“No. I wish it were the end of my story, but it’s not. It wasn’t until I was merging onto the highway that I realized I was having a difficult time concentrating. Not only did my body feel heavy and hard to hold up, but my eyelids felt like bricks. I knew then that Shane must have slipped something into my punch. I knew something was wrong. I needed to pull off the road, but I was overcome with fatigue.” She had to stop to catch her breath. Tears ran down both sides of her face. “I closed my eyes, David. It felt like a long blink.”
The silence was deafening.
David said nothing. He just stared at her and waited.
Nora didn’t want to tell him the rest, didn’t want him to hate her as she’d hated herself for so long. “When I opened my eyes, all I could see were two bright lights—headlights—coming right at me.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Of course, I learned later that I was the one heading toward them. Not the other way around.”
“But you weren’t hurt?”
“One of my lungs had been punctured, and I had some lacerations, but I was the lucky one. I was alive. A married couple and their eight-year-old boy had been in the other car, heading in the opposite direction. The boy’s parents died instantly. The little boy was in a coma for close to a month. His name was Lucas. He was a fighter, but in the end, he lost the battle.”
She was sobbing now. David wrapped his arms around her and did what he could to comfort her. “It wasn’t your fault. You had no idea your drink had been spiked.”
“But I sensed something was off. I was dizzy, and my legs were wobbling. I should have known.”
“You were young and frightened. You wanted to help your friend.”
She wiped her eyes. “I lived, and they didn’t. We were sued. My dad said he would take care of everything, and that’s what he did. There was a large settlement. It cost him everything he had worked so hard for to pay off relatives and to keep me out of the courtroom. I was ashamed. I still am.”
David squeezed her hand.
“I do know my dad visited Lucas nearly every day and that when Lucas died, something inside my dad died, too. I know he didn’t blame me, but I also know he felt guilty for what had happened. His daughter had driven across the divider and hit and killed a family. And he took on the responsibility, as if he had been the one behind the wheel. As if he were the one who spiked my drink. Mom and Dad had to sell their house. We moved to Whispering Pines to live with my grandparents, here, in this house. I finished high school and then left for college. But our family was never the same. I got counseling, but Mom and Dad refused to talk to anyone. They wouldn’t even talk to me about the accident. I wanted to tell you what happened when we were dating, but Dad had made me promise never to tell a soul.”
“What about the boy . . . the one who slipped something into your drink . . . Shane? What happened to him?”
“Mom knew I was worried he would come after me, since I gave the police his name. She told me there were other girls who had come forward and testified against him, and that Shane would be going to jail.”
“And you’re telling me all this now because your mom mentioned you were in an accident?”
“I’ve wanted to tell you for years. But yes. I was shocked when Mom mentioned the accident. But now I’m realizing it had to be Dad who wanted to keep quiet about the accident. Not Mom.”
“Your mom is probably relieved to finally have the chance to get it all out.”
“I think you’re right, because I’m feeling the same way. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“It’s okay, Nora.” He reached for her hand and clasped it within his. “I’m just sorry you’ve had to deal with it all.”
They both sat quietly for a moment, David no doubt trying to take it all in, and Nora feeling better about telling him everything, getting it off her chest. But the warm, fuzzy feeling didn’t last long. How could she go about her daily business if someone had it out for her?
Was the writing literally on the wall?
If her house wasn’t vandalized by a group of bored teens, then who was targeting her and what did they want?
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The next day, two days before Christmas, determined to get the kids and her husband away from their computers and iPhones, Nora made a hearty breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, and sausages. When they were all done eating, she said, “Now that you’re all fed, I have a surprise.”
Hailey groaned.
“We’re going to Disneyland, and we all need to pack,” Trevor said in a way she knew was only trying to annoy his sister.
“Very funny,” Hailey said.
Nora clapped her hands together. “I went online, got a permit, and we’re good to go!”
Hailey did not look pleased. “What does that even mean?”
“We’re all going to put on some warm clothes, lots of layers, and take a drive up the hill to cut down our very own Christmas tree.”
“Really?” Trevor asked, his eyes bright.
“Why?” Hailey groaned. “Let’s just go to Betty’s Christmas tree lot down the road. I saw tons of great trees when we drove by.”
“I used to help my dad cut down a tree every year. This will be a lot of fun.” Nora glanced at her watch. “We’ll leave in thirty minutes. Make sure to bring a hat and gloves.”
Nora had already told David, but he pretended to be both surprised and excited. “I’ll get dressed, then grab the saw and warm up the car,” he said.
“Can I bring Tank?” Trevor asked.
“Of course,” Nora said.
Trevor jumped from his chair and hurried upstairs to his room to get ready.
Three and a half hours later, they were home, everyone exhausted, cold, yet happy. It had been a perfect day. The sort of day Nora had been daydreaming about. Spending time with her family.
Everyone piled out of the SUV. David went to untie the tree from the top of the car, while the rest of them gathered their belongings.
“Who’s going to help me get this tree in the house?” David asked.
“I’m not touching that thing.” Hailey feigned a shiver. “There could be snakes and squirrels and all kinds of critters crawling around inside those branches.”
“I’ll help,” Trevor said.
Nora draped an arm around Hailey. “You have to admit that was fun, wasn’t it?”
“It was okay.”
Nora laughed. “Come on. Let’s go inside and get the fire going. After that, I’ll go to the cottage to check on Mom and Dad, and then I think it’s time for hot cocoa, charades, and a puzzle. Wait until you see—”
Nora stopped talking when the front door came open. Her mom stood there, looking sorrowful.
“Mom,” Nora said. “What’s going on?”
Before Nora’s mom could answer, Jane stepped into view. The glittering red minidress she wore hugged her curves. Her flawless cleavage was half-covered by the shiny blonde waves that fell over one shoulder. The woman was breathtaking, no doubt about it. But even before Nora drew any closer, she noticed that Jane had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her nose was a blotchy red. When Nora reached the door, Jane fell into her arms, her shoulders trembling as she began to sob.