Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “No. I set it between the seats.”

  “Well, it’ll turn up. I hope.”

  “Is this your phone?” Lexi reached under the driver’s seat and pulled out a silver object.

  Tyler reached for it, keeping an eye on the road. “Thanks, Lexi! I looked all over last night but must have missed it. Since I had it on vibrate, it’s hard to hear when I call my number.”

  Lexi smiled and said nothing. Savvy thought there was something odd about her expression but couldn’t quite decipher the look. Tyler handed the phone to Savvy. “Thanks,” she said. “Your battery looks about dead, but I think it’ll make the call.” She dialed her mother’s number, pushing thoughts of Lexi from her mind.

  * * *

  The trip back to Utah was uneventful, if tiring. Halfway through, Savvy traded Kerrianne places when the images on the screen threatened to cause her car sickness. Once in the front, Savvy made small talk with Tyler, covering mundane things she could have discussed with a pure stranger.

  She wished she could tell him how worried she was about Lexi, of how she suspected her birth father of abuse. She also wanted to tell Tyler of her own trepidation at her impending meeting with her birth father. What would she say to Derek Roathe? What would he say? Yet even if she and Tyler had been back on their old terms, they wouldn’t have been able to talk openly in front of Lexi, who was watching the DVD screen with interest but whose eyes Savvy often felt resting on her own face.

  Upon reaching Utah Valley, Tyler stopped first at Kerrianne’s house in Pleasant Grove to let her and the children out. Then they headed for American Fork. Savvy was stricken by the bone-familiar lines of the roads and buildings, of her neighborhood, her own yard. Home.

  She was choked with tears as her mother enfolded her in her arms, her siblings crowding around waiting for their turn. They were all so changed, yet so familiar, and so much a part of her that Savvy wondered how she’d survived without them. Tears streamed down her mother’s face, and Camille and Rosalie cried with her. Even the twins had tears in their eyes. The only missing piece was Savvy’s father, who was still in Japan.

  Lexi hung back during the initial hugging, and when she was introduced, her face was carefully neutral, though she was greeted with warmth and enthusiasm. “We’re very glad to meet you after all these years,” said Savvy’s mother. She hugged Lexi with almost as much enthusiasm as she had Savvy. “We’re looking forward to getting to know you.”

  Lexi accepted Brionney’s hug stoically but didn’t speak. Savvy had thought she would at least talk to her brothers, who were only a year older, but Lexi blushed and looked away whenever they glanced in her direction.

  “Come inside, Savannah,” her mother said, hugging Savvy again. She wiped her wet face with her hands. “I’m sure you’re all hungry after your long trip.”

  “And tired, too,” Savvy agreed, letting her mother propel her toward the house.

  Tyler turned to leave. “Well, I’ll see you guys around.”

  Brionney shook her head. “Oh, no, you don’t. You have to come in. You’re part of this, Tyler Huntington. I made enough food for all of us.”

  Tyler shrugged. “Okay, but I need to get this van back to my sister soon.”

  Savvy felt almost resentful toward him for accepting her mother’s invitation. This was her family, and she wanted to relax with them without having to constantly guard against her mixed feelings for Tyler. But as they went into the house, she saw Lexi clinging to his arm, as though to stop herself from drowning. Her heart softened. Lexi needed him.

  Dinner was her favorite crockpot roast, with potatoes, onions, celery, and carrots. Savvy ate and talked until her tongue felt weary. After dinner, her mother left the cleaning up to Camille and Rosalie while she drew Savvy into the room Savvy had used growing up, the one Rosalie had recently deserted when she moved onto the BYU campus for her first year of college.

  “I’ll put you two in here,” Brionney said. “I had the boys bring in the rollaway. I know it’s a tight fit, but I didn’t want to push Gabe out of the bigger room for such a short time.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  Brionney smiled and hugged Savvy again. “Oh, baby, I’m so glad you’re home. I’ve missed you so much.”

  Savvy blinked away her tears. “Me too, Mom.” They held onto each other for a long moment before breaking apart.

  “Mom,” Savvy said, sinking onto the bed. “What am I going to do about Lexi?”

  Brionney shook her head. “Do you know how long she wants to stay?”

  “Truthfully, I don’t know if she can go back at all. I couldn’t tell you much with her always listening when we were on the phone, but there’s something serious going on.” She took a deep breath before adding, “It might be abuse. She might need to stay with me.”

  “You have to call the police.”

  “She threatened to run if I do. I know it might be the wrong thing, but I gave her until tomorrow to tell me where she lives. If she doesn’t tell me, I’ll contact the police then.” She spread her hands. “It’s the best I can do.”

  “It’s good enough,” Brionney said, sitting beside her. “Remember that we’re here to help. Dad talked to his lawyer once, and when he gets home he can call again. Meanwhile, we might be able to find something on the Internet.”

  “Yeah, I was going to try that.” Savvy was silent a moment, staring down at her hands. Then she looked up. “Mom, was Derek that way? Abusive, I mean?”

  Her mother thought for a long moment. “He never hit me–ever. In the end, he wasn’t treating me well, but that was because he wanted to be out of the relationship. Still, a marriage doesn’t ever end without some kind of abuse. So if you’re asking if he’s capable of abuse, yes. But I would be surprised if it was physical abuse.” She hesitated a moment. “He could also be kind. I loved him very much . . . once.”

  Savvy had never really given that much consideration. Her mother had loved Derek enough to marry him in the temple, and that meant she’d planned to spend an eternity with him. While her dreams of eternity had not been realized–at least with Derek–she’d obviously seen something of value in the man. “When Lexi gives me the information, I’ll guess I’ll have to talk to, uh, Derek,” Savvy said. “I don’t really want to but . . .”

  “But you’re curious.”

  Savvy looked down at her hands again. “I guess I am,” she said quietly.

  “That’s not a bad thing, honey.” Brionney’s voice held the slightest hint of amusement. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  Savvy shook her head, reaching out to her mother. “No, I can do it. It’s really my job. She’s my sister.”

  Brionney gave her a wistful smile. “It seems so strange you having siblings that aren’t my children.”

  “I know. It’s really strange. But I have to admit, despite all her earrings and her very different upbringing, I feel a bond with her. It’s weird, but–”

  “Not really. There’s a lot of your father in both of you. He was a handsome man.” Brionney gazed at Savvy, but her eyes looked as though they focused on something else entirely. “I don’t regret my marriage to him,” Brionney added. “Without him, there would be no you.”

  Savvy hugged her mother again, fiercely. “I love you, Mom. And I’m so grateful to you. You’ve been the best mom, and you gave me Dad. He may not be my biological father, but he’s the best dad in the world.”

  Brionney chuckled softly. “Now that I know. And he loves you very much.”

  They pulled away slowly, awkwardly, despite the abundance of love. “I guess we’d better go back out there.” Savvy started for the door.

  In the family room, Savvy took a glass of white grape juice and sat at one end of the couch feeling happy but exhausted. She found herself wondering why she’d chosen to study so far from home. But she knew. She’d been running away–a lot like Lexi had done. Not from her family, but from her feelings for Tyler.

  Tyler was still at the house, sitting
on the love seat by an unsmiling Lexi. The girl was hunched over and staring at the floor, a drink in hand, her very posture warning people away.

  At that moment, Tyler looked over at Savvy. Their gazes locked, and for an instant Savvy felt they were alone in the room. Her heart ached. He lifted his glass toward her; she nodded slightly. Together they drank.

  Savvy’s heart felt soothed. Tyler was there for her. Their relationship might not be the one she’d once longed for, but he was there if she needed him.

  * * *

  Lexi felt trapped. She couldn’t think clearly with Savvy’s family hovering around. They spoke to her, but she didn’t really hear them. They probably thought she was stupid–not that she cared what they thought. The only constant in the room for her was Tyler. He stayed by her side, and for that Lexi was grateful.

  Savvy was the center of attention. Her siblings and her mother gravitated toward her, seemingly vying for her attention. She was so busy with everyone that she didn’t have time for Lexi. A sadness crept into Lexi’s heart. She had come so far to see her sister, but her sister didn’t really need her.

  I’ve got to get out of here, Lexi thought. Desperation welled up inside, a tight, horrible feeling. A feeling she knew intimately from her life with her father. Everything seemed to be pressing in on her. She felt dizzy and close to tears.

  Lexi leapt up from the couch and headed through the family room toward the kitchen, eyes focused on the opening that led to the entryway. She careened into someone. One of the twins, she realized, gazing momentarily into startled brown eyes. Just my luck, she thought, holding her hand out to ward off the dizziness. She hadn’t been able to exchange two words with them. Back home she wasn’t this awkward–even around boys.

  She brushed past the twin–was it Gabe or Forest?–and walked steadily through the entryway and out the front door. The night air hit her in the face, feeling good on her flushed face. The light on the porch flicked on as she sank to the top stair on the porch and rested her head against the railing.

  “Are you all right?”

  Lexi held her breath. Was it the twin? What should she say? She wanted to talk to him, but she couldn’t. She’d probably burst into tears. Her muscles bunched in preparation to flee. Maybe she could hide in Kerrianne’s van until this ordeal was over. Was it unlocked?

  “Lexi?”

  Turning her head slightly, she caught sight of Tyler. Not the twin after all. Her muscles began to relax. “Tyler,” she said. Then to her mortification, she gave a little sob.

  He sat down on the step beside her. “Gabe told me you came out here. He seemed worried about you.”

  “I’m fine,” she managed.

  “It can be hard when you don’t know anyone.”

  She shrugged.

  “Savvy’s family’s really close,” Tyler continued. “Everyone really misses her.”

  “She doesn’t even remember I’m here.” Lexi hated how pouting her voice sounded, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “Sure she does. You wait and see. She’ll come looking for you.”

  Lexi doubted it. “She doesn’t need me. She has enough family.”

  “You can never have enough family. And you’re her sister. That’s special.”

  “She already has two sisters.” Sisters who dressed the way Savvy did and who had been with Savvy from the beginning of their lives. There was no place for Lexi.

  “You can never have too many sisters.”

  Lexi felt marginally better at Tyler’s words. But that didn’t mean she had to stick around. “I don’t want to stay here,” she said, looking over at him. “Can I go with you–please?”

  He studied her for a moment. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not? Please?”

  “Lexi, young girls can’t stay with guys who aren’t related to them. That’s just the way it is.”

  Lexi wondered if he was making up excuses.

  “Otherwise, I’d love to have you,” he continued. “I kind of like having you around.”

  Warmth flooded Lexi’s body, the kind that made her want to cry–the good kind of crying. She took a deep breath. The pressure and dizziness she’d felt were slipping away. “Thanks,” she said softly.

  Tyler smiled and nodded but didn’t reply. He looked up into the sky. “Savvy would love this sky. Look at all those stars.”

  “It’s like back home.” Lexi’s stomach gave a lurch of homesickness.

  They sat in silence for long moments. Lexi was beginning to feel awkward sitting on the porch because her T-shirt wouldn’t stay down over her lower back.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  She shook her head. No way would she confess that she was embarrassed by her clothes. Still, he was nice to ask. If his family was half as nice, she could understand why they’d taken in so many abandoned children.

  The door behind them opened, spilling light and a myriad of voices onto the porch. “Ah, here you are,” Savvy said. The door shut, cutting out both the bright light and the sound. “I was worried.”

  She came! Lexi thought. Did that mean she cared?

  “We’re looking at the stars,” Tyler said. “But our eyes are having trouble staying open–at least mine are.”

  Savvy smiled. “Mine too.”

  “Have a seat.” Tyler moved down a few stairs and Savvy took his place on the top stair next to Lexi.

  Savvy yawned and stretched her arms. “You can turn in if you want, Lexi. We’ll be staying together in my old room. You can have either the bed or the cot.”

  “I’m not staying,” Lexi said.

  “What? Of course you’re staying.”

  Lexi lifted her chin. “I don’t want to stay here. I want to go with Tyler.”

  “Lexi, we already talked about this,” Tyler said. “I told you that won’t work.” He exchanged a glance with Savvy, but Lexi couldn’t decipher what it meant.

  “Why don’t you want to stay here?” Savvy asked, surprising Lexi. She’d expected Savvy to ask why she wanted to go with Tyler. Then again, maybe it was the same question.

  “I don’t fit in.” Lexi felt miserable saying the words and stared at the ground instead of into her sister’s eyes. “They’re not my family, and I don’t belong. Your mother divorced my dad. She can’t want me around.”

  Savvy shifted her position on the porch. “Actually,” she said, “from what I understand, your father divorced her, though it hardly matters now. But you are welcome here. My family is glad to meet you.”

  Lexi had a hard time believing that. “I want to stay with Tyler. Please, Savvy.”

  Savvy shook her head. “I’m sorry, Lexi, but it isn’t appropriate. You’re thirteen, a young lady now, and Tyler’s not even related. What would your father say?”

  “He’d probably beat me and ground me for a year.” Lexi didn’t mean it, but she liked to see Savvy’s eyes widen. “Fine, I won’t go. But I’ll need my money, then.”

  “Your money?”

  “Yes. For a hotel. You promised you’d give it to me when I needed it. If I can’t stay with Tyler, I’m getting a hotel.”

  Savvy blew out a long sigh. Lexi almost grinned because she knew she’d won. Savvy had promised, and unless she wanted to prove herself a liar, she’d have to do what Lexi wanted.

  “Oh, Lexi, that’s such a huge waste of money,” Savvy said. “Can’t you please stay here?”

  Lexi shook her head and averted her face from Savvy’s pleading eyes.

  “Well, I’m certainly not letting you go off alone.”

  Lexi stiffened. Was Savvy saying she would go with her, or was she hinting at calling the police? She opened her mouth to invite Savvy to the hotel, but Tyler intervened.

  “Hey, I may have a solution,” he said.

  Lexi and Savvy turned toward him. “What?” Savvy asked.

  “Why don’t you both stay at my house for a few days until everything is resolved? Mitch isn’t due back for a while, as far as I know, and I can crash
out at Kerrianne’s. There are a few things I’ve been wanting to fix around her house anyway–the back fence, for one. Since I’m not employed, now would be a good time to get it all done. You’d have to feed his animals, though.”

  “His animals?” Savvy groaned, but there was an underlying laughter to her voice. Lexi thought that was a good sign.

  “I’ll feed them!” Lexi said, jumping to her feet. “I like animals. Well, I never actually had any pets, but I would have if my father had let me. Please, Savvy. Let’s do that. It’d be just us. We could get to know each other!” Lexi hadn’t meant to let the last few sentences slip, but if Savvy’s expression was any indication, it was a good thing she had.

  Savvy glanced at Lexi and then back at Tyler. “Are you sure?” she asked him. “We could go to a hotel for a night or two.”

  “Like you said, a hotel would be a waste of money,” Tyler said. “And I’ll even come and feed the animals. I know how much you love them.” Lexi thought his grin was mocking.

  “Not!” Savvy exclaimed.

  Tyler laughed, and Savvy joined him. Lexi suddenly felt happy. They weren’t going to stay here where she felt so out of place–like a hillbilly among nobility.

  Savvy shook her head and stood. “Well,” she said, “I’d better ask Mom if she minds me borrowing her car. Or maybe one of my sisters’. That way you won’t have to go with us.”

  “I have some things to pick up, anyway,” he said. “And I’ll want to show you where to sleep.”

  “You sure Mitch won’t mind?”

  “Are you kidding? Of course not. You know him. Besides, it’s only for a few days.”

  “Okay then. But I’m still borrowing a car. We’ll need some wheels of our own.” Savvy stepped backward in the direction of the door. “I’d better go break the news to my mother.” She shook her head and sighed, causing Lexi to feel a tiny qualm about her actions. Was she being selfish? Well, it really didn’t matter; she simply couldn’t stay here.

  “I’ll put the luggage back into the van and then call Kerrianne,” Tyler said as Savvy opened the front door. Savvy nodded and disappeared.