really nice,” Megan said.
He shrugged. “You’d do the same, right?”
“Wrong. I wouldn’t give up Lance for all the money in the world.”
He kept quiet. She didn’t understand why he’d offered Lightning to the man. It was like Mom’s teapot money. She could have spent it on herself, but she didn’t. Mom enjoyed spending it on her sons. To Luke, seeing Willajean happy was more important.
Megan and Luke resumed preparing the dogs’ food in the kitchen while Lance and Lightning dove for anything that dropped on the floor.
“I don’t want to go to school,” Megan said as she peeled the carrots. “Alayna’s all excited. She even has her first day outfit ironed and hanging in her closet. She’ll love being the new girl and getting all the attention. I won’t.”
“It’s better than being ignored,” Luke said, thinking of his friend, Ethan, who’d avoided him after Mom died. Plus Dad still evaded him with the determination of an army drill sergeant.
“No it isn’t. I’d rather no one noticed me. I’d rather be going to my school back in North Carolina.”
“You can text your friends at lunch.” Luke dumped rice into the cooker.
“Really? They let you text in school?”
“Only at lunch.”
“That’s pretty cool.”
“I guess. But if you’re caught texting at any other time, your cell phone is confiscated. And the only way to get it back is for one of your parents to pick it up.” He added water and turned the cooker on.
“That probably won’t happen to me. I don’t get many texts anymore,” Megan said in a quiet voice.
Luke glanced at her. She was chopping the onions with extra force. Were those tears on her cheeks from the onions or not? He kinda understood how she felt. Megan had moved away from her friends, but Luke’s had backed away from him.
Partly my fault. Being around Ethan – who still had his mother – hurt too much. The few times he’d gotten together with his friend after the accident had been complete disasters. But now… Now he could handle it better, but it was too late.
“I’d text you if I had a phone,” Luke said.
“So you can tell me how great Lightning is?” She smirked at him.
“Of course. Did I tell you she almost caught a cricket this morning?”
Megan rolled her eyes. “Many times.”
They pulled the frozen meat from the freezer.
“I’m going to miss Lighting when we go back to school,” Luke said.
“She’s so small, you can probably smuggle her into class in your backpack.” Megan laughed.
Luke didn’t. Megan’s comment had struck him like lightning.
No storms threatened for the first day of school. A good sign. Luke pedaled to Willajean’s. Today was one of the few days Luke didn’t mind going to school. Everything would be new – teachers, classes, locker, schedule. But soon it would fade into boredom and routine.
At least this year he had Lightning.
He arrived at the kennel in time to help finish the morning feeding. Alayna wore an apron so her new clothes wouldn’t get dirty. Megan pretended to spill a bowl of dog food on her sister. Alayna shrieked and complained to Willajean, who ignored her.
After the last dog was fed, Luke had a few minutes to play with Lightning before they needed to leave.
“Hey, Luke, can you check the temperature sensor after school?” Willajean asked.
“Sure. Why?”
“I think one of the wires is loose. I looked at the data Alayna recorded yesterday, and it reported a high temperature of twenty degrees.”
“Does she know how to work the data logger?” he asked.
Alayna glared at him. “If you can do it, any idiot can do it too.”
“So you’re an idiot then?” Megan asked.
Alayna rounded on Megan, who smiled sweetly at her.
“I don’t have time to bother with children .” Alayna slammed the door behind her and headed up the driveway.
“There goes the princess.” Megan pretended to bow. “Going to catch her big yellow carriage.”
Luke laughed. “We’d better
He shrugged. “You’d do the same, right?”
“Wrong. I wouldn’t give up Lance for all the money in the world.”
He kept quiet. She didn’t understand why he’d offered Lightning to the man. It was like Mom’s teapot money. She could have spent it on herself, but she didn’t. Mom enjoyed spending it on her sons. To Luke, seeing Willajean happy was more important.
Megan and Luke resumed preparing the dogs’ food in the kitchen while Lance and Lightning dove for anything that dropped on the floor.
“I don’t want to go to school,” Megan said as she peeled the carrots. “Alayna’s all excited. She even has her first day outfit ironed and hanging in her closet. She’ll love being the new girl and getting all the attention. I won’t.”
“It’s better than being ignored,” Luke said, thinking of his friend, Ethan, who’d avoided him after Mom died. Plus Dad still evaded him with the determination of an army drill sergeant.
“No it isn’t. I’d rather no one noticed me. I’d rather be going to my school back in North Carolina.”
“You can text your friends at lunch.” Luke dumped rice into the cooker.
“Really? They let you text in school?”
“Only at lunch.”
“That’s pretty cool.”
“I guess. But if you’re caught texting at any other time, your cell phone is confiscated. And the only way to get it back is for one of your parents to pick it up.” He added water and turned the cooker on.
“That probably won’t happen to me. I don’t get many texts anymore,” Megan said in a quiet voice.
Luke glanced at her. She was chopping the onions with extra force. Were those tears on her cheeks from the onions or not? He kinda understood how she felt. Megan had moved away from her friends, but Luke’s had backed away from him.
Partly my fault. Being around Ethan – who still had his mother – hurt too much. The few times he’d gotten together with his friend after the accident had been complete disasters. But now… Now he could handle it better, but it was too late.
“I’d text you if I had a phone,” Luke said.
“So you can tell me how great Lightning is?” She smirked at him.
“Of course. Did I tell you she almost caught a cricket this morning?”
Megan rolled her eyes. “Many times.”
They pulled the frozen meat from the freezer.
“I’m going to miss Lighting when we go back to school,” Luke said.
“She’s so small, you can probably smuggle her into class in your backpack.” Megan laughed.
Luke didn’t. Megan’s comment had struck him like lightning.
No storms threatened for the first day of school. A good sign. Luke pedaled to Willajean’s. Today was one of the few days Luke didn’t mind going to school. Everything would be new – teachers, classes, locker, schedule. But soon it would fade into boredom and routine.
At least this year he had Lightning.
He arrived at the kennel in time to help finish the morning feeding. Alayna wore an apron so her new clothes wouldn’t get dirty. Megan pretended to spill a bowl of dog food on her sister. Alayna shrieked and complained to Willajean, who ignored her.
After the last dog was fed, Luke had a few minutes to play with Lightning before they needed to leave.
“Hey, Luke, can you check the temperature sensor after school?” Willajean asked.
“Sure. Why?”
“I think one of the wires is loose. I looked at the data Alayna recorded yesterday, and it reported a high temperature of twenty degrees.”
“Does she know how to work the data logger?” he asked.
Alayna glared at him. “If you can do it, any idiot can do it too.”
“So you’re an idiot then?” Megan asked.
Alayna rounded on Megan, who smiled sweetly at her.
“I don’t have time to bother with children .” Alayna slammed the door behind her and headed up the driveway.
“There goes the princess.” Megan pretended to bow. “Going to catch her big yellow carriage.”
Luke laughed. “We’d better
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