me,
I have a new sense of self-worth.”

Makenna
interrupted her to interject softly, “In his own way, our father loved you,
too, you know.”

“I
realize that. And now that I know I had my parents’ love -and my sister’s- I
don’t feel the need to work so hard at finding love and approval from other
people. I know it will find me one day, in its own way and its own time.”

“And
Travis?”

Kenzie’s
smile was bittersweet. “I will always love Travis. But I can’t base my own
happiness and sense of worth on what is or isn’t in his heart. I have to be my
own person, I have to find my own happiness and sense of value. I was hoping
for a future with him and, who knows, maybe one day we may have it. But I’m not
going to sit around waiting for it to happen. I have a career that I love, a
life that I love, and for now, that’s enough.”

“I
admire you so much!” Makenna blurted out. She jumped up from the table and
grabbed her sister in an impulsive hug.

“Ooo-kay,”
Kenzie laughed, oddly embarrassed by the impetuous move. “Why are you crying?”

“Bridal
nerves, I guess. I get married next week. Here I am basing my entire future on
Hardin, and you have this amazing kick-butt attitude about your own love-life
and happiness.”

“And
if Travis felt about me the way Hardin feels about you, I would have those same
stars in my eyes,” Kenzie admitted with a rueful grin. “But we have to work
with what we’ve got, and while you have the love and devotion of an amazing
man, I’m making do the best I can.” She glanced at the clock. “Okay, I gotta
run. For some reason, Kate wanted me to be sure and be at the park by nine
o’clock.”

“What
park?”

“Guadalupe.
I’m photographing the river and how the draught is affecting tourists and the
industry surrounding tubing. In many places, the water is too low to allow
rafting.”

“I
know, sad, isn’t it?” Makenna murmured as she followed her twin to the door.
“Remember we have final fittings for the dresses at four.”

“I
haven’t forgotten.”

“Okay,
be careful. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Kenzie
frowned as she lingered in the doorway. “You’re nibbling on your lower lip.
What’s worrying you now?”

“I
hope Hardin likes my dress. The style is a little dated, seeing as Mom wore it
when she married my father almost forty years ago.”

“You
could show up in a tow-sack and Hardin would still think you were the most beautiful
woman he’d ever seen.”

“I
just want him to be proud of me.”

“Kenna,
that man is head over heels in love with you. Believe me, he’s proud of you no
matter what you look like.” She rolled her eyes, thinking how hopelessly in
love the two of them were. With a sudden grin, she added, “Luckily for you,
though, you just happen to look fantastic in your mother’s wedding dress. Stop
worrying and let me get this shoot over with. The sooner I get there, the
sooner I can get back and can try on my own dress. Which, by the way, I also
look fantastic in.”

Makenna
laughed, hugging her sister one last time. “We may have to let it out an inch
or two, so that your ego will fit into it.”

Kenzie
stuck her tongue out playfully, just before the door shut in her face.

Kenzie
pulled Bluebell into the parking area of the Guadalupe State Park one minute
after nine. She had finally named her car, choosing the agnomen to represent
both the color of the vehicle as well as her favorite brand of ice cream. Despite
the early hour, it was hot enough outside to make her long for a big bowl of
Rocky Mountain Road. 

She
made her way down to the water’s edge, noting how the water had receded since
her visit a month ago to reveal even more of the sandy bank. A sure sign of
draught, she thought with a grimace. She took another half dozen shots before
she started toward the rapids. Judging from the lazy movement of the low flow,
she guessed there was nothing rapid about the river today.

On
impulse, Kenzie abruptly changed paths. There was no one in sight, and the
water beckoned to her. She stepped out of her shoes and shrugged off the
short-sleeved shirt she wore over a strapless cream-colored camisole and
shorts. She left everything but her camera at the base of a pecan tree and
stepped into the cool, refreshing waters of the Guadalupe.

The
water was an instant balm to her heated skin and her turbulent thoughts.
Despite the brave words she had spouted this morning, she was still struggling
with bouts of uncertainty. Change always did that to her, and Heaven only knew
how many changes her life had seen lately.

Lately?
Kenzie scoffed
at her own thoughts as she reminded herself that her entire life had been full
of changes, one right after another.

As
she waded through the waters of the river, she allowed herself to wade through
emotions she usually kept suppressed. Alone here at the river, surrounded only
by nature and the limestone bluffs she loved so much, she could let down her
guard. Right or wrong, there were a half dozen inescapable feelings roiling
around in her soul. Most of them she could not even admit to herself, much less
confide to Makenna.

The
truth was, she felt cheated. Cheated out of a happy childhood and the chance to
grow up with her twin and a loving set of parents. Life was so unfair at times.

She
felt sadness. The days she had lost with her family were forever gone. That
fact left her with an overwhelming sense of sadness.

And
yes, she felt grief. She may not remember her mother, but she still grieved her
death. Everyone spoke of her with such fondness - her grandparents, her father,
even the people of Haverhill. No doubt, Maggie Lawrence Mandarino had been a
special person, and Kenzie grieved a life ended too soon, and the lost
opportunity to know her. 

And
if she was being totally honest with herself, Kenzie felt resentment. It was
the emotion she was most ashamed of, but it was there, nonetheless. She felt resentment
toward her father, resentment toward
that woman
; because of them, her
childhood was sad and lonely. Resentment toward her grandfather; he forced her
mother to choose between the two men she loved most in life.

Yet oddly
enough, she also felt gratitude toward those very people. Her father had been
trying to protect his family, the only way he knew how. She was grateful that
in the end, he had done the right thing and taken responsibility for his
actions. Telling the truth would seal the fate of those guilty, and keep the
mafia from coming after her and Makenna. And she had Ellen to thank for discovering
the truth. Ellen could have kept the envelope. No one would have been the
wiser, but she not only handed over the envelope from the past, she had also given
Kenzie the monetary means for a future. Even Harry inspired gratitude. She was
grateful to her grandfather for trying to right the wrongs of the past, and for
accepting her and Makenna into his tightly knit family. The man had many
faults, but stinginess was not one of them; he gave freely of his money and his
affection.

As
Kenzie pulled her legs through the water’s resistance, she felt herself pulling
free of the past’s encumbrance. She could only be cheated if she was a victim.
Sadness was a temporary emotion, and grief, she knew, eased with time. Resentment
was a useless waste of energy. If she truly wanted to be free of the past, she
had to shake the debilitating hold of negativity and concentrate on the
positives. She had to look for the light.

She
had a family now. Grandparents. Aunts and uncles and cousins and, most
importantly, a twin sister whom she adored. She had the Reagans and in an odd
but wonderful sort of way, the Kaczmareks.

She
finally had closure. The mystery of her mother’s disappearance had been solved.
She knew now why her childhood was so sad and bleak. And Joseph… well, Joseph
was Joseph. At least this time, they parted with a proper goodbye.

And
she had learned to love. Even though Travis did not seem to share the same
depth of feeling as she did, Kenzie could not regret giving her heart to the
Texas Ranger. He was a good man, the best she had ever known. He was full of
honesty and integrity and that infallible sense of honor that she loved as much
as she hated. If he wanted a future with her, she would consider herself the
luckiest woman alive and do her best to deserve his love and respect. But if he
didn’t… her heart would be broken, but it would go on beating. She was a better
person for having known him, although she might never admit as much to him.

Kenzie
kept trudging through the water, even as it grew deeper. It was up to her waist
now and so dense she could no longer see her feet when she looked down. All she
could see was her reflection upon the water, distorted by ripples. Kenzie
stopped and allowed the waters to still. Her image stared back at her atop the
smooth sheet of water, almost like a mirror. The morning sun glinted off the
surface just right, shining like a light amid her reflection.

“
Find
the light
,” she murmured, mimicking her father’s parting words. “
That
light is a piece of her soul, shining through you.
”

Saying
the words aloud, Kenzie felt a sense of peace move into her heart. It almost
felt as if someone touched her shoulder, brushing her with a feathery caress.
She wondered if it could be an angel’s wing.

As
she stared down at the face on the water, she watched in wonder as the edges of
her mouth curled upward in a smile. She was standing in the middle of the
river, all alone, but she did not feel lonely. Oddly enough, she felt happy.
Hopeful. She felt like smiling. Laughing, even. Through the watery reflection
of the water, she could see the light twinkling in her eyes.

“The
light from my mirror,” she murmured.

Laughter
bubbled up from within her and Kenzie stretched her arms out, embracing the
warmth of the sun and the light that filtered through the trees and brightened
her soul. She took a step forward, twirling around in the middle of the river,
arms outstretched, until a series of turns and splashes and unrestrained
laughter brought her around a bend.

As
dizziness overcame her, Kenzie stopped mid-twirl and closed her eyes. The
churning waters crashed against her in confusion and for a moment she swayed
unsteadily upon her feet. When her eyes popped open, she knew she was
hallucinating.

She
thought she saw a raft on the water. Not just any raft, but a flat wooden raft,
tied off on both sides of the river so that it bobbed up and down in the water
without drifting downstream. She thought she saw a table atop it, set with a
flowing white tablecloth and silver candelabra. And since her mind was
imagining things, it conjured up the sight of Travis, standing beside the table
in his biker garb, all six foot, sexy four inches of him. Kenzie laughed again,
knowing she had scrambled her brains with all her twirling.

Of
course, in any decent hallucination, Travis would not be frowning. Kenzie’s
laughter died away as she shook her head to clear it. Taking another peek, she
still saw the same ridiculous image, but Travis’s scowl was deepening.

“Travis?
Is that really you?” she called out. She splashed her way through the water,
finding it impossibly difficult to fight the current of water when she was so
out of breath. Apparently spinning through the water while laughing was
excellent cardio-vascular exercise, judging from her lack of oxygen and the way
her heart hammered in her chest.

“What
do you think?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips. He wore the leather
chaps over his jeans and biker boots. In lieu of the do-rag, he had on his
summer straw cowboy hat, a sleeveless white muscle shirt, and a dark frown.

“Why-Why
are you here?” she asked in amazement. She splashed her way up to the raft,
reaching a hand out to see if it was real or just a vivid mirage. One touch
proved that it was real.

“Because
I had some fool notion that you were as miserable as I was. Apparently I was
wrong.” The tone of his voice and the scowl on his handsome face stole the
romance right out of his words.

Her
dazed eyes went to the table. Yes, that was definitely a table on the raft, set
with an elegant meal for two.

“I-I
don’t understand.” She sounded disoriented.

Travis
knelt down on the raft and reached out to drag her aboard. Kenzie handed her
camera up first, more worried about it than herself. She was still too dazed to
do little more than allow Travis to drag her out of the water. Floundering
along the edge, she almost toppled the entire raft. She finally gathered her
wits enough to pull herself up, landing unceremoniously with her face pressed
against the leg of a chair.

Kenzie
scrambled to her feet, but her legs were still unsteady. It had nothing to do
with the bobbing planks on which she stood. It had everything to do with the
man frowning down at her, wearing an expression of thunder upon his handsome
face.

“Travis?”
she squeaked, finding that her voice betrayed her. “What-What is this? What are
you doing here?”

“Making
a fool of myself, apparently,” he mumbled.

“Why
are you dressed like that?” Her eyes traveled over him in appreciation, until a
terrible thought had her eyes flying to his in panic. “You’re not undercover
again, are you?”

“No,
no, nothing like that.”

“Then
why are you wearing your biker clothes?” Her face scrunched in confusion.

To
her surprise, a blush stained his cheeks and crept down the column of his
throat. “I thought you liked it.”

“I
do! It’s just that… I don’t understand.” She glanced behind her, to the table
set with china plates and silver domes. Linen napkins, the silver candelabra
and crystal flutes added a final touch of grandeur. “Is this… breakfast?”

“Yeah,”
he said, shifting uncomfortably and making the raft rock. “I thought I would
surprise you.”

“That’s
the understatement of the year!”

“If
you don’t like it…”

She
whirled back around, a huge smile lighting her face. “Are you kidding? I love
it!”

Relief
washed over his face, and he sprang into action. “Here, have a seat,” he said,
shoving a chair beneath her. He edged his way around the table to the other
side, taking a seat in the opposite chair. With their weight more evenly
distributed, the raft balanced out and became steadier as it gently bobbed atop
the water.

“Let’s
take these off,” Travis said, lifting the silver dome from first her plate,
then his. Each held an assortment of mini muffins, a thick slice of cinnamon
raisin bread, slices of bacon, and fresh fruit.

“I-I
can’t believe you did this!” Kenzie’s voice filled with awe. She stared down at
the artfully arranged plate, lifted her gaze to the champaign mimosa, then
settled her dazed eyes upon him. “
Why
did you do this?”

He
covered her fingers with his large hand. “I know I’ve been neglecting you,
Kenzie. You know I don’t have much practice at being a good boyfriend. I’ve
been caught up in my job and I haven’t come home to see you. I’ve barely even
called.”

He
still considered himself her boyfriend. She barely heard anything he said after
that, because that was all that mattered; she had not lost him completely.

“You-You’ve
been busy,” she allowed breathlessly.

“True.
But you deserve better.”

“True.
But I accept your apology.” Her eyes twinkled as she lifted her champaign flute
and waited for him to clink his glass against it. As she sipped her mimosa, she
studied him over the rim of crystal. “You cut your hair.”

“The
minute I had the chance,” he confirmed. “How was Colorado?”

“Beautiful,
as always. And definitely cooler than here.”

“I
know a candlelight dinner on the river would have been more romantic, but it
would have also been a lot warmer.” When he flashed a smile at her, the air
around them went up a good ten degrees.

“I
think this is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard of,” she assured him in a
breathless whisper.

Travis’s
eyes dropped to her bared shoulders and the lacy edge of her camisole, warming
her skin with his gaze. “You look beautiful, Kenzie. You
are
beautiful.”

She
laughed nervously, touched by his unexpected compliment. She squirmed in her
chair, suddenly reminded that she was soaking wet from the waist down.