Father Formula. Muriel Jensen

too.”

      “Thanks for making it all fit, Trevyn.” Athena beamed at him as he tucked her two bags into a tight spot. “If we’d left this to David, he’d have made me leave most of my stuff.”

      “Oh, he’s always been selfish,” Trevyn teased, then closed the trunk and David locked it. “You must see something in him that’s invisible to the rest of us. There. You’re all set.”

      Athena hugged each of the boys, promising that they would call, and asking what they wanted in the way of souvenirs from Washington and New York.

      “A New York Yankees hat,” Brandon said, reaching up as David hugged him. He was fair-haired and spindly and very, very smart.

      Brady stood back, arms folded, an uncharacteristic pout on his dark-featured face. Trevyn had spent time with the boys when they’d visited David over the past few years, and he’d never seen Brady anything but hopelessly cheerful. Trevyn suspected he was upset about David’s trip.

      “When are you coming back?” Brady asked, still keeping his distance.

      Trevyn noticed that David didn’t move in. He admired that about his friend. In the field, he’d always waited for the right moment.

      “About a week, maybe ten days,” David replied.

      “You’re sure.”

      “I’m sure.”

      “’Cause if it’s any longer, you’ll miss Parents’ Night. You get to see all my work and look at my classroom. And there’s cookies.”

      “We won’t miss it. I promise. Athena put the flyer on the fridge.”

      Brady eyed David.

      Alexis and Athena suddenly made a production of getting Athena into the car, pretending not to notice it had become a tense guy moment.

      Brandon elbowed Brady. “Don’t be a doofus,” he said under his breath.

      Brady gave him a lethal look, then wrapped his arms around David’s middle. “Okay,” he said. “Have a good time.”

      David held him, then drew him away and looked down into his face. “Tell me what’s on your mind,” he said.

      Brady’s lips parted and there was an instant of silence, then he said quietly, “I was just worried about Parents’ Night at school. There’s goodies, you know. And you get to look in my classroom.”

      “We’ll be back in time,” David assured him, then put an arm around him and led him toward the driver’s side of the car. At the door, he stopped and asked, frankly, “Brady, are you worried that your mom will send Darby after you guys again?”

      David had told Trevyn that Darby was their mother’s new husband and the reason for their leaving home when he’d put Ferdie in the pound.

      Brady folded his arms again. “I worry about that sometimes,” he admitted.

      David leaned against the car door and put his hands on Brady’s shoulders. “Mom signed papers that make me your legal guardian, remember? They’re in our safety-deposit box. I showed them to you.”

      Brady nodded. “I know.”

      “Then, there’s nothing to worry about.”

      “Yeah.” Brady forced a smile but it was unconvincing.

      David looked up at Trevyn. “Your Uncle Trevisn’t going to let anyone take you away, or let anything happen to you while I’m gone. Right, Trev?”

      Trevyn stepped forward with a shrug. “Well, unless it’s a tribe of beautiful babes, or something, and they want me, too, then of course…”

      Brandon barked a laugh and Brady smiled despite himself.

      David glared at Trevyn.

      “No one takes them,” Trevyn said dutifully, pulling Brady into the crook of his arm, “and nothing hurts them. Got it.” He caught Brandon in his other arm and drew him back from the car. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

      “Easier said than done by anyone who knows you,” David countered, opening the car door.

      “I’m here to straighten out whatever he messes up,” Alexis said, coming around the car to give David a hug. “You take care of my sister, buddy, or you answer to me.”

      She closed the car door as David climbed in behind the wheel.

      FERDIE BARKED and tried to follow the car as it pulled away, but Brandon held him back by the collar.

      Alexis stared until the car was out of sight, feeling more alone than she’d felt in a long time. Gusty was missing and Athena wasn’t really part of the triumvirate anymore. She had another life now.

      And this was the story of her life, Alexis thought—never quite part of the group. Different. Lonely.

      “Aren’t these guys going to be late for school?”

      Trevyn’s voice interrupted her thoughts and reminded her that she wasn’t alone at all. Lonely, maybe, but hardly alone.

      He was tall and broad, dark hair ruffling a little in the afternoon breeze, eyes inky black and taunting. If he was anyone else, she’d admit that he was gorgeous. But he wasn’t. He was the man who’d dropped her effortlessly to the kitchen floor and knelt astride her.

      “I know the schedule, thank you,” she replied politely, then turned her attention to Brandon and Brady. “Do you want me to walk you to the bus stop?”

      The boys looked at each other in horror.

      She realized immediately that had been a faux pas.

      Brandon looked hopefully at Trevyn. “Can you take us in the truck?”

      “Sure.” Trevyn dug his keys out of his pocket as the boys raced into the open garage. Alexis caught Ferdie’s collar to prevent him from following.

      Trevyn smiled at Alexis. “Don’t take it to heart. Being delivered in a truck looks better to your buddies than walking with a woman in tow. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

      Alexis sighed as she watched them all climb into the truck. Ruled by testosterone at ten and twelve. What a world.

      They waved to her as the truck disappeared down the drive. Ferdie whined mournfully.

      She walked toward the bushes that surrounded the headland rather than going back to the house, slapping her thigh in an invitation for the dog to follow. She felt edgy and strange here without her sisters. She’d lived much of her adult life without them, but when they were here at Cliffside, they were usually together.

      From behind the width of the hedge, she took in the breathtaking view of bright blue sky meeting even bluer water. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep whiff of the salty fresh air. She felt it fill her body and bring back memories of her, Athena and Augusta as children playing like wild things on this lawn.

      She’d had dark and selfish thoughts then, she recalled. She used to think that her mother would love her if she could just get rid of the competition. Athena was so competent and Gusty was so charming and agreeable. Alexis, unfortunately, had a gift for candor and a talent for art, neither of which was appreciated by their mother.

      In her hopeful, positive moments, the young Alexis was very grateful for her sisters, realizing how bleak her life would be without them. With their mother ignoring them and wanting to claim the limelight herself, and their father taking every opportunity he could to stay away, all they had was one another and the trips to Aunt Sadie’s in Dancer’s Beach.

      But when she felt hurt and resentful, she imagined life without Athena and Gusty. She pretended they had never been, and that it was just her, hand in hand with her mother.

      There would be no delighted stares of passersby fascinated by three red-haired little girls dressed alike, or in three shades