focus that she almost jumped backward.
“Hey, don’t break my nose,” Raina said while rubbing it.
Kathleen ignored her and swung the binoculars back and forth, settling first on the photographer, who seemed to be barking orders, then over to the models, who looked bored. Her palms grew sweaty as she swept across the models’ faces. The girls were all attractive. She focused on Stephanie. Her heart sank. While the other girls were attractive, Stephanie was beautiful. In full makeup, with her hair professionally styled for theshoot and the clothing fitting her body perfectly, she outdazzled the others like an exotic flower.
“What’s up?” Raina asked.
“Stephanie,” Kathleen said quietly. “How can I compete against someone who looks like her?”
Raina took Kathleen’s shoulder and turned her till they stood face to face. Kathleen lowered the binoculars as Raina said, “Now, listen up. I don’t know why you feel inferior to that girl. She’s vain, shallow and probably has gotten everything she wants just because she’s pretty.”
“So what’s your point?”
“Pretty
doesn’t make for
better
. I’ve met her, and you’re head and shoulders above her in every way.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but we both know that pretty counts in life. Boys go after the pretty ones. I remember how they hit on you from sixth grade on. Until Hunter came along, that is,” Kathleen added hastily.
Raina’s expression went stony at the mention of the boyfriends who had preceded Hunter, and Kathleen regretted her words instantly. Still, it was the truth—boys had clustered around Raina like bees around a honeycomb. “Sorry. I only meant to say that boys like pretty girls and you’re pretty, and you always have been.”
“But it’s
you
that Carson is coming after.”
“Then why hasn’t he called me?”
“Who knows why guys do anything? Why don’t you call him?”
“I wouldn’t know what to say to him.”
“Wouldn’t you think of something to say if he called you?”
“I—I guess.”
“Then I rest my case. If he’s not here today helping at the ice cream party, call him.”
Kathleen said nothing but raised the binoculars and twirled the focus wheel toward the photo shoot. Without warning, Stephanie’s face came into full view, filling up the lenses and looking for all the world as if she were staring straight into Kathleen’s eyes. Kathleen gasped, jerked the binoculars away from her face, thrust them into Raina’s hands and fled the room.
A number of canvas canopies had been set up in the hospital’s garden area along the walkways on the south grounds. Under each stood tables for games and activities to amuse and entertain the pediatric patients. There were face painting, fortune-telling, magnetic fishing games, finger painting and plaster hand casting. One special canopy hung above picnic tables with brightly colored table cloths, a popcorn machine, a cotton candy machine, a slush maker and a large cooler holding tubs of ice cream.
“Some spread,” Kathleen said as she and Raina pushed two kids in wheelchairs along the path.
“Mom said some grateful father is paying the bill this year,” Raina told her. “She also told me that sometimes the Pink Angels have fundraisers for these parties. They have a big one at Christmas. Can you imagine being stuck in the hospital over the holidays?”
“I guess we’ll be helping at the Christmas party, then, won’t we? I mean, since we’re signing on for the extended program.”
“You too?” Raina asked, surprised. “I wasn’t sure you would. I mean, you really weren’t that crazy about the idea when we started.”
Kathleen shrugged. “I’ve changed my mind. The place grows on you and besides, it’s a credit.”
“Hey, wait up!” Holly called from behind them. Both girls turned to see her pushing a small boy in a wheelchair. “This is Ben,” she said with a beaming smile. “He’s my date this afternoon.”
Ben had large,
“Hey, don’t break my nose,” Raina said while rubbing it.
Kathleen ignored her and swung the binoculars back and forth, settling first on the photographer, who seemed to be barking orders, then over to the models, who looked bored. Her palms grew sweaty as she swept across the models’ faces. The girls were all attractive. She focused on Stephanie. Her heart sank. While the other girls were attractive, Stephanie was beautiful. In full makeup, with her hair professionally styled for theshoot and the clothing fitting her body perfectly, she outdazzled the others like an exotic flower.
“What’s up?” Raina asked.
“Stephanie,” Kathleen said quietly. “How can I compete against someone who looks like her?”
Raina took Kathleen’s shoulder and turned her till they stood face to face. Kathleen lowered the binoculars as Raina said, “Now, listen up. I don’t know why you feel inferior to that girl. She’s vain, shallow and probably has gotten everything she wants just because she’s pretty.”
“So what’s your point?”
“Pretty
doesn’t make for
better
. I’ve met her, and you’re head and shoulders above her in every way.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but we both know that pretty counts in life. Boys go after the pretty ones. I remember how they hit on you from sixth grade on. Until Hunter came along, that is,” Kathleen added hastily.
Raina’s expression went stony at the mention of the boyfriends who had preceded Hunter, and Kathleen regretted her words instantly. Still, it was the truth—boys had clustered around Raina like bees around a honeycomb. “Sorry. I only meant to say that boys like pretty girls and you’re pretty, and you always have been.”
“But it’s
you
that Carson is coming after.”
“Then why hasn’t he called me?”
“Who knows why guys do anything? Why don’t you call him?”
“I wouldn’t know what to say to him.”
“Wouldn’t you think of something to say if he called you?”
“I—I guess.”
“Then I rest my case. If he’s not here today helping at the ice cream party, call him.”
Kathleen said nothing but raised the binoculars and twirled the focus wheel toward the photo shoot. Without warning, Stephanie’s face came into full view, filling up the lenses and looking for all the world as if she were staring straight into Kathleen’s eyes. Kathleen gasped, jerked the binoculars away from her face, thrust them into Raina’s hands and fled the room.
A number of canvas canopies had been set up in the hospital’s garden area along the walkways on the south grounds. Under each stood tables for games and activities to amuse and entertain the pediatric patients. There were face painting, fortune-telling, magnetic fishing games, finger painting and plaster hand casting. One special canopy hung above picnic tables with brightly colored table cloths, a popcorn machine, a cotton candy machine, a slush maker and a large cooler holding tubs of ice cream.
“Some spread,” Kathleen said as she and Raina pushed two kids in wheelchairs along the path.
“Mom said some grateful father is paying the bill this year,” Raina told her. “She also told me that sometimes the Pink Angels have fundraisers for these parties. They have a big one at Christmas. Can you imagine being stuck in the hospital over the holidays?”
“I guess we’ll be helping at the Christmas party, then, won’t we? I mean, since we’re signing on for the extended program.”
“You too?” Raina asked, surprised. “I wasn’t sure you would. I mean, you really weren’t that crazy about the idea when we started.”
Kathleen shrugged. “I’ve changed my mind. The place grows on you and besides, it’s a credit.”
“Hey, wait up!” Holly called from behind them. Both girls turned to see her pushing a small boy in a wheelchair. “This is Ben,” she said with a beaming smile. “He’s my date this afternoon.”
Ben had large,
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