Page 71 of Don't Call Me Daddy
Frank wipes his mouth. “Is that so?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s all he talks about these days. Sometimes, I have to flash him to get him to stop yapping about it.” I lean into Leo and squeeze his biceps.
“That’ll do it every time.” Frank laughs. “It’s good to see you enjoying yourself, son. I worry about you working yourself so hard.”
“Yeah, I’ve been guilty of that …” His voice trails off. “But this one keeps me pretty distracted.”
I shiver as a gust of wind blows toward us, and Leo wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me back into his warmth. He smells like aftershave and cedar and something else that’s unique to him. I wish I could bottle it up or make a candle out of it so I could take it with me everywhere I go and never forget it. I let myself relax, snuggling into his warmth.
I know it’s just for show and that we’re pretending, but I could get used to being held like this. I trace my fingers along his corded forearms and up his biceps, loving the way his body feels wrapped around mine. I feel safe and protected, like when I’m with him, even the pain of my grief can’t hurt me.
“You two look so happy. You have no idea how relieved I am to see my oldest son finally living his life,” Mary says, and guilt pinches in my chest. I hate that we’re lying to her like this, and I hate I’ll be the reason her heart breaks when it’s over.
I’m relieved when Guy changes the subject. “Ivy, have you ever heard the story about the infamous Ashford Falls Phantom?”
Leo’s muscles stiffen, but he doesn’t take his arm off me. “Guy, don’t start with the ghost stories; Ivy doesn’t like being scared.”
“Oh, come on, big brother. It’s all a part of the camping experience,” Luka adds.
I brush a hand over his jaw, sensing his protectiveness over me, or maybe it’s his own fear rushing up to the surface. “It’s fine, Leo. I can handle it. Besides, it’s just a story, right?”
“We’ll take this as our cue to leave,” Mary says, and Frank stands to join her. “Please don’t scare my future daughter-in-law off. I’d like her to at least give Ashford Falls a shot before you send her running to the hills.” Mary gives them a warning glare, and I don’t miss the sharp tone in her voice. Whatever the story’s about, it’s obvious she believes it.
We say good night as they make their way to their tent. Leo stands to add more wood to the fire, and I take the opportunity to move closer, warming my body from the chilled air.
“I think I’m going to need a drink for this. Who wants to join me?” Luka asks as he pours whiskey in his compostable plastic cup. He doesn’t wait for an answer before he’s passing us each one of our own, and when he gets to Leo, he gives him a knowing wink.
It’s a small gesture, microscopic even, but something tells me there’s more to it than meets the eye.
“Here, sit in my lap if you’re that cold.” Leo pulls me into him, and I gladly take the warm seat and snuggle into him, sipping my own whiskey.
“You might’ve heard of the Phantom, but has Leo told you how he’s connected to our family?” Guy asks, bringing my attention back to him.
I shake my head, thinking back to the spooky stories Fern loved to scare me with.
“Stop with the theatrics and get on with it,” Leo says as he takes a long pull of his drink.
Guy holds up his hands. “I’m merely setting the tone, big brother. No reason to get your panties all twisted.”
He stands from his seat, moving closer to the fire, stoking it with a long stick. As if part of the performance, the fire roars to life, flames lapping higher and brighter.
“Now, where was I? Oh, right. As the story goes, the very first encounter with the Phantom happened almost exactly one hundred years ago in a cavern inside what we know now as Phantom’s Reach.
“A poor woman, whose husband had fallen ill due to the toxic fumes emitted from the mines, was down to her last crumb of bread. Her husband’s health was rapidly declining with the sickness, and she had no way to feed her four children. So, in adesperate attempt to put some food on the table, she disguised herself and set out to work the mines while her husband recovered. However, her plan didn’t work out the way she’d intended.
“When she arrived at the mines, her own chest began to hurt, and she quickly found that the men were acting odd, many of them confused and bickering among themselves. She tried to push through the fog in her brain, but quickly found herself just as disoriented and confused.
“She tried to find a way out of the cavern, but only seemed to be walking in circles as people began collapsing all around her. Hours passed, which soon turned to days, as she searched for a way out, pacing back and forth until her feet were blistered and bloody.
“She began hallucinating with visions of rescue, only to come to and realize she was still trapped in that cave. On the third day of her entrapment, something happened that would change the course of our history …
“A sickly, rancid odor filled the cavern, and suddenly, the air grew cold. She opened her eyes to find a monster towering over her. He had massive wings that spanned across his back; his skin was black and smooth, like leather; and on his head sat a crown of antlers, as if he were a king or royalty of some kind. He stared down his nose, his fluorescent-green eyes illuminating the space around him in a soft glow, as the woman crumbled helplessly beneath him.”
Leo’s hand tightens its grip on my thigh, and I cover it with my own. I take another sip of my whiskey, feeling my muscles loosen as I listen to the eerie story.
“She scrambled to her knees and began pleading for her life, begging him not to kill her. And when he finally spoke, he didn’t open his mouth, rather she heard his voice in her mind. It was gravelly and deep with a strange accent she didn’t recognize. Thewords she heard were, ‘I’ve come to warn you about the sickness in this land, sickness brought on by you and your people. I come to you as a harbinger that if you should continue your destructive ways, there will be deadly consequences to pay.’
“The woman told him that her husband had fallen ill, promised him that if he spared her life, she would do everything in her power to stop the mining. The Phantom saw the truth in her eyes and took pity on her. He took her word, agreeing to give her six months before he returned. But just as he was about to leave, she felt a searing, stabbing pain on her thigh as a reminder of his threat burned into her flesh.
