Chapter 16
Trish’s lipstick-smeared lips smiled down at Lily in triumph. “I knew I’d find you here!” Trish glanced over at Dakota smugly. “You really need to find somewhere new to go, Dak. It wasn’t hard to figure out you’d show up here. You always come here when you’re in the city, don’t you?”
“Now, Trish, don’t tell me you’ve been stalking me?” Dakota’s voice was low and even. “You don’t want me to put a restraining order on you the same way the last guy you stalked had to, do you?”
Trish laughed nervously. “Don’t be ridiculous, Dak, darling. Tommy didn’t put a restraining order out on me at all, and I wasn’t stalking him.” She turned her attention back to Lily. “It’s you I wanted to talk to anyway, darling, not this boorish cowboy. Since I’m so close with your adorable sister, so it’s only reasonable that the two of us get to know each other a little better and become friends as well. Why don’t you join me for a glass of wine so we can talk? I promise I’ll drive you back to the city afterward.”
Lily had no idea how to handle the situation and prayed silently that Dakota would come to her rescue before Trish got her claws into her.
Trish looked at Dakota. “You run along now, Dak, honey. I promise I’ll take good care of our new little friend.”
Lily felt like she was some kind of novelty toy being handed around. She wanted to speak up for herself, but as usual, when she saw the determined look on Trish’s face, she chickened out. She turned to Dakota instead, her eyes pleading for help.
Dakota put his napkin on the table. “I’m afraid we were just on our way out, Trish. You’ll have to wait for another time to interrogate Lily. Ray is waiting for us at the house, and I promised I’d have Lily back around noon.” He made a big show of looking at his watch and announced, “In fact, we really have to leave now. We’re already running late.” He stood and then pulled Lily’s chair out to help her up.
He took Lily’s arm and guided her to the front of the winery, where the waitress, who had apparently been listening in, had the bill ready and waiting. With a quick smile and wave back at Trish, who was still standing by the table they had just vacated, Lily hurried after Dakota and climbed gratefully into the truck.
“Thanks. I know that was a tad rude, but I appreciate you getting me away from her. She’s starting to scare me a little,” Lily admitted.
“We can be as rude as we want; she still won’t give up,” Dakota replied, grimacing. “And you should be scared. That woman is like a relentless shark.”
Lily sighed, leaning back against the headrest, then looked over, wondering at the dichotomy of the man sitting next to her. Once again, he had insulted her numerous times, and then just as quickly, he had jumped in to rescue her.
“You don’t need to drive me all the way back to Camellia’s house. I’m not even sure when she’s going to be home. You can just drop me off in front of the courthouse, and I’ll get an Uber back to the house.”
He never took his eyes off the road. “No, I’ll drive you. I have to meet with Ray and plan out a few things anyway. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone in the city.”
She was about to protest that she could take care of herself just fine, but thought better of it. It was clear his opinion of her self-reliance wasn’t very favorable, and she doubted that any amount of protesting would change his mind.
When they arrived at the house, Lily saw Camellia’s car parked in front and was surprised to see her sister had made it home before her. A small, nagging voice wondered why Camellia hadn’t called to check on her, but it disappeared as soon as she and Dakota walked in and saw her sister’s distressed expression.
“Dak, what are you doing here?” Ray asked, looking up from the conversation he and Camellia had been having, surprised.
Lily stared at Dakota with a raised eyebrow. It didn’t seem that Ray had been expecting Dakota after all.
“There are a few more details I wanted to finalize with you about Saturday, so I figured I may as well just pop in and talk to you in person.” Dakota ignored the look Lily sent him. “Let’s step into your study for a minute. It shouldn’t take long.”
No, I don’t imagine it will, Lily thought, considering he’d clearly made up the business he had with Ray. She wasn’t sure whether to be angry or flattered that he’d lied about needing to see Ray.
She decided to turn her attention to her sister. “Is everything okay, Camellia? You seem upset.”
“I didn’t find it,” Camellia answered simply. “But I know it’s there, Lily. The young man promised he’d continue to look and call me as soon as he finds it, but I don’t understand why it wouldn’t have been recorded like everyone else’s marriage certificate.”
Lily looked at her sister sympathetically, unsure whether to be blunt. “Maybe it’s not there, Camellia. Do you think it’s possible that your mother and Dad weren’t actually married at the time she told you they were?”
“No!” The vehemence in Camellia’s voice caused Lily to shrink back. “Mama would never lie to me about that. If she said they were married earlier in a private ceremony, then they were.”
Lily sighed. “I’m not saying your mother lied, but let’s face it, the more we learn about Dad, the more obvious it is that he wasn’t exactly truthful to us or our mothers. It’s possible he told her they were legally getting married and then never filed anything in the courthouse. The first marriage could have been as much of a sham as the second one.”
Lily watched, heartbroken, as she saw Camellia’s strong face start to crumble. She quickly took her in her arms and led her to the couch.
She wanted to comfort the woman, even if she was part of the reason for her distress. “It’ll be okay, Camellia. It doesn’t matter anyhow, no matter what turns out to be the truth. Violet is busy looking into the authenticity of the marriage certificate we found for our mother as well. For all we know, none of the marriages were ever really legitimate. There are so many secrets in Dad’s past that nothing would surprise me anymore.”
Camellia sniffled. “But it does matter to me. When I first found out about the two of you, the only thing holding me together was that Dad was, first and foremost, my Dad, not yours. It was easier for me to accept this whole thing by believing you were the product of an affair he had, but Mama was his first and true love. If it turns out he lied to us about that, then I don’t have anything left to believe in!”
Lily put her arms around Camellia, letting her cry while her own emotions ran from pity to anger. She didn’t understand how the very man they’d all adored and looked up to could have done this to them and wondered just how far the deception went.
“It’ll be okay, Camellia,” she soothed. “It doesn’t even matter about any certificates. The house belongs to all of us, no matter what. Not even Matthew Fox is disputing that, and Violet and I have no intention of taking the house that holds so many memories of Dad and your mother away from you. We just need to get this convoluted will sorted out so that charity doesn’t end up with it. After that, it’ll be yours to do what you want with it. I promise, Camellia.”
Sniffling, Camellia dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I’m not even sure I want the house anymore, Lily. The only reason I’m still willing to play these silly games Dad came up with is that I don’t want Matt to get his hands on it. The man is a snake and doesn’t deserve anything.” She sniffled, then blew her nose loudly. “Once this is all sorted, I just want it gone. We can sell it and split the money, or you and Violet can keep it. I don’t care anymore. All the memories we made there seem tainted now, and I don’t ever want to step foot inside it again.”
Lily groaned, knowing that wasn’t a solution to their convoluted problems. “You’ll have to stay in it for at least five days with Violet and me,” she reminded her. “Don’t forget Matt said that Dad specifically made that a condition or we lose the house. We all have to stay, not just one or two of us.”
“I know,” Camila said. “Just understand that the only reason I’m even considering it is so Matt and his phony organization don’t end up with it.” She looked at Lily. “Ray and I were just talking about it, and we think that, for the time being, you should move in full-time, Lily.”
“You do?” Lily looked at her, surprised.
Camellia nodded. “Yes. We can’t just leave it unoccupied, especially with that Tabitha woman snooping around. You know, if Matt finds out none of us are spending time there, he’ll figure out a way to get in and take over. If you’re living there, he won’t be able to.”
When Lily still looked unconvinced, Camellia sighed.
“You said the bookstore laid you off, so you have nothing pulling you back to San Francisco anytime soon, and you don’t know when your apartment will be finished. I doubt many contractors are willing to work over the holidays anyway.”
Just then, Ray walked in, and Camellia gave him an ashen smile. “I was just telling Lily our idea about her moving into the Tahoe house on a more permanent basis, at least for the next few months.”
Ray nodded. “It does make the most sense, Lily, if you’re willing. We usually spend a month or two there over Christmas, but this year, Camellia… uh,” Ray looked at his wife with a worried frown, “well, this year, Camellia wants to do something different. Maybe I’ll even book us a cruise or something.”
He looked back at Lily. “Anyway, until we figure out what your father’s will really says and what we need to do to get the deed on that house, one of you should stay there and keep an eye on things. Violet will more than likely need to stay with her husband close to his doctors, and that leaves you.”
Camellia gave her an encouraging smile, wiping the rest of her tears away. “After Christmas, if it turns out that the will is legit and we really do have to play all of Dad’s little games to keep the house, we’ll plan a week where we all stay up there and decide what we’re going to do with it.”
The idea of actually spending Christmas in the Tahoe house filled Lily with both excitement and trepidation. “I’m just not sure. It’s still your house, Camellia. I don’t think I’d feel right living there, even if it is only for a few weeks,” she said.
“It’s not my house,” Camellia said bitterly. “I may have thought it was at one time, but now I know differently.” She looked at Ray. “Tell you what, why don’t you get your things ready, and I’ll follow you to the house today? You’ve already moved a few things in, so I’ll help you figure out what else you need and help you move to the master. If I spend the first night there with you, you might feel better about things.”
Ray nodded, a look of relief on his face. “That’s a great idea. If you two leave now, you’ll get there well before dark. I’ll call in a grocery order you can pick up on the way, so you have some supplies while you’re there.”
Lily was still undecided, but Camellia had already jumped up and was heading for the stairs. “I’ll be back down in twenty minutes, ready to go,” she called.
Lily looked helplessly at Ray.
“Go with her, Lily. She’s really out of sorts about this whole situation. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her quite like this. She needs you right now, even if she hasn’t admitted it to herself yet. You and Violet are lucky—you have each other. Camellia has only ever had her mother. Losing both parents—and now finding out all this about her father—is too much for her to handle alone.”
Lily nodded and walked up the stairs to gather her overnight bag. She didn’t feel incredibly lucky right now, despite having Violet, and she wasn’t sure how much help she’d be to her new sister. But if they wanted her at the house, she might as well go. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to be.
A few hours later, Lily found herself with a cup of hot chocolate, overlooking the lake from the back deck of the Tahoe house, watching the last of the sunlight shimmer through the trees. There must have been a snowfall last night. The sun had caused it to melt slightly, so when Camellia came back from the neighbors, Lily could hear the soft crunch of her footsteps on the ground.
“All set,” Camellia said, walking up the steps to the back deck. “They’ll be here at least until the end of January and promised to keep an eye out for you. Mrs. McNamara is a bit nosy, but she’s a good person deep down. If you need anything, you can hop right over there and ask.”
Lily nodded, already feeling a little lost and lonely in the house she would soon occupy all by herself. “Thanks for going over and letting them know I’ll be staying here. I don’t want anyone thinking you have a stranger squatting in your house.”
Camellia smiled faintly. “It’s as much your house now as it ever was mine,” she said, walking into the living room and crouching by the gas fire. “I wanted to check and see if they’d seen anyone lurking about anyway.”
“And have they?” Lily followed Camellia inside, bolting the heavy glass door securely behind her.
“They said they’ve seen a few cars driving by, but no one stopped—at least not that they saw. Of course, they do go skiing a lot, so I suppose someone could have come by while they were out.”
Camellia looked at Lily. “I wish you had come over with me. I could have introduced you. Maybe you could go skiing with them sometimes. Trust me, the days can get pretty long here without something to do.”
Lily frowned. Despite Ray’s request for her to be strong for Camellia, Lily felt anything but confident, and the last thing she felt up to was meeting more people and fending off their curiosity.
“I’m sure I’ll get a chance to meet them at some point, but I don’t really ski anyway,” she said. “I put some soup on the stove for us. It should be just about ready. Please thank Ray for the grocery delivery. There’s enough food here to supply the neighborhood for an entire month.”
Camellia smiled and followed Lily to the kitchen. “Yes, Ray does have a habit of buying out the grocery store when I let him shop. But it’s good you have enough to keep you going for a while. The store’s not far, but with the changing weather around here, you never know if you’ll be snowed in for a while.” She frowned then and added, “Just promise you’ll keep your eye on the weather reports, Lily, and if you hear of a storm coming in, make your way back to Sacramento early, okay? We really need your help on Saturday.”
Lily sighed. She’d secretly hoped a storm might trap her up there so she could avoid working with Dakota. Despite how he always seemed to rescue her, he still made her nervous, and she doubted she would ever feel at ease around him.
“I promise. I’ll be there,” Lily agreed reluctantly, setting bowls of clam chowder at their place settings.
“Do you think Violet will make it back in time?” Camellia asked, blowing on her soup.
“I hope she does. The doctors say Lawrence is doing exceptionally well, and they hope to release him on Thursday. Violet already has home healthcare lined up, so I don’t see why she can’t sneak away for at least one day.”
Lily had been thrilled to hear her brother-in-law was progressing well. Despite Violet’s nonchalant tone earlier, Lily knew just how worried her sister had been. She’d been surprised when Violet had still offered to come on Saturday—so long as Lawrence was stable. Though Violet’s first instinct was to stay by his side, she had selfishly accepted her sister’s offer to come. Lily was starting to feel the strain of dealing with all these emotions alone.
The two women finished their soup in silence, and Camellia stood up to clear the bowls.
“As long as I’m staying the night, let’s go to the living room, and I’ll show you where Mama hid her secret stash of brandy,” she said, turning to Lily with a smile.
Lily smiled back. “Your mom seems to have been full of surprises, Camellia. You never mentioned she drank. I know Dad was against drinking.”
Camellia shrugged. “He did go on and on about the harms of alcohol, didn’t he? So much so that Ray and I actually argued about whether we should have wine and beer at our wedding.”
Lily laughed. “Scott and I probably had the same argument. In the end, we waited until Dad left before we let anyone have a drink. Scott was actually happy Dad left shortly after the ceremony.”
Camellia frowned. “Looking back, I guess he really was a control freak, wasn’t he? Mama was patient, agreeing most of the time, but as soon as he left, she went back to doing things her way. I suppose it was her way of getting back at him for being gone so much.”
The women walked into the living room, and Camellia pointed to a small door in the bookcase. “It’s right behind here, along with two glasses,” she said. “I think she felt pretty sure Dad wasn’t ever going to look here. This is where she stashed most of her romance novels.”
Lily chuckled. “No, I’m sure he wasn’t going to touch something like that. But he was always reading those science journals and nature books.”
“I guess he had to keep up with things in his field,” Camellia mused. “I guess a pharmaceutical salesman really had to know what was going on.”
Lily stopped short. “A what?”
“A pharmaceutical salesman,” Camellia repeated, sitting down and looking at Lily curiously. “Surely you knew what Dad did for a living, didn’t you?”
“Well, I thought I did, but now I’m not sure. Mom said Dad was a time-share salesman. She told us he traveled around to different cities to sell vacation shares.”
Camellia shook her head. “No, it’s not the same at all. I thought he worked for Mama’s father, and after Grandpa died, he took over his clients. I guess we now have another mystery to unravel. What exactly did Dad do for a living? Did he really need to travel so much, or was he just going back and forth between the two families?”
Lily shook her head, feeling the beginnings of a migraine. She wondered if her father had lied about everything. Clearly, he’d done something to afford a house like this, but Lily had no idea what kind of salesman he had really been.
“I’m starting to think I don’t really care anymore,” Camellia said, also rubbing her head.
Lily swirled the brown liquid in her glass, watching it shimmer. Wasn’t it common for salesmen to drink on the road? Had her father really been so against alcohol, or had it been another attempt at deception and control?
“It’s hard to know what to believe anymore, isn’t it?” Lily asked. “I’m starting to question if everything about my childhood was a lie.”
Camellia looked over at her, oddly. “You’ve been wondering the same thing I’ve been wondering, then.”
Puzzled, Lily asked, “I’m not sure I know what you mean? What have you been wondering?”
“Well, there’s no doubt Violet and I are related. The similarities between us are obvious, but you…” Camellia shook her head.
“What about me?” Lily’s throat tightened, her voice coming out strangled and pained.
“You don’t look anything like us at all. Doesn’t it make you wonder just a little if maybe you’re not his child at all?”