Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart Page B

you like summer, Kate. You’re young. You’re supposed to like summer. No school. Time to go fishing.”
    “I hate fishing.” Kate made a face.
    “I know, but you’re a good big sister. Tell Victoria to bait your hooks too. She doesn’t mind worms.”
    “I don’t mind worms. I just don’t like squishing them on hooks.” Kate shuddered. “And then you have to sit there quiet as stone and wait for some fish that’s too little to make a raccoon happy. Then you have to work the hook out of that little bitty fish’s mouth and throw the poor thing back in to grow bigger, but it remembers about the hook and you never catch it again no matter how big it gets. On top of that, it already smells like a fish, which I suppose makes sense since it is a fish and your hands end up stinking like fish. Worst of all, if you do happen to catch something big enough, you have to clean the thing and try to keep from swallowing a bone when you eat it. Now tell me what’s fun about any of that?”
    Daddy actually smiled, which is what Kate was trying to make happen. That and to keep him from looking over toward the little square house they were passing where a person could buy a drink. It was closed in the mornings, but Kate had seen men go up to the door at all times of the day and somebody always opened up. Grandfather Reece called it a den of iniquity. Kate had looked up “iniquity” in the dictionary and found verses that talked about it in the Bible, but she still wasn’t sure what went on in the little house. Except she knew it wasn’t good, even if her father was singing when he came home after being there.
    “You’re a good daughter too, Kate,” Daddy said. “I didn’t cause you trouble last night, did I?” He reached over and touched her hand as they stopped in front of Grandfather Merritt’s store. Gas fumes floated out to them from the gas pump where a man was filling up his car’s tank.
    “No, Daddy. You never cause me trouble.”
    “Oh, if only that were true.” His smile was gone again. “But you can tell your mother not to worry today. Tell her I’ll look forward to that raspberry pie tonight.”
    “Great, Dad,” she said before she tiptoed up to kiss his cheek. The stubble on his unshaven cheek poked her lips. She stood in front of the store and watched him walk on up the road to his shop. It would take him awhile to get his forge hot enough to shape a horseshoe, so it was just as well no one was outside waiting. And in her heart, a little prayer circled. Please let that be true about Daddy coming home to supper. Please.

8
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    Tori found worms. When Kate got back with the sugar and baking soda, Tori was waiting on the back porch with a couple of cane poles. She dug around in the can of dirt she was holding and pulled out a plump pink worm to show Kate.
    “He’s a wiggler.” Tori looked very pleased as she held up the worm. “We’ll catch a big one with him.”
    “Then I guess we’ll be eating fish for supper. I’ll tell Mama to have the skillet ready when we get back.” Kate tousled Tori’s hair with her free hand. “Give me a minute to get a jug for us. It’s already hot. We’ll need water.”
    Kate carried the groceries on into the kitchen, where her mother was washing and picking through a pan of raspberries. When Kate told her Daddy promised to be home for raspberry pie at suppertime, Mama managed a little smile as she said, “Then I guess I’d better bake one. Here, take a berry bucket in case you find some vines around the pond. That way you won’t have to fish the whole time.” She handed Kate the small metal pail she’d just emptied into her pan. “And don’t worry if you don’t get back by noon. Evangeline can carry your father’s lunch to him.”
    “By noon it’ll be sweltering. It’s already too hot for the fish to bite.” Kate lifted her hair up to give the back of her neck some air.
    “You hope.” Mama really smiled now as she laid her hand on Kate’s