Page 20 of Stand

Alyssa’s smile faltered. “It’s the makeup, isn’t it? I don’t know what I’m doing. I watched a YouTube video about contouring, but—”

“Oh God, you don’t need contouring!” Sam exclaimed. “Quick, come in here. Meg!”

Since Meg had been about five feet away behind the kitchen wall, she was there in a second and summed up the situation with an instant, “Oh my.”

“Okay, okay, look, she doesn’t have anyone to help. We have to be out at the car in two minutes. Help!”

Before Alyssa knew it, Megan had pulled her into the powder room, made a makeup bag appear from nowhere, washed her face, and applied a more age-appropriate palette. Sam hung back while Meg went to work.

When she was done, a light application of mascara and eyeliner turned Alyssa’s blue eyes luminous, and her natural round cheeks were shown off with a little blush and highlighter. A neutral lipstick gave just the right amount of shine.

Alyssa looked at herself in the powder room mirror. Sam saw tears start in her eyes. “Hey, no crying,” she warned. “That mascara’ll run.”

Alyssa closed her eyes over the tears and hugged Sam and Megan both together. “Anytime,” Meg said, and she looked a little tearful herself. “I mean it, hon. Anytime.”

With a giant Fielding smile, Megan ushered Sam and Alyssa out the front door, Sam grabbing a silvery-gray wrap on her way.

Ty was starting up the path toward them, his face like thunder. “We have to get—” He saw Alyssa and stopped dead. In fact, he took a step backward.

Alyssa looked up at him uncertainly. “Isn’t it better?” she said. “Megan did it. Sam’s sister.”

He schooled his face into the slight frown he usually used with Sam. “Well, yeah,” he said. “Not that you didn’t look… I mean, you looked fine to me but now…”

Alyssa grinned and hopped past him, opening the back door to the car.

Sam stayed where she was. She wanted to take a step back too. Ty was in what she would have called Dad clothes: khakis, blue shirt, navy jacket. But with his hair cut preppy-style and the scruff of blond on his chin, he looked as though he’d stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad.

“I guess I need to thank you,” he said. “Again.”

“No problem,” she said, trying to tear her mind away from the slimness of his waist. “My sisters are better than me at that kind of thing.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t know about where to put what, makeup-wise. It was just that she didn’t care enough. When you were sweating out a couple of pints a day in the desert, you didn’t bother with things like mascara.

But for occasions like this, she made a bit of an effort, and so she stood erect while he took her in.

“You look… good, too,” he said.

Yeah, she knew she did. But it was nice of him to notice. “So do you. Anything I should know before we get going?”

His stare drifted over her shoulder, then came back. “About what?”

“Their mother. Alyssa seemed pretty good, but I don’t want to put my foot in it.”

“Oh.” His eyes darkened. “I guess, just… don’t bring her up until they do.”

“My sister gave the impression that you get talked about a lot ’round here.”

He laughed, though there was no humor in it. “Yeah. Small town.” He seemed to go over the idea in his mind. “Did Matt talk to Jake today?”

“Probably,” she answered honestly. Jake had asked her how it had gone when she’d gotten home, and he’d apologized all over again. She could bet he’d gone straight upstairs to text his friend.

Ty groaned. “Yeah. Then I bet everyone knows. Not that Jake would—”

“Dad!” Alyssa yelled out of the car window. “We’re gonna be late!”

“Sorry!” Sam called and hurried over to the car. Before she could get there, though, Ty got in front of her and opened her door. Like a real gentleman. If she’d been paying attention to that kind of thing, of course. She nodded her thanks.

“Geez, you two and having long conversations outside cars,” Matt muttered while she put on her seat belt.

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