are out!”
“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled then rode across the platform.
Knock, knock, knock. He pounded on the first door. Melissa swung it open.
“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled.
“The Regulars are out?” Melissa responded, slammed her door, and giggled. Chad gave her another thumbs-up.
Knock, knock, knock! Joey pounded harder on the second door, and Chad swung it open.
“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled louder.
“The Regulars are out?” Chad yelled back and slammed his door.
Skye straightened her mobcap one more time and grabbed the doorknob.
Knock, knock, knock! Joey pounded on the third door, and Skye swung it open.
Silence.
Time froze as Joey stood there, staring blankly at Skye. Then, with no conscious thought of where he was or why, he blurted out, “Cloud, I love you, and Jesus loves you too!”
Skye’s eyes registered a mixture of surprise and fear, and her brain went absolutely numb. She stared at thecongregation as a wave of muffled giggles broke the silence. Her glance was drawn back to Hannah and her friends, who were holding their sides and practically rolling in the aisle.
Joey, appearing to regain his focus, yelled at the top of his lungs, “Oh, I almost forgot. The Regulars are out too!” The microphone screeched, and the congregation burst into sidesplitting laughs that seemed to charge down the aisles and up onto the platform, attacking Skye like a swarm of angry bees.
Skye slammed her door and leaned against it, her mind a puddle of mush. Her eyes flooded with tears as she looked at Melissa and Chad, whose blank faces registered only, What do we do now?
Morgan strained to get Skye’s attention. “Skye! Say your line, or Joey won’t know what to do next.”
“I don’t care what he does!” Skye blurted out. Bursting into tears, she bounded off the stage and slipped out the door behind the organ. For a moment, she leaned against the wall and wept as if her life were over. With humiliation hot on her trail, she ran down the long hallway, charged out the back door of the church, and tore into the parking lot packed full of cars.
Chapter nine
S kye looked through an ocean of tears, struggling to focus on the Keystone Stables van at the far end of the lot. The evening sun, still beating down mercilessly, drenched her with a wave of hot, sticky air. She ripped off her mobcap, stuffed it in her apron pocket, and bunched her long flowing skirt into a tight wad. Wiping her eyes, she raced toward the van, weaving in and out of a maze of parked cars. I have never felt so lame, her heart cried. My life is ruined!
Reaching the van, she grabbed the door handle and pulled hard.
Locked!
Skye’s layers of clothing choked her frantic body, forcing sweat to ooze from her forehead and join the waterfall of tears. Adding that to the cloud of embarrassment that hung heavily over her only made Skye angrier. A charge of hot temper shot through her from head to toe. Again, she grabbed the handle and yanked and yanked. Somehow, it just had to yield to her persistent force.
“You stupid door!” she screamed. She flopped against the van window, buried her face in her arms, and started to cry again.
“Skye,” Mrs. Chambers said as she gently touched the girl’s shoulder.
Skye looked into her foster mother’s gentle, blue eyes, fell into her arms, and sobbed uncontrollably.
“I hate him,” Skye cried. “I know it’s wrong, but I do.”
Mrs. Chambers caressed Skye in arms of tender love. Not a word was spoken while Skye wept bitterly.
Finally, Mrs. Chambers said, “Let’s talk.” Holding her foster daughter at arm’s length, she gently brushed the tears from Skye’s face. “I think you could use some tissues too.”
She unlocked the van, and the two climbed in. Mrs. Chambers idled the engine and turned on the air conditioner. Reaching under the seat, she pulled out a tissue pack and handed it to Skye. “Here, honey,” she said softly.
Skye emptied her nose
“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled then rode across the platform.
Knock, knock, knock. He pounded on the first door. Melissa swung it open.
“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled.
“The Regulars are out?” Melissa responded, slammed her door, and giggled. Chad gave her another thumbs-up.
Knock, knock, knock! Joey pounded harder on the second door, and Chad swung it open.
“The Regulars are out!” Joey yelled louder.
“The Regulars are out?” Chad yelled back and slammed his door.
Skye straightened her mobcap one more time and grabbed the doorknob.
Knock, knock, knock! Joey pounded on the third door, and Skye swung it open.
Silence.
Time froze as Joey stood there, staring blankly at Skye. Then, with no conscious thought of where he was or why, he blurted out, “Cloud, I love you, and Jesus loves you too!”
Skye’s eyes registered a mixture of surprise and fear, and her brain went absolutely numb. She stared at thecongregation as a wave of muffled giggles broke the silence. Her glance was drawn back to Hannah and her friends, who were holding their sides and practically rolling in the aisle.
Joey, appearing to regain his focus, yelled at the top of his lungs, “Oh, I almost forgot. The Regulars are out too!” The microphone screeched, and the congregation burst into sidesplitting laughs that seemed to charge down the aisles and up onto the platform, attacking Skye like a swarm of angry bees.
Skye slammed her door and leaned against it, her mind a puddle of mush. Her eyes flooded with tears as she looked at Melissa and Chad, whose blank faces registered only, What do we do now?
Morgan strained to get Skye’s attention. “Skye! Say your line, or Joey won’t know what to do next.”
“I don’t care what he does!” Skye blurted out. Bursting into tears, she bounded off the stage and slipped out the door behind the organ. For a moment, she leaned against the wall and wept as if her life were over. With humiliation hot on her trail, she ran down the long hallway, charged out the back door of the church, and tore into the parking lot packed full of cars.
Chapter nine
S kye looked through an ocean of tears, struggling to focus on the Keystone Stables van at the far end of the lot. The evening sun, still beating down mercilessly, drenched her with a wave of hot, sticky air. She ripped off her mobcap, stuffed it in her apron pocket, and bunched her long flowing skirt into a tight wad. Wiping her eyes, she raced toward the van, weaving in and out of a maze of parked cars. I have never felt so lame, her heart cried. My life is ruined!
Reaching the van, she grabbed the door handle and pulled hard.
Locked!
Skye’s layers of clothing choked her frantic body, forcing sweat to ooze from her forehead and join the waterfall of tears. Adding that to the cloud of embarrassment that hung heavily over her only made Skye angrier. A charge of hot temper shot through her from head to toe. Again, she grabbed the handle and yanked and yanked. Somehow, it just had to yield to her persistent force.
“You stupid door!” she screamed. She flopped against the van window, buried her face in her arms, and started to cry again.
“Skye,” Mrs. Chambers said as she gently touched the girl’s shoulder.
Skye looked into her foster mother’s gentle, blue eyes, fell into her arms, and sobbed uncontrollably.
“I hate him,” Skye cried. “I know it’s wrong, but I do.”
Mrs. Chambers caressed Skye in arms of tender love. Not a word was spoken while Skye wept bitterly.
Finally, Mrs. Chambers said, “Let’s talk.” Holding her foster daughter at arm’s length, she gently brushed the tears from Skye’s face. “I think you could use some tissues too.”
She unlocked the van, and the two climbed in. Mrs. Chambers idled the engine and turned on the air conditioner. Reaching under the seat, she pulled out a tissue pack and handed it to Skye. “Here, honey,” she said softly.
Skye emptied her nose
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