and be pleasant when Gran and Joe were kissing in front of everybody? Worse still, DJ was the oldest kid there. All the others were still in grade school or younger.
Gran took DJ’s hand. Joe held the other—Gran’s, that is. “Come on, darlin’, we want you to meet the family.”
By the time DJ had met two of Joe’s three children and their kids, she felt as though she were caught in a memory game time warp.
The oldest, Robert, had a pair of five-year-old twin boys named Billy and Bobby. What yucky names, DJ thought.
“Our mom went to heaven,” Billy announced. Or was it Bobby?
“Oh.” What do you say to that?
“Do you like horses?” Bobby asked. Or was it Billy?
“Yes, I do.”
“Good, ’cause my grandpa said you’d take me for a ride.”
“Ah, sure.” Come on, DJ, loosen up. They’re just kids—you like kids.
“Grandpa said you ride at an academy.” A girl with shy, dark eyes stopped next to DJ.
“I’m Shawna. That’s my mom and dad.” She pointed to the man burning the meat and a woman holding the platter. “I’m nine.”
“Hi, Shawna. I do ride.”
“And you teach kids to ride.”
“Some.”
“Would you teach me?”
What could she say? DJ nodded. “Someday, sure.” Joe sure has been volunteering me for all kinds of things. Who does he think he is, anyway? DJ shot him a look, but it bounced off the circle of love shining around him and Gran.
DJ rubbed her stomach. She had a really bad feeling about all this.
Shawna sat right across the table from DJ, and the twins parked themselves on either side of her. DJ felt hemmed in by munchkins. She cut into her steak. Pink juice dribbled onto her plate. These people couldn’t even cook meat right! She ate around the pink part and tried to make a real meal out of the salad and corn on the cob. When she glanced up, her mother was sitting by the twins’ father.
“Okay, everybody, we have an announcement to make.” Joe whistled to quiet the crowd. Gran stood next to him wearing a beaming smile. “I know it’s kind of sudden, but we aren’t spring chickens anymore, so I’ll get right to the point. This lovely lady beside me has done me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.”
Wife! DJ felt her breath leave in a whoosh. What was Gran thinking? Now her life was ruined for sure!
Chapter • 13
“Does that mean we’ll have a new grandma?”
“Does it, DJ?” the other twin asked.
DJ pushed back her chair. Not bothering to catch it before it hit the ground, she fled from the scene. Into the house, out the front door, down the street. She ran as if a pack of angry wolves panted at her heels.
Vaguely, over the pounding of her feet and heart, she could hear someone calling her name. Down a hill, up another. Her chest ached. Her side ached. Could a broken heart still beat? Gran is getting married. Gran is leaving me. Am I so terrible that everyone wants to leave me?
She leaned against a metal lamppost, her breath coming in searing agony.
“Darla Jean Randall, get in this car immediately.”
It couldn’t be her mother’s voice. She’d left them all behind. DJ bent forward, her strangled breathing beginning to slow. “You hear me?” A person grabbing her arm accompanied the voice.
DJ twisted around and looked into her mother’s angry face. Fury radiated from Lindy’s eyes, her mouth, the deep lines in her cheeks. DJ noticed these as if from a great distance. She swung around and let herself be hustled into the open door of her mother’s car. She sank into the seat, snapped shut the seat belt, and locked her arms over her chest.
“What is the matter with you? You’ve broken your grandmother’s heart. And on a day that should be so happy for her! You ruined it. What a selfish brat you’ve become! Darla Jean, are you listening to me?”
“Sure I am. You’re yelling right in my ear.” You can’t make me cry. I won’t let you . The words echoed in her head and helped her clench her teeth tighter, till they felt
Gran took DJ’s hand. Joe held the other—Gran’s, that is. “Come on, darlin’, we want you to meet the family.”
By the time DJ had met two of Joe’s three children and their kids, she felt as though she were caught in a memory game time warp.
The oldest, Robert, had a pair of five-year-old twin boys named Billy and Bobby. What yucky names, DJ thought.
“Our mom went to heaven,” Billy announced. Or was it Bobby?
“Oh.” What do you say to that?
“Do you like horses?” Bobby asked. Or was it Billy?
“Yes, I do.”
“Good, ’cause my grandpa said you’d take me for a ride.”
“Ah, sure.” Come on, DJ, loosen up. They’re just kids—you like kids.
“Grandpa said you ride at an academy.” A girl with shy, dark eyes stopped next to DJ.
“I’m Shawna. That’s my mom and dad.” She pointed to the man burning the meat and a woman holding the platter. “I’m nine.”
“Hi, Shawna. I do ride.”
“And you teach kids to ride.”
“Some.”
“Would you teach me?”
What could she say? DJ nodded. “Someday, sure.” Joe sure has been volunteering me for all kinds of things. Who does he think he is, anyway? DJ shot him a look, but it bounced off the circle of love shining around him and Gran.
DJ rubbed her stomach. She had a really bad feeling about all this.
Shawna sat right across the table from DJ, and the twins parked themselves on either side of her. DJ felt hemmed in by munchkins. She cut into her steak. Pink juice dribbled onto her plate. These people couldn’t even cook meat right! She ate around the pink part and tried to make a real meal out of the salad and corn on the cob. When she glanced up, her mother was sitting by the twins’ father.
“Okay, everybody, we have an announcement to make.” Joe whistled to quiet the crowd. Gran stood next to him wearing a beaming smile. “I know it’s kind of sudden, but we aren’t spring chickens anymore, so I’ll get right to the point. This lovely lady beside me has done me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.”
Wife! DJ felt her breath leave in a whoosh. What was Gran thinking? Now her life was ruined for sure!
Chapter • 13
“Does that mean we’ll have a new grandma?”
“Does it, DJ?” the other twin asked.
DJ pushed back her chair. Not bothering to catch it before it hit the ground, she fled from the scene. Into the house, out the front door, down the street. She ran as if a pack of angry wolves panted at her heels.
Vaguely, over the pounding of her feet and heart, she could hear someone calling her name. Down a hill, up another. Her chest ached. Her side ached. Could a broken heart still beat? Gran is getting married. Gran is leaving me. Am I so terrible that everyone wants to leave me?
She leaned against a metal lamppost, her breath coming in searing agony.
“Darla Jean Randall, get in this car immediately.”
It couldn’t be her mother’s voice. She’d left them all behind. DJ bent forward, her strangled breathing beginning to slow. “You hear me?” A person grabbing her arm accompanied the voice.
DJ twisted around and looked into her mother’s angry face. Fury radiated from Lindy’s eyes, her mouth, the deep lines in her cheeks. DJ noticed these as if from a great distance. She swung around and let herself be hustled into the open door of her mother’s car. She sank into the seat, snapped shut the seat belt, and locked her arms over her chest.
“What is the matter with you? You’ve broken your grandmother’s heart. And on a day that should be so happy for her! You ruined it. What a selfish brat you’ve become! Darla Jean, are you listening to me?”
“Sure I am. You’re yelling right in my ear.” You can’t make me cry. I won’t let you . The words echoed in her head and helped her clench her teeth tighter, till they felt
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