Page 156 of Nobody's Girl

Ludicrous, right?

My dad yells out, clear across the large back lawn, “What’s going on, Alyssa?”

Kyle drops my hand. “Sorry, sir. Something happened in the woods.”

My younger, pain-in-the-butt brother, Scotty, approaches us, a smile on his mischievous face. “You’ve made Daddio mad, Kyle. Not good, dude.”

My mother comes out the back door, carrying a large tray, and Kyle sprints across the lawn to help her. “Please let me get that for you, Mrs. Devlin.” His voice is a mixture of middle America and the south.

His parents are from Texas. They moved here to Cloudcroft, New Mexico because his mother is a real estate agent who got a break in the tourist business our town has. She’s not my biggest fan.

Perhaps my parents’ lack of understanding of teenage romance is the reason. I’m not at all sure why she dislikes me, but she does. One time she even said my best friend, Laura, would be perfect for Kyle.

They live three houses down from each other. I just about had a shit-fit with her words. But Kyle stopped me from acting like a freak in front of his mother and father.

I let him know exactly what I thought about that once we left the confines of his family home.

Kyle’s help with my mother’s burden seems to have helped. My father’s frown has turned into a slight smile. Not an entire one, though.

I jog up next to Kyle. Just to test the waters with my parents. I run my arm around his waist and place a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for helping my mom, babe.”

My father shoots me a look, but Mom stays cool. I need to get them ready for our news.

Wow. Our news. That sounds weird.

The touch of his lips on my cheek sends chills down my spine, and not for the reason you might think. I know it’s about to explode.

“Hey! What the hell?” Dad yells.

Kyle further surprises me. “Mr. Devlin. We have something to tell you.”

“No, we don’t.” I try to stop my true love from getting himself annihilated.

When Kyle’s sky-blue eyes meet mine, I melt into his side.

Damn, I love this guy!

“Mr. and Mrs. Devlin,” He raises my hand, the one with the ring on it. “Ally is moving with me to Austin after graduation.”

The next things happen in a blur. My father goes for Kyle’s throat. Scotty and Mom blindside Dad, taking him away from my one true love.

“Dad!” I scream as I pull Kyle back from the monster my father has become.

My father is usually a very calm man. He and my brother look a lot alike, with tall, soft brown curls, and light green eyes. This attack upon my boyfriend, while anticipated by myself, was not expected by my sweet Kyle.

“Mr. Devlin,” Kyle says. “Please don’t think I’ve any bad intentions with your daughter. I love her with everything in me. I want to marry her one day. It should be after I’ve made something of myself, which is exactly what I will do.”

My ears are burning. Did he just say he wants to marry me?

I turn to him. “Kyle, you don’t have to explain.”

A pat on my hand from my mother lets me know she has things back under control.

Thank you, God!

“Seems like some things have gone unnoticed by your father and myself. We’ll discuss this new information in private. For now, we need to eat,” she says with the soft comfort her voice always brings.

My mother is from Connecticut, with jet black hair and eyes of blue. She and I stand five foot two. We’re almost identical. I think she’s much prettier than I am, but she says the same of me.