Pumpkins in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Book 1) (20 page)

Tj couldn’t quite reconcile in her mind the spunky twins she’d grown to know with women who would let
themselves be subjugated all those years. She tried to imagine them full of life and curiosity yet waiting for sixty years until the death of the man who held them under his control died, setting them free.

“So our mother lived a long life?” Maude asked.

“I’m afraid not. Shortly after she came to live with Zachary, she became pregnant and had a son. Unfortunately she died as a result of a difficult labor.”

“We have a brother?
” Maude wondered.

Tj shook her head. “I’m afraid he died a few years ago
. But he had a son, a man you’ve recently met.”

“Kyle,” Millie realized
. “We’re your aunts?” She turned her full attention to the suddenly shy man.

“Appears so,” he said with a blush.

Both Maude and Mille began hugging and kissing him and asking a million questions. Tj thought about slipping out but still wanted to tell them about the will and the funeral that afternoon.

“I guess
it’s proof things come around full circle,” Millie commented after everyone had hugged everyone else. “Zachary Collins took away our mother but by bringing us here he not only gave us the most precious gift of all—” she glanced at Abe—“but a new family as well. I’m sorry we never got to meet him.”

Tj felt a tear threatening at the corner of her eye. “I think he would have enjoyed you too.”

“Will there be a funeral?” Abe asked.

“This afternoon
. There’s also a will.”

By the time Tj had finished reading the will she felt completely drained
. If she managed to get through the funeral, she thought she might sleep for a week.

The small cemetery, on land Jeremiah Collins had donated to the town, was at the end of a narrow road on the northernmost corner of the estate. A tall rock wall separated it from the now public land. Tj shivered as the cold wind whistled through the treetops. There was something unnerving about standing on ground where multiple generations of the families she knew and loved were buried. The Collins family had kept a corner of the public cemetery private. The fenced-off section was large enough for several generations of large families, but in the past hundred years only seven people had been buried there. The location Zachary had picked out for his own final resting place was surrounded by towering pines and colorful aspens.

The group gathered around Zachary Collins’s final resting place was larger than Tj would ever have imagined
. Pastor Dan stood alone behind the closed casket, while Tj and Kyle stood directly across from him, holding hands as they said their final good-byes. Although Tj had just met Kyle a few days before, she felt a special affection for him that surpassed that which would be defined simply by the length of their acquaintance.

Slightly behind them and to Kyle’s left stood Carmen, Maude, Mille, Abe, and Andy, an odd group that had been brought together by Zachary’s final bequest
. In life Zachary had touched the lives of few, but with his death new relationships had been born, relationships, Tj suspected, that would continue long after Zachary’s “family” had returned to their homes.

To Tj’s right and slightly behind the group Zachary had assembled stood Jenna, with her husband Dennis and mother Helen
. Tj’s dad stood with Rosalie, Frannie Edison, Hazel Whipple, Prudence Holland, Jeff Warren, and Nick and Emma Grainger, as well as her Grandpa Ben and his friends, Bookman and Doc. Tj smiled as she remembered the look of both shock and pleasure on Kyle’s face when she’d introduced him to Bookman. A part of the family for the past fifteen years, Tj often forgot that to much of the world, he was a widely read and much loved author.

Tj felt a tear slip down her cheek as Dan began to speak
. Her relationship with Zachary had been an odd one by anyone’s definition, but Tj knew she was a better person for having had him in her life. She’d miss the chess games, the puzzle boxes he built for her, and the riddles he’d spent hours coming up with. She’d miss the look of delight in his eye as she walked through the door and his look of childlike anticipation as she tried to solve one of his puzzles.

Dan began, “We are gathered here together to say a final good-bye to a man few of us actually knew
. Mr. Collins sent me a letter a few weeks ago, specifying his burial instructions and asking me to read his final words to anyone who might attend this farewell.”

Dan unfolded a piec
e of paper and began to read: “ʻAs I approach the end of my time on this earth, I find that I am filled with remorse for deeds left undone. The lives I could have touched but chose not to. The people I could have helped if I’d allowed myself to live in the world rather than in isolation. The love and joy I could have shared if I’d allowed others to penetrate my sturdy wall of self-loathing. I’ve lived a selfish life, a solitary life, a life served in penance, and my passing will affect no one. There has, however, been one bright spot in my otherwise empty world. Without that light I would not have found the courage to embark on the journey to which I have committed my life these past few months. A journey that I hope will serve to rectify in some small way the pain and suffering I have caused to others.

“
ʻAs I write this, I have a plan to bring the people I have hurt the most to my little corner of the world, to beg for their forgiveness and to offer them each a small gift as atonement for my sins. If I have been successful and they have accepted my meager offering, they may be here to witness these final words. If not, then the words should still be spoken, for there is nothing sadder than words left unsaid.

“
ʻMaude and Millie, words cannot express the depth of my sorrow for taking, not only from your young lives, but also from an otherwise dark world, the light of your mother’s smile. She was a beautiful woman, a caring woman, a woman full of laughter and sunshine. I loved her from the first moment I laid eyes on her. Her very presence brought meaning and purpose to my empty soul. But in the end my selfish need to possess her destroyed her. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness since I cannot forgive myself, but I want you to know that your mother loved you very much.

“
ʻCarmen, I’ve spent many hours trying unsuccessfully to come up with words to express my remorse for the part I played in the death of your grandfather. I don’t know why I lived and he died. I’ve served my life in penance for this unforgivable act, but as my own time draws to an end, I realized that if I had a hundred more years to suffer for my sins, it still would not be long enough to atone for what I have done.

“
ʻAnd Kyle, I cannot begin to express to you the joy I felt when I found that I had a grandson. I have only a short time left on this earth, but every one of those days will be filled with the agony of conflicted emotions as I mourn the loss of the son I never knew and rejoice in the gift of the grandson I still hope to meet. I couldn’t love your father. I was young and foolish and blamed him for your mother’s death. I realize now that had I chosen love over abandonment, the very existence of this miracle conceived in love would have changed the course of my life forever.

“
ʻAnd, finally, Tj. I am unsure if the others are here. I am, however, confidant that my eulogy has been heard by at least one set of ears. I cannot begin to express to you how much you have meant to me in these final years. I’d lived a life of self-imposed darkness for so long that when you came to my door on that Halloween night, fearless in your quest to impress your young friends, and smiled a greeting to this worthless old man, I knew in an instant my life would be forever changed. God had sent me an angel to guide me on the final leg of my life’s journey. A beacon in the darkness, you reminded me what it was to be alive, to laugh and feel long-forgotten emotions such as love and joyful anticipation. I wish I could have taken your gift of life and allowed it to make a real change in my life. I wish I could have found the courage to leave my prison and share my life with others. I’m afraid I am neither as fearless nor as kindhearted as you, my young friend. But I want you to know that of all the lives you’ve rescued and all the strays you’ve adopted, there is no other lonely soul more grateful than mine.’”

By the time Dan had finished reading and begun the familiar passage that begins with “Ashes to ashes,” there wasn’t a dry eye in the cemetery
. Tj and Kyle hugged each other and cried for the man who had touched their lives in vastly different ways. Tj had known the man, had shared his life and, in doing so, had given him the courage to reach out to others. Kyle had never known the man, but with his money he now had the opportunity to touch lives and do the good deeds to which Zachary could never bring himself.

“Beautiful service.” Dylan approached Tj as the last of the mourners headed to their cars.

“Where’d you come from?
” she asked, surprised at his sudden appearance.

“I was watching from the back
. I didn’t want to intrude on the mourning of those who knew the man, but I wanted to stop by and offer my condolences.”

“The truth of the matter is
, most of the people here never met Zachary. They were just folks going about their lives who got pulled into his story in one way or another over the past week. It’s sad their paths never crossed when he was alive. I think he would have really enjoyed knowing them.”

The Black and Black Ball was held each year at the historic Timberlake House. Built in 1922, the house once had been the summer mansion of shipping heir Jason Timberlake. During the mid-1970s the Timberlake family had donated the house, along with ten acres of land and several smaller cabins and outbuildings to the town of Serenity. The town had established the Timberlake Historical Society, which rented the facility for weddings and other special events.

Most years Tj put together the goriest costume she could think of, but this year she had promised to let Helen dress her, a decision she had begun to regret after what seemed like an eternity of plucking and preening, curling and polishing
. Helen had chosen an extremely heavy gown in a gorgeous sapphire blue, featuring a full bell-shaped skirt, tight bodice, and puff sleeves. The dress was meant to be worn with undergarments designed to bind and reshape, but Tj took one look at the torture devices worn by her ancestors and decided to let her ample bosom spill where it may. After having her nails painted, her brows plucked, and her hair washed, she poured herself into the form-fitting dress, then sat perfectly still as Helen arranged her long hair into ringlets befitting a nineteenth-century woman. By the time she was finally ready Tj had vowed never again to subject herself to such a grueling experience.

And then she looked in the mirror
. She looked different. Not just different but stunning. The dress, which perfectly matched her eyes, accentuated her petite but curvy figure. The diamond earrings, which had been her grandmother’s, reflected the light as she twirled in a circle. Her hair, sleek and controlled, looked the best it ever had and probably ever would.

David, who at Helen’s persistence TJ had invited to go to the ball with her, picked her up in his new Mercedes
. He was dressed all in black and looked so handsome in his Zorro costume that Tj couldn’t remember why she hadn’t wanted to go with him in the first place. When they arrived at the ball everyone in the room turned to look at them, and for the first time in her life, Tj felt like a princess.

It was the most magical night of her life
. For about twenty minutes. And then the weight of the dress, the pinching of her undergarments, and the perfectly applied but untouchable makeup, left her longing for her comfy sweats and the cozy sofa waiting for her at home. Maybe being a princess wasn’t all it was cut out to be.

“Are you okay?” David asked as he twirled her around the dance floor to the waltz the orchestra was playing.

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Please don’t take offense when I say this, because you look absolutely beautiful tonight, but you have this look on your face that I would best describe as barely contained agony.”

Tj was surprised at how perceptive he was. Actually she was surprised he had noticed her face. The original owner of the dress must not have been quite as wellendowed as TJ and most of the men she had spoken to that evening had been staring at a point south of her chin.

“It’s just that this dress is a little hot, and heavy, and tight
. I’m fine, though, except for the fact that your mother is staring at me. Has been the entire time we’ve been dancing.”

“I’m sure she’s sizing up how we look together and picturing the offspring she’s imagining we’ll produce.”

Tj pulled back slightly. “When I asked you to come with me tonight, I hope you realized—”

“That you were asking me as a friend,” David finished
. “Don’t worry; I never thought differently.”

Tj looked relieved
. “I’m glad, because I really like you but, well…”

“You’re not my type either.”

David probably liked tall blondes, just like every other guy on the planet, Tj fumed. She didn’t know why she should care, since he definitely wasn’t her type…“So, exactly what is your type?” she found herself asking.

David hesitated
. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Yeah, I can keep a secret.”

“See that man over there in the fireman’s uniform, talking to the tall blonde in the black leotard?”

Tj knew it
. Tall blondes.

“He’s my type.”

“I figured. Wait—” Tj looked directly at David. “Did you say
he
?”

“I did.”

“You’re gay,” Tj realized. “But why the big secret? I mean, in this day and age, being gay is bordering on trendy.”

David smiled at her naïveté. “I don’t know about that
. Although social mores are loosening up a bit, I don’t think being gay is as widely accepted as certain television shows would lead you to believe. Social acceptance isn’t exactly why I haven’t come out though. Well, maybe it is,” David corrected himself. “But not for the reasons you might think. I’m comfortable with who I am. It’s just that I haven’t quite figured out a way to tell my mother.” David glanced toward the woman in a witch costume. “When my dad was alive, telling them wasn’t an option. He would never have understood and would probably have kicked me out of the family and forbidden my mother from having any contact with me. He was a very hard, very conservative man. But now that he’s passed,” he continued, “I realize it’s time to have a talk with her.””

“If you’re not ready to come out, why did you tell me?
” Tj smiled at Maude and Millie, who were dressed like cowgirls, and Abe and Andy, who were dressed like farmers, sitting at a table near the dance floor.

“You are the most observant person I’ve ever met
. I knew it was only a matter of time before you figured things out. I wanted us to be friends, and I thought if I told you up front, you might be more apt to accept my offer of friendship.”

“Of course we’re friends,” Tj assured him
. “More than friends, good friends. And don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone your secret.”

“I appreciate that
. I haven’t lived here all that long, but already I can tell you’re quite an extraordinary person. Care for a drink?” David asked as the music stopped.

“Love one
. Come on; I’ll introduce you to some other new friends.” Tj led David over to the table where Kyle, who was dressed as a vampire, and Carmen, who was a scientist, were sitting.

“Hi, guys
. This is my friend David,” Tj introduced. “Meet Kyle and Carmen. Let me guess.” Tj smiled at Carmen as she sat down beside her. “This is pretty much how you dress every day.” She gestured to the white lab coat.

“Hey, I’m a starving student
. I couldn’t afford to spend money on a costume I was going to wear only once. Maybe next year I’ll go as something exotic.”

“You think you’ll be back next year?”

“Well…” Carmen glanced at Kyle. “Next year is a long way off. I’ll have to see how things go, but I’ll definitely be back for the wedding.”

“Wedding?
” Kyle and Carmen were getting married?

“My new aunts,” Kyle explained
. “They told us earlier that they’re going to be married during the Winter
Carnival. I guess you made it sound like the ideal honeymoon. They’ve already arranged it with Leiani.”

“Really
? That was quick.”

“Millie said at their age time was their most precious commodity and they didn’t want to wait.
”

“How about you?
” Tj asked Kyle. “Any big plans now that you have all that money?”

“Honestly, it’s a bit much to process
. The one thing I know is that I don’t want to sell the house to that developer. That new deputy got Keller to admit that the sales agreement he offered to Mr. Benson was a fake and therefore not binding. Since I find myself between jobs, I thought maybe I’d fix up the place. I need to go home for a few weeks to get Trooper and the rest of my stuff, but I should be back by mid-November.”

“If you need help, I know a good contractor who could really use the work,” Tj informed him
. “His name is Kurt Brown. I can introduce you, if you’d like.”

“I would like
. I’m much better with a computer than a hammer.”

Lilly Ferguson, one of the teachers at the elementary school, wandered over and asked David to dance
. Tj chatted with Lilly for a few minutes before the pair moved toward the dance floor.

“How about you two?” Tj asked. “I haven’t seen you dancing.”

“We were about to,” Kyle admitted
. “But we can wait until your date returns.”

“Go ahead; my friend Nikki just walked in
. I think I’ll go and say hi.”

Tj had to admit that Nikki looked truly happy as she entered the ball on Carl’s arm
. Nikki was an attractive woman who tended to downplay her looks by dressing like a cross between a librarian and a Catholic school girl. Tonight, however, she looked stunning in a Cleopatra costume.

“Tj, how are you?
” Nikki hugged her when she walked up. “You look gorgeous.”

“So do you
. I love the costume.”

Nikki blushed
. “I thought it might be a little too revealing, but Carl seemed to think it was just right.”

“Carl was right.
” Tj smiled at her friend, who was dressed as Marc Antony.

“I’m sorry we missed the funeral,” Nikki apologized
. “I didn’t even hear about it until after it was over.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you.
” Tj just at that moment realized her omission. “It’s been a really crazy couple of days. I promise to catch you up on things as soon as I get the chance.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nikki said, although Tj could tell she was hurt she had overlooked her
. “Carl and I were just about to dance.”

“Have a wonderful time and we’ll talk tomorrow
. I promise.” Tj hugged her friend.

It was obvious she was going to have to do some damage control with Nikki, but for now she wanted to talk to Jenna and Dennis, who had just walked in.

“You’re late,” Tj said as they joined her.

“Captain Brown let Dennis take off early, so after your grandpa picked up the girls for trick-or-treating, we decided to open a bottle of champagne and one thing led to another.
” Jenna blushed.

Tj grinned as Jenna leaned into Dennis, who had put his arm around her.

“So, has anyone told you you look stunning?” Dennis complimented.

“Yeah, you really do,” Jenna added
.

“I know
. It’s amazing what results you can get with hours upon hours of being plucked and polished. Of course, it took a whole team and most of the afternoon to get this result, so I’m thinking I’d better track down someone to take a picture because I can promise you I’ll never subject myself to such torture again. I can’t imagine being a woman back in the day when dressing like this was a daily event. I can’t see how they had time to do anything else.”

“I don’t think they did much else,” Jenna pointed out
. “Being beautiful was sort of their job. Land a rich husband and your life was considered to be a success.”

“Yeah, well, I think I prefer a life where I’m more than just someone’s wife.
” Tj tried to adjust the bra that was being pinched by the tight bodice. “And I really prefer being able to breath. This dress is so heavy, I feel like I’m walking around in a body cast. How about you, Dennis? Ever wish you had a trophy wife?”

“No way
. Personally, I like a woman I can touch without fear of messing up her hair or getting stabbed by her corset.” Dennis kissed his wife. “I love having a wife with whom I can raise a family, and go bowling with, and go to the bar and eat chicken wings with. Me, I’d prefer a real woman to an untouchable doll any day. Honestly, I think most men would. In fact, most of the men who married those elegant women usually had real women on the side.”

“One woman to have children with and another to have a life with,” Tj summarized
. “Seems sort of empty.”

“Yeah, it does.
” Dennis looked deeply into Jenna’s eyes. Running his finger along her cheek, he tucked her long blond hair behind one ear before kissing her slowly and ever so softly on the lips. “Wanna dance?”

Jenna hesitated and looked at her friend, who would be left standing alone
. “Go ahead. I think I’ll go and say hi to Maude and Millie,” Tj said
Dennis took Jenna’s hand and led her onto the dance floor where they seemed to melt into each other, like two bodies becoming one
. Tj looked at her friends and sighed. Most days she was happy with her life just as it was, but every now and then she’d look at Jenna and realize that eventually she wanted exactly what she had: a man with whom to raise a family, go bowling, and eat chicken wings. A man who loved her more than life itself and did little things every day to make sure she knew it.

Tj looked across the room to where Hunter Hanson was dancing with Libby Wells, the new pediatrician in town
. He looked so handsome in James Bond attire as he waltzed his way across the floor. There’d been a time when he’d looked at her the way he was looking at Libby: with a crooked grin that reached dark brown eyes that sparkled beneath curly brown hair. He’d held her in his arms and told her he’d loved her, and for one brief moment she’d believed she’d have her happily ever after with him.