CHAPTER FOUR
Edward, fifteen
“Oh my God. How can there be so many of them?” I whispered to Lufton as we pulled up in front of the huge Whittaker farmhouse.
There were little kids everywhere. They were screaming, laughing, and having a blast. Two girls were doing their best to corral them, but they weren’t having much luck.
Both of the girls had been at the dance lesson.
The tall blonde girl was Willa, I remembered that much, and the dark-haired girl standing with her had to be Declan’s sister, Siobhan.
She looked like a female version of him.
“Goodness,” was all my mom said, looking almost frightened of the wild scene in front of us.
She’d driven us over for Declan Whittaker’s birthday party, and I could tell she regretted the decision to come with us.
I was sure she wished she had just let our driver bring us and drop us off.
She also didn’t realize I hadn’t been talking to her, but to Lufton.
Lufton wasn’t paying attention to me, though.
His eyes were locked on Olivia. Olivia, Cara, Declan, and Aiden were hanging out around an enormous pool.
I grimaced, wishing I’d brought a swimsuit.
Or at least some normal clothes. I sighed as I looked down at the khakis, button-down, and tie I had on.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only see one person. And that’s Olivia.” Lufton jumped from the car as soon as Mom parked and made a beeline for her. I had to fight back a laugh as Olivia’s eyes widened, and she started looking around desperately for a place to hide.
She wasn’t fast enough. Lufton got to her in about ten seconds flat. I saw an older guy who looked like he was probably in college staring at him with a bemused look on his face. I had thought Declan was the oldest Whittaker, so I wondered who he was.
As I got out of the car, I straightened the tie Mom had assured Lufton and me was the proper attire for a party at the Whittaker home.
She was dead wrong. All the kids were wearing shorts and T-shirts. I gave her a look.
“Sorry, Edward,” she sighed. “I seem to always get things wrong.”
“I feel like a weirdo,” I hissed.
“I don’t feel much better, I assure you,” she said.
I glanced at what she was wearing. I hadn’t even noticed, but she was in a formal skirt suit like she would wear to church. My eyes darted around, looking for the other moms. I groaned. They both had summery sundresses and flip-flops on.
“God. We look like freaks.”
“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, Edward,” she said automatically. “Perhaps,” she said, nodding her head towards the pool area, “we should be more like Alex.”
Mom was the only one who called Lufton by his first name. My dad probably would have, too, if he’d ever paid any attention to him. I swear, he didn’t even know that Lufton was staying with us. Or that his first name was Alex.
“You’re right,” I agreed. Lufton was hanging out with the older kids, laughing and talking. He didn’t seem the least bit upset by the fact he was wearing dressy clothes while they looked like they were about to go swimming.
“Declan,” his mother called out, “come introduce everyone to your friends.”
“Kids,” Mrs. Hargrave said a few times in a sing-song voice. It was ineffective. She clapped her hands, but the young ones were running around, screaming, and ignoring her completely.
“Children!” Mrs. Whittaker called, once, sharply, and they all stopped running immediately. “Come meet our new friends.”
Half the little kids separated from the herd and ran over. The rest must be kids invited over for the party. They went right back to running around, shrieking, and playing.
Mom and I exchanged a look. “Well, I think we know who’s in charge,” Mom whispered through a smile as we walked towards where everyone was starting to gather.
“We’re so glad y’all could come today,” Mrs. Hargrave said, a big smile on her face. “I’m Charity,” she said to Mom.
“Oh, thank you,” Mom said. Part of me wanted to stay with her. She was so shy, and I didn’t want her to feel out of place the whole day. “I’m Elizabeth. Ashton. Elizabeth Ashton.” She stuck her hand out awkwardly, and it took Charity Hargrave a second to realize she should shake it.
I winced but tried to hide it.
Orla Whittaker seemed to understand how I was feeling. “You’re Edward, right?” Her blue eyes were kind.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, wow,” Orla grinned. “Such manners! You’ve taught him so well,” she smiled at my mom.
“Edward, go make yourself at home, okay? Livy or Declan will introduce you to everyone.” She turned to my mom.
“Elizabeth, why don’t you come with us? We’re just setting everything up for lunch.
It’s not too terribly hot, so we thought we’d eat in the grove under the trees. ”
Mom looked over her shoulder at me as the two women led her away.
I gave her a quick wave.
“Edward! Come here,” Declan shouted from the pool deck. “I can’t hold on to these wild hellions much longer.”
I turned and almost laughed. Declan had a little girl on his back. She appeared to have climbed him and was laughing hysterically while holding onto his head, pulling his hair. Two other kids were hanging on his arms and swinging back and forth.
“Let’s get this over with,” Olivia said. “You’ll meet the dads later.” She gestured to two men standing over some grills in an elaborate outdoor kitchen.
“Line up, kiddos!” Olivia wasn’t mean, exactly, but she meant business. She also seemed to be in charge in the absence of adults.
Cara was sweeter. “Hargraves over here, Whittakers over there. And if you’re a visiting friend, just go over by the grove,” she said pointing towards a large, open area surrounded by trees.
There were long, wooden tables set up and covered with decorations, presents, and food.
Edison lights in the trees were off but noticeable, and I bet the area looked magical at night.
Several more children and some teens broke away from the herd of young people and ran towards the area. Lufton, confused, started to go with them. I reached out to grab his arm, but Cara handled it first.
“Not you, Lufton. You and Edward stay here so you can meet everyone.”
“Does anyone besides Olivia even matter?” he mumbled.
“Jesus, Lufton. You’re going to make her run away screaming,” I whispered.
“Let’s do this,” Olivia clapped her hands, “so we can get to the party.”
Everyone left hurried to line up by family except for the one older guy I’d noticed earlier.
He continued to lounge by the pool with a girl I was just now seeing.
She was… hot. She was blonde and tan and wearing the smallest bikini I’d ever seen.
She filled it out really well, too. He completely ignored everyone but her.
I didn’t blame him.
Olivia almost knocked into Lufton, who was following her every move. “Go back over there with Edward,” she said, irritated with him. “We’re only doing this once, and you’re getting in my way.”
“Sure, love,” he said.
“Oh my God. If you call me that again, I swear I’ll punch you.”
I had to hide my smile. Lufton’s charms weren’t working on Olivia one bit.
“I’m in love,” he whispered to me as he came over beside me.
“Yes, I’m aware. But how many times have I heard that before?”
“I’m serious this time. She’s… perfect.” Lufton’s unusual, teal-colored eyes were dreamy as he stared at her.
She glared back at him. “Okay. We’ll start with the Hargraves.” She walked over and stood between Cara and Willa. “We’ve found this is the easiest way,” she explained. Then she nudged her sister to get things started.
“I’m Cara, as you know from the frog incident,” she said, giving us a big smile.
She was just as beautiful as I remembered her being.
Her long, silky black hair was tied back in a low ponytail.
Her eyes were dark green and so pretty. I was going to have a hard time paying attention to anyone else while she was around, I could tell.
“I’m fifteen, the oldest, and I go to a performing arts school in Atlanta for ballet. ”
Well. That was interesting. She was a ballerina. As if I didn’t already think she was the prettiest girl in the world.
Olivia went next. Though she and Cara looked enough alike to be twins, there were subtle differences, and it was easy to tell them apart.
For me at least. I think it was because their personalities were so different.
“I’m Olivia. I’m fourteen. I do martial arts.
I could totally kick your ass,” she said threateningly, looking at Lufton.
“God. Please do.” He gave her a huge smile. She gave him a hard eye roll.
“Oh, and my friends call me Livy. You,” she said to Lufton, “can call me Olivia. Next,” she said and nudged the blonde sister.
“Willa.” The tall blonde with curly hair—the other frog victim—said, as she pointed to herself.
I looked around at her brother and sisters and the Whittaker kids.
She was the only one who wasn’t objectively good-looking.
I felt kind of sorry for her. It would be difficult to be the plain sibling amongst so much beauty.
“I’m twelve,” Willa said. “I dance, too, but I’m not as good as Cara. ”
“That’s an understatement,” Declan mumbled, earning a nasty look from Willa.
“No one asked you,” she snarled at him. She looked at Lufton and me. “I know I don’t look like any of my family,” she shrugged, and I knew she’d seen in our faces that we were wondering where her features had come from. “I look just like my aunt. My dad’s sister.”
“Except your aunt is freaking beautiful,” laughed Declan.
Willa turned away from him, but I saw her quickly swipe at her face.
I was pretty sure she’d brushed away a tear.
I could tell she didn’t like being introduced to people this way, with all of her good-looking siblings and neighbors around to bring attention to the fact that she didn’t look a thing like them.