“What about Rick? Did he call?”
“Yeah, but John talked to him. Rick was all ticked off because he had the kids on Sunday and he wanted to bring them over to me, and John said, ‘Not at his house.’ He told Rick to ‘man up’ and that there was more to being a father than acting like a sperm donor.”
“That doesn’t sound like an appropriate thing to say in front of a young girl.”
“He thought I was asleep,” I said. “We’d been watching a Clint Eastwood marathon, and I dozed off. I sort of woke up when the phone rang, but not all the way.”
“So, it sounds like you had a nice weekend with people who behave the way that parents are supposed to act.” Ingrid wrote down a few more lines. “What did the doctor say when you saw him this afternoon?”
“As long as I rest when my head hurts, I can resume my regular activities. I talked to Rocky, and she said that I can ride tomorrow in my lesson, but only at a walk. And she’s going to have Sierra saddle up for me.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “I’m stuck on Chaparral for the next week.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“She’s a very nice Arabian mare, but she’s dead quiet. I think if you lit a firecracker near her, she’d just roll her eyes and say, ‘stupid human.’ She doesn’t believe in the horsy philosophy of bolting when she’s scared. That’s why I’ll have her until my head is a hundred percent better.”
“That makes sense. So, Rocky is looking out for you. What about the Gibsons?”
“They told me that I can always stay with them. Oh, and Maura says you’re supposed to call her, but she wouldn’t tell me why. It’s probably another of those things that she and John do.”
“What’s that?” Ingrid tapped her pen on the table. “Is it something special?”
“On the way to the clinic and my appointment today, Maura explained that she and John make decisions for kids. They don’t consult them. So, the two of them have some things they undoubtedly want to tell you about Mom and Rick. Mom wasn’t real impressive as a caregiver and parent to me on Saturday.”
“I haven’t been real impressed with her since she misled me about Chrissy’s parentage.” More notes and then Ingrid eyeballed me. “Your parents keep forgetting that they have six kids, not five. At sixteen, you are not an adult, regardless of the fact that they treat you like one. What do you do when you have a problem and you need help solving it?”
“I talk to my friends.” I finished my soda. “They always help me. If they didn’t babysit for me, I’d be off the cheer squad. And I generally stay over with them on Friday and Saturday nights so I don’t have to be at Mom’s house by myself.”
“Does she know you don’t like being home alone?”
“How could she?” I asked. “She’s always at work. Before Rick left last May, there were plenty of people around. Now, it’s just creepy. I guess I wouldn’t be so scared if I could have a dog or a cat, but he’s allergic. And Mom says I have enough work to do with the kids. I don’t need a pet.”
“What does Jack say? Does he like pets?”
I laughed. “If he didn’t, he’d be in trouble. His family has dogs, cats, horses, cows, and pigs, and he takes care of them most of the time. He loves animals and never complains about mucking the barn. He gripes about scrubbing out the bathrooms, but his mom says that’s his share of the housework.”
“Well, I’m glad he’s human,” Ingrid said. “Otherwise, he’d be perfect.”
* * * *
Tuesday, December 3nd, 7:30 p.m.
Tom dropped me off at home after our group session. The house was lit up when I walked in and found Darby cleaning up the kitchen. She glanced at me, smiled, and came to hug me. “How are you? What did the doctor say?”
“I’m back among the living,” I said. “As long as I take it easy, I can do my regular activities.”
“Be sure you take it easy,” Darby said.
“I will.” One more hug and I went down the hall to find Mom. She was in her room, my old room, putting away her uniforms for the week. “Hi. I’m home.”
“So I see.” She hung another teal blouse in the closet. No touchy-feely crap from her, that wasn’t my mother’s style. “I didn’t appreciate the way that Maura wouldn’t let me talk to you. I had questions and nobody to answer them.”
“I was asleep when you called,” I lied. “Other than that, how did things go?”
A heavy scowl came my way. “You have laundry to finish. When you get that done, you can clean out my car. I took the kids to McDonald’s for dinner. Linda spilled her milkshake in the back seat, and Kevin sprayed ketchup on the passenger window.”
“Sounds like fun times here at the old homestead.” I turned and left the room. Like Robin said, “The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.” I wondered what John or Maura would do if someone slimed their vehicles during the great hamburger wars. Make the kids help clean up the mess, I thought.
I went into the girls’ room. “Hey guys, I’m home.”
Lots of squeals and Linda ran to hug me. I bent and snuggled her close. When Chrissy toddled to me, I scooped her up. “Come on, you two. Let’s get the rest of the family together.”
“Why?” Linda clung to my hand. “It’s not story time or bedtime yet.”
“No,” I agreed. “It’s clean up Mommy’s car time. I still have a concussion, and I can’t scrub out the S.U.V. I need you kids to help me.”
Linda gave me a funny look. “Are you okay, Vicky? You never make us help you with the car.”
“Well, when you make a mess, it’s your responsibility to help clean it up,” I told her as we walked toward the hall. “Now, let’s go find everybody else.”
“Okay.” Linda beamed up at me. “I’m glad you’re not mad at us. We didn’t mean to be bad on Saturday.”
“It was an accident,” I said, “and I know you’ll be more careful next time you come to the stable.”
Chapter Eighteen
Wednesday, December 4th, 7:10 a.m.
Before I headed to the Commons, I popped into the office to get an admit slip for my first class. The secretary handed me a note to see Mr. Baxter as soon as possible. I had no idea what was on my advisor’s mind, but I figured I’d take a couple minutes to find out. Walking into the cafeteria, I snagged my latte from Robin. “Want to come with me to see Mr. B.?”
“Sure.” She slung her backpack on her shoulder. “Why are we visiting him?”
“Not a clue,” I said. “I got a note from him. I know the student council meets this week, but Tom said we’re organized for the next round of the food drive. We saved all the boxes, and we’ll be having them delivered to the classrooms later today.”
“When did you see Tom?” Robin asked. “You and Jack are okay, aren’t you? He even went shopping for you yesterday, and that is so not his thing.”
“We’re fine.” I had to smile at the idea of my boyfriend in an actual store. Poor guy. He’d talked Robin into shopping for him on Black Friday. “Tom is in my support group. He drove me home afterward. And what happens in group stays in group, so take my word for it. I am definitely not his type. He has a girl in mind, but she doesn’t know he’s alive.”
“Interesting.” Robin sighed. “I know you, and there’s no way you’ll break his trust. I’ll just have to wait and see who he ends up with.”
“You got it.”
Mr. Baxter was in the middle of writing an entry task on the whiteboard when we walked into the room. “Good morning, ladies. Nice to see you back, Vicky. Do you have a completed grant application for me to pass on at the staff meeting on Friday morning?”
“My mom still needs to sign it, and I haven’t had time to talk to her about it yet. I’ll do it tonight.”
“And turn it in tomorrow morning before school,” Mr. Baxter said. “I need to write a cover letter to go with it and make copies of the file for everyone.”
“You’ll have it,” I promised.
“Okay, then I’ll see you
in class.”
We zipped out of there and were halfway to the Homeroom English when Robin gave me her undivided attention. “Do you really think your mom will just sign off?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “All I can do is ask her. She backed off last night when she found the kids helping me clean her car. I guess she decided I might actually be sick, not faking it.”
“I’m so glad she’s not blonde,” Robin told me. “Otherwise, we’d never live down the reputation of being totally clueless.”
* * * *
Wednesday, December 4th, 3:30 p.m.
We were on the way to Shamrock Stable when my phone went off. Robin started to reach for my purse so I could dig out my cell. I shook my head. “Don’t bother. It’s either Rick or Mr. Diaz about the kids. I left my superhero cape at the cleaners. Let’s just go to the barn.”
That got me a super long look from Robin. “Don’t you need to be on your mom’s good side if you want her to sign your grant application? Won’t they complain to her?”
“Possibly.” I focused on the houses outside the truck window. “I don’t know if she’ll listen to them or not. I reminded her this morning that I was recovering from a concussion, and I didn’t think I should have to renew my Cinderella license yet.”
“What did she say?” Jack stopped for a red light. “Was she majorly pissed?”
“No, she told me that she missed me when I was gone and that she didn’t want me to relapse. She even said she’d take the kids to school and daycare today before she went to work.”
“Wow. Well in that case, maybe Rick wants to avoid her,” Robin said.
“I hope so.”
When we arrived at the stable, Jack parked. He reached into the super-cab seat behind him and pulled out a box wrapped in pink paper. “Here. This is for you, Vicky.”
“What’s the occasion? It’s not my birthday, and Christmas is weeks away.”
“You couldn’t wait until either holiday for this. Open up.”
The box wasn’t heavy, just a bit awkward, about fourteen inches square. I turned the carton over in my hands. I wanted to open it, but I also needed to savor having my first present in a long time.
Jack put his arm around my shoulders. “You’ll need this today.”
“Really?” I slowly peeled back the paper on one end and read the brand name. Troxel. “Oh my Gawd. You bought me a new helmet? You’re amazing.”
“It could be something else stashed in the box,” Robin teased.
“No way.” I finished unfolding the paper and lifted out the bright purple helmet. “And it’s my favorite color too.”
“Am I good or what?” Jack asked.
“You’re the best.” I kissed him. “A brand new helmet. I don’t know what to say.”
“Promise me that you won’t break the anti-splat rule again and we’re good,” Jack said.
“I promise.”
After helping me groom and saddle, Jack stuck around for the first half of my lesson, before he disappeared. I could still see his old pickup in the parking lot, so I knew he had to be around the farm. He showed up when I finished riding and stood outside the stall while I unfastened the breast collar. I glanced at him over the door. “What’s up?”
“Not much. I’ll put that away for you.”
“I haven’t broken either arm, Jack Gibson.”
“No, and I don’t want you overdoing it today. So, I’ll carry the saddle, pads, and bridle to the tack room for you.”
“Okay, Mr. Macho. I’ll let you.”
While he carried away the western gear, I brushed Chaparral’s sorrel coat. Her mane was the same reddish color as her hide. She had a blazed face and three white socks. Rocky got her when the previous owners moved away and left the horse behind, along with a board bill. Except for a protruding belly, the mare had been super thin ten years ago, and Rocky called in Dr. Larry. It turned out Chaparral was pregnant, so Shamrock Stable ended up with two horses, not one.
I finished grooming and looked around the stall. It’d been cleaned and bedded. Someone scrubbed the water tub too, and I was willing to bet it had been Jack. He’d stepped up and done chores for me. Talk about a hero. When he returned, I asked, “Did you do both barns?”
“Sierra and I did them together while you and Robin had your lesson,” Jack said.
“All right. When we get to your house, I’ll help you with the work there.”
“Not tonight, gorgeous. Dad and Mom already took care of our stock. We had a family meeting and decided you might need some extra help until you’re a hundred percent.”
Tears stung and I bit my lip hard, tasting blood. “Why do you guys have to be so wonderful?”
“We’re not.” Jack opened the stall door and came inside. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “We argue and hassle each other all the time. All of us agree on one thing, babe. Horses are big, and people aren’t. When someone gets hurt, everybody else needs to step up. That’s what we do. Remember when Twaziem attacked me and I was out of the barn? You came and helped Robin with the chores every time you got the chance.”
“It was barely two days a week.” I turned my face into his sweatshirt. “That’s not a lot.”
“It was the most you could do with all the demands on your time.” He kissed the top of my head. “And we appreciated it. Now, I’m going to help finish up. You’re going to the office and ice pack your head. See if Rocky has any aspirin.”
“How do you know it hurts?”
“Because I’m smart and I know what concussions are like.”
On the way home, we stopped for dinner. I was the first one at the house so Jack walked in with me. He looked around and made sure everything was safe. No burglars, no boogeymen, and I didn’t tell him he was so cute when he did the protective thing. It was too exhausting. I sat down on the couch in the family room and waited for him.
He came back with a blanket. “Lie down and I’ll cover you up.”
“No. If I do, I’ll fall asleep. I don’t want to do that until everyone gets here.”
“I’m not leaving you alone.” He dropped to his knees, unlaced my boots, and removed them. “Get some rest. You had a busy day.”
“And you’ll stay?” I yawned, swinging my legs onto the sofa. “What about your folks? Don’t they expect you home?”
“I’ll call them, Ms. Worrywart.” He tucked a throw pillow under my cheek. “Sleep.”
* * * *
Wednesday, December 4th, 8:30 p.m.
Mom’s voice woke me. “What’s going on here?”
“I’m doing my homework, Mrs. Miller. Vicky’s sleeping,” Jack said. “I didn’t want to leave her home by herself when she’s recovering from a concussion.”
That was going to create problems. I struggled to open my eyes and propped up on an elbow. “It’s okay. I’m awake.”
“Barely.” Jack slid a textbook into his backpack. “Get some rest. I’ll come get you tomorrow so you don’t have to walk to school.”
Mom scowled at him, folding her arms across her tuxedo shirt. “I can take her.”
“You can.” Jack swung his backpack over one shoulder. “You won’t. You’ll dump the kids on her and treat her like a servant. She’s not dead yet, so there’s no problem crapping on her.”
“I don’t like your attitude,” Mom said, narrowing her eyes and glaring at him. “I’ve told you before that you’re out of line. I love my daughter.”
“Really?” Jack started out of the room. “Which one?”
“Vicky.” Mom followed him. “I love Vicky.”
“I don’t see it, so I don’t believe it.”
It sounded like the two of them were going to keep squabbling about who loved me the most. Right now, I voted for Jack. That being the case, I snuggled back down on the couch. I was almost asleep when I heard Mom come back.
“If you’re that tired, you should go to bed, Vicky.”
“It’s too hard to go down to the basement. I’m fine h
ere.”
“You have a bedroom. You can sleep there.”
“Not happening.” I shifted a bit so I had my back to her, but I didn’t open my eyes. “The kids would never let me. If I’m lying down, they’ll have to jump on the bed and wake me up. They’ll need baths, jammies, and stories. I’m staying here until they get home. When they’re here, I’ll get up and deal with the five of them.”
“I’ll take care of them,” Mom said.
“You don’t have to. It’s not worth the hassle.”
“What hassle?”
“You sniveling and whining at me because of everything they need.” I buried my face in the pillow. “Just let me sleep a while. Please.”
“Okay.” She clicked off the pole lamp. “Get some sleep. I’m sorry, honey.”
Chapter Nineteen
Thursday, December 5th, 6:00 a.m.
The second round of the food drive started at school today with a morning assembly. I showered and dressed in my cheer uniform, the short skirt, and sweater. I braided my hair, winding blue and gold ribbons through the long coil that confined my waist-length mane. Make-up and I was ready to go. I still had fifteen minutes before Jack arrived. Time for a quick cup of coffee and a muffin. I found Mom in the kitchen. “Thanks for putting the kids to bed last night. I was wiped.”
She heaved a sigh, all martyr in her flowered blue bathrobe. “I’m not a dragon, Vicky.”
“I never said you were.”
“Your boyfriend really thinks I am. I thought you two were calling it quits.”
“We talked about it last May when you and Rick started in on us. I can’t see why we should break up when we’re happy together.” I poured a half cup of caffeine. I opened the fridge and took a muffin out of the package in the veggie drawer where I kept them hidden from the kids. “The only people who aren’t thrilled with us being a couple are you and Rick. And it’s not because you think Jack is bad for me. It’s because he interferes with my Cinderella duties, and he’s too honest to suit either one of you. When he sees something wrong, he says so.”
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