“I’m going to ride. It’s late, and I’ve got to work tomorrow.”
Duane gave me a warm arm squeeze. “Call if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll stop by after practice and go snooping with you.”
I nodded and waved Lindsey over. We climbed into Mom’s car. Me in the front, and Lindsey sprawled in back. “You okay?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“I was so scared.” Lindsey burst into tears.
“Oh, sweetie.” I climbed over the back seat. My foot tangled in the shoulder strap of the seat belt and I fell, clumsily beside my daughter. The air left my lungs with a whoosh, and I lay with my head on the floor and my rear in the air until I caught my breath. With a bit of skillful maneuvering, I recovered and wrapped her in my arms.
Lindsey giggled. “You are such a dork.”
“Hey, I work really hard at it. Practice makes perfect.” Her hair smelled of strawberry shampoo. “I’ll do anything to put a smile on your face.”
She sniffed. “Billy tried to act brave, but I could tell he was scared spitless. He really is a good driver, Mom. No one could have stayed on the road unless they wanted to get hit.”
“Yeah, about that. Taking the car was wrong.”
“We’ll discuss this when we get home.” Mom threw the car into drive and punched the gas. She yoo-hooed out the window to Leroy and sped from the parking lot.
“Great,” Lindsey muttered. She laid her head on my shoulder.
I straightened when the car turned right. “Where are we going?”
“To look for a green car that might be missing some paint.” She pulled into the lot of the Super Mart and cruised at the speed of a turtle. All three of us squinted through the evening.
“Don’t you think they’ll most likely have gone home and hid the car in a garage?” I rolled down my window for a better view. Mom slammed on the brakes and I hit the seat in front of me with enough force to bite my tongue. That’s what I got for not wearing my seatbelt.
“Is that the car, Lindsey?” Mom thrust her pride and joy in park and shoved open her door. We stopped behind a forest green Toyota.
“Maybe.”
Mom marched around the vehicle, searching for scrapes and dents. “It’s clean.”
“What are you doing?” Mark Jackson glared at us, arms folded, lab coat almost glowing beneath the street lights. “You’re blocking me in.”
“Just mistook this car for someone else’s.” Mom flashed him a grin, never above a little flirtation with a handsome man. And Stephanie Jackson’s husband ranked close to the top of the list. At least for the men in our town and neighboring ones. “How’s the adoption going?”
“We’re getting there. Stephanie’s doing a great job of saving. A few more months and we should be parents. We’ve decided on a girl in Mexico.”
“That’s good.” Mom patted his arm. “We won’t take any more of your time.” She slid behind the wheel and cruised around him.
“Well, Mark Jackson is innocent. Not a scratch on his car. Probably looks as good as it did when he drove it off the lot.” Mom turned right again. “Let’s cruise the neighborhood.”
An hour later , and enough gas burned to set the economy into a downward spiral, Mom conceded defeat for the night and turned into our own driveway. Lindsey sighed and slid from the backseat. She stood with head bowed, no doubt waiting for the lecture from my mother. I followed, ready to watch the show. My mom was the best at giving verbal lashings. I carried scars to prove it.
She placed a hand beneath Lindsey’s chin and tilted her face until she looked at her. “Don’t take my car without asking again. I’m glad you’re all right.” Mom kissed Lindsey’s forehead and strolled into the house.
Wow. Who was that and who stole my mother?
Lindsey glanced at me and shrugged then a grin spread across her face. “I guess she likes me better than you.”
“Oh, yeah. Go to your room. There needs to be some kind of punishment for your actions. Tomorrow, you can
Duane gave me a warm arm squeeze. “Call if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll stop by after practice and go snooping with you.”
I nodded and waved Lindsey over. We climbed into Mom’s car. Me in the front, and Lindsey sprawled in back. “You okay?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“I was so scared.” Lindsey burst into tears.
“Oh, sweetie.” I climbed over the back seat. My foot tangled in the shoulder strap of the seat belt and I fell, clumsily beside my daughter. The air left my lungs with a whoosh, and I lay with my head on the floor and my rear in the air until I caught my breath. With a bit of skillful maneuvering, I recovered and wrapped her in my arms.
Lindsey giggled. “You are such a dork.”
“Hey, I work really hard at it. Practice makes perfect.” Her hair smelled of strawberry shampoo. “I’ll do anything to put a smile on your face.”
She sniffed. “Billy tried to act brave, but I could tell he was scared spitless. He really is a good driver, Mom. No one could have stayed on the road unless they wanted to get hit.”
“Yeah, about that. Taking the car was wrong.”
“We’ll discuss this when we get home.” Mom threw the car into drive and punched the gas. She yoo-hooed out the window to Leroy and sped from the parking lot.
“Great,” Lindsey muttered. She laid her head on my shoulder.
I straightened when the car turned right. “Where are we going?”
“To look for a green car that might be missing some paint.” She pulled into the lot of the Super Mart and cruised at the speed of a turtle. All three of us squinted through the evening.
“Don’t you think they’ll most likely have gone home and hid the car in a garage?” I rolled down my window for a better view. Mom slammed on the brakes and I hit the seat in front of me with enough force to bite my tongue. That’s what I got for not wearing my seatbelt.
“Is that the car, Lindsey?” Mom thrust her pride and joy in park and shoved open her door. We stopped behind a forest green Toyota.
“Maybe.”
Mom marched around the vehicle, searching for scrapes and dents. “It’s clean.”
“What are you doing?” Mark Jackson glared at us, arms folded, lab coat almost glowing beneath the street lights. “You’re blocking me in.”
“Just mistook this car for someone else’s.” Mom flashed him a grin, never above a little flirtation with a handsome man. And Stephanie Jackson’s husband ranked close to the top of the list. At least for the men in our town and neighboring ones. “How’s the adoption going?”
“We’re getting there. Stephanie’s doing a great job of saving. A few more months and we should be parents. We’ve decided on a girl in Mexico.”
“That’s good.” Mom patted his arm. “We won’t take any more of your time.” She slid behind the wheel and cruised around him.
“Well, Mark Jackson is innocent. Not a scratch on his car. Probably looks as good as it did when he drove it off the lot.” Mom turned right again. “Let’s cruise the neighborhood.”
An hour later , and enough gas burned to set the economy into a downward spiral, Mom conceded defeat for the night and turned into our own driveway. Lindsey sighed and slid from the backseat. She stood with head bowed, no doubt waiting for the lecture from my mother. I followed, ready to watch the show. My mom was the best at giving verbal lashings. I carried scars to prove it.
She placed a hand beneath Lindsey’s chin and tilted her face until she looked at her. “Don’t take my car without asking again. I’m glad you’re all right.” Mom kissed Lindsey’s forehead and strolled into the house.
Wow. Who was that and who stole my mother?
Lindsey glanced at me and shrugged then a grin spread across her face. “I guess she likes me better than you.”
“Oh, yeah. Go to your room. There needs to be some kind of punishment for your actions. Tomorrow, you can
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