What Started In Deception

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Shoalmans Bay, Massachusetts

April

Lydia stared out the window, catching occasional glimpses of the bold blue Atlantic as she rested her head on Gram-Gram’s shoulder in the back seat of the Escalade. Her head throbbed, and her stomach roiled as each mile brought them closer to the small regional airport.

Today was the big day—her family’s turn to help Grandpa Beau on the campaign trail, destination Portland, Maine.

“How are you feeling?” Gram-Gram asked close to her ear as she stroked her hand down Lydia’s dark-brown hair.

Lydia forced a smile as she lifted her head high enough to nod. “Good. Much better.”

“It’s just a small case of the nerves,” Gram-Gram said as she winked and smiled. “They’ll vanish as soon as we step onto the stage. Grandpa Beau will be doing all of the talking. We’re just there to smile and wave—to show our support.”

Lydia nodded again, wanting nothing more.

This was the first time that Mom and Dad were letting her and Burke do their part.

They’d been there to celebrate both of Grandpa’s U.S.

Senate wins, but they’d been little kids.

Now, Grandpa Beau was running for president.

As a Monroe, she had a duty to stand by her family.

Now that she was a freshman in high school, her parents were giving her the choice, and she was definitely all in.

It was just unfortunate that she currently felt like crap.

“It shouldn’t be much longer,” Gram-Gram said as the Escalade slowed and turned, heading toward the smaller private planes and the sleek black and gray helicopter that would take them to Maine.

Lydia sat up, tensing her achy body against the need to shiver as she ignored the fact that she was freezing.

She took another small sip of her ginger ale, desperately hoping that it would make her feel better, but she slowly set the can back between her thighs and closed her eyes when her stomach shuddered as she swallowed.

“Hey.” Burke nudged her with his elbow on her opposite side. “Why do you look like that?”

“I’m fine.” But her eyes flew open as she cupped her hands over her mouth and heaved, vomiting all over herself and Gram-Gram.

“Shit! Lydia!” Burke hollered as he unfastened his seat belt and pushed himself farther against his side of the SUV as Gram-Gram gasped.

“Oh my goodness.”

Tears coursed down Lydia’s cheeks as she retched again, adding to the mess all over her brand-new skirt and Gram-Gram’s pretty blue dress.

“Mom, she’s puking all over everything!”

“I see that,” Mom said from the first row of seats as the Escalade came to an abrupt stop not far from the helicopter.

Burke got out in a hurry, vomiting himself, after Dad and Grandpa Beau opened their doors and made hasty exits from the front and middle seats.

Burke heaved again. “God, that’s gross. It stinks.”

“She obviously didn’t mean to,” Dad said, standing next to Burke, dressed similarly in pleated slacks, a crisp white button-down, and a tie as he gave Burke’s back a couple of solid rubs. “Are you okay?”

Burke nodded as he sucked in several breaths while he remained bent over, resting his hands just above his knees. “I’m just grossed out.”

Lydia got out, bursting into tears as vomit splattered from her clothes to the pavement. “I’m so sorry.”

Dad moved to wrap his arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, Lidybug. A little vomit never ruined anyone’s life.” He looked at Burke. “Except for maybe your brother’s.”

She knew that Dad was trying to make her smile, but she couldn’t. She felt awful. When was the last time she’d felt this sick? And puking all over Gram-Gram…

Mom hurried over to stand in front of her, frowning as she pressed her hand to Lydia’s forehead. “Honey, you’re burning up. Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling so poorly?”

Lydia sniffled as she shrugged, finally giving in to her shivers. “I haven’t felt good since I woke up. I was hoping it would pass. I want to help Grandpa Beau. I want to be there to support him.”

“We’ll get you on the campaign trail,” Grandpa Beau said, keeping his distance as he tossed her a wink, looking handsome in his navy-blue suit.

She nodded, struggling with a fresh wave of tears. “But we go back to Virginia in just a couple of days.”

“We’ll talk your mom and dad into letting you join Gram-Gram and me on the bus this summer. You can stand by my side and shake a whole bunch of hands. You’ll love it. The crowds will love it.”

Her lips curved up. “Okay.”

Gram-Gram walked over with a roll of paper towels after she’d done what she could to clean herself up. “Here you go, honey.”

Lydia took the wad Gram-Gram handed her, wiping at her nasty clothes. “Thank you, Gram-Gram.”

“Of course.” Gram-Gram used a few more of the towels to swipe at the mess on Lydia’s legs. “What do you say to you and me heading home for showers. Then we’ll get you snuggled into bed.”

Lydia nodded. “I feel pretty weak and tired,” she finally admitted when she’d fought to ignore her symptoms for the last few hours.

Mom’s frown was back as she touched Lydia’s forehead again. “There’s definitely a bug going around. My waiting room was full the entire week before we headed up here. I’ll come with you, and we’ll get a read on that fever.”

Gram-Gram shook her head as she held up her hand. “Lydia and I will hold down the fort until you get back tonight. The voters want to see the Virginia Monroes. They don’t get a lot of time with you. Give the people what they want.”

Mom hesitated as concern filled her pretty hazel eyes.

“I’m okay, Mom. I’m going to shower and let Gram-Gram tuck me in.”

Gram-Gram stepped closer, sliding Lydia’s hair behind her ear. “We’ll send Will out to get you some Saltines and some chicken noodle soup. Your cousin is always looking for a reason to take the car somewhere, now that he has a license burning a hole in his pocket.”

“That sounds like someone else we know,” Dad said, gesturing to Burke before he kissed Lydia’s forehead. “Settle in at the compound and get some rest. We’ll be back in a few hours.”

She sent him a small smile as she breathed in the familiar scent of his cologne. “Okay.”

“I love you, Lidybug,” he told her as he kissed her again.

“I love you, too.”

Mom kissed her forehead next. “You’re sure you don’t want me to stay? Because I will.”

Lydia shook her head. “I promise I’ll be okay. I love you.”

“I love you more, honey.”

“Come on,” Gram-Gram said, walking Lydia back to the Escalade as Marcus used another roll of towels that he’d grabbed from the airport to clean up the SUV.

Lydia winced. “I’m so sorry, Marcus.”

“It’s okay, Miss Lydia. We’ll get this in for a detail, and no one will be the wiser.” He handed her a small trash bag. “For the ride back.”

“Thank you.” She took the seat that Dad had sat in, buckling up as she watched her family head for the helicopter, hating that they were leaving her behind.

“Next time, honey,” Gram-Gram said as she secured her seat belt.

Lydia nodded, rolling down the window as Burke saluted with his fingers to his forehead before he piled into the chopper after Grandpa Beau. Dad winked and waved, and Mom blew her a kiss, then got in.

Struggling to blink back more tears, she waved, listening to the loud whir as the chopper blade spun and the aircraft lifted off the ground. Waving once more, she rolled up the window and made herself smile at Gram-Gram. “I guess I should get to bed and get better.”

“That’s my girl,” she said with a smile. “Close your eyes and rest while Marcus drives us home.”

She didn’t need much convincing. “Okay.”

“It’ll take us about forty minutes to get back to the compound with the traffic, so you’ll have plenty of time for a nice little power nap,” Marcus added.

“Mm-hmm,” she said, settling her head against the leather rest, already mostly asleep as Marcus blasted the heat and started the drive back to Shoalmans Bay.

“Lydia,” Gram-Gram said seconds later, rubbing her hand up and down Lydia’s arm.

Lydia blinked her eyes open, surprised to see that they were nearly back to the massive home where her dad had grown up. “We’re here already?”

Gram-Gram chuckled. “Time flies when you’re sleeping deeply.”

“I guess so.” She frowned as Marcus slowed and turned onto the main driveway, noting the two police cars parked by the front door. “Is everything okay?”

Gram-Gram’s brow furrowed as she craned her neck to see out Lydia’s window. “I don’t know.”

The front door opened, and Uncle James and Will rushed outside.

Lydia pressed her hand to her stomach as they ran to the Escalade, noting the tears on their cheeks and the horror in their eyes.

Uncle James yanked open Gram-Gram’s door. “Mom, you need to come inside.”

Gram-Gram clutched at her oldest son’s hand. “What’s wrong? What’s happened? Is Cindy okay?”

Uncle James helped Gram-Gram out of her seat. “Cindy’s fine. Let’s go inside.”

Will opened Lydia’s door, grimacing as he looked at her filthy skirt. “Are you okay?”

She ignored her cousin’s question as she got out on legs that felt like jelly. The sudden sense of sickening dread and her current illness made it hard to take a step. “What’s wrong?”

Will gently nudged her shoulder. “We should go inside.”

She shrugged his hand away. “Tell me, Will.”

He cleared his throat as he blinked back more tears. “The helicopter. They didn’t make it.”

She shook her head, unsure what that meant. But then Gram-Gram collapsed to her knees on a keening wail as Uncle James sank to the driveway with her, and she knew. “It crashed.”

Will nodded as tears trailed down his cheeks. “Just a couple of minutes after they took off. They’re gone, Lydia.”

She heard Will’s words, but they didn’t make any sense. “They’re gone?”

Will nodded again.

“They’re not alive?” she heard herself ask next.

He shook his head. “They’re not alive.”

“None of them? Burke? Mom and Dad? Grandpa Beau?”

“None of them,” Will choked out.

She nodded as she leaned against the SUV, staring at the concrete, unable to take it all in—to comprehend that her family was truly gone.