The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Fifteen Years Earlier

Summer had been early this year; blasting in and ripening everything earlier than usual. The bright sun blended in shades of deep green with the treetops, shadowing the carpeted path that wound through the thick forest behind her house. The blackberries were fully ripe on this hot summer day and Diana intended to take full advantage of this bounty as she towed her baby sister, Louisa, picking the juicy plump berries, eating to their heart’s content and filling the empty holes in their stomachs.

Fantasizing was Diana’s escape. And everyday she’d find time to lay in the meadow in the forest behind their house, where she’d envision a better life, a different outcome. She dreamed often throughout the day, and whenever she could, she’d escape to her magical forest. In her dreams, her mama was the lovely Cinderella who scrubbed and cleaned for her ugly stepsisters, a slave to her stepmother. Truth be told, Faye Claremont, Diana’s mama, was no Cinderella. She just had her own fantasy of one day being Mrs. Todd Friessen and having a life that she believed she deserved. Wealthy Todd Friessen had started out as her landlord, who owned most of Snohomish County. The problem was that Todd was no Prince Charming; he had a wife and a son and a meanness that could turn on a dime when he didn’t get what he wanted. And he’d wanted Faye the moment after she moved into one of his houses; but he’d wanted her as his new plaything.

Andy Friessen, Todd’s son, was a local hero; winning the men’s all-around and break away roping at the Northwest Professional rodeo this year, and the national cutting horse championship three years running. Everyone in town turned out to cheer him on when he rode. It was said that there wasn’t a horse he couldn’t ride, couldn’t train, and when he rode his horse Valentino it was like watching pure magic. Andy’s strong Celtic ancestry was evident in his thick, dark hair, his light coloring, and his strong features. To Diana, he looked wild, like one of those powerful cowboys who ruled the wild west, creating a ranching dynasty for generations to come. A hero who’d rescue the ladies and have them swooning every time that he jumped on a saddle. Which is exactly who Andy was to Diana from the first day she met him—her hero. She still remembered it as if it were yesterday. It was the day nine-year-old Diana pledged she’d love Andy until the day she died, two days after her mother rented the house from Todd Friessen.

She’d gotten her pant leg caught in the chain of her bicycle half a mile down the old dirt road from the house they’d rented. It was pure luck that Andy was driving by in his pickup, because Diana’s pants were caught in such a way that she couldn’t put her foot on the ground. He’d pulled to the side of the road and slid out of his truck, fitting his black cowboy hat on his thick, dark hair, and sauntered over to her. He’d taken one look at her predicament and flashed her that million dollar smile that had her heart pounding in her skinny chest. He bent down and freed her hand-me-down pants from the rusty chain and said, “This chain’s in pretty bad shape. Here, hop off, let me take a look.”

Andy didn’t just look at the chain, he took off the metal guard and tightened some screws with a wrench he’d retrieved from a toolbox in the back of the pickup. Then he’d shaken his head and said, “I tightened it up a bit. Don’t know how long it’ll last. The bike’s pretty beat up. Let me give you a ride home.”

He’d put her bike in the back of his truck, helped Diana in, and drove the short distance to her house. After he’d lifted her bike out he’d ruffled her curly, red hair, and said, “Take it easy, kid.” And then he was gone. The next day when Andy Friessen pulled in, he had a brand new red bicycle with a bell in the truck bed, and when he’d put it down in front of Diana, who’d gaped and nearly cried at such a generous gift; he’d winked before driving away. Now four years later, she was a tongue-tied fool every time she glimpsed Andy. And she knew she was just one of many girls who fought to catch a peek of him. He was the only son of Todd Friessen, and she’d heard talk that the Friessen’s were a powerful family in Washington State, and originated from the Olympic Peninsula, where his older brother had created a ranching dynasty. A family with endless financial resources, and, in a horse country, they had ranches beyond what anyone else did. But now that it was late July, and Andy was getting ready for the summer rodeo, which was one of the reasons for Diana’s late afternoon adventure to the rodeo grounds. She slipped past the stables and into the crowds surrounding the ring. The stands were packed today and several cowboys crowded against the rail. Diana found a spot on the edge in the shade behind a post. She could see the riders preparing for the bareback championship, walking their horses, and wondered where Andy was.

She listened to the announcer call out the final times and standings for the saddle bronc riders just as she caught a glimpse of Andy’s sleek horse approaching with him astride. The horse neighed and snorted, but Andy just laughed and turned the horse so effortlessly, so elegantly. It was when he turned the horse that Diana glimpsed Hailey Whithers. Her father was the mayor of North Lakewood; Hailey was a slender, curvy blonde, and Diana had heard talk that Hailey was expected to marry Andy one day. Diana felt her heart sink watching the two together. Andy sitting so tall and confident, riding bareback and holding that prancing quarterhorse still while Hailey’s delicate arm rested on his thigh.

Hailey giggled at something Andy said, just as he leaned down and kissed the pretty blonde. Andy’s horse sidestepped a few steps, and he eased it back to Hailey, holding the reins in one hand as he slid his other down the back of her head, smoothing her blonde mane and then leaning down and kissing her again. Andy then touched the brim of his hat like so many of the cowboys did to their ladies and laughed that deep, husky laugh, the one that warmed Diana from head to toe. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be in Hailey’s place, to be adored like that, or what it would feel like to be kissed by Andy. She only wished that one day she would.

Diana was late and she had no choice but to leave. So with her heart racing she ducked through the crowd and out of the fairgrounds, taking a shortcut through the shadowy forest to the home they rented from Andy’s father. He owned just about every house around his estate, rundown shacks, small houses in various states of repair, on the rural land surrounding the forest. He was a proud landlord who’d said, on more than one occasion, that he felt the need to provide homes to people who couldn’t afford their own. He, too must be a hero, Diana thought.

The forest that Diana cut through had trails that lead to every home Todd Friessen owned. And trails that led up into the mountains where horseback riders often took tourists out on pack trips. She’d spotted many horses and riders, and, every time, wished for a horse of her own.

Diana flew into the two-story cedar house, with its saggy porch and rotted windows. The old hardwood floor was splintered and worn here and there, so she had learned to leave her shoes on inside, instead of chancing a sliver in her foot.

“Diana, where’ve you been, girl? Get supper started,” her mama shouted from the only bathroom, which was always cluttered with her makeup and fancy creams and soaps. It was the bathroom where she spent every morning and evening primping and curling her long, deep red hair, and shadowing her sky-blue eyes before slipping on her tight skirt and four-inch heels. Diana would watch and dream that one day that she, too would be as beautiful as her mama. But the only thing they shared was the same red hair and blue eyes.

She needed to tread carefully with her mama, especially when she was late for Mr. Friessen, where she helped him with whatever important work it was that he did. But since Mr. Friessen owned just about everything in the county, Diana didn’t exactly know what her mama did. What she did know was that most of it was on her back, as she’d heard Mr. Friessen behind the closed bedroom door with her mama late at night, the springs squeaking and making sounds she’d swear she’d heard in a barn. She of course knew what they were doing, and had for the last four years, since they’d moved to this house.

Now when mama got rushed, like she was tonight, she had to take care that Louisa didn’t annoy mama, especially when mama needed to get out the door. Diana spent almost every free moment when she came home from school caring for her younger sister. She’d learned long ago how to cook and look after herself, and how to organize everything.

“Diana, come and take Louisa. She’s getting into my makeup again.” Faye muttered in a frenzy as she rushed out of the bathroom. “I’m going to be late.”

Diana turned the burner off, where she was frying the burgers that she had pulled from the old fridge, and wiped her hands on her faded jeans. She went to Louisa, who was in the bathroom, grinning as she held her mama’s tube of red lipstick… and had bright red streaks on her cheeks and mouth. The lipstick was now broken. Diana grabbed it and tried to stick it back together then twisted it down, hoping her mama would never notice. “Louisa, how about coloring me a picture?” Diana asked after she washed Louisa up, removing the lipstick the best she could. Louisa’s coloring book and crayons were always in easy reach and often distracted her. But not today. She was more interested in the bright red lipstick and kept dashing back to the bathroom to grab it.

“Okay, how do I look?” Mama teetered on dark red heels, wearing a short, red skirt and a red sequined halter. Diana thought her mama was the most beautiful woman in the county.

“You look great, Mama,” Diana said, because she knew it was all her mama wanted to hear. She had a one-track mind when it came to men, but Mr. Friessen was her “golden ticket,” she’d said on more than one occasion. Even though Mama was striking and extremely beautiful; sadly, Diana also knew that she had no scruples, and a heart as black as coal.

“I’m leaving. Bye, darling.” She bent to brush a kiss on Diana’s head and dashed out the door without a glance at Louisa, who was now racing to the bathroom and trying to reach the lipstick Diana had stuck on top of the cabinet.

Faye darted into her new Jeep. Diana still didn’t know where she got the money to buy it, considering there was never enough money for food. But she figured it had something to do with all of the pills and m*******a that she packaged up at the kitchen table and left with every night. Later, she would return with half a dozen people after the bars closed, with booze, liquor and drugs, then party to the wee hours of the morning.

Louisa started whining. She talked only when she wanted to, and at times she appeared to understand. Then there were days there was no reasoning with her, she screeched and carried on. And there were days that Diana was so frustrated, she too wanted to walk out that door and not come back. But then she’d feel guilty, because who else would care for Louisa? Diana’s little sister suffered from seizures too, and had ever since she was a baby. Who knew when a seizure would happen? She had pills she took every morning, but it didn’t always work. The doctor said she had epilepsy. But Diana knew it was more than that. Because her mama never told the doctor how she’d partied, always drunk and high, when pregnant with Louisa. Diana knew it was something more and wondered if there was help for Louisa. She’d seen pamphlets recently and heard mention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and was pretty sure that’s what it was. But knowing what it was and getting help when you were dirt poor were two different things.

She didn’t know who Louisa’s father was. For that matter, she didn’t know who her own father was. Her Mama had so many men, even now Diana didn’t know who she’d greet in the kitchen each morning, and who her mama would come home with. And it bothered her the way the townsfolk would stare at her, their hurtful whispers about her trashy mother, and how, with Diana’s looks, the apple wouldn’t fall too far from the tree. She didn’t stand a chance is what they said. Every time she’d blink back those blinding tears, choking on the urge to scream at all of them, I’m not like that! It’s not me! I’m a good person! Why couldn’t the people in this town see that? She didn’t walk around in tight clothes, drinking and flaunting all she had. Her clothes were worn and patched castoffs, but they were always clean and decent. She went to school, did her homework, and never missed a day unless Louisa was sick. She never got in trouble and kept her head down. She didn’t hang around the bad kids, the partiers, or the girls who were chasing everything in pants. She wanted these people to respect her for who she was, not for what her mother did. But it didn’t help that she resembled Faye, with her striking, red hair. People judged what they saw.

Diana had dreamed that her fairy tale father would show up, and say that he’d been looking for her forever; that he loved her, and he’d take her to a decent home, make her respectable and protect her. The townspeople would no longer treat her like dung they had wiped from the bottom of their shoes. And he’d lavish her with gifts, and have a coming-out ball where she would be a debutante wearing one of those fancy gowns. Andy would come courting, and one day she’d be Mrs. Andy Friessen. But her father was a faceless stranger, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t conjure up a picture.