‘friends’ at the house when you were there?”
“I think so. And I had thought I’d get some relief from that when we got away from home.”
Carole had to laugh. Almost every one of their friends seemed to know a single woman who would be “just perfect” for Carole’s father. “You know what Marjorie Jennings—you know, the major’s daughter—told me? She said that the ladies in the bridge league at the Officers’ Club at Quantico call you ‘Colonel Handsome.’Of course, they’re right. You’re the handsomest man I know. And you look so
dashing
in your uniform—especially the dress blues with the red stripe!” she teased her father.
He laughed. “And don’t you think for a minute that Mrs. Jennings hasn’t invited her unmarried sister down for a visit. Every time I see the woman, she tells me how wonderful her sister is and what a
marvelous
mother she’d make. See, Carole, it isn’t just
me
they’re after. The woman wants to be a mother to
you
. Are you ready for that?”
“Not from any sister of Mrs. Jennings’s!” Carole said, laughing. “But Dad, seriously, wouldn’t you like to get married again?”
“Well, hon, I’ll tell you. I loved your mom. She was one in a million—no, make that two million. There just isn’t anybody to replace her.”
Carole was quiet for a moment. Her father was often very lonely without her mother. She knew that one day he would probably find another woman to share his life with. Until he was ready, or until the right woman came along, nothing she could say would make it happen.
“Especially Mrs. Jennings’s sister,” Carole said.
“And
especially
if she looks like Mrs. Jennings!”
“A fine thing for you to say, Colonel Handsome!” Carole chided him. They laughed together. Carole felt then, as she had felt many times since her mother’s death, that losing her mother was the most awful thingthat could have happened to her. But she still had her father, and a pretty terrific one at that. One in two million.
A HALF HOUR later, Carole’s suitcase was unpacked and she was beginning to feel as if she were actually back home again. That made it time to call Stevie and Lisa. Maybe they could all get together at the Tastee Delight ice cream parlor—TD’s, as the girls called their favorite meeting place. But just as she reached for the phone, it rang.
“Hello?”
“Oh, Carole, you’re back!” Stevie said.
“Right on time,” Carole said cheerfully. “I was just about to call you. I had a wonderful time in North Carolina. I can’t wait to tell you and Lisa all about it. Saddle Club meeting tomorrow right after school? We can meet at TD’s for ice cream—”
“Carole, stop!” Stevie said. “You’ve got to get over here.”
“You missed me that badly, huh?” Carole teased. But when there was a silence, Carole began to get the awful feeling that something was wrong. Really wrong. “Where are you? What’s the matter?”
“I’m at Pine Hollow. It’s Cobalt—I mean, just get over here, will you?”
“
What?
” she said, but Stevie had already hung up the phone.
In a matter of minutes, Carole and her father were back in their car, this time headed for Pine Hollow. Carole was so worried she couldn’t speak. Her father just squeezed her hand and said, “It’s going to be all right, hon. You’ll see.”
As they neared the stable, Carole could hear the terrible whine of a siren. An ambulance pulled out of the driveway and turned toward the hospital, lights flashing, siren wailing. The diAngelos’ Mercedes was parked carelessly in the lot, its doors left open.
But the only things Carole really saw were the veterinarian’s pickup truck and the county vet’s wagon. That was when Carole knew the worst. Two veterinarians always had to sign a certificate before a horse could be destroyed.
“
Cobalt!
” she screamed, jumping from the car almost before it stopped.
Lisa and Stevie came running out of the stable. Lisa reached
“I think so. And I had thought I’d get some relief from that when we got away from home.”
Carole had to laugh. Almost every one of their friends seemed to know a single woman who would be “just perfect” for Carole’s father. “You know what Marjorie Jennings—you know, the major’s daughter—told me? She said that the ladies in the bridge league at the Officers’ Club at Quantico call you ‘Colonel Handsome.’Of course, they’re right. You’re the handsomest man I know. And you look so
dashing
in your uniform—especially the dress blues with the red stripe!” she teased her father.
He laughed. “And don’t you think for a minute that Mrs. Jennings hasn’t invited her unmarried sister down for a visit. Every time I see the woman, she tells me how wonderful her sister is and what a
marvelous
mother she’d make. See, Carole, it isn’t just
me
they’re after. The woman wants to be a mother to
you
. Are you ready for that?”
“Not from any sister of Mrs. Jennings’s!” Carole said, laughing. “But Dad, seriously, wouldn’t you like to get married again?”
“Well, hon, I’ll tell you. I loved your mom. She was one in a million—no, make that two million. There just isn’t anybody to replace her.”
Carole was quiet for a moment. Her father was often very lonely without her mother. She knew that one day he would probably find another woman to share his life with. Until he was ready, or until the right woman came along, nothing she could say would make it happen.
“Especially Mrs. Jennings’s sister,” Carole said.
“And
especially
if she looks like Mrs. Jennings!”
“A fine thing for you to say, Colonel Handsome!” Carole chided him. They laughed together. Carole felt then, as she had felt many times since her mother’s death, that losing her mother was the most awful thingthat could have happened to her. But she still had her father, and a pretty terrific one at that. One in two million.
A HALF HOUR later, Carole’s suitcase was unpacked and she was beginning to feel as if she were actually back home again. That made it time to call Stevie and Lisa. Maybe they could all get together at the Tastee Delight ice cream parlor—TD’s, as the girls called their favorite meeting place. But just as she reached for the phone, it rang.
“Hello?”
“Oh, Carole, you’re back!” Stevie said.
“Right on time,” Carole said cheerfully. “I was just about to call you. I had a wonderful time in North Carolina. I can’t wait to tell you and Lisa all about it. Saddle Club meeting tomorrow right after school? We can meet at TD’s for ice cream—”
“Carole, stop!” Stevie said. “You’ve got to get over here.”
“You missed me that badly, huh?” Carole teased. But when there was a silence, Carole began to get the awful feeling that something was wrong. Really wrong. “Where are you? What’s the matter?”
“I’m at Pine Hollow. It’s Cobalt—I mean, just get over here, will you?”
“
What?
” she said, but Stevie had already hung up the phone.
In a matter of minutes, Carole and her father were back in their car, this time headed for Pine Hollow. Carole was so worried she couldn’t speak. Her father just squeezed her hand and said, “It’s going to be all right, hon. You’ll see.”
As they neared the stable, Carole could hear the terrible whine of a siren. An ambulance pulled out of the driveway and turned toward the hospital, lights flashing, siren wailing. The diAngelos’ Mercedes was parked carelessly in the lot, its doors left open.
But the only things Carole really saw were the veterinarian’s pickup truck and the county vet’s wagon. That was when Carole knew the worst. Two veterinarians always had to sign a certificate before a horse could be destroyed.
“
Cobalt!
” she screamed, jumping from the car almost before it stopped.
Lisa and Stevie came running out of the stable. Lisa reached
Similar Books
