Her eyes bugged out. “She did?”
“Uh-huh. And she’ll be calling back any minute.”
Andie glanced at Rico. Her face turned a little pale. “What did you tell her?”
“Nothing. She thought you were napping.”
Andie burst out laughing. “You said that?”
“No. It didn’t happen like that.” I turned away, hoping she’d drop the subject.
Then the phone rang. I held my breath, hoping it was Daddy, which it was.
“Hi, Holly. Having fun?”
“Sure am,” I said. “But it would be lots more fun if you were here.”
He didn’t comment on that. Instead he asked to speak to Saundra.
“She’s out running errands. I’m in charge of the house.”
“Holding down the fort, eh?” His chuckle disguised the tiredness in his voice, but only for a second. “Well, when Saundra returns, tell her I’ll be a little late tonight. She’ll know what that means.”
I drew in a deep breath. “Everything okay at work?”
“Oh, work’s not a problem,” he said.
Something else is?
“Tell her not to wait for supper,” he continued. I heard the heaviness in his voice. “I’ll pick up something on my way home.”
“Okay, Daddy,” I said, wondering what was so important to keep him late. Again. I was starting to feel like he was an absentee person around here. Just like Andie.
Discouraged, I turned the phone off. Something seemed wrong. I couldn’t overlook the obvious sigh in Daddy’s voice.
When the phone rang again several minutes later, Andie and Rico were still flirting.
I reached for the phone. “Meredith residence, Holly speaking.
“Hello, Holly, it’s Rosita again.” Andie’s mom!
“Uh, just a minute.” I pointed to the phone, motioning for Andie.
She shook her head, waving her hands as though to say she wasn’t there and had no intention of talking.
I frowned, covering the mouthpiece. “It’s your mom.”
She stood up and said, “I just talked to her last night,” and walked away.
Andie was taking this way too far. I wanted to shout at her, make it obvious to her mom that Andie was right here—let Mrs. Martinez know she was pulling her spoiled brat routine. But I didn’t dare. After all, I’d been the one who’d begged to have Andie come along.
Giving up, I uncovered the mouthpiece. “Uh, hello?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Martinez, Andie still can’t come to the phone.” I swallowed hard, wishing Andie would get over here and take her call. It was her mother on the line, for pete’s sake.
“She isn’t ill, is she?”
Depending how you looked at it, sick was definitely a possibility. I watched Andie run into the ocean with Rico and the Boogie boards.
“Holly, are you there?” Mrs. Martinez sounded concerned.
“Uh…yes, I’m sorry.”
“Did Andrea get airsick on the plane?”
“Oh no, she didn’t have any trouble flying,” I said, grasping at straws. “But…she hasn’t been herself lately.”
“Well, I hope Andrea’s getting plenty of rest and watching the junk food.” She paused. “You girls aren’t staying up all hours, are you?”
I laughed. “My stepmom would never allow that.”
“That’s good.” She seemed satisfied to hear that. “Well, I want Andrea to call me when she feels better. Have her use her phone card.”
“Okay. Good-bye.” It was all I could do to control my actions this time as I turned the phone off.
Andie saw that it was safe to come back, but I was too furious to look at her. I called to Tyler, “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get cleaned up for supper.”
Between the two of us, Tyler and I gathered up the beach blanket, his castle-making equipment and radio, and the phone. Without a glance back, we headed to the house, leaving Andie with her precious Rico.
I was in the shower when Tyler started pounding on the bathroom door. “Holly! Someone’s on the phone for you.”
I turned the water off for a second. “Who is it?”
“Sean Hamilton,” he said. “Should I tell him to call you back later?”
“That’ll be fine. Thanks.” I finished soaping up, then rinsed off, wondering about Sean. If he wanted to see me, I’d have to make it perfectly clear that I wasn’t interested in anything but friendship.
After dressing, I towel-dried my hair and fluffed it with my fingers. I stood in front of the mirror, holding the long strands out. Andie was forever teasing me about getting my hair cut, but the way I figured, if I ever did decide to cut it, and then if I hated it, I’d be stuck with it for a very long time. Whew, I couldn’t begin to imagine how many years it would take to grow my hair this long again.
Still, the washing and drying thing was a pain sometimes. Especially in humid weather like this. In order to hurry up the drying process so I could braid it before supper, I pushed the sliding glass door open and stepped out onto my private balcony overlooking the ocean.
That’s when I spotted Andie with Rico, standing side by side in the shallow ocean tide, facing into the sun. He had his arm draped around her shoulder, and she leaned her head against his arm. If I hadn’t been so upset with her, I might’ve thought they looked sweet together out there.
But anger welled up inside me, and I clenched my teeth. Nope, I wouldn’t even begin to acknowledge her tender moment. I turned on my heels and flew into the house.
Sean did call back later. The phone rang as Andie and I helped Saundra clean up the kitchen. Tyler got the phone, and a big smile stretched across his face when he announced that it was Sean.
I excused myself. “Hey,” I said.
“Welcome to Southern California” came the deep voice.
“Thanks, it’s nice to be here.”
“How long this time?”
“Two weeks,” I replied. “Long enough to get a decent tan. Maybe.”
“Tans are way overrated,” he teased.
I chuckled. “Don’t I know.”
“Well, I was wondering if I could see you sometime while you’re here.” He paused for a moment, sounding a little unsure of himself. “Maybe we could take that walk on the beach after all.”
I wanted to set some ground rules right away, but when you’re standing in the kitchen with several pairs of ears listening in, it’s not so easy.
“That’d be fun,” I said, thinking that I would explain my decision about guys when we walked together.
“How does tomorrow after lunch sound?” Sean asked, sounding more confident.
“That’ll work.” I bit my lip, hoping I was doing the right thing.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” And he hung up.
Walking in broad daylight on the beach with Sean Hamilton couldn’t be classified as a real date. Besides, I knew my mother would approve of him because of his Christian faith. She’d even met Sean last April when he and Daddy came to Dressel Hills to ski. She had wanted to be introduced to him formally right there at the ski lodge. At the time it seemed sort of awkward, but now it made good sense. Caring parents were like that—wanting only the best for their kids.
So why was Andie fighting against her parents’ wishes?
LITTLE WHITE LIES
Chapter 12
I went outside and sat on the deck, waiting for Daddy to show up while Saundra was in the living room entertaining a neighbor lady. Tyler had run back to the beach to check on his sand castle.
I was beginning to wonder where Andie was, when she showed up in a T-shirt and long, white skirt, ready for a relaxing evening.
“Look, Holly, I know you’re mad, but could you at least tell me what my mom called about?” Andie stood there, hands on hips, waiting for my answer.
I set my soda down deliberately on the table next to me. “Well, it’s about time. I thought you’d never ask.”
“So?”
>
“Your mom wants you to call her back.” There. Now let’s see what Andie did with that tidbit of information.
“Did you tell her about Rico?” she asked almost sheepishly.
“Of course I didn’t.” I leaped off the chaise. “Does this look like the face of a friend you can’t trust? Does it?”
Her eyes suddenly seemed sad. “What did you say to my mom?”
“That you’re breaking every one of her rules. That you’re going crazy out here; you’re totally out of control. And if you don’t get your act together, I’m shipping you home on the very next plane.” I studied her as I eased myself back down into the lounge chair. “Is that what you wanted me to say?”
Andie sat down. “Is that how you feel? That you want me to go home?”
I inhaled and held my breath for a moment. “Well, I think it might be a good idea, especially if you’re going to lose your head over a guy who can’t get a date with girls his own age.”
“Holly!”
“C’mon, Andie, face it. You’re only fourteen. What could he possibly want with a girl your age?”
“You don’t even know Rico.” She folded her arms. “Listen, I don’t want to hurt your feelings. Is that what this is about? Are you mad because we’re not doing very much together?”
Sure, that was part of it, but I was tired of taking the rap for the rift between us. Jealousy was becoming less and less of an issue. I’d seen the lusty look in Rico’s eyes. “Don’t you remember the lunch we had at the Soda Straw, all of us together? What was the point of telling your mom you were going to follow her rules when the minute you get out of her sight, you go nuts?”
“Okay,” she agreed. “I need a break. What am I doing that’s so bad? I mean, we’ve all been together…most of the time. And nobody’s going out on dates or anything, not really.” Her face was red and angry. She was fighting too hard for Rico.
I looked away, letting my eyes roam over the beach to the boulder where she had sat with Rico. “You’re in way over your head, Andie,” I said without looking at her. “If you have any sense, you’ll cool it.”
“You’re getting preachy.”
I sighed. “I’m sure you’ve heard this stuff many times from your mom, at church, from our youth pastor.”
She looked at me like I was from some other planet. “Holly, save your voice,” she said. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”
“Maybe not yet, but things lead to, you know, other things.” I was having a hard time getting this out. “You can’t fool around physically without getting hurt…eventually.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this,” she said, standing up. “Everythings under control with Rico, if that’s what you mean.” She walked to the sliding door. “I have to make a phone call.” Picking up her long skirt, she stepped inside and slid the glass door shut.
Reaching for my soda, I thought of the stress I’d endured back home with Carrie and Stephie constantly in my face—how I couldn’t wait to get away from them. Away from their snooping. Away from Stan and his constant stupidity.
Peace and quiet—what a joke. So far, the past two days had been nothing short of total chaos. How ignorant of me to think I was finally going to have a real vacation.
The word stress hung in my mind as I tiptoed inside and hurried downstairs to my room. I found my journal and began to pour some of the tension onto the lines of the notebook paper.
Tuesday, July 12: I think Andie and her friend Rico are not only freaking me out, they’re turning me into a watchdog. Tonight when I talked to Andie about her spending time with him, I honestly sounded like somebody’s mother! I hate this role, yet I agreed to take it. In a way, it’s Andie’s mom’s fault for asking me to “watch over” her daughter. I’m turning into someone I don’t like.
If Andie would take more responsibility for herself, I could relax. Relax. Hmm, that’s something I think my dad oughta do, too. He sounded so exhausted when he called from the office this afternoon. Here it is already 8:30, and he’s still not home.
I’m beginning to worry. And I don’t think I’m the only one. Saundra isn’t herself. I can see it in her eyes. She’s worried, too.
After I finished writing, I knelt down and began to pray for Saundra. And for Daddy. Then I felt compelled to pray for Saundra’s salvation. “Make her want to know you,” I told the Lord. “And let me be more open to her during this visit. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
I was surprised how quickly the time had passed. It was nearly dark outside when I stood up. I reached for the green lamp on the table next to the bed. Turning it on, I sat there on the floor in the stillness of my empty room, reveling in God’s peace.
The quiet moments spent there were the calm before the hurricane. When I went back upstairs, I didn’t really mean to eavesdrop, but as I was turning into the kitchen, I heard Saundra talking to her neighbor lady. It sounded as if they were standing at the door, saying good-bye to each other. “Do take care of that husband of yours,” her friend said.
“Doing my best,” Saundra answered. “But he’s not slowing down enough, I’m sorry to say.” I heard her sniffle. “I’ll know more when Robert gets home later.”
I strained to hear. Saundra was saying that Daddy had to stop and get some lab results. I held my breath, afraid to breathe. So that’s why he’d called this afternoon.
I didn’t like the sound of this. When Saundra came into the kitchen, I stuck my head in the fridge, pretending to look for something to eat.
“Hungry already?” she asked.
Slowly, I withdrew from the refrigerator. “Not really,” I whispered.
“What is it, dear?” She put her hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet her gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“I heard what you were saying just now,” I muttered, tears coming fast. “What’s wrong with Daddy?”
“Oh that.” She waved her hand as though there was nothing in the world to worry about. “Your father’s a workaholic, that’s all. His doctor wants him to slow down, but—” she sighed—“you know how your father is.”
“So he’s not sick, then?”
She pondered the thought. “I think he’s a little stressed, that’s all.”
I honestly didn’t believe her. The answers she’d given sounded like white lies to me. Which made me even more concerned. What was she hiding?
The next day was Wednesday. Daddy stayed home from work, which was fabulous. He lounged around in his silk pajamas and robe most of the morning. Maybe he and I would have a chance to talk. Maybe not an intimate heart-to-heart talk, but a good, solid one would do.
We sat outside on the deck, where Saundra served Andie, Tyler, and me a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Dad got granola and an orange without his usual coffee. My stepmom played the energetic hostess, rushing in and out of the house, bringing more platters of jelly toast and bacon.
Tyler seemed to enjoy himself, chattering on and on about the sand creations he was planning to make.
“What are your plans today?” Daddy asked me, including both Andie and me in his gaze.
“Sean and I are going for a walk after lunch.”
Andie jumped on that statement. “Sean Hamilton’s coming over? You mean I finally get to meet him?” She was too eager. Or maybe she didn’t really care at all about meeting Sean. In her mind, maybe my having a guy around would get her off the hook with me about Rico.
Before I could answer her, Daddy spoke up. “That Sean…he’s really terrific.” He smiled, leaning back in the sun, like he was remembering a fond moment. “I can’t think of a nicer fellow for my daughter to be seeing.”
“Daddy!” I blushed. “I’m not seeing anyone. I’m too young to date, remember?”
“Oh, sure,” he said. “But if you ever decide to do such a thing, well, Sean’s my first choice.”
Andie’s eyes danced with glee. She was obviously delighted that the subject of boys had come up.
Then I did something I’d probably live to r
egret. I asked Daddy about Rico Hernandez. “Do you know him?”
Andie’s eyes shot warning signals.
“Rico, you say?” He shielded his eyes from the sun. “Now, there’s an interesting kid.” He didn’t say Rico was a good kid.
Andie must have read more into his statement, though, because she sat up straight in her chair, sporting a huge grin.
“So you do know Rico?” I asked.
“I certainly do,” Daddy responded, holding his glass up for more ice water. Saundra hopped to it and got him some fresh water. “Rico lives up the beach. I’ve known his family for a number of years; in fact, his dad’s a brilliant doctor—one of mine.”
Andie’s eyes did a complete flip.
“What kind of doctor?” I asked, but Saundra didn’t give Daddy time to answer. Instantly, she changed the subject.
Exactly what was she hiding?
LITTLE WHITE LIES
Chapter 13
My walk with Sean that afternoon took us several miles down the beach. Tropical palm trees dotted the bluffs jutting high above the coastline, making the setting seem all the more exotic.
“I was going to send you an email before you came,” he said cautiously, “but the timing didn’t seem quite right.” His light blond hair rippled in the breeze. “I’ve been thinking about you, Holly.”
I swallowed. This wasn’t supposed to happen. “Look, Sean,” I said, realizing now was as good a time as any to lay down my ground rules, “I wanted to tell you on the phone about something, but it was—” I paused—“shall we say, inconvenient at the time.”
Sean looked puzzled.
I continued. “Last month, after church camp, I came to the conclusion that I’m not happy with the way things have been going for me with boys. I mean, I don’t have a problem with being friends or anything.”
Sean nodded enthusiastically, like he could see my point one hundred percent.
Holly's Heart Collection Two Page 44