“No, no one around us even noticed.”
“Was I screaming?”
“Of course not. Did you think you were?”
DJ nodded. “I heard someone screaming, but now that I think about it, it sounded like a little kid.” She took a deep breath. “Well, that’s over.” She grabbed one of the twins by the back of his jacket. “First one into the house gets to turn on the tree!”
Later they hung all the stockings from the fireplace mantel and stood back to admire them.
“Santa’s got a big job there,” Robert said. “You think he’s up to it?”
“Santa’s going to bring me a pony,” one of the twins announced.
“Me too.” The other looked up at their father. “That’s all I asked for.”
Robert groaned. The other adults snickered.
“Okay, bedtime.” Robert clapped his hands. “Santa can’t come till you’re asleep.”
DJ debated whether to stay up longer, but the look in Shawna’s eyes made her decide to hit the sack. She and Shawna were sharing the bed, and the boys had sleeping bags on the floor in the grandkids’ room. She heard her mother leave with Andy and Sonya while Robert headed for the other guest room. Slowly the house settled down. She shushed the boys again, and Shawna giggled softly.
“Daddy!”
“What now?” Robert came to the door.
“I wanna drink of water.”
“Me too.”
Robert brought two plastic glasses. “Last time. I hear one more peep from you two, and no Santa.”
More giggles. Quiet again.
“Tomorrow we get to ride,” Shawna whispered. “I can’t wait.”
“You want to spend a couple of days of your Christmas vacation out here with me?”
“Really?”
“If it’s okay with your mom,” DJ whispered back.
“That would be the best Christmas present ever.”
DJ fell asleep hearing the violin and flute soar with the notes of “What Child Is This?”
“DJ, wake up. It’s Christmas!” Four small hands tugged at her blankets and patted her cheeks.
“Go ’way,” she mumbled, scrunching her eyes closed.
“Come see the presents.”
“Now, DJ.” A giggle, then another.
DJ opened one eye. “It’s still dark out. You can’t get up till it’s light.” She covered her head with the quilt.
“We can turn on the lights.”
“Nope. No Christmas till it’s light outside. Hit the sack, guys.”
“Go get Daddy,” she heard one whisper.
“No, you don’t. Let him sleep. Let me sleep—just till light.”
Shawna smothered a giggle beside her.
DJ closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. All she could see was that big box. Today she’d find out what was in it! She could hear the boys turning over and over. They whispered about as quietly as a train whistled.
“Okay, fine—go get your poor daddy up.”
They erupted from their sleeping bags with matching shrieks and streaked down the hall.
“Quietly,” DJ sighed. “Come on, Shawna, we don’t want to miss anything.”
“No presents until everyone gets here,” Robert decreed when he met her in the hall. “And until the adults get their first cup of coffee.” He rubbed his eyes and winked at DJ. “Thanks for keeping them down for a little while longer.”
“You heard?”
“Of course.” He gave her a one-armed hug on his way to the kitchen, where the tempting smells of coffee and cinnamon rolls beckoned. Gran even had the table set already.
DJ sat cross-legged on the floor with the boys, who were eagerly digging in their stockings, spreading their treasures all around. Tiny packages were tightly bound with tape to slow their nimble fingers. When they reached the sock toes, each held up a shiny silver dollar.
Shawna and DJ joined the excitement and dug into their stockings. By the time DJ had unwrapped each small treasure, she had new drawing pencils, erasers, hair scrunchies, a booklet of coupons for the local hamburger place, gum, mints, a popcorn ball, a tangerine, and a pomegranate.
“What’s that?” The boys abandoned their socks to come examine hers.
“A pomegranate.”
“What do you do with it?”
“Eat the seeds. I’ll show you later.” She dug down to the toe of her stocking and retrieved her silver dollar.
“We gots those in our banks.”
“Daddy said not to spend them—they special.”
“You are, too.” She ruffled their curls and set them to giggling with tickles. Her eye kept wandering back to the big box set to the back of the tree.
By the time everyone finally congregated in the living room, the boys were wound tighter than a twister.
“Shawna, you want to play Santa Claus?” Robert asked.
“I thought that was my job,” Andy moaned.
“I get to help.”
“Me too.” The twins bounced in front of the tree.
“Okay, okay.” Shawna sat by the tree, dug out the gifts, read the names, and handed the boxes to the boys to deliver. With everyone waiting to watch each person open a present, DJ could tell this would be a long process. Should she ask for the big box first? If only it hadn’t been stashed behind the other presents!
Soon brightly colored paper and ribbons decorated the floor in spite of Gran’s continual folding. Robert wore a wobbly smile when he thanked DJ for the framed drawing, and the note cards were a huge success. The pile of gifts beside DJ continued to grow. She’d never have to buy clothes again—or drawing paper.
It took both boys to carry the big box to her. She split the paper open with trembling fingers.
“Who’s it from?” Bobby asked. DJ had pinned name tags on the twins earlier, saying, “I’m going to figure out who’s who or bust.”
“My . . .” What to call him? “My father.” She glanced up to catch a frown streak across her mother’s face.
“Hurry, DJ, I wanna see.”
“So do I, guys, so back up!” She grinned and tickled the little boy to make him scoot back. Slowly she unfolded the flaps and got up on her knees to look into the box. Pushing aside the packing material, she stopped breathing. “Oh.” Her breath came back on a sigh. “A saddle.” She looked under the saddle leather for the brass nameplate. “A Crosby.”
DJ lifted out the saddle, scattering foam peanuts in the action. She stroked the fine leather. Never had she dreamed of having such a fine saddle. She’d been saving for a used one. A Crosby all-purpose saddle, she could use this one for jumping, for dressage, and just riding. She looked up to see Robert and her mother exchange meaningful glances.
“There’s more.” Billy lifted out a new headstall.
Her father wouldn’t have known she already had a new one, given to her by Angie’s family after the beesting incident.
DJ opened the card attached to the stirrup. I hope you can use this, her father had written. If you need something more, or if the saddle doesn’t fit just right, we can always exchange it.
“Sit in it, DJ!” a twin squeaked.
“No, can’t do that unless it’s on a horse, or you can break the tree.”
“What tree?”
Joe saved her explaining. “Well, that is some surprise.” He broke the silence that had fallen on the adults. “I know you’ll get a lot of good use out of that. Shawna, there’s another box for DJ behind the tree.”
This one held a new blue blanket for Major. It even had his name sewn in the corner. The card read With all our love, Gran and GJ. DJ leaped from the floor and threw her arms around them both. “Thank you. You knew mine was pretty ratty.”
Shawna came over and stroked DJ’s new saddle. “Sure is pretty.”
Robert and Andy slapped their knees and rose in sync. “Far as I know, there’s still one more present.” Robert looked at Joe. “You ready, Dad? This is kind of a present from the whole family.”
“I guess. What did you young pups get into now?” Joe got to his feet, ribbons and bits of paper slipping to the floor.
“Hmmm. How are we going to do this?” The two brothers grinned at each other.
“I say we blindfold the bunch and lead ’em out,” Andy suggested. “Gran, you got any extra dish towels?”
“How many do you need?”
“Ummm . . .” Robert counted. “Joe, DJ, Shawna, the twins . . . five’ll do it.” As soon as all the blindfolds were in place, they led the staggering, giggling parade outside.
“Where are we going?” DJ blew the corner of her blindfold off her lips.
“You’ll see. Step carefully now.” Lindy had DJ’s hand.
DJ shuffled her feet. How strange to be blinded like this. What was going on?
“Okay, what’s up?” Joe asked ahead of her.
“You’ll see.”
“Hey, Billy, no peeking.”
“Are you ready? Now, on three, you can all take off your blindfolds. One, two, three!”
DJ whipped the dish towel off her head and gasped.
“Well, I’ll be!” Joe let out a roar. “You, you . . .”
DJ looked at Shawna with a grin.
“But I don’t have a horse.” Shawna looked to her father. A sudden grin lit her face like a megawatt candle. “But I get one, don’t I?”
“As soon as we find one we all like.”
She ran and threw herself into her father’s arms.
DJ let herself be pulled forward till she stood next to the shiny silver four-horse trailer. A huge red ribbon was tied in a bow on top of the roof.
“Look at that. Dual wheels.” Joe placed a hand on DJ’s shoulder. “And a changing room.”
DJ opened the door and peeked inside. Two tiny whirlwinds zipped around her and began exploring.
“How come for us?”
“ ’Cause we gets ponies!”
Shawna ducked under her arm. “DJ, I’m getting a horse—you heard him.” The light still shone in her face.
“Who do we thank?” DJ turned to the rest of the family, all lined up watching and laughing at the new trailer owners.
“Check the card.” Robert pointed to an envelope fastened to the ribbon streamer.
DJ opened it, and Joe read. “To our horse people, with love from Robert, Lindy, Andy, Sonya, and Gran.”
“How did you manage to get this here without me noticing?” Joe asked.
“We’ll never tell.” Robert had his arm around Lindy’s shoulder. “Besides, if Lindy and I get horses, we’ll need a larger one.”
DJ felt her jaw hit her chest and bounce back up to snap closed. Her mother? On a horse? That would be the day. She crossed to the group and, starting with her mom, gave them all hugs and thank-yous. What a day. What an incredible, four-star, awesome, wonderful day! A saddle and a horse trailer.
Bobby and Billy jumped on the tailgate and chased each other around the rig.
DJ looked at her mother. She could tell something was bothering her, even though she was laughing at something Robert had said. The tiny furrows between Lindy’s eyebrows were a dead giveaway. Was it the saddle?
DJ chewed her lip. I bet it is, she thought, I just bet it is. Now what’s going to happen? She won’t make me give it back, will she?
CHAPTER • 17
DJ lost every video game.
“Don’t feel bad, darlin’, they beat me every time, too.” Joe patted her on the head as he walked by.
When the twins asked her to play the game again, she shook her head. “Not with you two sharks. Get your uncle to play.” She heaved herself to her feet. It had been at least an hour since brunch—surely there was something out there to eat. She snagged a candy-cane cookie off the silver three-tiered platter on the dining room table and meandered into the kitchen. Lindy, Gran, and Sonya sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee.
“Where’s everyone else?” DJ dunked her cookie in Gran’s coffee cup.
“If you mean the big, strong men, they crashed.” Sonya lifted her cup in salute. “I hear the monsters mangled you out there. Don’t feel bad—Shawna’s the only one who can hold a candle to them. They’re better with that joy stick than I’ll ever be.”
“But they’re not even six years old yet. Scary.” DJ leaned against Gran’s shoulder. “Sure smells good in here.”
“Is that a hint?” Gran wrapped her arm around DJ’s waist.
“Could be called that. I mean, if you had something to offer a starving child, she wouldn’t turn it down.” DJ tried to make her voice and face pitiful.
“Cinnamon roll?”
“Are there any left?” DJ’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“Enough to last until dinner. Check the bread box.”
“You make the best cinnamon rolls in the whole world.” DJ set the gooey roll on a paper plate and put it in the microwave.
“You know, it’s not fair—if I ate like my kid does, I’d weigh three hundred pounds,” Lindy observed.
“I know how you feel.” Sonya reached over and snagged a bite off the roll when DJ set her plate on the table.
“You want one? I’ll fix it.” DJ looked from one to the other. Sonya nodded and Lindy shook her head. “Take that one, and I’ll make me another.”
“You mean just because I peeled off the best part, it’s mine?”
“Something like that.” DJ grinned at the teasing and flinched when she heard the thunder of the twins’ feet. “Quick, bar the door!”
“DJ, can we go riding now?” The twins glanced at the food set out and flung themselves at DJ’s legs. “We was good forever. We beat Shawna, too.”
“That makes you the champs. Go ask your grandpa. If he says yes, it’s okay with me.”
“Me too?” Shawna leaned against her mother. “They beat me.”
The boys charged out at top speed. These days, that seemed to be their only speed.
“Walk, please. No running in the house,” Gran called.
The thunder turned to soft patters, but giggles floated back.
“Just think, Lindy,” Sonya said after licking the caramel goo from her fingertips, “in a couple of months, you’ll hear that all the time.”
“I know, and it sometimes scares me to bits.”
DJ looked up and watched her mother’s face.
“How do you direct all that energy? I’ve never been around little boys—in fact, I’ve hardly been around small children at all. The times they’ve been at our house, no matter how good they’ve been, they’re just always so busy.” Lindy sneaked a bite of cinnamon roll. “Wears me out.”
“You’ll get used to it. It’s good that Robert plans on keeping the nanny.”
“Yeah, at least for a while, until I decide if I’ll quit my job or not.”
DJ nearly choked on the last bite.
Lindy looked over at her and smiled. “Shocker, huh?”
“Really?”
“We’ve been talking about it. My professor is so interested in my thesis on entrepreneurial kids that he keeps encouraging me to turn it into a book. He says I write well enough. Maybe my mother and my daughter aren’t the only ones with all the talent.” She looked over at Sonya. “Actually, DJ and Amy gave me the idea.”
DJ rolled her eyes. “Yeah, as if all our tries to earn money worked.” What would it be like to have her mother home all the time?
“Well, some better than others. Look at your note card sales. You cleaned out your inventory before Christmas.”
“I think they’re wonderful. If I’d have known you were selling them, I’d have bought enough to give to the people in my office for gifts,” Sonya said.
“I’ll always have more.” DJ winked at her. She could feel her insides go all warm and fuzzy at the compliment. All those she’d left at the Academy sold, too. And she now had three commissions to draw member horses. Crazy, here when she finally had an actual way to make money, she already had a saddle. Now maybe her saddle fund could go for clinics and stu
ff. Of course, Major needed new shoes. . . .
Giving the kids rides at the Academy an hour later reminded her of the pony parties. But with Joe taking the twin who wasn’t riding Bandit with him on Ranger, and Shawna on Major, DJ had much more fun. She caught the twins’ giggles and passed them back.
Shawna had stars in her eyes for the rest of the day after riding Major all by herself.
The next two days flew by like the seconds in a jumping ring. Shawna would have ridden all day and night if allowed. She helped DJ saddle soap her new saddle and chattered nonstop about her dream horse.
Since it was a weekend, Robert and the boys were about. One day they all headed for Marine World Africa USA in Vallejo less than an hour away. By the time they’d seen all the shows, including two visits to the killer whale show, had a butterfly sit on Shawna’s shoulder in the butterfly house, and sampled all the food items, they could barely make it back to the car. Only once did DJ wish she could have spent the sunny day riding.
“He’s here,” Lindy called up the stairs late Monday morning.
“I know, I’m zipping my bag.” DJ took one last look around the room and slung the canvas tote over her shoulder. She had packed her boots, rain gear, everyday clothes, and, at her mother’s insistence, an outfit dressier than jeans and a sweat shirt. She’d had a hard time closing the zipper. With her other hand she picked up the package wrapped in Christmas tree paper and headed down the stairs. Joe had helped her frame another of her drawings as a gift for Brad and Jackie. As Joe had said when she’d worried over whether they’d like it: if they didn’t, that was their problem, not hers. Easy to say, harder to live with.
“Now, remember, if you want to come home early, all you have to do is call,” Lindy whispered in DJ’s ear as she gave her a good-bye hug.
“I know.” She must think I’m a baby or something. DJ hugged her mother back. “See ya.”
“I promise to return her safely,” Brad said with a smile.
“I know. And thank you for the lovely basket of goodies.” Lindy crossed her arms over her chest. “You have fun now. And behave yourself.”
DJ rolled her eyes. “M-o-t-h-e-r.”
“That’s okay, I’m paid to say that.” Lindy tried to smile. “Comes with being a mother.”
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