Cal thought that was probably a really, really good idea.A really good idea.
“What?What did I do?That was the book Em checked out to read, but I grabbed it out of the bag when we got home first.They got married in the end and he helped her keep her ranch and take care of her little sisters and they had more babies.It was really romantic.And the gross kissing wasn’t too bad.Neither were the se?—"
“Nope.You and I are going to have a discussion about age-appropriate reading material soon.”
“I used to read whatever I wanted in Garrett.”It was definitely a challenge there.
“I’m sure you did; now, eat.Your dinner’s getting cold.”
“Why does you need a husband anyway?Husbands just hit and be mean and lock you in the closet and won’t let you eat all day long when you are bad.”The little girl with a lisp shrugged as she said it.Like it was a fact.Cal almost choked on the water he’d just swallowed.
“No, Tobi, those aredaddies.Husbands are nice to you, like Daddy was nice to our old mommy.He never hither.Just January and Jules,” her slightly older sister said.“And me sometimes.When I wasn’t fast enough to get away.”
Holy hell, the little girl was serious.She was all of eight,maybe,and couldn’t weigh forty-five pounds.Cal’s heart broke in that one instant for what these kids had experienced.
And he would never forget.
Nor would he forget the pain in their eldest sister’s eyes when she looked at that child.A pain that said sheunderstood.That she had been there.
Damn it.If Bruce Tyler had hit his younger daughters…he’d hit his elder.Cal hadn’t known.Hell, he had known Em when she was as young as some of these girls, and he hadn’tknownthey were being abused.He would have done anything in his power to help if he had justknown.
He had to wonder if his parents had ever suspected.Auggie and Em were some of Cloe and Clancy’s closest friends, going back to early elementary.Surely his parents had realized something was wrong?
Damn it, hadn’tanyone?
Auggie sat her fork down and looked at her family.“Girls, listen to me very carefully, okay?”
They were all quiet.Cal just waited.How could anyone ever address the pain?
“Husbands and wives shouldneverhit each other.Dads and moms should never hit each other or their kids.Hitting is wrong.Hurting someone else iswrong.But sometimes people forget that, somehow.Our dad and our mom forgot that.A lot.And it hurt every time.It hurt ourheartsas well as our bodies.Wedidn’t make them do that.They made bad choices.But that is over now.We don’t hit each other, hurt each other,here.And we never will.We love each other here.Sisters…”
“Take care of sisters.No matter what.”They all said together.Even the baby had something alien to say after that.
“Exactly.Now, as for Miss Joanie Smith.She’s a frog, who is just jealous of anyone named Tyler.Because she wanted Uncle Nick to marry her years ago and kept flirting with him when he came back.”
“But he loves Aunt Robin, instead.Everyone can see that.”
“Right, Avril.I will never consider any of you burdens—except Em, and that’s just because she’s a brat and stole the last of my favorite shampoo this morning.I love you.People we love are not burdens.Ever.”
“But do you want a husbands?”the lisper asked.
“Not particularly.At least not right now.I’m too busy being mom to all of you—and loving every minute of it.Well, almost every minute.Diapers…not so much.Now, everybody eat.Afteryou tell our guest your names.We can be kind of confusing to outsiders, you know.It’s the red hair.”
They rattled off their names one by one.And ages.
He was never going to remember.
Nor would he ever forget that moment, as he looked at Augusta Tyler, and realized what an extraordinary task she had taken upon herself with Bruce Tyler’s secret daughters.
She was the bravest woman he had ever met.
And if he ever crossed paths with Bruce Tyler—Cal was going to tear that bastard apart.Brucewouldn’t befast enoughto get away from Cal.He would make sure of it.
4
Cal got relegatedto one of the couches, even though one of the sisters had pointed out that there was a perfectly good guest room.Right next door to Auggie’s.
Em had had a snarky response to that.A response that had had both Cal and Auggie’s cheeks flaming.September Tyler needed to be stood in the corner, or grounded or something, or whatever someone could do with a wayward twenty-two-ish-year-old woman.She was going to cause some man someserioustrouble someday.
