We’d barely sat down to dinner when the phone rang. Mom picked up the receiver. She listened on the landline for a few moments then she said, “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Who was that?” Kevin demanded as soon as she hung up. “Dad?”
“No. I already told you, Kevin. He’s busy. I wouldn’t even suggest calling him. You know how stressed he gets when it snows and everyone wants tires.” Mom came back to the table and sat down. “It was Neal Galway.”
“Your old boss at the sub shop?” I slid the tray on the front of Chrissy’s high chair. “What does he want?”
“For me to help him out tomorrow. He was short-handed today since most of the employees live too far away to walk to work. The roads are terrible. It’s snowing again. The store was swamped all afternoon and he thinks the rest of the weekend will be even busier.”
“That’s great, Mom,” I said. “Can you bring home sandwiches for dinner tomorrow?”
“No way, Victoria. I am not walking to work, making sandwiches all day, and carrying home an assortment for you kids. If you want subs, bring the kids to the store and buy them lunch.”
“Can we?” Cathy demanded, bouncing in her chair. “Will you, Vicky?”
“Of course,” I said. “It’ll be like old times.”
“And then you can take us to the dollar store so we can buy Christmas presents,” Kevin said. “Please, Vicky.”
“Sure.” I took the plate that Darby passed me and cut the serving of potpie into little bites for our youngest sister. Hearing whispers behind me, I turned and saw Mom and Kevin with their heads close. “What are you two doing?”
“It’s Christmas,” Kevin said, “we’re conspiring.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Saturday, December 8th, 4:00 p.m.
It had been a busy day. Holiday music on the stereo, a string of little lights twinkling around the big picture windows, and our ‘down-home’ tree in the corner. It totally looked like Christmas. I sat in the living room and listened to Robin tell me all about taking care of their animals in the snow. It sounded like an adventure, mucking through two feet of snow to look after cows, pigs, chickens, and the horses. “What did Lassie think of it?”
“Oh, she took the puppies out to play in it. They rolled, tumbled, raced around, and got soaking wet. Most of them were fine when they returned to the mud porch, but I had to towel dry the runt of the litter, your fave. He thought chewing on my fingers was a great pastime.”
“Sounds like me and the kids.” I picked up my cup of hot chocolate and sipped. “Mom’s working at Sink-A-Sub this weekend, so I took them there for lunch. By the time we got back, they were wiped after walking all over town. People drive like maniacs in this stuff. Some guy doing spinouts in the dollar store parking lot nearly ran over Lance.”
“Poor you. I completely forgot that your stepdad wouldn’t be getting the kids with this weather since he’d be working overtime at the tire store, and you’d be stuck with them.”
“It’s not so bad,” I said. “Darby didn’t have to go to the casino, so she took care of Chrissy while I was out with the others. I didn’t have to fight the stroller through two feet of snow. Talk about an easy excursion and Mom’s here most of the time. She had a meeting of the minds with Ingrid on Thursday. Your parents’ letter helped Mom and Rick understand that I was serious about emancipation.”
“Hey, they’re totally jazzed about you moving in with us.”
“I appreciate that and their input with the counselor, but don’t all the rules make you crazy?”
“Not really. I can always go run six miles and call it cross-country practice when I totally want some alone time. Your mom dumping all the household responsibilities on whoever’s handy would make me a candidate for the loony bin.”
I giggled and looked toward the arched doorway when Kevin came in the room. “What’s up, dude?”
“Don’t call me a dude.” He tried to smile, but still looked worried. “We’re out of wrapping paper. What should I do? Cathy’s starting to cry.”
“Take her and the twins downstairs with you to sort out the Sunday comics and the glossy advertisements from the rest of the newspapers,” I said. “You can use the colored pages to finish wrapping.”
His blue eyes widened. “Dad had a fit when you and Mom did that a couple years ago.”
“Yeah, well he was the one who forgot to buy wrapping paper, and we weren’t going to do what he said, which was to tell you guys that Santa’s sleigh had a breakdown.” I pointed to the door. “Scat. Robin and I want to talk about our boyfriends.”
“Okay. Jack’s awesome, not a loser like Dad.” Kevin vanished, and I heard him calling the others. “Come on. We have to go sort newspapers for more wrapping paper. If you keep sniveling, Cathy, you can do it by yourself. Lance and I still have to build a snow fort so we can take on the guys.”
“Better stir your stumps,” Darby called from the kitchen. “Chrissy and I will have the first batch of Christmas cookies ready to hang on the tree when you finish wrapping presents.”
“Did I hear that correctly?” Robin asked. “You’re hanging cookies on the tree? I so want to come to your house. Will I get in trouble for snitching a reindeer?”
“No. We made tons of cookies, enough to eat all month. Have you heard from Rocky?”
“Yes. She and Sierra are up to their eyeballs in horsy poop. Dad says he’ll drive us over there tomorrow. Do you want to come? We have four-wheel-drive, and he grew up in Montana. He says this is nothing compared to a winter there.”
“I’ll talk to Mom and Darby,” I said. “As long as the kid care is covered, I think it’ll be fine. What time?”
From there, we discussed how long school might be closed. If she came home with me on Sunday night, we could go shopping on Monday if we didn’t have class. I had a lot to talk to Mom about when she got home from work and nothing seemed insurmountable, not even my first sleepover in years. When Robin had to go to the barn, I went downstairs and helped the kids finish sorting through the newspapers.
“Are you mad at me, Vicky?” Lance asked, pulling out grocery ads. “When that car almost runned me over, you yelled at the boy taking pictures.”
“Adam is a major jerk.” I ruffled Lance’s blond curls. “I was never mad at you. I just got scared by that creep in the car and then Adam acted stupid. What was he going to do if you got hurt? Take more pics?”
* * * *
Sunday, December 9th, 9:00 a.m.
I slept late, but I wasn’t the only one. When I woke up, I looked around the room and saw Cathy and Linda still sprawled out in the bunk beds. Chrissy was zonked out in her crib. Tossing the blankets aside, I rolled out of the daybed and grabbed my robe. I pulled it on and headed for the kitchen to make coffee.
While it brewed, I turned on the TV and listened to a news update. Of course, the top story was still the snow. We’d had a few more inches overnight, but the forecaster said it was going to warm up a bit. There would be a slow melt, which was good news. It meant no flooding of the local rivers and streams. The talking heads suggested cleaning out the drains in the street to prevent urban overflow.
Another great idea, I thought, going for my first cup of java, but how was a person supposed to do that when there was nearly thirty inches of snow out there? I guessed it would have to wait until the snow began to melt. I heard the soft pad of slippers in the hall and got a second cup, filling it for Mom as she came into the room.
“Morning,” I said. “I’m thinking pancakes in a little bit.”
“Sounds wonderful.” She took the mug of coffee and went to sit down in her favorite recliner in the family room. “So, what’s on your agenda for today?”
“Robin and I want to go up to Shamrock Stable and help out with the horses. By now, Rocky must be feeling overwhelmed with forty horses trapped in the barns.” I hesitated, sipped my coffee, and opted to ask, “Would it be all right if Robin came back and stayed over? If there was school to
morrow, we could go together.”
“I’m sure there won’t be school. I think it’d be nice if Robin spent the night.” Mom kept her attention on the TV for a moment longer before she muted the sound. “You’ve been spending a lot of time at your friends’ houses with them. Sleepovers should be reciprocal. If you could have more than one friend stay over tonight, who would you invite?”
“Sierra,” I said quickly, “but there’s no way that Rocky can do chores without her.”
“And you think your life is hard. Imagine if you had forty horses to look after. It’d be nothing but horses from dawn to dark.”
“Pure heaven,” I said. “I can’t wait.”
Mom laughed and shook her head. “Why do I even try with you? It’s always been horses with you, hasn’t it?”
I nodded, and then said, “Maybe Jack and Bill would step up. I bet if they went in and helped Rocky, she’d give Sierra tonight and tomorrow off. It’s worth talking to everybody concerned.”
“Yes, it is.” Mom studied the depths of her coffee then asked, “Who else?”
“Mom, you’re going overboard here. I haven’t had a sleepover in ten years. I can’t pay everybody back in one night. Besides, where would all of us sleep? They couldn’t fit in the bedroom I share with the girls.”
“The living room.” Mom sipped coffee while I stared at her. “You were the one who told me that we should take over the whole house. If you had too many friends for that room, they could spread their sleeping bags into the dining room.”
“How many can come?” I asked, cautiously.
“Oh, I think we need rules. If you have a slumber party, your brothers and sisters will want ones too. At least I don’t have to worry about Chrissy for a while yet.” Mom smiled at me over the top of her cup. “You’re responsible for your friends. I’d say five to start with and then we’ll build up to eight.”
“You’re a crazy woman, and what did you do with my mother?”
She finished her coffee and switched off the TV. “You have some calls to make. I’ll start French toast. I like it better than pancakes. Have your friends bring snacks and sodas. I’ll be in charge of sub sandwiches for dinner. When will you be back from the barn?”
“Probably about five-thirty or six.”
“Good. I don’t have to be at the sub shop till eleven-thirty. Darby said she’d watch the kids, and since the older ones will be playing with their friends, it’s pretty easy duty.”
I nodded. “I’ll take over when I get here since she’ll be ready for a break.”
* * * *
Sunday, December 9th, 11:00 a.m.
It took twice as long as usual to reach the stable located between Marysville and Stewart Falls. The driveway had been plowed, but the piled snow was easily five feet tall in places. “It looks like Sierra went crazy with the tractor,” I said. “I can’t blame her. If I was stuck home, I’d want a hobby too.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about a tractor these past couple of days,” John told us as he parked the four-wheel-drive truck, “especially when Jack and I were shoveling the walks.”
I had to grin at the notion of Jack clearing the pathways around their place. He didn’t mind mucking stalls and pens, but other than that, he pretty much avoided his mother’s gardens and the lawn. “My mom said I could invite Sierra to stay over with us, but I hate to leave Rocky in the lurch with all these horses. Would you bring up Jack and Bill to help her tomorrow?”
John nodded. “Sure. You make it happen, Vicky, and I’ll be glad to play chauffer.”
“Awesome.” Grabbing my helmet, I followed Robin in the direction of the indoor arena. When we arrived, several of the horses inside the ring spooked and bolted back the other direction. I recognized some of the mares and their adult offspring. I leaned on the low wall and waited while they romped, bucked, and played.
“What do you call that?” Robin asked.
“Free longeing,” I said. “It gives them exercise and plenty of opportunities to work the kinks out. They can’t go to paddock for extended periods of time when the weather is this nasty.”
“I should do this with Twaziem and Singer when we get back,” Robin said. “Once they have some run-around time, they can switch off with Buster and Nitro.”
“Sounds good. I’ll help you.” I spotted someone moving in the stall area. “Come on. Let’s go jump in on the cleaning. That’s why we’re here.”
Sierra looked thrilled when she saw us. I grinned at her. “Hey, got any poop to share?”
“You know it. And water tubs to wash, hay to feed. Once we get through lunch, then it’s time to do it all over again for supper.”
“Well, maybe we can do some riding too,” Robin told her. “There’s more to life than mucking.”
“I wish,” Sierra said, “but I don’t think so.”
With all three of us working, we zipped through the first half of the barn chores. We put the ten horses in the arena back in their stalls and rotated out the others. As soon as he arrived in the ring, Aladdin dropped to his knees and rolled. Summertime followed suit. I could see that I’d spend the afternoon grooming them even if I didn’t ride.
When we finished cleaning, watering, and feeding, we put the last ten horses away. All of them immediately began eating as if we’d starved and mistreated them. Yeah, right. If this bad weather kept up, we’d have to cut their rations. We didn’t want them to founder.
Sierra looked at her watch. “I don’t believe it. We will have time to ride today. Let’s go help Mom and Autumn finish up the old-timers barn.”
“And then it’s riding time.” Robin snagged all three of our plastic pitchforks and carried them toward the storage area. “Vicky, are you going to invite Sierra to your slumber party?”
“Your what?” Sierra strolled beside me to the end door of the barn. “She’s playing with us, right? You never have friends at your house. Your parents would majorly freak.”
“My stepdad was the one who threw fits,” I said, “but my mom had an epiphany when she heard about me filing for emancipation. She’s trying to act like a grown-up and treat me like a real kid. I don’t think it will last for long, but she said I could have a sleepover tonight.”
“Who all is coming?” Sierra asked.
“You, I hope. Robin, Gwen, Porter, and Evie.”
“I wish I could, but my life is nothing but horses. I can’t leave Mom home alone with them.”
“If your mom is good with it, we’ll send up a crew of Jack’s friends to help tomorrow. You could come home with me, spend the night, and we’ll go Christmas shopping all day Monday. What do you think?”
“That it sounds like heaven,” Sierra said. “I need to get a bunch of decorations to finish the barns, and we haven’t had a chance to go anywhere since this snow started.”
“Did she tell you the plan?” Robin asked when she joined us. “What do you think, Sierra?”
“That I’m good with it provided Mom is, and if she’s not, maybe we can move the party here instead.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tuesday, December 10th, 9:00 a.m.
A lot of the snow had melted off in the past two days, but we still had a foot of the white stuff in most of Marysville. However, school was back in session with a two-hour late start. When I walked into the Commons, I spotted Robin at our usual table. I went and joined her, taking my peppermint latte from her. “That was majorly fun yesterday.”
“I didn’t know your mom could be so nice.” Robin reached down for her backpack. “Now I feel awful about what my parents did.”
“What did they do?” I asked.
“My dad printed off a list of the rules for our house so you’d know what you have to contend with if you decide to come live with us.”
“That was decent of him.” I took the pages she held out and stuffed them in my bag. “I can discuss them with Ingrid at our meeting today.”
“You’re not upset?”
“Everybody has rules.
My mom’s would probably make you nuts.”
“Good point.” Robin smiled when a petite blonde came over to join us. “Hey, Dani. How was your weekend? We missed you at the horsy poop-fest on Sunday.”
“Yeah, well it took us forever to get home from one of my dad’s business trips,” Dani said. “We flew out before the storm and then when we got back yesterday, I think we spent three hours driving back from Seattle. How’s Lady?”
“She’s fine,” Robin said. “I groomed her and fed her tons of carrots when I took care of Prince Charming. He wasn’t happy about sharing the treats, but I told him to get over himself.”
Dani laughed and pulled up a chair. “I heard I missed your sleepover, Vicky. Do I get to come to the next one?”
“Definitely,” I said. “And we won’t wait for a snow event either.”
Robin pulled out her phone and brought up pictures. “Wait until you see the awesome Christmas tree that Vicky’s mom designed. It’s totally eco-friendly. We got to take cookies off it.”
“That’s amazing.” Dani told me. “Now, I really need an invite. So, did your mom rent the downstairs apartment yet?”
“No. Darby was supposed to have a friend take it, but when she saw how many kids live in the house, she freaked and said she’d find somewhere else.” I lowered my voice, even though it was just the three of us. “Mom was upset. She got laid off at the casino, and she was really counting on the rent to help make ends meet.”
“Like I told you before, my au-pair always has friends looking for decent places to live,” Dani said. “They’re studying to be elementary teachers, so there’s not much that your brothers and sisters could do to send them packing.”
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