Page 50 of Stand

“Yippee,” said Matt.

“Your dad’s trying, Matt,” Sam heard herself say.

“Bullshit,” Matt snarled.

“Hey.” Ty’s voice warmed with disapproval.

“Oh, for God’s sake, that’s what you’re going to parent on today? You know who taught me those words?” Sam felt Ty move next to her, as if turning his head away in pain. “Yeah.Mom. Great job, there, Dad. I’msoglad you’re the adult in this family.”

“Matt!” Sam exclaimed.

“He should have left her!” Matt shouted, his voice cracking. “He should have left her years ago! You think we can just run away from this? We’llneverget away from her!”

And the tough, lanky teen broke into tears. Covering his swollen face with both hands, he sank onto one of the beds. Alyssa sat and wrapped her arms around him. She was crying as hard as he was.

Only the children’s crying could be heard. Sam didn’t dare look at Ty, because while Matt was probably embarrassed to cry in front of her, it was nothing to how Ty would feel if she turned and saw him cry too.

After a minute, Ty said, without looking at her, “Sam, you can go home if you want to.”

She did want to. She’d never wanted to be involved with any family’s politics, not even her own, and this thinly covered tragedy left her itching to run for New Mexico. She shouldn’t have said a damn word just now. Even Cairo would be a better witness to this fight than her. He was already padding into the room and cocking his head at the children. In another few seconds, he’d be putting his head in Alyssa’s lap.

She still didn’t look at Ty but addressed her words to Matt. “I’ll go if it’s easier for you all, but don’t take this out on your dad. He’s doing his best.”

Matt snorted.

“You guys are everything to him, don’t you see that?” she insisted. “And before you, it was his mom. The whole time I’ve known him, he’s done nothing but look after his family. Has he ever told you about the two jobs he worked in high school?” A silence ensued, swirling around them and making Sam’s cheeks flush.

“Thanks for reminding me,” Ty said kind of low.

“Well,” she said, trying to regain her dignity. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Hell—I mean, heck—you served half of us pizza and mowed the other half’s lawns.”

“Yeah. I remember.”

Her cheeks wouldn’t cool down. “So what I’m saying is, hard work is all your dad knows. And he’ll doanythingto keep you guys safe. Even driving across the country with his high school nemesis.”

Ty shifted next to her, so she could see more of him at her side. “It’s not like—” But he shook his head. “You don’t have to do this,” he said instead of whatever he’d started to say.

“It’s not for you,” she replied, turning her head only slightly toward him. “If you’re going to make it through this, I don’t want Matt taking out his—very understandable—pain on you, and Alyssa hearing it. You’re her big brother.” She nodded at Matt. “You need to take care of her. I don’t care how pissed off you are.”

Matt and Lyss just stared at her, two pairs of blue eyes so like their father’s, she flushed.

“Okay, well then.” She was running out of steam, and Sam didn’t like that feeling. She wanted to be in control of every conversation she had. But they were all looking at her, and the tears were drying on Alyssa’s face. She was stroking the top of Cairo’s head, which, yes, was in her lap. “So, um,” Sam went on. “I’m gonna go down to the lobby. You guys decide what you wanna do. Either way is okay with me.”

No, it isn’t!her self-preservation chip screamed.Leave them to it!

“Cai,” she ordered and snapped her fingers. Her dog immediately came to her side, though did she see a reproachful look in his big brown eyes?

♦

It was only another ten minutes before the other three joined her.

Alyssa sat down in the armchair next to her and immediately reached a hand out to Cairo, who happily accepted it. “I’m sorry. We’re all sorry. Please don’t go home. We need your help,” she said in one breath. “I feel safer with you. We all do. Please, Sam. Stay with us?”

Sam dared to look at Ty. His eyes were dark, unreadable, but he said, “I’d appreciate it. For Alyssa’s sake.”

Who was she kidding? The minute Alyssa had started talking, Sam had known she wouldn’t leave them until she had to. “Okay,” she said. Alyssa grabbed her hand and bounced up and down in her seat once or twice before remembering she was thirteen and above that kind of display.

Sam made the mistake of looking at Ty. In his rumpled polo shirt and board shorts, he was dressed like any other dad on vacation with his kids. But the heat in his blue eyes when he said thank you made her both long for and regret all of it.

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