Holly's Heart Collection Two (62 page)
Tyler wanted to do an inspection of his castle creation with me. We began our ritual. He stood guard on one side while I recited the names of the towers and gables and things. He’d written everything down for me. Then we traded, and I was the guard and he did the same on the back of the masterpiece.
Minutes had passed since I’d called to Andie. I was beside myself because she hadn’t come. No way I was going back down and calling for her again. I refused to cater to her obvious game playing.
I wanted to run inside and check the clock. Andie’s mom had said she’d call back in an hour. This was treacherous. I hated being caught in the middle like this.
“You want a snack or something?” I asked Tyler.
“Sure.” We headed toward the house.
While Tyler poured lemonade for both of us, I stood out on the deck overlooking the beach to the south. Two specks of humanity sat suspended in space and time on the same large rock as before. What was so important that Andie hadn’t responded and come as I’d requested? Was she talking to Rico about God? Was
that
it?
I wished I had some binoculars. Then I remembered Tyler’s telescope. He’d set it up on a tripod in one of the guest rooms last Christmas when Carrie and I were here. “Do you still have your telescope?” I asked when I went back inside.
Tyler handed me a glass of lemonade. “Sure, wanna have a look?”
As it turned out, the “spy tube” was set up in Tyler’s bedroom, just down the hallway on the main level. He helped me get it focused, and I purposely aimed it toward the ocean so he wouldn’t know what I was doing and spill the beans to Andie later.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, running out of the room. Just the break I needed.
Quickly, I moved the long black tube in the southernmost direction. There they were—Andie and Rico. I focused again, pulling them in closer.
Yikes! Rico was holding Andie’s hand. And by the look on his face, their conversation had nothing to do with God. Nothing at all.
I thought about the promise I’d made to Andie last night. How loyal should I be if it meant lying to cover for her?
“Dear Lord,” I whispered, still looking through the telescope. “Please help me do the right thing.”
LITTLE WHITE LIES
I headed back to the kitchen, remembering to check the clock. Nearly four-thirty! It was an hour later in Dressel Hills. Andie’s dad was probably home with the twins, giving her mom a chance to chat in peace. Now, if I could just get Andie to be here when her mother called back.
An idea struck me just then. I waited for Tyler to finish washing his hands, then the two of us went back down to the beach. I knelt on the beach blanket in front of the radio and scanned the tuner, hunting for a Christian station. When I found a contemporary one, I told Tyler to cover his ears. “Let’s crank up the music.” He nodded, smiling, and I turned up the volume all the way.
Marching down the beach a short distance, I checked to see if Andie had heard. Yep! She was getting up and heading this way. And not surprisingly, Rico was tagging along beside her, holding her hand.
“It worked,” I muttered to myself, heading back to turn the music down—just a tad. I wanted the Christian music to be playing when they arrived.
Tyler and I fitted a drawbridge for his castle while I waited for Andie’s return. Without turning to look, I knew they were back by the sound of Andie’s laughter.
Rico came over to check out Tyler’s creation. “Incredible,” he said.
Andie followed close behind. “Wow, Tyler, you’re good.”
Tyler grinned, obviously proud. “Thanks, but Holly did a lot of it, too.”
I wondered how long before Andie would notice the choice of music or if she’d even comment about it. She avoided my eyes as she sat down on the beach blanket, brushing the sand off and smoothing the wrinkles. Rico sat beside her and reached for the radio. “Anybody listening to this?” he asked me.
“Tyler and I are,” I said.
“Okay, then. No problem.” He set the radio back down on the blanket, the music still going strong. “Sorry.”
I don’t know why I was surprised that he was polite about it. Sitting on the edge of the blanket, I held up the portable phone. “Your mom called while you were gone,” I told Andie.
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
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?”