Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  There was a time when he would have felt sympathy, but he was beyond that now. “Ever hear of a phone? You know my cell number. I would have picked you up at any time.”

  The guilty look passing briefly over her face told him she did know his number but she had been occupied elsewhere. At least she had some honesty left.

  “Believe it or not, I have a life,” he added. “I have somewhere I need to go tonight. That’s another reason we can’t stay.”

  “You just want my kids!”

  “Paula,” he warned, dipping his head toward Kevin.

  Her lips tightened, but she fell silent. As he put the children into the truck, she kissed them, told them she loved them, and promised to see them soon. The moment he shut the door, she whirled on him.

  “Admit it. You’re trying to steal them. Why, Blake? Why? Those kids are my life! My whole life!”

  Blake drew her away so Kevin wouldn’t be able to hear any of their conversation. “Your life, your life,” he gritted, his back to the truck. “That’s all I hear from you. Your life. This isn’t about you, Paula. It’s about those children. And I’ll be hanged if I’m going to watch you destroy their lives.” He flung an arm toward the house. “Is that what you want for them? Do you want them living off handouts, swearing like sailors, killing their bodies with drugs and alcohol, living in sin? What about a real family life? What about an education? A job?”

  “I’m a good mother!” The red in her face deepened.

  He shook his head and said the words that were long overdue. “No, Paula, you’re not.” He raised his shoulders and hands in an exaggerated shrug. “That’s where you’re wrong. The Paula I know and love, the Paula I grew up with, wouldn’t let her children down like this. The Paula you once were would sooner die than say things on the phone to her son that make him have nightmares about being kidnapped.”

  “I didn’t—” She broke off and then started again, her voice low and deadly. “I want my kids, so help me, Blake. I’ll get you if you don’t help me. I’ll burn your house down. I swear, I will. I’ll hurt you.” She glared at him, eyes furious, her small fists clenched at her side.

  Blake shook his head. “No, you won’t. Not as long as I have the kids. Because as much as I think you’ve been a terrible mother, as much as I’ve learned that I can’t believe a word you say, I know you love Kevin and Mara. I know that. You’d never purposely hurt them. So what you have to do now is open your eyes and see that you are hurting them. You need to get your head together and be there for them. As for the rest—well, I’m not afraid of you. That’s all I’m going to say.” With that he turned his back on her and strode away, the image of her furious face etched into his brain.

  “Is Mommy okay?” Kevin asked as he climbed into the truck.

  “Mommy’s fine,” Blake said. “She’s just a little disappointed that we can’t stay. Next time, we’re going to have her come to our house.”

  “Good,” Kevin said. “Because those people were weird.”

  Blake had to agree. “More than you know, bud. More than you know.”

  * * *

  Amanda was a bundle of nerves when Savvy arrived at her house, looking great in her simple jeans and a fitted jacket that went well with her ample curves. She was a full head shorter than Amanda, with long white-blonde hair that fell to her waist. Her lively, sky blue eyes shone from a smooth white face, marred only by a small, almost undetectable scattering of red blemishes on her forehead near her hairline.

  “It’s so good to see you again!” Amanda hugged her friend tightly.

  Savvy grinned. “I’ve really missed you.”

  “I’m glad you’re early,” Amanda said. “How do I look?” She framed her face and hair with her hands.

  Savvy arched a brow. “How do you look? Wonderful! I like the way you’ve layered your hair up the sides, and those bangs become you. I’ve been thinking about doing that myself.” She touched her forehead. “Bangs would hide all signs of the chocolate I’ve been eating. Could you lend me a little cover-up or base? I forgot to use it at home.”

  Amanda went to the bathroom where she handed Savvy a stick of cover-up. She watched her friend put some on her finger and rub it into her forehead, almost completely hiding the tiny red dots. It didn’t make much difference to her overall appearance, Amanda thought, because Savvy was beautiful, regardless. She wasn’t slender, she wasn’t tall, she didn’t wear a lot of makeup, her hair was straight, but she was beautiful in a wholesome, classical sort of way. Amanda had long wished she could grow out her bangs, but she didn’t seem to have the forehead for such a style.

  “What about my clothes?” Amanda asked. “Think I should change into jeans like you?” She smoothed her silky black pants.

  “No, those pants are good. I wish I had the flat stomach for them. But that sweater . . .” Savvy frowned. “Don’t you still have that really cute green blouse? I swear that thing makes your eyes really stand out.”

  “Yes.” Amanda snapped her fingers and ran to her bedroom. She had the blouse tucked in the back of her closet. It was made of silk and fitted, though not so tight as to be immodest or uncomfortable. When she looked in the mirror, she knew she looked good.

  “You like him this much?” Savvy asked, smiling from the doorway.

  Amanda’s will to deny everything immediately faltered. “I once compared his eyes to chocolate,” she confessed.

  “Chocolate?” Savvy gasped in feigned horror. “What about our agreement that you not get too involved?”

  Amanda shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, for chocolate, I’d take my chances.” Savvy grinned at her. “Forget the fear factor.”

  Amanda’s thoughts exactly—if she didn’t have a heart attack first.

  Mitch arrived next, balancing two steaming pizzas. He was the tallest in their family and a little on the lean side. His brown hair was quite different from the missionary haircut he’d once sported but still short enough to be barely acceptable to their mother. His bangs, parted near the middle reached clear to the bottom of his ears, falling forward at times as he dipped his head during the conversation. Today he wore baggy dress pants that helped hide his thinness and a blue sweater that made his eyes appear a deeper blue than normal. In all, Amanda thought her brother was a nice-looking man.

  Amanda hugged him as he kissed her on the cheek. Mitch was her favorite brother, being less than two years her junior. Since her birthday was in early December and his in late August, growing up they’d only been one year apart in school.

  “You look extraordinarily beautiful tonight,” Mitch said, giving her a bow that reminded Amanda of decades gone by when people had commonly said such things to their siblings. “Your eyes look so green.” His gaze shifted to Savvy. “Hi, Savvy. You look lovely, too. I’ll have to be fending off the men tonight, I see. Don’t worry, though, I think I’m up to the task.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Savvy said dryly.

  Amanda glanced at the clock. It was just after six-thirty, and Blake was nowhere in sight. “You two get started eating while it’s hot,” she said. “We don’t want to run too late.”

  Mitch went to pull out a stack of plates from the cupboard. Then he folded himself onto the plaid couch in her family room and began eating. Savvy joined him, but Amanda sat on the floor without a plate. She was too nervous to eat. What was taking Blake so long? Had something happened?

  At last the doorbell rang, and Amanda went to answer it. “Sorry, I’m late.” Blake grinned apologetically. “I had a little car trouble on the way home from Salt Lake today.”

  “Is everything okay?” She noticed the four-door sedan parked in front of her house. She was sure it didn’t belong to Savvy or Mitch.

  “I had to borrow my brother’s car, but it’ll be fine. I’m good at fixing things.”

  Amanda invited him in, noting that like her brother he wore dress pants and a sweater, though he filled his clothes out considerably better than Mitch. He had c
hosen brown shades instead of blue, which made his skin look almost olive and his dark eyes more like chocolate. Her knees felt oddly weak.

  He was giving her the same perusal. “You look fabulous,” he said.

  “So do you.” They stood there in the doorway for a full ten seconds, the cold air blasting in, until laughter from the family room called their attention. “Oh, let’s go meet the others,” Amanda suggested weakly. She shut the door, and he followed her into the next room. It felt odd to Amanda not to have Kevin and Mara tagging along.

  “This is Blake, everybody,” Amanda announced. “Blake, this is Savvy, a good friend of mine. And this is my brother Mitch.” Savvy nodded from her seat on the sofa, but Mitch bounced up and shook Blake’s hand. Savvy winked at Amanda while they were occupied, signaling her approval. Delight spread through Amanda.

  “Have some pizza?” Mitch asked Blake, heading toward the table. “It’s a little cold, but I can just slip it in the microwave for you and Aman—”

  “No!” Amanda and Blake said at the same time.

  “I’ll heat it in the oven,” she added. “I hate microwaved pizza.”

  “It changes the texture of the crust,” Blake agreed.

  Mitch shook his head, grinning. “I never thought I’d ever meet anyone else with an aversion to microwaved pizza.” He put two slices on a plate and took them to the microwave for emphasis. “You two were made in heaven for each other.”

  There was a brief, awkward silence, and then Savvy added, “at least pizza heaven. You two should start a restaurant.” Everyone laughed.

  Amanda heated one of the pizzas in the oven, and it was only five minutes after seven when they piled into Savvy’s little red Subaru. “Oh, wait, I need to get something.” Mitch hurried to his car, grabbed a plastic sack, and climbed back in the car. Amanda, in the backseat with Blake, wondered what might be inside the bag, but Blake’s closeness drove the thought from her mind. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

  “How are Kevin and Mara?” Amanda asked, as Savvy drove toward the freeway.

  A shadow passed over his face. “They’re fine. They saw their mother today, but she was two hours late. We had to wait, mostly in the truck. It was irritating, to say the least.”

  “That’s not fun.” Amanda shook her head with sympathy.

  “On the bright side, she threatened to burn down my apartment.”

  Amanda opened her eyes wide. “She did what?”

  “Oh, she didn’t mean it. She’d never hurt the kids. As long as they’re there, I’m quite safe.”

  Amanda wondered again why Paula hadn’t been charged with drug possession. Maybe if she had gone to jail, the children could have a better life with Blake. As it was, things would continue to be difficult. “Doesn’t sound like she cares about wasting your time.”

  “That’s it exactly. I think I’m going to have to ask for supervised visits.” He made a face. “That’s where the social worker comes to get the kids, takes them somewhere and stays with them while Paula visits. The way it’s going—the way it’s always been—I can’t have a life. She expects me to drop whatever I’m doing whenever she feels the urge to see the kids.”

  “You’d think she’d understand that she’s making things tougher for herself,” Amanda mused.

  “She doesn’t. She sees only what she wants to see.” Blake’s jaw tightened, and he looked out the window at the passing lights.

  Amanda felt his worry. Reaching out, she placed her hand over his, trying to offer comfort. He turned toward her, smiling again. Then his hand turned and grasped hers. Amanda’s heart seemed to skip a beat. He held her hand in the darkness all the way to the dance club.

  The music at the club was loud for Amanda’s current taste, and some of the dancers were more scary-looking than she remembered from her college days. She danced every song with Blake or Mitch. She was surprised that with Blake there was no awkwardness or lag in the conversation. They laughed together often. When she wasn’t dancing with Blake, he was either dancing with Savvy or watching from the sidelines. Once, she saw a very pretty girl ask him to dance, and he spoke with her for a minute, shaking his head and pointing in Amanda’s direction. A warm feeling of gladness spread through her when the girl, not in the least offended, laughed and went to dance with someone else.

  At every slow dance, Mitch disappeared, leaving Blake with Amanda. Wonderment filled the air between them. When she saw Mitch coming their way again near eleven, she waved him off with the hand behind Blake’s back. Mitch gave her the okay signal and faded into the crowd. Amanda couldn’t see Savvy and guessed she was dancing with one of her many new admirers.

  Amanda and Blake danced into a corner that was darker than the rest of the floor. Everything was painted with magic—the whirling lights, the colors of the dancers’ clothes, the shining floors. Blake’s eyes bore into hers, and Amanda felt she knew him in a way she had never known anyone else—as though she could see into his soul. The whole world stood still.

  “Amanda,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

  “Yes?”

  He didn’t reply, but his face bent toward hers. Joy surged through her, but it was followed by the same old fear. She stared at him, suddenly wishing she could run fast and far—to go anywhere so she wouldn’t have to look into his eyes and feel this aching hope. She wished she could lock her heart in a box and hide it away where no one could find it and break it.

  His movement toward her stopped. “What are you thinking?” he whispered, seeming surprised at his own question. He was so close that Amanda plainly heard him, could feel his warm breath on her cheek. “I’ve seen that look in your eyes before. Tell me—what does it mean?”

  She couldn’t look away and she couldn’t lie, any more than he could have held back the question. This was the moment of truth, the moment they had both known would come since they first felt the electricity between them. “I—I’m afraid,” she answered, her voice softer than his. So soft she knew he would have to read her lips to understand the words.

  “Of what?”

  “Of losing it again.”

  Emotion filled his face. She felt tears rise in her eyes, saw them in his. He shook his head very slowly. “We won’t.”

  He hadn’t promised the world. He hadn’t sworn undying love, but his simple assurance gave her courage.

  His head lowered, and their lips met in their first kiss. The noise and music around them faded. They were alone. The kiss briefly deepened before Amanda pulled away, her heart thumping furiously. She was glad he wasn’t holding her tightly enough to feel that pounding, though at the same time she wished she could feel the beat of his heart. If his expression—dazed, tender, loving—was any indication, his heart was pumping just as fast as hers.

  And that’s when Amanda knew.

  She knew.

  There was no looking back. This was it.

  She put her hand in his, feeling as though she were soaring above the clouds. His strong fingers tightened over hers, their eyes still locked. His head lowered once more.

  “What!” came an outraged voice, breaking through Amanda’s euphoria. “I didn’t know it was against a public ordinance! For crying out loud, it’s just a gerbil!”

  “It’s a mouse!” a girl nearly screamed. “Or a rat! It tried to nibble my hair!”

  Amanda and Blake turned to see two burly men escorting Mitch to the exit, a girl with long blonde hair glaring after them. An interested crowd was forming by the girl.

  “You go with him,” Blake said, laughter dancing in his eyes. “I’ll find Savvy.”

  Reluctantly, Amanda pulled her hand from his warm grasp and hurried after her brother. Shortly, they found themselves out in the cold, Mitch murmuring words of comfort to a little brown creature that did look rather like a fat, furry mouse.

  Amanda shook her head. “Did you have to bring Hiccup?” she said after briefly eyeing the creature.

  “What, you’d rather that I’d brought Dizzy? Now that would
have been a disaster.”

  “I didn’t want you to bring either of your gerbils.” She held up a hand before he could protest. “Nope, not the lizard either. Or the frogs.”

  Mitch shivered. Already the skin on his face was turning red, and small welts were appearing as his acute sensitivity to cold kicked in. “Here, hold her.” He gave her the gerbil before donning the coat the bouncers had thrown at him on the way out.

  Amanda looked anxiously toward the door. If Savvy didn’t appear soon, she and Mitch would have to find some place to get out of the cold. Though Mitch was dressed warmly enough that his breathing shouldn’t become a problem, he was going to have serious hives. Mitch zipped up his coat, scratched his neck, and then reached for Hiccup.

  “I’ll hold her,” Amanda said. “Put your hands in your pockets to keep them warm.”

  “I will, but she’ll go in, too. Remember, she’s a desert creature. She’s probably as allergic to cold as I am.”

  Amanda snorted. “The desert sometimes gets pretty cold at night from what I hear. Isn’t that when gerbils are mostly awake?” But she gave up the creature, figuring it would warm his hands. Besides, what if she dropped it? They might never find it out here, and her brother would be heartbroken.

  Mitch put the gerbil in his coat pocket. With his other hand, he scratched at his neck again. “At least it’s not raining or snowing.” He wasn’t exactly right. There were a few white flurries, and the playful breeze was very cold.

  “There they are.” With relief Amanda waved to Savvy and Blake as they emerged from the dance club.

  “I can’t believe you!” Savvy gave Mitch a disgusted look. “I thought you learned your lesson last time with the lizard.”

  “I did,” Mitch insisted. “That why I brought Hiccup.”

  “It’s not a zoo,” Savvy said.

  “Yeah, but you never know who I might meet. The girl I’m going to marry will love my animals as much as I do.”

  Savvy rolled her eyes. “We’d better get you in the car before you scratch your skin off.”

  Blake looked at Amanda, a question in his eyes. As they followed Savvy and Mitch to the car, she explained. “My brother has something called cold urticaria. Basically, it’s an allergy to cold, or rather, sudden changes to cold temperatures.”