Cricket had never spent much time away from Letty.
“I’d like you to make an appointment for Thursday,” Dr. Faraday said, adding a couple of notes to her file. “See my receptionist before you leave and she’ll give you a time.”
Letty nodded, chewing on her lower lip. She wondered what she was going to say to Lonny about needing the truck again so soon.
Cricket was waiting for her in the hallway outside Dr. Faraday’s office. She sat next to the receptionist and was busy coloring in her activity book. The child looked up and smiled when Letty came out. She placed her crayons neatly back in the box, closed her book and crawled down from the chair, hurrying to Letty’s side.
Letty made her appointment for later in the week, then she and Cricket headed for the parking lot.
It was during the long drive home that Letty decided to broach the subject of their being separated.
“Cricket, Mommy may have to go away for a few days.”
“Can I go with you?”
“Not this time. Uncle Lonny will be busy with the ranch, so you won’t be able to stay with him, either.”
Cricket shrugged.
Letty didn’t think she’d mind not staying with Lonny. Her brother still hadn’t come to appreciate the finer points of watching cartoons.
“Do you remember Mrs. Martin from church?” Letty asked. “She was my mommy’s good friend.” Dorothy Martin was a dear soul, although she’d aged considerably since her husband’s death. Letty knew her mother’s friend would agree to care for Cricket until Letty was able to do so herself.
“Does Mrs. Martin have gray hair and sing as bad as Uncle Lonny?”
“That’s the one. I was thinking you could stay with her while I’m away.”
“Don’t want to.” Cricket rejected Mrs. Martin without further comment.
“I see.” Letty sighed. There were other choices, of course, but they were all women Cricket had met only briefly.
“What about—”
Cricket didn’t allow her to finish.
“If you’re going away and I can’t go with you, then I want to stay with Chase. I bet he’d let me ride Firepower again, and we could make chocolate chip cookies.”
Letty should have guessed Chase would be her first choice.
“He’d read me stories like you do and let me blow out the lights at bedtime,” Cricket continued. “We’d have lots of fun together. I like Chase better than anyone ’cept you.” She paused, then added as extra incentive, “We could sit in church together and everything.”
A tight knot formed in Letty’s throat. In making her decision to return to Red Springs, she could never have predicted that Cricket would take such a strong and instant liking to Chase Brown.
“Mommy, could I?”
“I’m afraid Chase has to work on his ranch the same way Uncle Lonny does.”
“Oh.” Cricket sighed in disappointment.
“Think of all the people we’ve met since we came to live with Uncle Lonny,” Letty suggested. “Who do you like best other than Chase?”
Cricket seemed to need time to mull over the question. She crossed her legs and tugged at one pigtail, winding the dark hair around her index finger as she considered this important decision.
“I like the lady who plays the organ second-best.”
Joy Fuller was the perfect choice, although Letty was certain Lonny wouldn’t take Cricket’s preference sitting down. “I like Ms. Fuller, too,” she told her daughter. “I’ll talk to her. But my going away isn’t for sure yet, honey, so there’s no need to say anything to anyone. Okay?”
“Is it a surprise?”
“Yes.” Letty’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She hated to mislead Cricket, but she couldn’t have her daughter announce to Chase or her brother that she was going away and leaving Cricket behind.
“Oh, goody. I won’t tell anyone,” she said, pretending to zip her mouth closed.
—
“It’s so nice to see you, Letty,” Joy said as she stood in the doorway of her small rental house. “You, too, Cricket.” A smile
“I’d like you to make an appointment for Thursday,” Dr. Faraday said, adding a couple of notes to her file. “See my receptionist before you leave and she’ll give you a time.”
Letty nodded, chewing on her lower lip. She wondered what she was going to say to Lonny about needing the truck again so soon.
Cricket was waiting for her in the hallway outside Dr. Faraday’s office. She sat next to the receptionist and was busy coloring in her activity book. The child looked up and smiled when Letty came out. She placed her crayons neatly back in the box, closed her book and crawled down from the chair, hurrying to Letty’s side.
Letty made her appointment for later in the week, then she and Cricket headed for the parking lot.
It was during the long drive home that Letty decided to broach the subject of their being separated.
“Cricket, Mommy may have to go away for a few days.”
“Can I go with you?”
“Not this time. Uncle Lonny will be busy with the ranch, so you won’t be able to stay with him, either.”
Cricket shrugged.
Letty didn’t think she’d mind not staying with Lonny. Her brother still hadn’t come to appreciate the finer points of watching cartoons.
“Do you remember Mrs. Martin from church?” Letty asked. “She was my mommy’s good friend.” Dorothy Martin was a dear soul, although she’d aged considerably since her husband’s death. Letty knew her mother’s friend would agree to care for Cricket until Letty was able to do so herself.
“Does Mrs. Martin have gray hair and sing as bad as Uncle Lonny?”
“That’s the one. I was thinking you could stay with her while I’m away.”
“Don’t want to.” Cricket rejected Mrs. Martin without further comment.
“I see.” Letty sighed. There were other choices, of course, but they were all women Cricket had met only briefly.
“What about—”
Cricket didn’t allow her to finish.
“If you’re going away and I can’t go with you, then I want to stay with Chase. I bet he’d let me ride Firepower again, and we could make chocolate chip cookies.”
Letty should have guessed Chase would be her first choice.
“He’d read me stories like you do and let me blow out the lights at bedtime,” Cricket continued. “We’d have lots of fun together. I like Chase better than anyone ’cept you.” She paused, then added as extra incentive, “We could sit in church together and everything.”
A tight knot formed in Letty’s throat. In making her decision to return to Red Springs, she could never have predicted that Cricket would take such a strong and instant liking to Chase Brown.
“Mommy, could I?”
“I’m afraid Chase has to work on his ranch the same way Uncle Lonny does.”
“Oh.” Cricket sighed in disappointment.
“Think of all the people we’ve met since we came to live with Uncle Lonny,” Letty suggested. “Who do you like best other than Chase?”
Cricket seemed to need time to mull over the question. She crossed her legs and tugged at one pigtail, winding the dark hair around her index finger as she considered this important decision.
“I like the lady who plays the organ second-best.”
Joy Fuller was the perfect choice, although Letty was certain Lonny wouldn’t take Cricket’s preference sitting down. “I like Ms. Fuller, too,” she told her daughter. “I’ll talk to her. But my going away isn’t for sure yet, honey, so there’s no need to say anything to anyone. Okay?”
“Is it a surprise?”
“Yes.” Letty’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She hated to mislead Cricket, but she couldn’t have her daughter announce to Chase or her brother that she was going away and leaving Cricket behind.
“Oh, goody. I won’t tell anyone,” she said, pretending to zip her mouth closed.
—
“It’s so nice to see you, Letty,” Joy said as she stood in the doorway of her small rental house. “You, too, Cricket.” A smile
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