Taylor and Caitlin
"Are you cold?" Taylor asked as he slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around Caitlin.
"Just a little." she said as he teeth chattered together. Taylor chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.
"Let's go back in." he suggested.
"Okay." Caitlin eagerly agreed. She was looking forward to sitting by the fire and warming up.
As they were walking to the front porch Taylor turned to see Tyler's truck turning the corner.
"He must have taken Lexi to get her things." Caitlin offered.
"That is odd. He normally tells me when he is leaving." Taylor said with a shrug. He reached up to push open the door, just as someone else snatched it open. Taylor and Caitlin were shocked to see Tyler standing there.
"She took MY truck." he spat out.
"Who took your truck?" Taylor asked in denial. Surely Lexi didn't....
"The toothfairy Taylor." Tyler said as he cocked his head to the side.
" Lexi took YOUR truck?" Caitlin asked, ignoring his sarcasm.
"Yes. I don't know how she managed to get my keys and out the door before I noticed she wasn't in the guest room."
"We can take my truck and go get her." Taylor said as he walked inside, still holding Caitlin's hand.
"My keys are missing too." he said as he looked over the key-rack again.
"She took your keys too?" Tyler repeated.
"Yes."
Caitlin giggled causing Tyler to look at her in confusion.
"I am sorry, but it's funny."
"How is this funny? The little thing has my truck." Tyler argued.
"Because you are too incompetent to keep track of a sixteen year old." Taylor said, as he doubled over in full blown laughter.
"Laugh it up. Just like I will when Rhye finds out you kissed Caitlin." Tyler said as he raised his eyebrows.
Taylor's laughed died abruptly. "H-How do you know that?"
"I was washing dishes and you decided to have a romance attack in front of the window."
"Can we hold off on this conversation for a while? We have bigger problems." Caitlin reminded them.
"Why don't we just take Max's truck?" Taylor asked.
"Good idea. I will see if I can find his keys." Tyler said as he headed to the back of the house.
"You know Rhye IS going to kill me right?"
"I figured you have lived a good life." Caitlin teased.
"Thanks doll. You are so supportive." he retorted.
"Hey, YOU kissed me." she said.
"Excuse me? I don't remember you asking me to stop."
"I found the keys." he Tyler said as he came from the back. "Do you think I scared her so badly she had to run? Maybe I am out of dating practice!"
"This isn't over." Taylor told Caitlin with a smirk, ignoring Tyler's outburst.
"I think it is." she mumbled under her breath as they walked back outside and climbed into Max's Dodge Ram.
"Where do you think she would go?" Taylor asked as he reached in the back and forced Caitlin's seatbelt on.
She swatted his hands away. "I can do it myself." she argued. He sat back in his seat and smiled. He had made her grumpy.
"I have no idea. This is the first place she has been since she arrived, but it look's like she took this road and it will lead to Rhye's." Tyler said.
"Rhye will recognize the truck, so we don't have to worry about him thinking it is a trespasser."
"Nor do we have to worry about Lexi being scared of him. She will know Katrina is with him." Taylor suggested.
"I can't believe I scared her that bad!"
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Katrina and Rhye
Rhye awoke to the sound of a diesel truck in the driveway. He gently moved Katrina off his chest and stood up. He stole a glance at the clock and frowned when he realized it was ten-thirty. Who would be coming over now. Concern filled him when he opened the door and saw Tyler's truck. Rhye's was immediately concerned. He rushed out to the truck and headed around to the passenger's side.
"Are you o..." he trailed off when Lexi hopped out of the truck.
"Hello Mr. Rhye." she said with a slight smile.
"Hello Lexi." he said.
"Whatcha' doing?" she asked as she nervously played with her fingers.
"Well, I was coming to check on Tyler, but it looks like he isn't with you?"
"No. He is washing dishes." she said as she lowered her eyes to her shoes.
"Does he know you are here? In his truck?" he asked.
"I am sure he does now." she mumbled, causing Rhye to smile.
"So you took his truck without permission?"
"I didn't "take" it. I borrowed it." she corrected him, making him chuckle.
"So you "borrowed his truck without permission?" Rhye rephrased.
"Yes sir." she admitted.
"Do you think that was a very good idea?" Rhye asked.
"I-I was just very nervous a-around him and M-Max was sleeping and.. I just wanted to s-see Kat." she said, suddenly very nervous.
Rhye couldn't help but be sympathetic. "How about we move this conversation inside?" he asked when he noticed she didn't have on a jacket.
She nodded and followed him inside. Once they were in the warmth of the house, he motioned to a kitchen chair and she sat.
"I am sorry you are so scared honey. I know Katrina feels the same way. I pray over time you two will start to feel more comfortable."
"Because he needed to be reminded he isn't in charge of everyone!" Lexi declared.
"It just that..." she started as she wrung her hands together. "I just..." she tried again.
Rhye reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You can tell me." he encouraged.
"I just... my mom was r-really amazing. She took great care of me and she listened to me all the time. I could say anything I wanted to her and she would listen. even if it was really silly. I was very self confident, but then... when I went to foster care.. my opinion didn't really matter... I-It was like I wasn't very valuable. M-my anxiety c-can be very annoying to people and I got moved around a good bit.. I was placed in the g-group home last year. Ms. J-justice really h-hurt our self-esteem. We leaned to bottle everything u-up and now t-that I am back here, I-I feel like two different worlds just collided and i-it is hard to like... keep them straight." she struggled to get out.
Rhye nodded. "I bet it is hard go from one extreme to the other, and then back to the beginning again."
She nodded and he smiled. "I am sure Katrina will be very glad to see you."
A large smile made it's way onto her face. "I can see Kat?" Her excitement pulled at Rhye's heart. Of course, she could see Katrina.
"Will you be in a happy mood?" he teased. "No more sads?"
"Yes sir." she giggled.
"Then yes, you may see her. Go in the living room and wake her up." Rhye said as he searched for his phone.
"Thank you!" Lexi yelled over her shoulder as she raced into the living room.
Rhye dialed Max's number as soon as he located his phone and waited for him to pick up.
"Hello?" Max groaned into the phone.
"Hey, are you okay?" Rhye asked, concerned by the way his friend sounded.
"Yeah, I just had some knee trouble." he explained. Rhye knew that was code for "I had to take some pain medication and now I am super drugged up."
"Did you leave Lexi with Tyler?" Rhye asked trying to put the pieces together.
"Yeah. I am over at his house too. I didn't want to be drugged up with Lexi in case she needed me." he explained.
"Oh." Rhye said finally putting everything together.
"Is everything ok?" Max asked. Rhye hesitated, but decided to tell him the truth.
"Lexi just pulled up in Tyler's truck. She was apparently scared and wanted to see Katrina." Rhye said with a small chuckle.
"She did what?!" Max yelled into the phone, obliviously not as calm as Rhye.
"Yeah....." Rhye said.
"She doesn't even have a license! She only has a permit!" he yelled.
Rhye started to feel bad for Lexi. Max seemed very angry.
"I will come get her. Keep her there." Max commanded.
"Max I think you may need to calm down. She isn't hurt, she didn't hurt anyone else and I really thunk this whole thing is really sad." Rhye tried to reason with him.
"She could have been hurt. She could have hurt someone and if was by God's grace she wound up at your house." Max reasoned.
Rhye had to admit he had a point.
"Would you be angry if Caitlin did something like this?"Max asked.
Rhye could see where he was coming from now. "Yeah. I would."
"I am on my way." Max said as he began to shuffle around again.
"Okay. I will see you in a few." Rhye said as he hung up his phone.
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Max
Max sighed as he pulled on his prosthetic. He was tired, ill and hurting. The last thing he wanted to do was go pick up Lexi. How could she so something so careless? He understood her anxiety, but there was no need for her to be reckless with her safety and others safety.
He slid on his jeans and frowned when he didn't feel his keys in his pocket. He must have left them in the car. He quickly dressed and walked into the kitchen. All the lights were on, but no one was making a sound. He shrugged, maybe they slept with the lights on. He limped over to the door and stepped out onto the porch. He sighed and threw his head back when he saw his truck was missing. He pulled out his phone and called Tyler.
"Hi buddy." Tyler said as he picked up his phone.
"I am going to injure you." Max said.
"I am sorry. I didn't know she could be so sneaky until I heard my truck start. Then I was going to use Taylor's truck, but she took the keys to it too and..."
"She is at Rhye's. Find her and bring her back." Max said as he hung up his phone. He shook his head. What man couldn't keep up with a sixteen year old?
He decided to go inside and have a cup of coffee while he pondered his questions.
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Tyler
"We were caught." Tyler said to Taylor and Caitlin.
"Max found out?"
"Rhye called him. Lexi is out there."
"Was he mad?" Cailtin asked.
"Yes. Very."
"At Lexi or as us?" Taylor asked.
"Both."
They all winced.
"I feel bad for Max." Caitlin said after a moment.
"Why?" Tyler asked.
"Well, it will be the first time Max has had to punish Lexi and I imagine it will be hard on him, just like it will be hard on her." she explained.
The though humbled the men. "I thought it was funny. I really didn't consider the safety risk of what she has done." Taylor said looking at Tyler.
"I supposed she will need to be corrected." Tyler added with a sigh. "I thought it was funny too."
"I hope he cools off by the time we get home." Tyler said.
Taylor nodded. "Me too."
When Tyler pulled up to Rhye's house, he was thankful to see his truck was in one piece. They climbed out and Rhye met them outside.
"Max is going to kill you." Rhye warned them.
"He called us. We are in trouble." Tyler said.
"Actually you are in trouble." Caitlin said.
Rhye chuckled and shook his head. "Did you have fun?" he asked as he pulled her too him.
"Yeah." she said as she hugged him back.
"Thank you for letting her come over and sorry about all of this." Tyler said as he moved his hands to imitate the chaos.
"Where were you when Lexi escaped?" Taylor asked her suddenly. He bit his lip to control his smirk.
"Yeah, where were you baby girl? Rhye asked.
"I was outside talking to an idiot." she said shaking her head. "You would be surprised at how many are hanging around Tyler's house."
Rhye laughed again and turned to lead them inside. Taylor reached over and intentionally pushed Caitlin in an artificial bush.
"Ow!" she yelled, causing Rhye to turn quickly. He laughed when he saw her pulling herself up.
"You are so clumsy." he teased.
"I keep telling her she should be more careful." Taylor said as he walked into the house.
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Tyler was the first one inside and he smiled when he saw Lexi and Katrina talking.
"Hello ladies." he sang causing Lexi to frown. She was not happy to see him.
"Why are you h-here?" she asked.
"Lexi that was rude." Kat scolded.
"Sorry." she said as tears clustered in his eyes. "I d-didn't mean to be r-rude."
He smiled. "I know honey."
"Why didn't Max come?" she asked.
"Because we didn't want to wake him."
"but that didn't work and he called. He want's you home and he is a little angry." Caitlin said.
Lexi's lip trembled. "I didn't mean to make him angry."
"Well, I am sure you can tell him that and he will be more lenient." Rhye encouraged. "He was worried because you could have been hurt."
She nodded and stood up. "I will see you later Kat." she said as she hugged her friend.
She followed Tyler and Taylor back to the trucks and climbed in with Taylor. Her heart was heavy and she was upset. She never intended to upset Max.
She was quiet the whole way home, but when they arrived back at the cabin she was the first to hop out. She rushed up the steps and into the kitchen where Max sat nursing a cup of coffee.
"I didn't mean to make you angry." she rushed out.
He sat down his coffee and opened his arms. She wasted no time in climbing into his embrace.
"I am not angry anymore baby, you just scared me. You don't know these roads, nor do you have your licensee. I understand you were scared, but the reality of it is you could have been hurt. Do you promise never to do anything like that again?" he asked her.
She nodded her head quickly. He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Then I am not angry." he said.
"Do you promise?" she asked. She was skeptical of his quick forgiveness.
"I do promise baby."
"So I can stay with you?" Lexi asked.
"Stay with me?" he repeated.
She nodded and he frowned. What did she mean?
"What do you mean sweetheart?"
"Are you going to send me back to my social worker because I did something bad?" she questioned. Her eyes held true fear and worry.
"Baby, nothing you do will ever make me send you back. When I signed papers for you to come and live here, I promise you I meant forever. Nothing you have done or will ever do can make me change my mind on that." he said as he hugged her tight.
She wrapped her arms around him and he lifted her into his arms. "How about you and I go beat up Tyler?"
She nodded eagerly and he smiled. He knew she needed a little more assurance he still loved her and he didn't mind giving it to her one bit.
---------------------------------------------------
Tyler and Taylor had watched their little exchange of emotions and it made both men smile.
"You know, I imagine that is how God feels about us." Tyler said. with a smile.
"How?" Taylor asked.
"That no matter what we have done or what we will do, he will always love us."
"I imagine you are right." Taylor said as he said a prayer of greatfulness to God for his unchanging love.
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