look up, and her next comment was directed at Jenny. “The boys haven’t eaten yet, right?”
“Right.” Jenny kept herself from smiling. Katy was doing a good job discouraging Cody’s recent advances. She had told Jenny privately that Cody’s flirting sometimes got on her nerves. Jenny had agreed to have Jim talk to the young man about his behavior. “So-” Jenny wiped her hands on a kitchen towel”how’re the wedding plans coming?”
78
Cody clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Here we go again.” He planted himself a few feet from Katy. “How can you marry Dayne Matthews-” he thumped his chest-“when you could have me?”
Katy took her plate and sat several seats from Cody. “It’s hard to imagine.”
Cody shrugged and snagged a plate. “Have it your way. I’ll be here waiting when things don’t work out.”
Bailey darted down the stairs again, Connor close behind her. They had sleeping bags slung over their shoulders and heaving duffel bags along in front of them.
“The costume box worked!” She dumped her things at the foot of the stairs and hurried into the kitchen. “Connor’s brilliant.”
“Yeah, only now she’ll have better stuff for the color-wars contest than me.” He made a face. “Me and my big mouth.”
Bailey set her phone on the counter and hurried to grab a plate and some eggs.
“We can’t be last; I’ll get the worst bunk.”
Cody set his fork down. “You two make me dizzy.” He grinned at Katy. “I thought camp was supposed to be fun.”
Jim walked through the back door, the four younger boys in tow, just in time to hear Cody’s comment. “Fun? Are you kidding?” He chuckled. “Two-a-days start next week, Coleman. Let’s see what you think about fun after that.”
Cody exhaled hard. He looked at Connor. “About that big mouth of yours? I can relate.”
Jenny leaned against the kitchen sink and studied her family. The boys were diving into the eggs, heaping their plates, and Bailey and Connor were deep in conversation about the games most often played at CKT’s teen camp. Jenny smiled.
Her home was overflowing with conversation and kids and more love than she could’ve imagined once upon a time.
She set her dish towel down and walked around the counter to the spot between her two oldest kids. “Toothbrushes?” “Check,” Bailey and Connor answered in unison.
79 II ell
A16
KAREN KINGSBURY
“Pajamas?”
“Check.” The tone in their voices told her they were used to the last-minute list of necessary items for a trip.
“Bibles?”
“Definitely.” Connor raised his finger and smiled at her. “I’m winning the sword drill, hands down.”
“He has no idea.” Bailey turned and made a face in Katy’s direction. “Newbies never win the sword drill.”
“Sword drill?” Cody swallowed a mouthful of eggs. He raised his eyebrows, curious. “Someone wanna clue me in here? I thought it was a drama camp.”
Jim laughed. He took his plate and sat next to his star football player.
“Christian groups have these contests. See who can find a Bible verse first. As long as I can remember they’ve called it a sword drill.”
“Oh.” Cody took a bite of toast.
“Let’s just say it’s a good thing Dad doesn’t have sword drills for the football team.” Bailey lifted her chin and shot a haughty look at Cody. “Otherwise you’d be running lines from morning to night.”
“Bailey.” Jenny kept her tone lighthearted, same as the mood in the kitchen. But she understood. There was a little more to Bailey’s statement than simple teasing. Ever since Cody had been paying attention to Katy, Bailey had been put out. The digs she sent Cody’s way were nearly constant. Jenny waited until she had Bailey’s attention and used her eyes to convey the deeper seriousness of her warning. “Be nice.”
“Yeah, be nice.” Cody leaned around Jim and stuck his tongue out at Bailey.
“Some of us didn’t spend our summers at church
“Right.” Jenny kept herself from smiling. Katy was doing a good job discouraging Cody’s recent advances. She had told Jenny privately that Cody’s flirting sometimes got on her nerves. Jenny had agreed to have Jim talk to the young man about his behavior. “So-” Jenny wiped her hands on a kitchen towel”how’re the wedding plans coming?”
78
Cody clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Here we go again.” He planted himself a few feet from Katy. “How can you marry Dayne Matthews-” he thumped his chest-“when you could have me?”
Katy took her plate and sat several seats from Cody. “It’s hard to imagine.”
Cody shrugged and snagged a plate. “Have it your way. I’ll be here waiting when things don’t work out.”
Bailey darted down the stairs again, Connor close behind her. They had sleeping bags slung over their shoulders and heaving duffel bags along in front of them.
“The costume box worked!” She dumped her things at the foot of the stairs and hurried into the kitchen. “Connor’s brilliant.”
“Yeah, only now she’ll have better stuff for the color-wars contest than me.” He made a face. “Me and my big mouth.”
Bailey set her phone on the counter and hurried to grab a plate and some eggs.
“We can’t be last; I’ll get the worst bunk.”
Cody set his fork down. “You two make me dizzy.” He grinned at Katy. “I thought camp was supposed to be fun.”
Jim walked through the back door, the four younger boys in tow, just in time to hear Cody’s comment. “Fun? Are you kidding?” He chuckled. “Two-a-days start next week, Coleman. Let’s see what you think about fun after that.”
Cody exhaled hard. He looked at Connor. “About that big mouth of yours? I can relate.”
Jenny leaned against the kitchen sink and studied her family. The boys were diving into the eggs, heaping their plates, and Bailey and Connor were deep in conversation about the games most often played at CKT’s teen camp. Jenny smiled.
Her home was overflowing with conversation and kids and more love than she could’ve imagined once upon a time.
She set her dish towel down and walked around the counter to the spot between her two oldest kids. “Toothbrushes?” “Check,” Bailey and Connor answered in unison.
79 II ell
A16
KAREN KINGSBURY
“Pajamas?”
“Check.” The tone in their voices told her they were used to the last-minute list of necessary items for a trip.
“Bibles?”
“Definitely.” Connor raised his finger and smiled at her. “I’m winning the sword drill, hands down.”
“He has no idea.” Bailey turned and made a face in Katy’s direction. “Newbies never win the sword drill.”
“Sword drill?” Cody swallowed a mouthful of eggs. He raised his eyebrows, curious. “Someone wanna clue me in here? I thought it was a drama camp.”
Jim laughed. He took his plate and sat next to his star football player.
“Christian groups have these contests. See who can find a Bible verse first. As long as I can remember they’ve called it a sword drill.”
“Oh.” Cody took a bite of toast.
“Let’s just say it’s a good thing Dad doesn’t have sword drills for the football team.” Bailey lifted her chin and shot a haughty look at Cody. “Otherwise you’d be running lines from morning to night.”
“Bailey.” Jenny kept her tone lighthearted, same as the mood in the kitchen. But she understood. There was a little more to Bailey’s statement than simple teasing. Ever since Cody had been paying attention to Katy, Bailey had been put out. The digs she sent Cody’s way were nearly constant. Jenny waited until she had Bailey’s attention and used her eyes to convey the deeper seriousness of her warning. “Be nice.”
“Yeah, be nice.” Cody leaned around Jim and stuck his tongue out at Bailey.
“Some of us didn’t spend our summers at church
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