well close her eyes, go back to sleep—
“Everybody up for breakfast! Stevie! Chad! Alex! Michael! Time to eat!”
Stevie scowled at her aunt’s cheery tone. Normally she would have been happy to join the breakfast feast, but the idea of another pre-party meal almost made her lose her appetite. There was a sharp rap on the door, and Aunt Lila poked her head in.
“Seven and a half hours till party time!” she announced.
Stevie sat up in bed and did her best to look enthusiastic. “Wow, not much time left,” she said, hoping that her aunt didn’t notice the robotlike sound of her voice.
“If you’re like Angie, you’re probably too excited to eat, but come down anyway and join the crowd, okay, honey?” Aunt Lila urged.
Stevie nodded weakly as her aunt closed the door. “Sure, Aunt Lila. I’ll be down right away.” Under her breath she added, “Too excited to eat? More like hearing about this party is ruining my appetite!”
Despite Stevie’s misgivings, breakfast was a lively affair. The seven cousins squeezed around one table, the three sets of aunts and uncles around another. Everybody put away huge piles of pancakes and bacon. Even Angie mentioned how good the food tasted—instead of describing party hors d’oeuvres for the millionth time.
Stevie found herself enjoying the sibling sparring that her brothers initiated the minute there was a pause in the conversation. “Boy, it’s almost eleven A.M . and Stevie hasn’t mentioned horses yet,” Chad remarked.
“That’s because she can’t talk with her mouth full,” Alex practically yelled. The two of them snorted with laughter.
“Yes: Unlike some people at the table, I actually
have
manners,” Stevie shot back happily.
Before her brothers could respond, both tables fell silent to listen to Uncle Chester read the newspaper’s weather report. “Continued snow, temperatures in the mid-twenties, slightly warmer tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Who cares about tomorrow?” Angie demanded.
At the adults’ table, Aunt Lila and Uncle Chester hada quiet word together. They looked concerned, especially since it had already started to snow again. “The caterer has a wedding upstate this morning. She’s supposed to get here an hour or two before the guests start coming. It could be tight with the icy roads,” said Aunt Lila.
“Oh, please, Mother,” Angie jumped in. “The woman is an expert. That’s why we’re paying her so much. She knows how much time she needs to set up. I’m sure she’ll make it.”
Stevie glanced at her watch. The time made her grin. They had actually managed to stop talking about the party for thirty-five minutes—a weekend record.
After breakfast, Stevie managed to excuse herself from watching Angie try on outfits. She wandered out to the barn and played with the horses for a while. Back inside the house, she looked around the family room, wondering what she could do to kill the next few hours. Several games were stacked beside the television. Stevie pulled out the Monopoly set and went to see if she could interest Chad and Alex.
“Monopoly?” Alex asked disdainfully. “You think we have time for a game, Stevie? Please. We have to report to Uncle Chester in five minutes.”
“Don’t tell me. It’s something for the party,” Stevie guessed.
“That’s right. We’re helping rearrange the furniture,” Chad replied.
“Shouldn’t you be helping Aunt Lila with something?” Alex asked suspiciously.
“Yeah, or Angie?” Chad demanded. “She’s probably very nervous right now and needs everyone to pitch in.”
Stevie stared at the two of them, speechless. Things had gotten out of control. How was she supposed to “pitch in” when her aunt and uncle had hired professionals for every element of the party? Alex and Chad seemed to think she should follow Angie around like a dog, lapping up party talk.
Leaving the boys, she stomped down the hall to the guest room, which she was now sharing with Angie’s
“Everybody up for breakfast! Stevie! Chad! Alex! Michael! Time to eat!”
Stevie scowled at her aunt’s cheery tone. Normally she would have been happy to join the breakfast feast, but the idea of another pre-party meal almost made her lose her appetite. There was a sharp rap on the door, and Aunt Lila poked her head in.
“Seven and a half hours till party time!” she announced.
Stevie sat up in bed and did her best to look enthusiastic. “Wow, not much time left,” she said, hoping that her aunt didn’t notice the robotlike sound of her voice.
“If you’re like Angie, you’re probably too excited to eat, but come down anyway and join the crowd, okay, honey?” Aunt Lila urged.
Stevie nodded weakly as her aunt closed the door. “Sure, Aunt Lila. I’ll be down right away.” Under her breath she added, “Too excited to eat? More like hearing about this party is ruining my appetite!”
Despite Stevie’s misgivings, breakfast was a lively affair. The seven cousins squeezed around one table, the three sets of aunts and uncles around another. Everybody put away huge piles of pancakes and bacon. Even Angie mentioned how good the food tasted—instead of describing party hors d’oeuvres for the millionth time.
Stevie found herself enjoying the sibling sparring that her brothers initiated the minute there was a pause in the conversation. “Boy, it’s almost eleven A.M . and Stevie hasn’t mentioned horses yet,” Chad remarked.
“That’s because she can’t talk with her mouth full,” Alex practically yelled. The two of them snorted with laughter.
“Yes: Unlike some people at the table, I actually
have
manners,” Stevie shot back happily.
Before her brothers could respond, both tables fell silent to listen to Uncle Chester read the newspaper’s weather report. “Continued snow, temperatures in the mid-twenties, slightly warmer tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Who cares about tomorrow?” Angie demanded.
At the adults’ table, Aunt Lila and Uncle Chester hada quiet word together. They looked concerned, especially since it had already started to snow again. “The caterer has a wedding upstate this morning. She’s supposed to get here an hour or two before the guests start coming. It could be tight with the icy roads,” said Aunt Lila.
“Oh, please, Mother,” Angie jumped in. “The woman is an expert. That’s why we’re paying her so much. She knows how much time she needs to set up. I’m sure she’ll make it.”
Stevie glanced at her watch. The time made her grin. They had actually managed to stop talking about the party for thirty-five minutes—a weekend record.
After breakfast, Stevie managed to excuse herself from watching Angie try on outfits. She wandered out to the barn and played with the horses for a while. Back inside the house, she looked around the family room, wondering what she could do to kill the next few hours. Several games were stacked beside the television. Stevie pulled out the Monopoly set and went to see if she could interest Chad and Alex.
“Monopoly?” Alex asked disdainfully. “You think we have time for a game, Stevie? Please. We have to report to Uncle Chester in five minutes.”
“Don’t tell me. It’s something for the party,” Stevie guessed.
“That’s right. We’re helping rearrange the furniture,” Chad replied.
“Shouldn’t you be helping Aunt Lila with something?” Alex asked suspiciously.
“Yeah, or Angie?” Chad demanded. “She’s probably very nervous right now and needs everyone to pitch in.”
Stevie stared at the two of them, speechless. Things had gotten out of control. How was she supposed to “pitch in” when her aunt and uncle had hired professionals for every element of the party? Alex and Chad seemed to think she should follow Angie around like a dog, lapping up party talk.
Leaving the boys, she stomped down the hall to the guest room, which she was now sharing with Angie’s
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