last night, turning the scene with Cassie over in her mind again and again and dreading the coming of morning, certain that when Cassie appeared at the breakfast table—
if
she appeared—she would be sullenly silent. But Cassie seemed to have put the incident behind her. Yet Rosemary still felt uneasy. “Are you sure you want to go to school today? It just seems like it might be too much for you. I mean, you don’t really have anything to wear—”
“What’s wrong with what I have on?” Cassie asked, frowning. “At home everyone wears jeans to school.”
“That’s what they do here too,” Keith put in. “I think Rosemary’s just wondering how clean they are.”
Cassie’s face clouded. “They’re clean enough. Besides, the only other thing I packed was a dress. And nobody wears dresses to school!”
Jennifer snickered, then fixed her eyes gleefully on her mother. “See? I told you so. How come no one ever believes what I say?”
“Because you’re eight years old, and everybody knows that eight-year-olds named Jennifer lie their heads off all the time,” Keith replied, then ducked away from Jennifer’s pummeling fists. “Anyway, even if she wanted to change her clothes, there isn’t time. You want some eggs, Cassie?”
Cassie shook her head. “All I ever have in the morning is orange juice and coffee.” As her father and stepmother exchanged a glance, she shrugged. “That’s all Mo—” She stopped abruptly, then went on. “That’s all Diana and I ever had. Neither of us ever ate breakfast.”
At Cassie’s use of her mother’s name, Keith glanced up, but Rosemary shot him a warning glance. “Suit yourself,” she said quickly. “But if you get hungry before lunch, don’t blame us.” As she poured Cassie a cup of coffee there was asoft rap at the back door. Rosemary put the coffeepot down and went to the service porch. A moment later she came back with Eric Cavanaugh behind her. Keith stared at the boy in surprise.
“Eric! What brings you over so early?”
Eric flushed slightly. “I … I just thought maybe Cassie might want to walk to school with me. I mean, since it’s her first day and everything.”
“I was going to drive her—” Rosemary began, but Cassie was already on her feet.
“It’s okay. I’d really rather walk. I mean—” Her voice faltered, and she flushed even redder than Eric had a few seconds earlier.
Rosemary’s brows arced knowingly. “You mean you’re not sure that being driven to school by your stepmother is quite the thing to do?” she asked.
Cassie’s flush deepened. “I—I didn’t really mean that—”
“It’s okay. Really,” Rosemary assured her. “In fact it was kind of stupid of me not to have figured it out for myelf. I guess I’m not very good at being a mother to a teenager yet.”
“But you’re not—” Cassie began, then stopped. For a moment there was an awkward silence, broken finally by Jennifer, who looked up at Eric, her eyes wide.
“Cassie’s mother died,” she announced. “And that makes my mom her stepmother, and me her halfsister. Isn’t that neat?”
Keith stiffened. “Jennifer! I’m sure Eric already knows what happened to Cassie’s mother, and I’m sure we don’t need to talk about it right now! And from now on your mother is going to be Cassie’s mother too. Understood? We don’t need any of that ‘step’ or ‘half’ nonsense around here.”
At the anger in her father’s voice, Jennifer’s expression froze and her eyes filled with tears. Wordlessly, she looked to Cassie for help.
“It’s all right,” Cassie said. “Jennifer didn’t mean anything, did you, Jen? She was just telling Eric the truth.”
Keith hesitated, then nodded. But his expression remained serious. “Okay. But I won’t have either of you getting the idea that Rosemary cares more for Jennifer than she does for you.”
Cassie stared at her father for a moment, and Rosemarybraced herself for another outburst.
if
she appeared—she would be sullenly silent. But Cassie seemed to have put the incident behind her. Yet Rosemary still felt uneasy. “Are you sure you want to go to school today? It just seems like it might be too much for you. I mean, you don’t really have anything to wear—”
“What’s wrong with what I have on?” Cassie asked, frowning. “At home everyone wears jeans to school.”
“That’s what they do here too,” Keith put in. “I think Rosemary’s just wondering how clean they are.”
Cassie’s face clouded. “They’re clean enough. Besides, the only other thing I packed was a dress. And nobody wears dresses to school!”
Jennifer snickered, then fixed her eyes gleefully on her mother. “See? I told you so. How come no one ever believes what I say?”
“Because you’re eight years old, and everybody knows that eight-year-olds named Jennifer lie their heads off all the time,” Keith replied, then ducked away from Jennifer’s pummeling fists. “Anyway, even if she wanted to change her clothes, there isn’t time. You want some eggs, Cassie?”
Cassie shook her head. “All I ever have in the morning is orange juice and coffee.” As her father and stepmother exchanged a glance, she shrugged. “That’s all Mo—” She stopped abruptly, then went on. “That’s all Diana and I ever had. Neither of us ever ate breakfast.”
At Cassie’s use of her mother’s name, Keith glanced up, but Rosemary shot him a warning glance. “Suit yourself,” she said quickly. “But if you get hungry before lunch, don’t blame us.” As she poured Cassie a cup of coffee there was asoft rap at the back door. Rosemary put the coffeepot down and went to the service porch. A moment later she came back with Eric Cavanaugh behind her. Keith stared at the boy in surprise.
“Eric! What brings you over so early?”
Eric flushed slightly. “I … I just thought maybe Cassie might want to walk to school with me. I mean, since it’s her first day and everything.”
“I was going to drive her—” Rosemary began, but Cassie was already on her feet.
“It’s okay. I’d really rather walk. I mean—” Her voice faltered, and she flushed even redder than Eric had a few seconds earlier.
Rosemary’s brows arced knowingly. “You mean you’re not sure that being driven to school by your stepmother is quite the thing to do?” she asked.
Cassie’s flush deepened. “I—I didn’t really mean that—”
“It’s okay. Really,” Rosemary assured her. “In fact it was kind of stupid of me not to have figured it out for myelf. I guess I’m not very good at being a mother to a teenager yet.”
“But you’re not—” Cassie began, then stopped. For a moment there was an awkward silence, broken finally by Jennifer, who looked up at Eric, her eyes wide.
“Cassie’s mother died,” she announced. “And that makes my mom her stepmother, and me her halfsister. Isn’t that neat?”
Keith stiffened. “Jennifer! I’m sure Eric already knows what happened to Cassie’s mother, and I’m sure we don’t need to talk about it right now! And from now on your mother is going to be Cassie’s mother too. Understood? We don’t need any of that ‘step’ or ‘half’ nonsense around here.”
At the anger in her father’s voice, Jennifer’s expression froze and her eyes filled with tears. Wordlessly, she looked to Cassie for help.
“It’s all right,” Cassie said. “Jennifer didn’t mean anything, did you, Jen? She was just telling Eric the truth.”
Keith hesitated, then nodded. But his expression remained serious. “Okay. But I won’t have either of you getting the idea that Rosemary cares more for Jennifer than she does for you.”
Cassie stared at her father for a moment, and Rosemarybraced herself for another outburst.
Similar Books
