Huntington Family Series

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “All right. Just a minute, let me get a pen.” Amanda rummaged through her purse for her planner, her fingers feeling suddenly very slow and unwilling to cooperate. “Got it. Go ahead.”

  Paula rattled off an address, transposing the numbers once and having to repeat it after verifying the correct address with someone else. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t leave the kids with me tonight,” Paula added in a conspiratorial voice. “In fact, I can’t believe this whole mess, especially the state keeping me from my kids. I don’t know how much Blake told you but—” Paula launched into a story so different from what the social worker and Blake had told Amanda that she knew it could only be a lie.

  “Thank heavens you have Blake to watch the kids till you get things worked out,” Amanda said brightly, not knowing what else to say and not wanting to offend the woman. Doing so would only make her mad at Blake.

  “You sound like such a reasonable person,” Paula gushed, pausing to take a noisy drink. “I sure hope you and Blake . . . I mean my cousin is such a good-looking guy. It’s about time he found a nice woman.”

  “Oh, we’re just friends.”

  “Really? That’s too bad. He really does need a girlfriend.” Paula’s last words were slurred, and Amanda could barely understand them.

  “Well, nice talking to you,” Amanda said.

  “You, too. Put Kevin on again, would you? I want to tell him something.”

  “Okay.” Amanda covered the receiver and looked over at Kevin who was lying on the carpet in the living room trying to fit the puzzle pieces into the small cardboard holder. “Hey, Kev,” Amanda said softly, “Blake lets you talk to your mom, doesn’t he?”

  Kevin nodded. “When she calls.”

  “Well, she wants to talk to you again.”

  He jumped up and ran to take the phone. “Hi? Yeah. Okay. Yes, I love you.” A sudden frown creased his forehead. “But I want to . . . I know . . . well, you could stay here with . . .” Kevin fell silent, his lips quivering with threatening tears. “Okay. Bye, Mom.” He hung up the phone and went to put it on the kitchen table, his shoulders heavy.

  “Kevin,” Amanda said, “what’s wrong?”

  His little face crumpled. “Mommy said her was going to get me out of here fast. Take me far away where no one can find me. And . . . and . . . her said some bad words about my uncle.” With that he burst into tears.

  Amanda ran forward and hugged him, her eyes smarting. “It’s okay, Kevin. Really. If your mom does take you away, soon, I’m sure things will be different with her. She’ll spend more time with you, and you’ll get to come and see your uncle all the time. They both love you, you know.”

  Kevin nodded through his tears, allowing Amanda to soothe and comfort him. They cuddled up on the couch and read through all her books several times until he fell asleep in her arms. Amanda stroked his soft cheek. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.” Never before, not in all her training as a teacher, had it been so clear that some children didn’t have a proper chance to be children at all.

  She carried Kevin to bed and tucked the covers around him.

  Back in the living room, she began grading papers from school. The high-pitched ringing of a phone drew her attention—not the phone on the table but the cell phone in her purse. “Hello,” she said, when she finally found it under all the junk she’d stuffed inside.

  “Hey, it’s Savvy.”

  “Oh, hi.”

  “So are we still on for Saturday? I tried to call you at home. Glad you left your new cell number on the answering machine.”

  “Yes, I’ve finally come into the new age.”

  “So where are you? I mean, can you talk?”

  “Yeah, I can talk. I’m—I’m at a friend’s.”

  “Oh?” Savvy’s voice trailed upward more than necessary for a simple question. “Any friend I know?”

  “I’m baby-sitting, okay?” Amanda let her disgust show. It still stung that Blake hadn’t called her all week except to watch the children. “Not that I mind, really,” she added quickly. “Next to my niece and nephews, I don’t think there’s cuter kids in the whole world.”

  “So tell me all about it,” Savvy said eagerly. “Is this the first time you’ve seen him since we talked?”

  “No.” Amanda told her about watching the video Saturday night and about the soup he’d brought on Sunday.

  “Sounds like things are going well. Not too intense, but steady.”

  Amanda wasn’t sure if that was good or not. “I don’t know,” she said. “He seemed rather peeved with me on Saturday. Not the whole night, just at the end.”

  “Well, tell me exactly what happened.”

  “I’m not sure. I told him that if he ever needed someone to watch the children, I’d be willing to help out. He thanked me, and I said something like ‘What are friends for?’ I thought everything was fine, but he got weird after that. Distant, rather.”

  “Friends? You actually said friends?” Savvy’s tone showed her disbelief.

  “Yeah. So? What’s wrong with that? Being friends is a good thing. Besides, you and I discussed this. We decided that friends was where I needed to go at this point.”

  “Well, obviously it’s not where he wanted to go.”

  “Savvy!”

  “Why else did he act that way?”

  Amanda thought about it, and a warmth spread through her. Was he really interested in her? Had she unintentionally sent the wrong signal?

  Wait a minute, she thought, I do want to be friends.

  Yes, but maybe, just maybe, not only friends.

  “Guys hear the word friendship, and they back off immediately,” Savvy said. “Believe me, all I have to do is mention the word friend, and that’s it.”

  “Even right in the middle of a proposal?”

  Savvy giggled. “Especially in the middle of a proposal. I swear, all the males here at BYU are really searching for Miss Right. Too bad my name is Miss Hergarter!”

  They laughed together, and then Savvy spoke again, “Look, I think you should invite the guy to the dance with us. I mean, if your brother’s coming—you did ask him, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. He’s coming.”

  “So we’ll be one guy short. You never know what kind of oddballs we might need to get away from at the dance.”

  “I thought the whole point was going to meet someone.”

  “No, Amanda, the whole point is to dance.”

  Amanda crossed one leg over the other and let her body sink farther into the love seat. “I can’t ask him.”

  “Why not? The guy needs a break. If Mitch is going along as a friend, why couldn’t he? He’s probably going crazy now with no time alone with other adults.”

  “Yeah, well, how do I know he’s not out with some woman right now?”

  “Maybe he is. You could always ask him to bring her along. Size up the competition, so to speak.”

  “Savvy!”

  “I’m kidding. Seriously, what do you have to lose? It’s not like it’s a real date or anything, just some friends going out dancing.”

  “Well . . .”

  Sensing that Amanda was weakening, Savvy went in for the kill. “So you’ll do it? You never know how much fun it’ll be until you try. If it doesn’t work out, what’s the problem?”

  She’s right. Amanda would never know how much fun she could have with Blake if she didn’t try. Besides, there was that slight matter of the electricity between them. What if they went their separate ways and she never found out where their relationship might have led? But Savvy was wrong about there being no problems if it didn’t work out. Amanda had lost the man she thought she loved once before.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll ask him—as a friend.”

  “Don’t you dare use the word friend! I mean, you can say ‘some friends are going dancing and do you want to come,’ but don’t ask him to come ‘as a friend.’”

  “I get it, I get it.” Amanda rolled her eyes, but
excitement pounded in her chest. She was going to ask Blake out! That’s what it all boiled down to. So what’s the big deal, she thought. I’m a woman of the twenty-first century.

  “I’ll pick you up Saturday at seven,” Savvy said. “No use in getting there before eight. Or do you want to eat first?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, who’d pay? It’s going to be awkward enough at the dance. I know. I’ll ask Mitch to bring a pizza, and we’ll eat at my place before we go to Salt Lake.”

  “Okay, I’ll come at six-thirty. Nothing like getting to know each other a little bit before we go.” Savvy’s voice held laughter in it now. “You never know, I may take one look at your repairman and fall madly in love.”

  Amanda doubted that—Savvy was far too interested in astronomy. Would that subject even interest Blake? She was uncomfortable with the rise of jealousy in her chest. “Whatever,” she said aloud. “See you Saturday.”

  “Bye.” Giggling, Savvy severed their connection.

  Amanda set her cell phone on the love seat beside her. Instead of returning to her papers, she removed her hair clip, curled up on the couch, and began practicing how to ask Blake about Saturday. All the scenarios she tried sounded desperate to her. She closed her eyes to think better, realizing how utterly tired she felt. The broken timer on her stove had gone off at three that morning, and she hadn’t been able to get back to sleep.

  I’ll just rest my eyes for a moment.

  A short time later, she stirred only slightly when in her dreams she heard the click of a door opening.

  * * *

  Blake hurried home as soon as class let out. His blood rushed faster through his veins as he turned up the street to his apartment. By the time he parked the truck and went inside, he couldn’t say if he was excited or dreading to see Amanda. His feet practically ran to the door, though, and he did nothing to stop them.

  Inside his apartment, he found Amanda asleep on the couch, cheek on the armrest, legs drawn up, arms on top of each other and pulled in close to her body. Her hair was out of its clip, cascading over her face. Her feet were bare. He stepped quietly to her, hardly daring to breathe, reluctant to wake this sleeping beauty. She stirred, mumbling something. Blake thought he heard his name but attributed it to wishful thinking. He reached out to touch her cheek, to smooth the hair from the white skin, but stopped before his hand made contact.

  Stepping back, he went to the closet and stored his backpack, glad to see that he’d used enough diapers from his stash so none of them fell. Turning back to the couch, he took a deep breath. “Amanda. Amanda!”

  She opened her eyes and blinked several times. “Oh.” Pushing herself to a sitting position, she covered a yawn with her hand. “I must have fallen asleep.”

  Blake felt his own mouth copying her yawn. “Yeah, they have that effect on me, too.”

  “I’ll bet. So, are you all finished?”

  She’s curious about where I’ve been! Blake didn’t know why that was important to him, but it was. “Yes,” he said with a grin.

  She shook her head, smiling back at him. “Well, I guess I’d better get home.” She began gathering papers and books, shoving them into her bag.

  Blake felt a panic surge through him. He didn’t want her to go just yet. “How’d it go?” he asked.

  “Okay. They were angels . . . except when . . .” She finished with her books and met his eyes. “Well, Kevin’s mother called. Left an address for you. It’s on the table.”

  “Thanks.” He knew by her frown that there was more to the story.

  “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but do you let her talk to Kevin without listening in? He said you did, so I let him.”

  “Yeah, he talks to her—when she bothers to call. She’s only called once since they got here this time. I guess twice, if she called tonight. Why, was it a problem? Was she rude?” Blake made a mental note to have hard words with his cousin if she had treated Amanda poorly.

  “No, not to me, but . . .” Her brow puckered. “Well, according to Kevin, she said something about getting him out of here and taking him far away. Also, she apparently said some bad words about you.”

  “Swore, more like, I’ll bet.” Blake’s anger was growing.

  “Kevin cried after she hung up.” Amanda made a sympathetic face. “I had to read a lot of books to calm him down.”

  Blake strode across the living room and into the kitchen, his teeth clenched. He had an urge to grab the paper with the address on the table and rip it to shreds. How dare Paula do this! he thought. But Paula always dared everything. Paula answered to no one except herself.

  Until now, he thought. At least the state had become involved.

  “She seems to be confused,” Amanda said, coming to stand next to him. “Her account of what happened the night the police arrested her doesn’t match anything I’ve heard before.”

  Blake immediately became aware of her closeness, of the light perfumed scent that surrounded her. He longed to gather her into his arms and bury his face in her hair for comfort. Reining in his emotions, he turned to her. “What’d she say?”

  “She said that a friend of hers had a little party, but it was crashed by some people they barely knew. She claims those people brought the drugs and that she tried to get them to leave, but they wouldn’t. In the end she supposedly called the police—or cops, to use her words. She said one of the policemen who came, uh, acted inappropriately with her and when she called him on it, he arrested her, too.”

  Blake shook his head, frowning at the address on the table. “It’s a lie. She always lies, even when she doesn’t have to.” He heaved a sigh. “She lies so much that I doubt she even knows what the truth is.”

  “I’m sorry.” She laid her hand on his arm, and a shiver curled up his spine.

  He met her gaze, drowned in those green eyes. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I also appreciate your being honest with me. As for Kevin, I’ll get another phone, let her know I’m listening in.”

  “She won’t like that.”

  He shrugged. “This isn’t about her. It’s about Kevin.”

  “You’re doing the right thing.”

  “Am I?” he said, almost to himself. “I hope so. Sometimes I worry that it’s all in vain, that she’ll go into the custody hearing the state has set in January and walk out with the children. Then it will start all over again.”

  “Are you so sure she won’t reform?”

  “I don’t know. I want her to get her life together, but I think she has a long way to go.”

  “Maybe all this will be the catalyst to bringing her back.”

  Blake sighed. “Or maybe it’s only the beginning, and Kevin will be a teenager before she ever realizes it’s her fault he keeps going to jail.”

  “Oh, don’t say that!” Amanda’s voice was passionate. “He has you. Remember?”

  Blake shook himself and tried to smile. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. I usually try not to focus on the negative. It’s just . . .” He stared intently at Amanda, willing her to understand. “It’s just that I love Kevin so much—and Mara, too, now. I wish . . . I wish they could both have a normal life.”

  Amanda’s hand tightened on his arm as she nodded with understanding. Then she removed it, and his skin felt cold there, the heat from her touch gone.

  “I think you need a break,” she said, her tone brightening. She took her book bag from her shoulder and set it on the table.

  “Got one tonight.” He thought of the ten pages of notes he’d written in class and added, “Well, sort of.”

  “Some friends of mine,” Amanda continued, as though he hadn’t spoken, “are going dancing on Saturday. Why don’t you come along?”

  Stunned, he blinked and sat down in a chair. Where did this come from? he wondered. Then, Yes! she’s asking me out! He stifled a grin. “Will you be there?”

  “What?” She toyed with the straps on her book bag.

  “You said some friends were going. Are you
going, too?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I thought that was implied. Tonight when I was talking to my friend about Saturday, she thought . . . I thought you might . . . it would be fun to . . . it’s a change . . .”

  Blake loved how her face flushed as she searched for words, how her eyes seemed to turn a darker green. “I’d love to,” he said, ending her torment. “Should I drive?”

  “No. My friend, Savvy, will. We’re meeting at my house at six-thirty for pizza first. If you want to come then, that would be good. Or we can pick you up around seven on our way to Salt Lake.” The last words were added hurriedly.

  “Pizza? I’m there,” he said. “That’s one of the four main food groups, isn’t it?”

  She laughed. “For me, it is. Oh, yeah, and Savvy has some younger sisters if you need a sitter for Kevin and Mara.”

  Blake hadn’t even considered what he’d do with them. “My sister-in-law might be willing. She likes taking them every now and then. I’ll ask her. Oh, that reminds me.” He reached out and picked up the address from the table, noting that it was written on the same type of narrow paper she’d given him with her sister’s number. “I have to go to this lunch with my cousin earlier in the day, but I should be back way before then.” Even if the lunch with Paula got off to a late start, it couldn’t possibly last past three.

  “Okay, then.” Amanda hefted her book bag, slinging it over her shoulder where her purse already dangled. “See you Saturday.”

  Blake watched her walk to the door. “I think you’re missing something,” he said, looking at her bare feet.

  She followed his gaze and again flushed a bright red. “Yeah, my shoes. I think I left them by the couch.” Going into the adjoining room, she collected them quickly.

  This time he retrieved her coat and walked her to the door. The tension between them was palpable. Almost. Blake thought if he reached out and touched her, a fire would burst into existence and burn down the whole house.

  “Good night,” she said.

  He had to clear his throat to reply. “Good night. And I owe you one. I won’t forget.”