“Well, she left me the job of coming here for the summer and helping out. So I came.” His eyes had grown dark and his mouth compressed into a hard line. “Look, I haven’t got time to stand around and talk. I came here to work and I plan to pretty much keep to myself. I’m going down to the stables and get acquainted with the horses.”
“Sure, I understand …” Chelsea’s sentence trickled off as DJ left the rec room. She felt small and humiliated and wished she could sink into the floor.
“What’s up?” Katie asked, coming up and settling into DJ’s chair.
“I was right—he hates me,” Chelsea mumbled miserably.
“That’s not so.”
“Then tell me why he can’t stand being in the same room with me. You didn’t hear how cold he sounded when he talked to me. And you didn’t see the look in his eyes. He’d rather go be with a bunch of horses than be near me.”
Katie leaned forward. “He just doesn’t feel comfortable, that’s all. I mean, who does? We’re all basically strangers.”
But nothing Katie said could change Chelsea’s mind. DJ disliked her, and forcing herself on him wasn’t going to change his mind. “You remember that tape Jillian left me?” Chelsea asked.
Katie nodded. “You never shared it with anyone.”
“I—I just never could.” Chelsea glanced at Katie hesitantly. “You aren’t angry with me because I never showed it to you, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, there’s this one part where she asks me to look out for DJ for her.” Chelsea gave a mirthless laugh. “As if he needs me or even wants me to.”
“He may warm up as the summer moves along. I’m going to ask Josh and Jeff to make friends with him.”
“But please don’t tell them that I used to like him or anything.”
“I won’t.”
Just then, Mr. Holloway announced that it was time to break up into small groups. He divided up the boys’ floors first—a staff member for every returning counselor and two to three trainees for each group. When the girls were regrouped, Chelsea found herself in the same group with Katie and Lacey and a woman staffer named Kimbra, whom she didn’t recall from the previous summer.
Kimbra Patterson was outgoing and friendly. Chelsea saw that Lacey was having a hard time ignoring that Kimbra only had one arm, but once she explained how she’d lost it to cancer and appeared so at ease with it, it became easier to overlook.
“We’ve got six campers to supervise,” Kimbra explained, riffling through a professional-looking folder. “Three have cancer—one is still taking chemotherapy and one just finished radiation. I’ll coordinate their schedules, but I want them rooming with you, Katie, since you have the most experience.
“Chelsea, I’m putting two girls in your room and, Lacey, you’ve got one to bed down each night. The main thing we want to do is work in tandem, do things as a group. The girls range in age from eleven to fourteen and I’ve got short bios on each one.”
Kimbra passed around sheets of paper describing each new girl. Chelsea read the pages twice. She sure didn’t want to mess up.
“I know you have questions, and we’ve got three planning sessions between now and tomorrow noon when they start arriving. Just remember, we’re all in this together and the goal is to give each attendee the best summer experience possible.”
“We’ll do our best,” Katie told Kimbra.
“Richard—Mr. Holloway said the three of you were especially close. That’s why I wanted to be your supervisor.” She smiled at the surprised expressions her statement caused. “You see, I know what it is to be a forever friend,” Kimbra added. “And I know Jenny Crawford would have wanted you to stick together. So, come on—let’s get started—tomorrow will be here before we know it.”
Five
KATIE HAD LITTLE time to ponder Kimbra’s remark about Jenny Crawford. There was too much she was expected to learn. Yet, Kimbra seemed to know more about the mysterious Jenny than anyone except Mr. Holloway, and because of the generosity of the One Last Wish Foundation toward her, Katie always wanted to learn more about her benefactor.
When she brought it up to Lacey and Chelsea that night before bed, Chelsea yawned and shrugged, and Lacey said, “What does it matter what Kimbra knows? Jenny’s been dead for years. I’m worrying about getting these new girls situated.” But still, Katie burned with curiosity.
At noon the next day, the kids began to arrive and by three o’clock the lobby of Jenny House was sheer bedlam. Katie held up signs with the names of her girls and one by one they came to her. Suzanne was a pretty twelve-year-old with a long mop of blond curls and puffy-looking face and hands. Latika was eleven, dark-eyed and tiny, and Dullas was thirteen, bald from cancer treatments and making no effort to hide it. Katie noticed that Dullas wore a constant sullen, disinterested expression, but she led them upstairs cheerfully, chattering to put the three newcomers at ease. “I’m Katie, and for this summer I’ll be your Big Sister. If you need anything, come see me.”
“I want that bed,” Dullas announced the moment they were in the room. She pointed to the bed by the window.
Katie glanced at her file folder. “Suzanne’s been assigned that bed.”
“Well, unassign her,” Dullas said, tossing her gear onto the bed. “It’s mine.”
Momentarily at a loss for words, Katie stared at the belligerent girl.
“I don’t mind changing with her,” Suzanne said meekly.
Katie didn’t want to cause a scene, but she didn’t want Dullas to think she could push everyone around either. Latika started to cry softly. Katie hurried to her side. “What’s wrong?”
“I want to go home.”
The training had prepared her for handling homesickness. “I’d like for you to stay, but I’ll make a deal with you. How about trying it for a few days and then if you still want to leave, we’ll go talk to Kimbra, who’s our Bigger Sister. You’ll meet her down in the rec room at four. We’re going to have a party.” Katie leaned closer. “And this is some rec room too. I’d love to show it to you. Won’t you give us a chance before you decide to leave?”
Latika wiped her hand across her eyes and sniffed.
“If the crybaby wants to go home, let her,” Dullas announced, flopping onto her bed.
“We don’t need that kind of talk,” Katie told her.
“You’d better be nice to me,” Dullas declared. “I have cancer.”
Katie tapped the file folder. “All of you have cancer. It’s no excuse to hurt someone’s feelings.”
Dullas shrugged indifferently. “So shoot me.”
Katie ignored the surly girl and concentrated on helping Suzanne and Latika settle into the room. Dullas lay back on her duffel bag, pulled a baseball cap over her face, and ignored them until Katie insisted it was time for the party.
“Don’t rush me,” Dullas snapped when Katie asked her to hurry up.
In the hall, Katie ran into Lacey and her charge, Michelle, a frail twelve-year-old with cystic fibrosis. Together, they waited for the elevator, Dullas complaining mightily about its slowness. She uttered a swear word, shocking them all, and marched off toward the stairwell. “I’m walking down,” she declared, in a tone that defied them to stop her.
“Don’t trip,” Lacey muttered under her breath loud enough for Katie to hear as the stairwell door clanged shut behind Dullas. Lacey added, “How’d you end up with Attila the Hun?”
“Lacey, that’s not nice,” Katie hissed, suppressing a smile. The other girls giggled. “I recall someone from last summer who had an ‘attitude,’ ” Katie said. “We didn’t send her home.”
Lacey disregarded the comment and patted Michelle’s shoulders. “Well, I have a real doll in my room.”
The girl smiled shyly. “I’m glad I got to come. Because of my CF, I never get to go away. This is my first time ever.”
Once down in the rec room, Katie searched for Chelsea. The room was crowded and kids were clustered around the video game machines. T
he giant-screen TV room was packed also. And a line had formed to play the Virtual Reality game, which is where Katie found Chelsea and her charges. Katie asked, “How’s it going?”
“Terrific.” Chelsea’s eyes sparkled. “I love being here and helping out. I wish I could live here year round. But if you go off to college, this will probably be your last year, won’t it?”
For days, Katie had been too occupied to think about her dilemma, but Chelsea’s question brought it back with a jolt. “Probably so,” Katie said. “But you and Lacey are supposed to carry on.”
Katie led Suzanne and Latika toward the buffet table and saw Josh weaving through the crowd with a trio of young boys behind him. “Here she is,” he called to the boys as he came up to Katie. “See—didn’t I tell you to look for the prettiest girl in the room?”
The kids nodded agreeably and Josh grinned. Katie felt flustered. She introduced Suzanne and Latika and watched as they scampered off with the boys to play Virtual Reality. “How’s it going?” Josh asked. “Fine.”
“We—um—haven’t had much time together these past couple of days.” “We’ve both been busy.”
“Are you still mad at me?” Josh peeked at her shyly as he asked.
“I’m not mad. I told you, I need time to think things out.”
“I’ve come to a major decision. I’ve decided not to pester you. I’ve decided to keep my mouth shut and look so lonesome and forlorn that you’ll take pity on me and go to college in Ann Arbor.”
His expression looked so adorable that Katie couldn’t stop herself from smiling. This was the Josh she knew and loved—sweet and caring. “I think that’s a great decision.” She felt a wave of relief. “I hate fighting with you, Josh. You mean too much to me.”
His face split into a grin. “See! It’s working already. You like me.”
She patted his head. “Down, boy.”
From the comer of her eye, Katie saw Dullas sidle up to the food table. Dullas stuffed a handful of potato chips into her mouth, then shoved another handful in the pockets of her shorts. Dumbfounded, Katie watched as Dullas made her way down the length of the table, systematically filling her pockets with food. She was so preoccupied with her task that she didn’t see Katie until she was right up against her. “They feed us regularly,” Katie said, crossing her arms and staring down at Dullas.
Dullas shot Katie a hateful look. “You have no right to spy on me.”
“I wasn’t spying. Your pockets resemble a chipmunk in autumn. You don’t have to squirrel food away—there’s plenty to go around.”
“Drop dead.”
“Hey, watch your mouth, kid,” Josh interjected. “Katie’s my girl and you can’t talk to her like that.”
“Your girlfriend?” Dullas measured him with a defiant glance. “You sure must be hard up.” She spun around, pushed a kid out of her way, and got lost in the crowd.
“Who was that?” Josh asked. “And what’s her problem?”
Katie shook her head. “I don’t know what her problem is, but it’s going to be a long summer if she doesn’t come around.”
“I can’t believe they let her come to Jenny House if she’s only going to stir up trouble.”
“I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt—maybe she’s scared and this is the way she hides it.”
“Some act,” Josh said. “She could win an Academy Award.”
“Be kind.”
Josh grinned, bent forward, and kissed the tip of Katie’s nose. “I’ve got to go. I’m on kitchen duty. See you at dinner?”
Katie glanced toward Dullas’s wake. “Maybe my little scavenger has taken enough food for our room to dine in tonight.” Then she smiled playfully. “Go peel some potatoes.”
She watched him move away and felt her spirits buoy. It felt good to be able to joke again with Josh. To have the tension that had been so taut between them dissolve. At least temporarily. Jenny House was a wonderful, magical place to Katie’s way of thinking. For the first time in weeks, she was looking forward to her job. In spite of disagreeable Dullas.
Into every life, a little rain must fall. She reminded herself of one of her mother’s favorite sayings. So let Dullas act nasty. Katie was determined to win her over. With effort, she was positive she could do it. Dullas was only thirteen years old and in treatment for cancer. How difficult could it be to soften her up?
Confidently, Katie went off to find her girls.
Six
“IF WE DON’T slip off this afternoon while the kids are watching a movie, we may not get the chance again,” Lacey told Katie and Chelsea. “Come on. Last one to the stables is a toad.” Lacey took off running. Katie quickly caught up with her.
Chelsea was dreading arriving at the stables. They’d talked about riding up to the memorial for days, but hadn’t gotten the opportunity. Now there was no more putting it off. Chelsea forced herself to go and arrived to see DJ leading two mounts out of their stalls.
“You need a horse too?” he asked Chelsea.
“Yes. A horse that’s real tame. I’m not a very good rider.”
“None of these horses is hard to ride,” he said without looking at her. “They’re all tame as puppies.”
Chelsea felt her neck redden. He must think her an awful wimp. Jillian had been a wonderful rider and Chelsea bet that DJ’s Texas girlfriend, Shelby, could ride like a pro.
“I like to ride,” she amended quickly. “It’s only that I’ve never had much opportunity.”
He led another horse out of its stall. “Do you want me to saddle her up for you?”
“That would be nice.” Chelsea knew she could never have wrestled the heavy gear onto the horse’s back. Especially with DJ watching. His expert fingers tightened the cinch under the horse’s belly. She longed to talk to him, but he didn’t seem interested in any conversation with her.
“Do you need a leg up?” he asked once the horse was ready to be mounted.
She did, but lied. “I can manage.” She “managed” by not planting her foot firmly in the stirrup, and when she was partway up, her foot slipped, causing her to grab for the saddle horn. She found herself sprawled over the saddle like a sack of flour. The horse turned its head and looked at her with calm, patient brown eyes, making her feel even more foolish.
“Maybe you should start over,” DJ said, tugging her off the saddle and setting her onto the ground. His hands felt warm and solid encircling her waist.
Mustering what dignity she could, Chelsea said, “Thanks.”
This time, DJ held the stirrup steady with one hand and gave her a boost with his other. When she was firmly seated atop the horse, he handed her the reins. “If you get into trouble, just give your horse her head—that means let her go—and she’ll find her way home.”
“I won’t get into trouble,” Chelsea said, feeling so embarrassed that her face burned. She urged the horse toward the trail where Katie and Lacey had already disappeared into the leafy glade. But the horse looked to DJ, as if waiting for his permission before taking off with a rider as green and unschooled as Chelsea.
“Go on, girl.” He clucked softly and slapped the horse’s round rump. It obeyed by breaking into a trot, and Chelsea felt her fanny bouncing against the hard saddle. She could only imagine how undignified she must look from the rear.
“What took you so long?” Lacey asked when Chelsea finally drew alongside her and Katie. “Were you flirting with the stable help?”
“Just hush up, Lacey.”
“Don’t be so testy. I told you, if you like the guy, then go after him.” “Stop badgering me!”
“Hey, will you two knock it off,” Katie said. “I don’t want to listen to it. This is supposed to be a trip of respect. Not of sniping at each other. If I wanted sniping, I could have stayed at Jenny House and hung around Dullas.”
“Sorry,” Chelsea mumbled, feeling contrite.
“Me too,” Lacey replied. “Speaking of Mary Pop-pins, what are you going to do about her? If we’re goin
g to begin work on the play we talked about doing, is she going to cooperate?”
“She and Suzanne go for chemo treatments this afternoon, and according to Kimbra, that may take some of the fight out of her. Kimbra said that her kind of chemo can make her sick.”
Chelsea immediately felt sorry for Dullas, for she remembered what the nausea from medications felt like. She shuddered. “Is there anything we can do to help?” she asked.
“Stay out of her way,” Lacey mumbled, not too kindly.
Katie ignored her barb. “I asked Kimbra what she knew about Dullas and she said that her situation’s pretty bad. She’s been living in Tampa, Florida, with a foster family. Her mother’s gone and her father’s in prison. When she got leukemia, her foster family couldn’t take care of her anymore, so she was sent to Jenny House for the summer because Florida’s HRS department didn’t know what else to do with her. They’re looking for a new home for her for when she comes back.”
“What will happen to her if they don’t find a place for her?” Chelsea was moved to pity by the facts.
Katie shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“No wonder she’s the way she is,” Chelsea added. “She’s not had many breaks.”
“It’s still no excuse for her acting so bratty,” Lacey interjected.
“But it helps us to understand her a little bit more,” Chelsea said stubbornly. Lacey could be so maddening sometimes.
“She’s lucky there’s a place like Jenny House that she can come to,” Katie said. “But it’s only a temporary fix for her situation. I know she can act hateful, but I do feel sorry for her.”
By now, the three riders had reached a place in the trail where they had to ride single file up the sloping side of the mountainous terrain leading to the flat plateau where they’d built their memorial to Amanda.
Chelsea kept remembering how ill she’d felt the last time they’d ridden up the trail. Her poor heart had been so weak and flabby that she’d scarcely been able to breathe. It had been in November, before her transplant, and Jillian had been with them. Chelsea filled her lungs with the sweet scent of the summer air and thanked God for the new heart beating inside her chest.
A Season for Goodbye Page 3