disbelief.
Linden nodded. “Yup, he was no problem, and he seemed to enjoy helping me with the animals.” He paused. “By the way, I know you said he doesn’t talk, but does he nod when he understands something?”
Callie looked puzzled and shook her head slowly. “Not that I’ve noticed,” she answered skeptically. “Of course, I’m usually pretty good at upsetting him, so all I get are tantrums and revolutions.”
Linden shrugged. “Well, I’m pretty sure he nodded, and he definitely understands everything I say.” He paused thoughtfully. “How’s your dad?”
Callie sat down next to Henry. “He seemed good, tired though. He was having supper when I left.” She looked at Henry. “Speaking of which, I didn’t even warn you that Henry might be hungry or that he might need the bathroom.”
“We had a snack and I showed him where the bathroom is,” Linden said with a smile. “I’m smarter than I look,” he teased. “ And I was a little guy once too.”
Callie tried to picture Linden as “a little guy,” and smiled. Unfortunately, their history didn’t go back that far.
Linden interrupted her thoughts. “How ’bout you? Have you had supper?”
Callie looked over and shook her head. “Not yet, but I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Besides, don’t you need to get back to your project?” she asked, nodding toward the river.
“It can wait,” Linden replied, suddenly remembering the beer he’d left out on a rock.
“Well, I’d love to treat you to dinner, Linden,” she said with a sigh. “It’s the least I can do, but Henry doesn’t do very well in restaurants.”
Linden looked over at the little boy sitting on the wall. He hadn’t moved since Callie arrived. He just sat quietly, watching the cows. Linden followed his gaze and suddenly realized how much he wanted Callie to stay.
“We could order a pizza,” he suggested.
Callie looked over. “Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“Okay, but I’m paying,” she said, and then remembered she didn’t have any money. “I mean, I’m paying you back.”
Linden smiled. “We’ll see.”
While they waited for the pizza to arrive, Linden introduced Callie to all of the animals and explained how each one had come to live with him. Callie listened attentively and realized that Linden was still the same tenderhearted boy she’d known in high school, ever willing to help and always the first to offer. As they walked back toward the cabin, the one resident who hadn’t been introduced swooped out of the barn and settled in the tall Norway spruce across the meadow, his stately form silhouetted against the dusky sky. Henry pointed, and Linden tousled his hair. “Yup, that’s Atticus.”
“Atticus?” Callie asked, thinking back to their tenth-grade English class, and raising her eyebrows.
Linden grinned. “Atticus was already a resident with a name when I moved in,” he said, “and I’m sure you can guess who named him.”
Callie laughed. “I think that was one of Mr. Coleman’s favorite books.”
Linden nodded. “That and Our Town .”
A noisy, green Plymouth Horizon rumbled into the driveway. “Did you order a pizza?” the driver called through his window. Linden nodded and pulled his wallet from his pocket as he walked toward the car. “This place is really tucked away,” the driver commented, hoping for a big tip. Linden gave him an extra five. “Thanks, man!” the driver said with a grin as he pulled away.
“So, what do you think?” Linden asked, turning to Callie. “Shall we eat on the porch?”
“Sounds good,” she replied.
Linden handed the box to her and quickly rearranged the wicker chairs and side table. “How ’bout a beer?”
Callie smiled. “Sure. I can’t remember the last time I had a beer.”
“Milk for Henry?”
“If you have enough. Do you need help?”
“Nope,” he said, disappearing inside. Moments later, he reappeared with two bottles tucked under his arm, a small
Linden nodded. “Yup, he was no problem, and he seemed to enjoy helping me with the animals.” He paused. “By the way, I know you said he doesn’t talk, but does he nod when he understands something?”
Callie looked puzzled and shook her head slowly. “Not that I’ve noticed,” she answered skeptically. “Of course, I’m usually pretty good at upsetting him, so all I get are tantrums and revolutions.”
Linden shrugged. “Well, I’m pretty sure he nodded, and he definitely understands everything I say.” He paused thoughtfully. “How’s your dad?”
Callie sat down next to Henry. “He seemed good, tired though. He was having supper when I left.” She looked at Henry. “Speaking of which, I didn’t even warn you that Henry might be hungry or that he might need the bathroom.”
“We had a snack and I showed him where the bathroom is,” Linden said with a smile. “I’m smarter than I look,” he teased. “ And I was a little guy once too.”
Callie tried to picture Linden as “a little guy,” and smiled. Unfortunately, their history didn’t go back that far.
Linden interrupted her thoughts. “How ’bout you? Have you had supper?”
Callie looked over and shook her head. “Not yet, but I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Besides, don’t you need to get back to your project?” she asked, nodding toward the river.
“It can wait,” Linden replied, suddenly remembering the beer he’d left out on a rock.
“Well, I’d love to treat you to dinner, Linden,” she said with a sigh. “It’s the least I can do, but Henry doesn’t do very well in restaurants.”
Linden looked over at the little boy sitting on the wall. He hadn’t moved since Callie arrived. He just sat quietly, watching the cows. Linden followed his gaze and suddenly realized how much he wanted Callie to stay.
“We could order a pizza,” he suggested.
Callie looked over. “Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“Okay, but I’m paying,” she said, and then remembered she didn’t have any money. “I mean, I’m paying you back.”
Linden smiled. “We’ll see.”
While they waited for the pizza to arrive, Linden introduced Callie to all of the animals and explained how each one had come to live with him. Callie listened attentively and realized that Linden was still the same tenderhearted boy she’d known in high school, ever willing to help and always the first to offer. As they walked back toward the cabin, the one resident who hadn’t been introduced swooped out of the barn and settled in the tall Norway spruce across the meadow, his stately form silhouetted against the dusky sky. Henry pointed, and Linden tousled his hair. “Yup, that’s Atticus.”
“Atticus?” Callie asked, thinking back to their tenth-grade English class, and raising her eyebrows.
Linden grinned. “Atticus was already a resident with a name when I moved in,” he said, “and I’m sure you can guess who named him.”
Callie laughed. “I think that was one of Mr. Coleman’s favorite books.”
Linden nodded. “That and Our Town .”
A noisy, green Plymouth Horizon rumbled into the driveway. “Did you order a pizza?” the driver called through his window. Linden nodded and pulled his wallet from his pocket as he walked toward the car. “This place is really tucked away,” the driver commented, hoping for a big tip. Linden gave him an extra five. “Thanks, man!” the driver said with a grin as he pulled away.
“So, what do you think?” Linden asked, turning to Callie. “Shall we eat on the porch?”
“Sounds good,” she replied.
Linden handed the box to her and quickly rearranged the wicker chairs and side table. “How ’bout a beer?”
Callie smiled. “Sure. I can’t remember the last time I had a beer.”
“Milk for Henry?”
“If you have enough. Do you need help?”
“Nope,” he said, disappearing inside. Moments later, he reappeared with two bottles tucked under his arm, a small
Similar Books
