Chapter Twenty Eight
River
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The door handle of the cabin turned in River's hand. She pulled Kenna inside, glad Phil had already opened for business and left to make the rounds in the campground.
She hadn't asked Zane or Kingsley if Kenna could come to work with her. But staying in the big house another day, shut in her room, was out of the question.
Using her foot, she rolled the rock they used to prop open the door into place. Then, she shoved her backpack under the counter.
"Go ahead and turn on the computer." She peeked out the door. "I'll watch for Phil."
"Is there a password?" Her sister walked behind the counter.
She hesitated. Whether she worked in the kitchen of the bar or at the campground, she was an honest employee. But that loyalty to Zane no longer mattered. He'd lied and used her.
"GH208," she said.
Kenna frowned. "The initials of Gem Haven and the area code for Idaho?"
"Yep."
"You'd think they'd pick something harder."
She glanced at her sister and raised her brows. "It's a campground. What's someone going to do if they break into the computer, find out how many people stayed during the Fourth of July?"
"Good point." Kenna sat down in the chair and typed on the keyboard. "Okay, there's nine state prisons in Idaho. Where should I start?"
"It's the same prison where Zane and Kingsley's dad is located." She looked outside for anyone coming and then back at her sister. "I have no idea. He's never mentioned the location by name."
Kenna slumped in the chair. "This will take a while unless they have a roster posted online on current prisoners."
"I doubt it." An idea struck her. "Wait. When Zane goes and sees his dad, he's gone most of the day. Last time, he left at eight o'clock in the morning and got back at three o'clock. He hates going because it takes so long to check in and wait for the visiting time. That must mean it's not too far."
"Smart." Kenna set her cell phone beside her on the desk. "I'll start with the closest one and work my way out on the map."
"Use the landline. Reception in the cabin sucks."
As her sister set out to find which prison their dad was kept at, she hurried back and forth from getting things organized for the campers and watching for Phil.
Refilling the wall holder with brochures from local attractions, forestry areas, hiking trails, and facts about the area, she stayed hyper-alert. She'd left the house without a sign of Zane or Kingsley, which made her nervous.
It was hard to break habits that had formed so long ago.
Zane always made sure he talked to her before she worked or acknowledged her as he spoke to the bikers outside, and she walked by.
There was no doubt he had someone watching over Kenna because she wanted to leave Gem Haven. The ache returned to her chest. Maybe he no longer cared if she took off with her sister. His job was done now that they understood why he and Kingsley came into their lives.
"I find it weird that there is no mention of Dad online. It's as if Google wiped his name off everything. Wouldn't there be an arrest record or—shit." Kenna whipped her gaze to River. "He changed his name."
"Why would he do that?" She walked over to the desk.
"Oh, my God. How did I not know this before?" Kenna leaned back in the chair. "Mom and Dad weren't married."
"I know that." She shrugged. "Mom used to say they had a spiritual wedding alone on a mountaintop near a waterfall, which was better than an actual wedding. It was more special to them. At least that's what she told us. Who knows if it's true."
"So, explain to me how our last name is Pruitt." Kenna paused. "Mom and Dad both went by Pruitt."
They had no other relatives to follow their ancestry to see where names came from. Kenna and she were the only ones left.
"I have my birth certificate in my bag. The state gave it to me when I was fifteen and had to show proof of it when I changed schools." She took her bag out from under the counter and opened the zipper. "I'm sure our parents' names are the same."
She double-checked and handed it to Kenna. Her sister frowned and gave it back to her.
"The same. So, Dad took mom's name...maybe. Or they made up the name together. Dad must have a different legal name. That would explain why I can't find anyone with his name sitting on death row."
Her stomach rolled. "How many people do you think are on death row in Idaho?"
Kenna Googled the question. "Eight."
She moved closer. "See if you can find the names of the eight people."
It was unbelievable that their dad was in prison, waiting to be killed. He loved her and Kenna more than anything and had told them on multiple occasions that they were the most important parts of his life. His relationship with Mom was one of fairy tales.
She had a hard time wrapping her head around the idea that he was alive and not dead, that if she could see him and prove that he was still living, she'd fight to get him free. They had to have made a mistake and arrested the wrong man.
She had the money she saved to find Kenna. Now, she could use the money to hire a lawyer for her dad.
Letting Kenna do the work, she hurried to look out the door. Campers headed in her direction.
"People are coming." She waved her hand. "Keep working. I'll take care of them."
A couple with two children came in inquiring about local swimming areas. She used the map and pointed out the trails leading them to the river.
"There's a spot that has been cleared of big rocks and pea gravel has been put down. There's a small dam that's safer for children. You don't have to worry about the current." She handed over the map. "There are also children's life vests on site you can borrow. We just ask that you return them so other campers can use them when you're done."
As the family left, Zane walked into the cabin. She stiffened, unable to warn Kenna. Protective of her sister, she stood taller and blocked the walkway off at the end of the counter, giving Kenna enough time to close out any windows she had open—not that it would do much. If Zane wanted to know what they were doing, it was easy enough to find out.
She raised her chin. Besides, he'd brought all of this into their lives. She had a right to know what was going on.
"Is Kenna now on the payroll?" He looked over her shoulder at Kenna.
"She deserves much more than money for the last nine years." She looked away, surprised at the snappish tone of her voice.
Zane hurt her. He'd done something she never thought he'd do. He was supposed to be the one person in her life who never hurt or left her.
As far as she was concerned, she and Kenna were the only ones who weren't guilty of doing anything.
"I need to talk to you." He stepped back. "Outside."
"I'm working."
His gaze challenged her. "There's nobody here."
Walking past him, making sure her body touched no part of him, she went outside. She folded her arms and waited.
"I'll be gone today." He tilted his head. "If you need anything, Kingsley's around."
So, he was leaving when her life was falling apart?
"Fine." She refused to show him how much his lack of caring was like trickling gas into an open wound. "Go."
"Sweetheart." His mouth tightened, and he looked away. "We need to sit down and talk. I gave you a few days to work through the information I gave you."
"Right." The muscles in her neck tightened. "My dad's alive. For nine years, I've grieved for my family, and he was alive the whole time. Who does that to someone?" She clenched her teeth. "I don't need you anymore."
"The hell you don't," he muttered.
"Just go." She unfolded her arms and turned to go back into the cabin, and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"I'm going to see my dad." He brought her hand closer and held it against his heart as if nothing had changed. "I'm going to tell him it's over. He'll tell your dad that you and Kenna know he's alive."
The stiffness in her spine left like the wind changing direction. "You can get a message to my dad? Can you tell him we want to see him? To talk to him?"
"Hold on." He cupped her face.
She pressed her cheek against the warm roughness of his hand. How quickly hope filled her like all the other times Zane had come into her life and fixed all her problems.
"Before Kenna even came here and before you knew the truth, I put a request in with the prison to see your dad. I'm still waiting for him to accept—"
"But you can get word to him?"
He shook his head. "All I can do is talk to my dad, and I hope he has a way to get a message to your dad through the system. It's not easy, River. He's on death row. He doesn't have any contact with other inmates."
"But he can have visitation." Kenna walked outside. "Either Google is wrong, or you're lying. Again."
"Like I was telling River, I put a request in at the prison to visit with your dad," he said. "But I highly doubt he'll okay it."
"He will if River and I put in a request." Kenna stood beside River. "I just need to know his name."
Zane frowned. "Tom Pruitt—"
"No, his real name," said Kenna.
What do you mean?" Zane looked at River. "Tom Pruitt is your father."
River pressed her hand to her stomach. "We think he has a different name. We've searched for him on the internet and there's no Tom Pruitt who is sitting on death row. There's no arrest record. If what he did was so bad to get him the death penalty, the crimes would've made the news. That could only mean he goes by a different name."
"I never asked dad what Pruitt's crimes were when we were asked to do him a favor." Zane looked at his phone. "I need to hit the road if I'm going to make visitation."
"Will you tell us what your dad says?" asked River.
He nodded and pointed behind them. Kingsley stood in the doorway of the cabin. "Kingsley will be here with you while I'm gone."
She glanced between the brothers. "Was he here the whole time?"
Zane cocked his brow and walked backward. "We know everything that goes on in Gem Haven."
River turned, giving him her back, fuming over his arrogance. She'd thought Phil opened the cabin before she arrived that morning.
"What are we going to do?" whispered Kenna.
"There's nothing we can do but wait." She marched past Kingsley back into the cabin.
"You better pay me if I'm working here all day," muttered Kenna.
Kingsley chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."
"Shut up." Kenna marched to the counter and lowered her voice to River. "They don't have an official list of people on death row. I have no idea how we'd find out who they are."
She was afraid of that. "We'll have to wait until Zane returns and see if he has any more information."
"I hate this," whispered Kenna.
She whispered back, "Me, too."