A Deep and Dark December(88)

“What happened? Somebody tell me what happened.”

Donald’s mouth pressed down at the corners. She wasn’t going to get what she wanted from her dad.

“Auntie, tell me what happened.”

“First, lie back. I can see you’re hurting. Let me get the nurse—”

“No.” Erin put a hand on her aunt’s arm to stop her from calling for the nurse. She settled back against the pillows to smooth the worry from between Cerie’s brows. “I’m fine. Please. Tell me.”

“A few hours after I woke up,” Cerie began, “Graham came into my hospital room. I guess he’d asked the nurses to let him know when I was conscious.” She paused, looking down at her hands clasped with Erin’s. “He was wearing a shirt…with blood all over it. Your blood. He looked awful, chicken.” She raised her gaze to Erin’s, looking sadder than Erin had ever seen her. “Ham had passed right before your father and I came out of…whatever it was we were in.”

Erin pressed her eyes closed. Graham shooting his own father had not only saved Erin but her aunt and dad, too. She couldn’t imagine the pain he must be in right now. And blame. He’d be blaming himself for what his father had done, just like with Patricia.

“Donald arrived and then Graham told us what had happened to you,” Cerie continued. “You’d just come out of surgery. You were going to be okay. And then he told us what Ham had done. He—” She broke off on a sob.

“That son of bitch nearly killed you,” Donald broke in, an edge to his voice that Erin had never heard.

“I’m okay, Dad.”

“You were shot. Twice.”

“It’s not Graham’s fault.”

“He’s the sheriff. If it’s not his fault, whose is it?”

“Donald, stop it. You’re upsetting her.”

“He shot his own father protecting me. And whether you like it or not, Graham and I are together. So you’re just going to have to get over it.”

Donald’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean together?”

“I mean it in the same way it applies to you and Mabel.”

Cerie put a hand up to her mouth, hiding her smile.

Donald drew back. “You know about Mabel and me?”

“Mom’s not coming back. You should have someone in your life who makes you happy. If that’s Mabel then…that’s Mabel.” Her father continued to stare at her, but a strange expression crept over his features—relief. She decided to go for broke. “Daddy, I love him.”

Donald looked away, his frown deepening.

“You have to let her go sometime,” Cerie said to her brother. “If it helps, he loves her just as much. Maybe more. He’s suffering because of what his father did. You couldn’t possibly blame him as much as he blames himself. Be reasonable, Donald. He saved her at great personal cost. If you could hear him the way I do… If you knew how much pain he’s in…”

“I need to see him. Please,” Erin begged her aunt. “Find him for me.”

“He’s in the hospital, but he won’t come. He…” She pressed fingers to her temples and shook her head. “I don’t understand his thoughts. Something about not knowing what’s real?” Cerie looked at Erin for clarification.

“Did you know about Graham’s family?”

“What about them?”

“What did Ham call them?” Erin searched her memory for the right word. “Influencers. He said they were Influencers.”

“What does that mean?” Donald asked.

“Oh,” Cerie breathed. “He didn’t know. That’s why.”

Donald let out a frustrated breath. “Know what?”

“That he has an ability,” Erin said.

“What kind of ability?” Donald asked.

“Ham said that they’re Influencers. They can influence people’s thoughts and actions.” Erin tried to recall everything Ham had said. “He called them crowd control. Protectors of some sort. I don’t understand the details except that it has something to do with getting people to do what they want them to do.”

Cerie slowly nodded. “So that’s how they were able to be sheriff generation after generation.”

“And why there’s been no crime in San Rey,” Donald added. “Until recently.”

“Until Ham killed Deidre, then used his ability to influence Greg to kill himself.”

“What?” Cerie and Donald said at the same time.

“It started when Ham had an affair with Deidre.” Erin watched the expressions on her father’s and aunt’s faces go from disbelief to horror to shock as she pieced together everything Ham had done, including what had happened on the bluff. When she finished, she reached for her aunt’s hand and pleaded her case one more time. “I need to see Graham, Auntie. Please.”

Cerie turned to her brother, her eyes widening as her lips parted in surprise.

Donald bent and kissed Erin’s forehead. “We’ll leave the two of you alone.” He looked at Cerie and jerked his head toward the door.

What did I miss? “What do you mean, the two of us?” Erin asked.

Cerie rose from the bed and patted Erin’s hand. She smiled, her gaze on her brother’s back as she leaned down to whisper in Erin’s ear. “Be gentle with Graham, chicken. He’s going to need your strength, but most of all he’s going to need your ability to help him use and understand his own.” She smoothed the hair back from Erin’s brow. “Your father might have been a bit dramatic, putting the thought in Graham’s head that he needs to get his ass up here quick. Graham’s racing up and should be here in three, two, one…”