pressure. "I could tell you what I think about them. But that's just one person's point of view. What you really need, Luke, is a lot of opinions."
Luke had his hands clasped together and was holding them close to his mouth. His blue gaze was riveted toward me.
"And you won't tell anyone who wrote them?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die."
He stood up, licked his lips, and then held out his hand.
"We've got a deal, then."
For the second time in my life, I shook hands with Luke Carter. "I don't think you'll be disappointed," I said. "And just in case you're a big hit, we shouldn't put in your best poem first. Remember, an audience always expects a better performance the next time."
[Back to Table of Contents]
102
The Stillburrow Crush
by Linda Kage
Chapter Eight
I loved the smell of newspapers hot off the press. OK, OK, by the time we got the paper back from the printing press at Paulbrook, it was cooled down. But I still loved the smell of the ink and the texture of paper under my fingers. I loved holding the first copy in my hand, and I loved the anticipation.
There was nothing like opening the cover and taking the first look at something I helped create. It was usually the bright spot of my whole week.
I also liked standing in the front hall on Friday mornings to pass out copies to students walking by. And every Friday right after school, I hand delivered the newest issue to a few old folks in town who were avid readers. My last stop on this delivery route was usually my Aunt Kay's house.
My great aunt, Kay Burke, lived in the nice section of town.
Actually she lived with her nephew, my mom's brother, Uncle Stan. But when I went there, it was usually to visit Aunt Kay so I called it her house. Aunt Kay was my surrogate grandmother. She'd been the town's spinster librarian up until a few years ago when she'd fallen shelving books one evening and broken her hip. Now she was retired. But back in the day, she'd devoted her life to researching information for Stillburrow.
She had one brother and that had been Mom's dad. And since she'd never married or had kids of her own, she spoiled her brother's children. First Uncle Stan had been born. Aunt 103
The Stillburrow Crush
by Linda Kage
Kay had given him a $1,000 savings bond on his first birthday. And then came Andrea, my mother. But Grandma Burke died giving birth to Mom. So Aunt Kay moved in and helped her brother, Grandpa Burke, raise his two kids. She stayed with Grandpa even after Mom and Uncle Stan moved out, staying with him until he died. After Grandpa's death, she bought a little brown dachshund dog, which she named Chigger, to keep her company.
But a few years ago, about the time Aunt Kay broke her hip, Uncle Stan, who'd been living in Paulbrook with his wife and daughter, got a divorce. He'd decided to buy a house here in Stillburrow and have Aunt Kay and Chigger live with him. And every other weekend his twelve-year-old daughter, Jordan, stayed there as well.
Uncle Stan's house was huge. It was two stories high with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a basement, and an in-ground pool in the backyard. I was envious. But then, Burke had always been a respectable name in town. Mom had really messed up when she'd hitched herself to Dad. Of course, she'd been in high school and it probably seemed exciting to date a guy seven years older than she was. I once overheard that Grandpa Burke almost disowned Mom when she came up pregnant with Marty. But Aunt Kay stepped in and smoothed down the ruffled feathers.
Still, I don't remember Mom and Grandpa ever talking when I was young. She'd always drop Marty and me off to visit and then leave. A few hours later she'd return to pick us up. We'd wobble back to the car, stuffed with Aunt Kay's snickerdoodles and ready for a nap. But after Grandpa died, 104
The Stillburrow Crush
by Linda Kage
Mom stayed around during our snickerdoodle visits to chat with Aunt Kay. I never thought that was odd until I got older and
Luke had his hands clasped together and was holding them close to his mouth. His blue gaze was riveted toward me.
"And you won't tell anyone who wrote them?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die."
He stood up, licked his lips, and then held out his hand.
"We've got a deal, then."
For the second time in my life, I shook hands with Luke Carter. "I don't think you'll be disappointed," I said. "And just in case you're a big hit, we shouldn't put in your best poem first. Remember, an audience always expects a better performance the next time."
[Back to Table of Contents]
102
The Stillburrow Crush
by Linda Kage
Chapter Eight
I loved the smell of newspapers hot off the press. OK, OK, by the time we got the paper back from the printing press at Paulbrook, it was cooled down. But I still loved the smell of the ink and the texture of paper under my fingers. I loved holding the first copy in my hand, and I loved the anticipation.
There was nothing like opening the cover and taking the first look at something I helped create. It was usually the bright spot of my whole week.
I also liked standing in the front hall on Friday mornings to pass out copies to students walking by. And every Friday right after school, I hand delivered the newest issue to a few old folks in town who were avid readers. My last stop on this delivery route was usually my Aunt Kay's house.
My great aunt, Kay Burke, lived in the nice section of town.
Actually she lived with her nephew, my mom's brother, Uncle Stan. But when I went there, it was usually to visit Aunt Kay so I called it her house. Aunt Kay was my surrogate grandmother. She'd been the town's spinster librarian up until a few years ago when she'd fallen shelving books one evening and broken her hip. Now she was retired. But back in the day, she'd devoted her life to researching information for Stillburrow.
She had one brother and that had been Mom's dad. And since she'd never married or had kids of her own, she spoiled her brother's children. First Uncle Stan had been born. Aunt 103
The Stillburrow Crush
by Linda Kage
Kay had given him a $1,000 savings bond on his first birthday. And then came Andrea, my mother. But Grandma Burke died giving birth to Mom. So Aunt Kay moved in and helped her brother, Grandpa Burke, raise his two kids. She stayed with Grandpa even after Mom and Uncle Stan moved out, staying with him until he died. After Grandpa's death, she bought a little brown dachshund dog, which she named Chigger, to keep her company.
But a few years ago, about the time Aunt Kay broke her hip, Uncle Stan, who'd been living in Paulbrook with his wife and daughter, got a divorce. He'd decided to buy a house here in Stillburrow and have Aunt Kay and Chigger live with him. And every other weekend his twelve-year-old daughter, Jordan, stayed there as well.
Uncle Stan's house was huge. It was two stories high with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a basement, and an in-ground pool in the backyard. I was envious. But then, Burke had always been a respectable name in town. Mom had really messed up when she'd hitched herself to Dad. Of course, she'd been in high school and it probably seemed exciting to date a guy seven years older than she was. I once overheard that Grandpa Burke almost disowned Mom when she came up pregnant with Marty. But Aunt Kay stepped in and smoothed down the ruffled feathers.
Still, I don't remember Mom and Grandpa ever talking when I was young. She'd always drop Marty and me off to visit and then leave. A few hours later she'd return to pick us up. We'd wobble back to the car, stuffed with Aunt Kay's snickerdoodles and ready for a nap. But after Grandpa died, 104
The Stillburrow Crush
by Linda Kage
Mom stayed around during our snickerdoodle visits to chat with Aunt Kay. I never thought that was odd until I got older and
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