17
B rogan felt nervous about calling her grandmother. But Delia deserved an apology. She rehearsed her speech before dialing the number. Delia answered on the second ring.
Prepared to make peace, she went into details she’d never dreamed of discussing with the dignified society matron Cordelia Gregson. But she could tell how much she’d hurt her grandmother after accusing her of knowing and hiding the truth all those years ago.
“You know how much I’ve always loved you,” Brogan professed. “I’ve always tried to do everything I could to make you proud of me. I even went to NYU because it’s what you wanted. I’ve been trying to make you happy my entire life. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know,” Delia acknowledged, her voice breaking. “You were upset at learning something you least expected to hear. I had no idea Rachel lied to me. You may not completely believe that, but it’s true. I always accepted you as my own. I’ve probably been too hard on you. That’s what your father used to say to me. I suppose I was hard on Rachel, too.”
“I don’t ever want to hurt you in any way, but I need to know the truth about what happened when I was born. I already hired a genealogist to follow the trail if there is one. I’ve talked to members of Indigo who told me about a Swedish model named Britta. I don’t even know her last name. But I do know this woman spent months with my dad on his European tour the year I was born until Rachel showed up. That’s when Britta left to go back to Sweden with Rachel.”
“Do you know how difficult it is to believe these things about my own daughter, that she lied to me all those years ago from the beginning, your beginning? Why would she do that, Brogan? Why did she bring a baby back home from Europe and claim it was hers if it wasn’t true? Who does that sort of thing? I trusted Rachel. And look where that’s gotten me.”
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know if she lied to both of us. I only know what the DNA shows. Plus, I have a lot more questions going on in my head. For starters, do you remember how long Rachel vacationed in Europe that year? Was it weeks? Months? How long was she overseas?”
“Oh, my God, I don’t know. Probably most of the year. She told me she needed a break from everything. What was I to do? She was an adult, a grown woman past thirty. I demanded that she come home several times. It didn’t do me any good. Rachel was a headstrong woman.”
“You taught her that much. How upset were you when you saw she had a baby and hadn’t bothered to get married?”
“I took one look at you and fell in love with my only grandchild. I know you want to believe I was in on this entire hoax, but I wasn’t. Rachel kept me in the dark just as she did you. She and Rory were the only ones who knew the truth.”
“But if Rachel wasn’t my mother, how did she end up with me? That’s the question. What happened to this woman named Britta? Why did Rory allow Rachel to bring me back to the States in the first place? Why didn’t he intervene sooner and take custody of me? Why did he wait until she died for me to go live with him? See, this is why I thought you were hiding the truth. I thought maybe you held the answers. And I wondered, if you knew I wasn’t a Brinell, would it change your opinion of me?”
“Of course not,” Delia declared. “You are a Brinell because Rachel and I raised you.”
“Hmm,” Brogan muttered. It was the same thing Scott had said to her. “You’ve been an integral part of my life. You know that. You were always there for me in everything I did. But then I wondered why you didn’t fight harder for custody after Rachel died.”
“That’s an easy one to answer. Your father swooped in and demanded custody days after the plane crash. He told me he’d fight for you tooth and nail. I’d just lost my only child. I was in no shape emotionally to contest anything. My lawyer told me Rory had legal rights as your father. At the time, what was I to do? We were both thinking of what was best for you. I agreed to give you up and had the housekeeper pack your bags. Within hours, a car pulled up in the driveway to collect you and take you to the airport. Rory had arranged for his lawyer to personally escort you out of the house and see that you got on the next flight to Los Angeles. But I made Rory promise that I could see you whenever I wanted. And, for some reason, he agreed. Your father wasn’t a complete jackass. He could be downright charming to get his way. Although I often worried about how you were being raised.”
“I remember those heated discussions.”
“Maeve Calico became my go-to communication liaison. She was integral in convincing me that you were settling in just fine.”
“She met the plane at LAX.”
“I know. She told me several months later when I came for my first visit. I always thought that was sweet of her. I always wondered how long it took you to settle in.”
“Months, even with help from Maeve. I want you to know that I’ll still love you no matter what I find out. You’re my grandmother, and nothing will ever change that.”
The call ended with both women wiping away tears. Brogan looked across the room and caught Jade staring.
“I find that conversation fascinating. Not only was your grandmother unaware you didn’t belong to Rachel, but she supported her at a time when being an unwed mother was seen as a societal no-no. I’ve always wanted to look into the glamorous life of celebrities living their fabulous lives. But now I know their backstories are as messy as the common folk.”
Amused, Brogan hid a laugh. “Sometimes, more so.” She was about to go into more detail when her cell phone rang. “It’s Professor Lockney. Hello? Did you find Britta?”
“I knew that would be your first question. The answer is no. I need to explain something about the Swedes, which I should’ve done during our first conversation. I’m sorry it slipped my mind. First, Britta is a very common name among females throughout the Scandinavian region, including Denmark and Norway. You can thank Saint Bridget of Sweden for that distinction. She even has her own religious order called the Bridgettines . Even though she died in 1373 and was canonized in 1391 by His Holiness Pope Boniface IX himself, the name is viewed as inspirational. But that’s a story all by itself. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Secondly, the Swedes aren’t particularly curious about their lineage. They never have been, so they tend not to upload their DNA into databases related to ancestry. Of course, there’s a criminal database. Every country has one. Sweden is no different. But I doubt who you’re looking for is in that one. Nonetheless, I have a friend who will research that angle for me. I called because I wanted you to know it may take some time to find your particular Britta.”
“Whatever you can find out is appreciated,” Brogan said. “It’s more than I could do myself without going to Sweden. Take your time. There’s no rush.”
“You still want me to proceed then?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thanks for trusting me with your information. Just so you know, I’ve been ruling out every Britta who doesn’t fit the timeframe, looking for models with that name having a birthday that matches the age she would’ve been at the time of your birth. But it’s a lengthy process.”
“I realize the task is daunting, like looking for a needle in a haystack, but I have faith that eventually you’ll find the right Britta.”
“I like how you aren’t expecting miracles,” the professor said. “It makes me want to work harder to find you an answer.”
“Thanks for that. Under these conditions, I’m realistic enough to know that it might take six months of research. I appreciate you sharing what you know about the Swedes.”
“It’s only fair you know what we’re up against. But I’m very persistent.”
“I’m counting on it,” Brogan said, ending the call just as a text came in from Lucien. “Jade, look at this. Oh, my God, they’ve found two graves buried in a pump house at the edge of the winery’s property line. One body they can confirm is Bethany. They’re not sure about the other one. But it’s male, probably Owen Quinn.”
“We should’ve gone with them.”
“Why?”
“Because without us there, they have no excuse to leave. You know what that means, right?’
“Knowing Lucien and Birk, they’ll stay there and make sure they won’t miss any of the action. They won’t be home until morning.”
“I don’t need to stay overnight. I could always head home,” Jade offered.
“You want to leave? Is it because you need to go home and check on the dogs?”
Jade looked uncomfortable. “Ellie Woodside has been dog-sitting Mia and Miles. No, the dogs are fine. It’s just that I’d rather not stay in the guest house alone.”
Brogan broke into laughter. “Why didn’t you say so? There’s a guest room down the hall. I’m not forcing you to stay out there by yourself. I was thinking of your privacy.”
“Screw privacy. I’d rather we stick close together. That sounded weird.”
“No, it didn’t. Are you picking up a vibe or something?” Brogan wondered.
“While you were talking with Delia, I saw Scott leaving the guest house. Then he wandered around the backyard like he was on sentry duty. No matter how often it happens, seeing the town’s resident ghost walk around so casually makes a girl think twice about being alone at night, even if the guest house is just across the courtyard. And I haven’t had that much to drink tonight.”
“Experiencing Scott up close is not for the faint of heart. I love the way he sticks around and tries to offer up valuable advice.”
“You’re very casual about this, as if you’ve experienced it many times. When was the last time you saw Scott?”
“Halloween night, after the party was over and I’d opened my DNA test results. Lucien and I talked about it, but he headed upstairs to get out of his Hatter outfit and take a shower. I still needed to vent my frustration to someone.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “So you called on Scott to make an appearance. And he showed up?”
“That sounds insane. But yes. We had a conversation about the DNA versus Rachel. He cautioned me about heading down a rabbit hole and diving into it headfirst. Could I handle knowing the truth? That sort of thing.”
“Obviously, you decided to move forward.”
“I needed to know. Wouldn’t you want to know the truth?”
“Absolutely. But I’m more curious about your Scott connection. How does that work? Do you summon him whenever you need to talk?”
She sputtered with laughter. “Something like that. How about another glass of wine? The explanation sounds better with wine.”
“Everything about Scott seems to go better with booze,” Jade reasoned as she followed Brogan into the kitchen.
“If you’re considering conjuring up a ghost, never leave out the booze,” Brogan advised as she opened another bottle of wine. “It helps bring the magic.”
“Magic or not, I still don’t want to spend the night in the guest house.”
“I’m surprised at you, Jade. Is Birk’s cynicism rubbing off on you? I thought you were comfortable with ghostly apparitions with unfinished business.”
“I’m comfortable with the concept. But for some reason, seeing him tonight gave me the willies.”
“You’re suggesting Scott’s haunting my guest house?”
“Your guest house, your backyard, and probably that strip of beach that connects to town. Everywhere you look in Pelican Pointe, there he is.”
“You’ve seen him?”
“Multiple sightings like everyone else. How many times would you say he’s been around here for you?”
“I’ve lost count. I don’t want him to go away. He looks after the town. At least he does when he isn’t scaring the bejesus out of people. But that’s to be expected from a ghost.”
“You’re being awfully nonchalant about this.”
Brogan slid onto a barstool at the counter. “I guess I am. Maybe he’s my guardian angel. It comforts me knowing he’s out there. If his presence spooks you, though, I’ll sleep downstairs tonight. I’ll be a bedroom away. But I assure you Scott isn’t the type to do harm to anyone. You’re in no danger from Scott.”
On the other side of the counter, Jade stood sipping her wine. “It isn’t that.”
“What are you not trying to tell me, Jade? What is this all about?”
“Seeing Scott reminded me about what I haven’t told Birk. I think Scott is hanging around bugging me because I’ve been keeping something back from Birk.”
“Uh-oh. What haven’t you told him?”
“He was such a doubting Thomas when we first met that I didn’t level with him about my paranormal experiences, not all of them anyway. Remember when he ridiculed Gemma Channing in Coyote Wells about her power stones?”
“Sure. I remember. I thought you guys got past all that. With you moving in together, I thought everything was fine. How many paranormal experiences have you had that he doesn’t know about?”
“Let’s just say you have your share of childhood angst, and I have mine.”
“Your childhood angst has everything to do with ghosts?”
“Not all ghosts are like Scott, benevolent. Or helpful like Patrick Swayze. Some are spiteful and malicious.”
“You sound like you speak from experience, so I’ll take your word for it. But what’s bothering you isn’t Scott. You don’t feel like you can be honest about this with Birk. Is that a fair statement?”
“I feel like a fraud.”
“You’re no such thing. You’re haunted by something from childhood. You need to explain it to the one person you love the most. But that comes with the fear he might ridicule you or judge you for whatever happened. That fear keeps you from telling him.”
“What would you do? What would Scott advise me to do?”
“He’d probably tell you to get it off your chest, and whatever happens, whatever Birk does or doesn’t do, you’ll get through it together.”
Jade nodded and drained her glass. “I’ll work up to it. I promise.”
“Do it sooner rather than later, or Scott will come knocking.”