No Time for Horses by Shannon Kennedy Page B

one.” I reached up to
kiss him.
    Before we got too carried away, Robin and
Gwen jogged over to join us. They put their sport bags in the back
seat. “I owe you, Gwen.”
    “Hey, if I ever get stuck with five little
kids, you can pay me back.” Gwen waved for me to climb into the
cab. “So, what am I doing with them?”
    Once we were all in the pickup and Jack
started driving toward the elementary school, I explained about how
to walk the kids home. When they arrived, they would change to play
clothes, have their snacks and then settle down with homework. I’d
already prepped a chicken-broccoli casserole. It needed to bake for
an hour so she could put it in the oven. Salad makings were in the
fridge. Laundry needed to be started. “You just take whatever’s in
the washer and put it in the dryer. Then, throw a load of Chrissy’s
diapers in. You have to use the hot water cycle.”
    Gwen nodded and kept making notes. “If we
pass an espresso stand, can I buy them hot chocolates or
something?”
    “They would love it.” I dug into my purse and
handed her a twenty. “Here. Stop at that little grocery on the
corner, and you can treat them. Get a little cup of sherbet or an
apple juice for Chrissy. No chocolate. It gives her diarrhea.”
    “And when Mrs. Miller arrives, you leave,”
Robin said. “Tell her the stats on dinner, laundry, the kids, and
book it out of there. Wave bye-bye to the kids. But, hit the road immediately. Wait outside for your folks and your ride home.
Otherwise, Mrs. Miller will start moaning and groaning about her
ex-husband and Vicky abandoning her responsibilities. You don’t
want to listen to her griping and whining. Don’t do what I do,
which is tell her that she gave birth to those kids, not Vick.”
    “Which is why she wants us to stop being
friends,” I said. “She hates everyone who stands up to her.”
    “And if we get there first, which is more
likely,” Jack told Gwen, “I’ll run you home.”
    I pulled my keys out and passed the ring to
Gwen. “Give them to Kevin once you’re inside. He’ll get them back
to me.”
    “You got it.”
    Jack pulled up in front of the school. Robin,
Gwen, and I climbed out. I headed toward the kids. Linda ran to hug
me. “Daddy didn’t come today.”
    “Vicky always does,” Lance said, dragging his
backpack toward me. “She loves us.”
    “Got that right.” I pointed to his coat. “Put
it on before you catch cold.”
    “Told you she’d say that.” Kevin grinned up
at the stocky, dark-haired man who stood next to him. “It’s why the
kids call her ‘Mama Vicky’. She always fusses.”
    “Wait till they start calling you ‘Daddy
Kev’,” I said to him. “I’ll laugh the entire time you whine and
whinge about it.”
    Mr. Diaz didn’t smile. He eyed me and my
friends. “I didn’t realize that you attended Lincoln High, Vicky.
They have extraordinarily high standards.”
    “You should see the homework,” Robin told
him. “We have tons of it, and there’s no getting out of it.”
    “What about the internship hours?” Mr. Diaz
asked. “Can you make those up?”
    “No, but we look out for each other. It’ll be
okay,” I said. “And now, we have to go.” I got the kids walking
toward the street. Gwen and Robin joined us. When I glanced over my
shoulder, I saw the teacher heading inside. I hoped he didn’t get
in trouble for being late to his meeting.
    Cathy gave all three of us a long look. “So,
who is staying with us today?”
    “Me,” Gwen said. “And your sister gave me
money for hot chocolate.”
    That raised some cheers, and the twins
immediately grabbed her hands. They started telling her the best
place to visit. While she and Robin walked with the kids toward the
daycare, I climbed back in the truck. Jack waved at the group as we
passed them.
    “If I haven’t said I really appreciate
everything you do, I’m saying it now,” I told him. “You’re
amazing.”
    “I hope I still am after I tell you