Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  It was.

  Tyler jerked to a stop and jumped from the van. “Savvy!”

  He looked good–no, he looked way more than good. His hair was longer than she remembered, but it was still that same sandy color she loved. His tall frame was also thinner, but he looked handsome in his jeans and in the Golden Gate T-shirt she recognized as the one she’d sent him last Christmas. His face was lean, too, with large green eyes that reminded her of water-washed emeralds. Those eyes had always been his most compelling feature–wide, nonjudgmental, and so very, very dear. Her knees felt oddly weak and her heart raced. There was something different about his face today, though she couldn’t place what. She wanted to run to meet him, to throw herself into his arms. With great effort she reminded herself that she didn’t want him here.

  Tyler had no such reservations. He strode up the walk, sweeping her into a bear hug. “It’s so good to see you!” he exclaimed. Then he squeezed tighter, taking her breath away.

  “Oof!” she grunted.

  “Sorry.” He let her go, his face flushing slightly.

  But her heart was near to bursting because of his presence, not from his hug. “That’s okay.”

  Tyler grinned, and his right cheek dimpled. Savvy was both frightened and exhilarated that his smile still had the same effect on her heart. Not even these nearly four months away had cured her feelings for him. She wished they had–almost. The feeling was wonderful enough that she was happy to experience it at least one more time before reality set in.

  “I was only too glad to come down when I heard you needed help,” he said.

  “You didn’t have to come.” Her voice sounded stilted.

  “I wanted to.” He paused and looked at her more closely. “Besides, I have some business here. Wait a minute. I know that look. Are you mad at me for coming?” Hurt radiated from his eyes, but Savvy couldn’t deny his words. She was angry at him, though she wasn’t about to tell him exactly why.

  “I had it under control, that’s all. I’m embarrassed that my parents made you come.”

  “They didn’t make me. I wanted to help.”

  “There’s really nothing to help with.” I don’t need you here, she thought.

  Again the hurt look. “Savvy, I . . .”

  “I’m here, too.”

  Savvy started at the voice. She dragged her eyes past Tyler’s face to where his oldest sister stood by the van smiling. “Kerrianne!” Savvy crossed to her and found herself enveloped in another warm embrace. “It’s wonderful to see you. Thank you for coming.” Savvy could thank Kerrianne, where she couldn’t seem to thank Tyler.

  “Actually, I just tagged along,” Kerrianne said. “The kids needed to visit their grandmother. We’d have been here a half hour ago, but we dropped them off before coming over.”

  “How are the kids? I bet Misty’s quite the grownup little girl now, and the boys–”

  “Never give me a minute’s rest.” Kerrianne smiled widely. “Of course I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “I can’t believe you drove straight through. How was it?”

  Kerrianne laughed. “Much better than I expected. I read two books, and the kids either ate, slept, or watched DVDs. They don’t get much TV at home, so this was their dream day. Of course, we stopped a few times to let them run around a bit. The only one who had it hard was Tyler. He insisted on doing all the driving.”

  “Well, I’m glad you made it safely.” Savvy hugged her again, her eyes meeting Tyler’s. “Hey! I know what’s different about you, Tyler. What happened to your glasses?”

  He grinned, the hurt gone now from his eyes. “I finally decided to get contacts.”

  “He hates them, though,” Kerrianne said. “He did nothing but complain about them the entire trip.”

  Savvy stifled an odd longing for the glasses. She wished things could be how they had once been between them, or, better yet, the way she had wanted them to be. But no, she couldn’t forget about the girl who’d appeared at her mission homecoming dinner, the girl she knew was back in Utah waiting for him.

  “Well, you look nice,” Savvy said, forcing her mind along another path. “Except you’ve lost weight. I bet you’ve been working too hard, as usual.” They were alike in that–they both let their work absorb them.

  “A bit.” Tyler stared hard at her. “You’ve lost weight, too, haven’t you?”

  Savvy shook her head. “Nope, not an ounce. If anything, I’ve gained five pounds.” There, that’ll fix him, she thought. Tyler was always attracted to such skinny women, and she’d felt fat by comparison. She couldn’t let herself get sucked into that again. She loved who she was now, and she wasn’t about to worry about Tyler’s opinion. Besides, she wasn’t overweight, she was shapely–and that was nothing to be ashamed about.

  “Oh, I thought . . . well, you look . . .” He seemed to swallow with difficulty. “You look really great. Really great. And I can’t–” He broke off. “I mean, I’ve really missed you.”

  Savvy was unprepared for the hope his words brought surging to her heart. She felt as if spring had exploded into her soul. For long seconds she stared at him, unable to reply and praying desperately that her emotions were not etched on her face for all to see. Her heart pounded, and her breath caught in her throat. She would give anything for it to be darker right now so that her secret feelings would be safe.

  “So,” came a mocking voice behind them. “Isn’t anyone going to introduce me?” Lexi sauntered to Savvy’s side. “Hi, I’m Lexi, Savvy’s, uh, sister. Who exactly are you guys?” She smiled charmingly at Tyler.

  Savvy was grateful for her interruption. A second longer and she might have let slip to Tyler how much she had missed him, too–despite the efforts she’d made to put him from her mind. She touched Lexi’s back lightly. “This is Tyler Huntington.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Tyler said, offering his hand.

  Lexi blushed, as though remembering how she’d called him “hot.” With her new hair and some of the black eyeliner worn off during the day, she looked quite pretty.

  “Tyler and his family are old friends,” Savvy continued. “In fact, I’ve known his sister Amanda since we were teenagers.”

  “But you’re not Amanda?” Lexi’s eyes went to Kerrianne.

  “No, Kerrianne, the oldest of the bunch.”

  “Then Manda, then Mitch, and last of all, me,” Tyler put in. He grinned, and Savvy could see by the look on Lexi’s face that it wasn’t only Savvy whose stomach his smile affected.

  “In other words, he’s the baby.” Savvy cast an enigmatic look at Tyler–at least she hoped it was enigmatic. A little mystery could go a long way to misdirecting his attention from her ridiculous infatuation. It wasn’t as if he were the best-looking guy in the world or had some other compelling quality that caused women to line up around the block. So what was her problem?

  “Nice to meet you, Lexi,” Kerrianne was saying in her ever-gracious voice. “I know Savvy must be pretty excited. Finding a sister is . . . well, it must be one of the best things in the whole world.”

  Lexi nodded, her face pleasant, but there was a slight clenching around her lips, as if she were struggling to control her response.

  “So when do you want to leave for Utah?” Tyler asked Savvy. “I have an errand I need to do tonight and a few more things on Monday.”

  “Whatever’s convenient,” Savvy said, though it was all she could do not to hurry them into the van and leave right then.

  “Well, I know you only have ten or eleven days left before you have to be back here,” Tyler said, “but I was thinking if we left Tuesday morning, I’d get my work done and Kerrianne would have two days with her mother-in-law.”

  “Are you sure that’s enough time?” Savvy looked hopefully at Kerrianne.

  Kerrianne considered for a moment. “I think that’s exactly the right amount of time. Adam’s mother isn’t as healthy as she used to be, and three active children can be exhausting even when a person fee
ls well. I’m grateful for any time to visit with her–and to get out of the house for a while.”

  “Okay, so now that’s settled, can we eat?” Lexi asked. She looked happier, Savvy thought, as though glad the trip to Utah had been delayed.

  “We can go out somewhere,” Tyler suggested. “My treat. Well, actually your dad’s treat, Savvy, since he forced me to take a bundle of money that more than paid for gas.”

  “Well . . .” Savvy glanced toward her apartment, belatedly remembering Chris. Where was he? “A friend of mine is here somewhere,” she said. “Probably talking to a neighbor. I’d better check to make sure he hasn’t gone to a lot of trouble planning something.”

  Savvy escaped up the stairs, leaving Lexi behind with Tyler and Kerrianne. Lexi didn’t seem to mind. Her eyes were fixed on Tyler as he bent forward slightly to catch what she was saying. Savvy felt the old familiar sadness–not because she was worried about him being attracted to Lexi but because it reminded her of the many times she had watched him talk to other women. The girlfriends had come and gone, while Savvy stood on the sidelines, watching.

  I can’t let it happen again, she thought. I won’t.

  Savvy took a steadying breath. Everything would be okay. She wasn’t the same person she’d been back then. She was stronger, more sure of herself and what she wanted in life.

  Intent on her thoughts, Savvy didn’t notice that the door to her apartment was ajar until she was halfway inside. “Who’s there?” she called, a chill running up her spine. Was it Lexi’s father?

  “Savvy?” Chris’s familiar voice called from the kitchen.

  Savvy hurried in the direction of his voice, stumbling over his feet as she entered. He drew in his long limbs quickly and leaned forward in his chair to steady her, his hand feeling warm on her elbow. “Oh, Chris!” she exclaimed. “You scared me.”

  He leaned back and watched her with a lazy smile on his face. “You forgot you asked me to water your plants, huh?” He held up the keys she’d given him only two days before.

  “Yeah, I did. I’m glad you let yourself in. Have you been waiting long?”

  “Twenty minutes or so.” He motioned to the newspaper in front of him. “I was looking for a movie.” His muscles moved as he spoke, and Savvy couldn’t help comparing his bulk to Tyler’s leanness.

  “I don’t think tonight’s good for a movie.” She explained about Tyler and Kerrianne coming from Utah. “They’d like to take us out to eat. I was thinking I might show them around a bit on the way. How about another raincheck? Or you could come with us.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Thanks, but I bet you have a lot of catching up to do, and some of the guys were bugging me to go with them tonight anyway.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll tell them it’s on.”

  Savvy was relieved that he decided not to come with her. It might be easier to maintain distance from Tyler if Chris were there, but she didn’t want to use him that way. She wanted their relationship to be completely free of her former life with Tyler. Thank heaven Chris wasn’t the jealous sort.

  Chris talked briefly with his friends and then stood. Once again Savvy was aware of how big he was and how small she felt in comparison. She enjoyed that feeling.

  “I’d like to meet your friends,” Chris said.

  “I just need to grab something in my room. If you wait a minute, I’ll introduce you.”

  “I’ll be in the living room.”

  Savvy started down the hall, ducking into the bathroom on the way. She stared in the mirror, placing her hands on either side of the small sink. She looked flushed, her blue eyes wide and alive with emotion. She ran her hands under cool water and pressed the palms against her hot cheeks. “Breathe,” she advised the image in the mirror. “I am a beautiful, talented daughter of God, and I am in control of my destiny.” The image stared back–the classical, sculpted features becoming calmer by the moment. Savvy smiled, relieved that her heartbeat had returned to normal.

  Composed once more, Savvy left the room.

  * * *

  Tyler immediately liked Lexi. He could tell right away that she was not an ordinary teen. When he used the word cataclysmic in a sentence, she replied using dyspeptic. Moreover, she seemed to actually understand the word. When she discovered he was a journalist, she practically oozed excitement. Tyler thought it uncanny how much the half sisters were alike; not only did Lexi have Savvy’s large, oval, sky blue eyes but she had the same way of lighting an area so that all eyes gravitated toward her. Of course, she was only a child–a rather thin one at that–and despite her apparent admiration, Tyler became anxious for Savvy to come outside. What was taking her so long?

  He hadn’t expected her to be upset at him for coming to California, but apparently she was. Why? Didn’t she think he had anything to offer in this situation? No, he didn’t know much about teens, and he obviously hadn’t been much of a friend to Savvy lately, but surely he could help in some way. He wanted to help. He wanted to prove to her that he was the same guy who had laughed with her under the stars.

  Finally, Savvy came from the upstairs apartment, but she was not alone. A handsome, friendly looking man about Tyler’s age was with her. Though he was only a few inches taller than Tyler, he was more solidly built in the way many women appreciated. For a moment, Tyler was reminded of the new employee who worked with LaNae.

  Savvy was walking slightly ahead of the man, but her face was angled back and up to look into his eyes. She was laughing at something he’d said. Tyler felt a wave of unreasoning jealousy crash over him. What was this man to her? Did this guy mean something to her future? It was all too apparent that he admired Savvy.

  And why not? Tyler thought. Savvy was a beautiful woman who had always turned heads. He’d lost track of how many guys had wanted to marry her. Ultimately, he knew her personal life had ceased to be his business when he’d begun to think about marrying LaNae.

  Then why did his mind now return to years past when he and Savvy had dated? For six months they had been constant companions. What had happened to that? Had they drifted apart? He tried to remember, but no single cause came to mind. One day they were dating, and the next they were only friends. Then Savvy had decided to serve a mission.

  Tyler brought his hand up to adjust his glasses, only to discover they weren’t there. He raked his hand through his hair, silently sending annoyed thoughts LaNae’s way. She was why he had tried contacts in the first place, and he wore them most of the time when they were together, though he still used his glasses at work. He liked his glasses. Most people did. They were a part of who he was. So why then did he not wear them today? He had a sinking feeling that he’d been trying to impress Savvy.

  And apparently had failed. She hadn’t seemed impressed, and he wondered what she really thought and if she’d tell him. Once she would have–might have. But now? Tyler wasn’t going to hold his breath.

  Savvy was already introducing Chris Davis, and Tyler nodded at the appropriate time, though he didn’t catch much except the man’s name. True to his looks, he was welcoming and friendly. Tyler felt his smile frozen in place. His cheeks hurt.

  “Look at that sky,” Chris said when the introductions were complete.

  Savvy glanced to where the low-hanging sun had painted a variety of colors on the high, wispy clouds. “Beautiful,” she murmured, a smile coming to her lips.

  “Gorgeous,” said Kerrianne.

  Tyler nodded with the others, though he felt left out. Savvy, he knew, adored anything to do with astronomy as much as he adored journalism. They had always found interest in sharing their worlds. Did Chris have another world, or did he share Savvy’s? Tyler wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  “Doesn’t look different from any other day,” Lexi said with an impatient shake of her head.

  Savvy cast Lexi an unreadable look, but Tyler recognized the stress in her eyes. “Look, why don’t you zip inside and change into those new clothes we bought? You know, dress up a little. Please
?”

  Lexi looked for a moment as if she were torn between wanting to disobey and wanting to try out the clothes.

  Tyler decided to help her out. He would show Savvy that it was a good thing he’d come. “New clothes?” he said. “I’d like to see them.”

  Nodding with a pleased smile, Lexi accepted the keys Savvy proffered and ran toward the apartment, her sack of purchases swinging from her hand.

  “Do we need to change?” Kerrianne asked, glancing down at her fitted blouse and slightly rumpled blue jeans.

  “No, it’ll be fine,” Savvy said. “I just needed to get her out of those shorts.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what kind of life my sister came from, but she doesn’t seem to have had many good examples.”

  “Have you talked to her father yet?” Tyler asked.

  Savvy sighed. “I don’t even know where he lives. But she’s promised to tell me if I give her a few days.”

  “Are you sure it’s wise to wait? What about the police?” Tyler was surprised that she hadn’t already filed a report.

  “I’m not sure about anything,” Savvy responded. “But she’s threatened to run away if I call the police. Maybe I could trap her somehow and hold her until a policeman gets here, but from what little she’s told me, there might be something suspicious going on at her house. What if they give her back to her father before they find out what’s really happening? What if something terrible happens to her?”

  Tyler opened his mouth to protest but then remembered that only last week he’d written up a similar story for the newspaper where the child had suffered a concussion and a broken arm after being released into his parents’ custody. Sometimes children did slip through the cracks.

  “There hasn’t been any news of a missing girl matching her description,” he said instead. “I have some friends at the paper checking on it for me. They’ll call if they hear anything.”

  Savvy flashed him a smile that made him glad he’d thought to check. “That’s good to know. I’d hate to think of someone out there worried about her.”