Lily pointed to the swing. “Have a seat while I wash my hands and get the tea.”
It was a gorgeous evening. Paradise settled on the old swing and gave it a nudge with her foot. The gentle swaying reminded her of sitting in this very spot with her mom so many years ago.
Lily returned with glasses of sweet tea and a small plate of lemon bars. “I made these this morning.”
“I haven’t had lemon bars in forever.” Paradise selected one.
“I suppose you have more questions about your mother.” Lily sounded resigned.
“I’m always interested in hearing any memories about Mom, but this time my questions have to do with that off-Broadway musical I went to in New Orleans with Mom.The Phantom of the Opera.Do you remember?”
“That’s all you talked about for weeks. I never saw a girl so obsessed with a movie.” Lily took a lemon bar and bit into it.
“Someone has been trying to scare me out of town by having the music play on my phone and in my car. Someone hid a music box similar to the one in the movie in the lemur habitat. I wondered if Mom might have told someone how much I loved it.”
“Well, sure. Your mom talked about you all the time. You were the smartest, prettiest, most perfect daughter there ever was.” Lily’s tone held a trace of contempt. “But then, whatever Beckycared about wasallshe cared about. She didn’t like listening to me talk about my kids.”
Pain flared in Paradise’s soul. Mom loved her, sure, but Paradise had never realized her mom bragged about her to her friends. “Do you know the names of people she might have told?”
“Your eighth birthday party had a Phantom theme. Friends, family, kids from the neighborhood and school. Your dad grilled burgers and hot dogs for several hours to feed all the people.”
“I—I don’t remember the party.” With a start Paradise realized her birthday was in five days. It had been years since she’d even gotten a card to celebrate. Not many people knew the date. All of it had been buried by the murder of her parents.
Lily’s gaze softened. “It’s coming right up. Next week, isn’t it?”
“Y-yes.”
“I’ll be the first one to wish you happy birthday.”
Maybe the only one. It wasn’t a day she usually thought about, much less celebrated. When the calendar flipped to February, Paradise struggled to get through every day, an hour at a time. Her thoughts usually didn’t clear until April.
“Many here in town know how much you loved that weekend with your mom. She showed pictures of it at the party. And since you’re so determined to dredge up the past, I have a box of stuff I bought from the sale after your parents died. It’s in the attic. Let me get it for you.”
If she’d loved it so much, why did that music box fill her with such dread? She should have been thrilled to see it. There was more here than she understood.
Chapter 22
Frank Ellis patted his stomach, still taut at his age. “That was the best lasagna I’ve ever had.”
Jenna blushed and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Paradise made that Italian bread for the cheese toast from scratch.”
Blake’s respect for the builder had grown over the past few weeks his mom had been seeing him. Frank knew a lot about business—maybe he’d have some ideas on how to save the park.
The boys had cleaned their plates and run off to play with their kittens, leaving the adults at the kitchen table. The sound ofMinecraftjoined the distant animal noises. They’d had their biggest visitor count ever this week, thanks to the governor. The revenue would allow them to cut paychecks for the next month, but Blake was pragmatic enough to know the surge might not last.
It had been a squeeze to get six of them seated in the small space, but Frank hadn’t seemed to mind the homey little room. Blake liked seeing his mom blush like a high schooler and send little glances Frank’s way. They both seemed smitten. Maybe losing the park wouldn’t matter so much if Blake knew Mom wassettled with someone who would love her and the boys. Frank’s kids were grown, but he knew how to talk to Levi and Isaac, and the boys already liked him.
Blake gave a slight shake of his head. It was way too soon to be thinking like that. Anyone could put on a front for a while, but it took time to get to know a man’s heart and character. Frank hadn’t been in his mom’s life for a long time, and he might not be the same as the kid she knew in high school. Only time would tell. The present problem was Blake’s to figure out.
Frank leaned back in his chair, and his blond hair fell away from his forehead. “There’s been a somber mood around here tonight. Is something wrong? I thought there would be jubilation all around after that great interview with Governor George.”
“It helped for sure,” Blake said. “But it’s not enough to offset the ongoing attacks on us that are having an adverse impact. We’re hopeful things might start to turn around now though.”
“Then what’s with the doom and gloom?”
Blake exchanged a glance with his mother. Frank would probably know about rare earth elements. Maybe he could advise them. His mom inclined her head like it was up to Blake to make that decision. What did they have to lose?
“There are people out there who seem determined to force us into bankruptcy so they can buy the land, Frank. We found out some interesting news about what’s under our ground.” He rose and grabbed the report from his jacket hanging on a hook by the back door. It was creased from constant folding and unfolding.
