sleeping through all the racket. Otherwise, he’d be banging around in here with his crutches, demanding I call the deputy.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to explain. “I was afraid, and I couldn’t get back into the house.”
She led me to the kitchen table. “I’m going to heat some milk for you,” she said. “It will help you relax.”
She poured milk into a pan and put it on the stove. Then she gave me her full attention and said, “Tell me what happened, right from the beginning.”
I did, and she said, “You only
thought
someone was out there. You saw the deer. That’s all it was. I told you, we have animals that make night noises. Rabbits … squirrels … remember?”
“An animal didn’t lock me out of the house.”
Glenda glanced toward the door as she answered, “You said that someone was outside, not
inside
, where he could lock the door.” She poured the steaming milk into a mug, brought it to me, then sat in a chair directly across the table.
“Trying to make your way outside at night would make anyone nervous,” she told me. “And it would be easy to accidentally turn the lock in the knob without realizing it. It’s loose. It could turn easily in your hand without your noticing.”
She reached across the table and gripped my hands. “This is all Gabe’s fault. His trying to blame someone for his fall, and making such a big deal about those foolish nail holes, has only fed your imagination. I’m going to tell Gabe that he’s positively not to say anotherword about being tripped on the stairs, and you’re not going to even think about it. It’s over and done with. Understand?”
“Yes,” I answered reluctantly. I couldn’t prove to myself one way or another that the door had locked accidentally, so it wouldn’t help to argue about it. What Glenda had said made sense. I had to admit she was probably right.
“Good,” Glenda said, and gave my hands a final pat. “You are not in danger. I’d never want that. Gabe and I are fine, too. Now drink your milk, and let’s both be off to bed.”
I dutifully went to my room, but I couldn’t sleep. I kicked off my blanket and lay with my eyes wide open, listening … waiting … for what? I didn’t know. The silence of the night was a thick black sludge, slowly creeping into every corner of the room. At some point, it closed around me, covering me, and I slept.
The morning sun, poking through the blinds in golden stripes, woke me, and I was surprised to see that it was close to eight-thirty. I hurried to dress. Ashley had said she’d come this morning, and I hoped she wasn’t already waiting for me.
I rushed into the kitchen so fast I tripped over a pair of long, jean-clad legs that stuck out from under the kitchen sink. I went sprawling. “Ouch!” I cried.
“Ouch!” echoed a voice from under the sink.
I sat up as the owner of the legs squirmed out from under the sink and faced me.
“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you,” I said to one of the best-looking guys I’d ever seen. His eyes were almostas dark as his hair, and they widened with surprise as he looked at me.
“I’m not hurt. Are you?” he asked.
I stopped rubbing my knee. “I’m okay,” I said. “I just didn’t expect you to be there.”
A wide smile spread across his face. “And I didn’t expect you to drop into my lap.”
I suddenly realized that my legs were still draped across his, and I scrambled back, sitting cross-legged. I said, “We’d better start over. I’m Julie Hollister. Gabe and Glenda Hollister are my dad’s uncle and aunt. I’m here to visit them for the summer.”
“And I’m Luis Garcia,” he answered. “I’m here to fix the drain under the sink.”
We both laughed.
I spoke first. “Aunt Glenda told me about you. She said you’re in high school.”
“For one more year,” Luis told me. “Then I plan to go to Texas A&M. Because I’m number two in my class, I’ve got a good chance for early
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to explain. “I was afraid, and I couldn’t get back into the house.”
She led me to the kitchen table. “I’m going to heat some milk for you,” she said. “It will help you relax.”
She poured milk into a pan and put it on the stove. Then she gave me her full attention and said, “Tell me what happened, right from the beginning.”
I did, and she said, “You only
thought
someone was out there. You saw the deer. That’s all it was. I told you, we have animals that make night noises. Rabbits … squirrels … remember?”
“An animal didn’t lock me out of the house.”
Glenda glanced toward the door as she answered, “You said that someone was outside, not
inside
, where he could lock the door.” She poured the steaming milk into a mug, brought it to me, then sat in a chair directly across the table.
“Trying to make your way outside at night would make anyone nervous,” she told me. “And it would be easy to accidentally turn the lock in the knob without realizing it. It’s loose. It could turn easily in your hand without your noticing.”
She reached across the table and gripped my hands. “This is all Gabe’s fault. His trying to blame someone for his fall, and making such a big deal about those foolish nail holes, has only fed your imagination. I’m going to tell Gabe that he’s positively not to say anotherword about being tripped on the stairs, and you’re not going to even think about it. It’s over and done with. Understand?”
“Yes,” I answered reluctantly. I couldn’t prove to myself one way or another that the door had locked accidentally, so it wouldn’t help to argue about it. What Glenda had said made sense. I had to admit she was probably right.
“Good,” Glenda said, and gave my hands a final pat. “You are not in danger. I’d never want that. Gabe and I are fine, too. Now drink your milk, and let’s both be off to bed.”
I dutifully went to my room, but I couldn’t sleep. I kicked off my blanket and lay with my eyes wide open, listening … waiting … for what? I didn’t know. The silence of the night was a thick black sludge, slowly creeping into every corner of the room. At some point, it closed around me, covering me, and I slept.
The morning sun, poking through the blinds in golden stripes, woke me, and I was surprised to see that it was close to eight-thirty. I hurried to dress. Ashley had said she’d come this morning, and I hoped she wasn’t already waiting for me.
I rushed into the kitchen so fast I tripped over a pair of long, jean-clad legs that stuck out from under the kitchen sink. I went sprawling. “Ouch!” I cried.
“Ouch!” echoed a voice from under the sink.
I sat up as the owner of the legs squirmed out from under the sink and faced me.
“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you,” I said to one of the best-looking guys I’d ever seen. His eyes were almostas dark as his hair, and they widened with surprise as he looked at me.
“I’m not hurt. Are you?” he asked.
I stopped rubbing my knee. “I’m okay,” I said. “I just didn’t expect you to be there.”
A wide smile spread across his face. “And I didn’t expect you to drop into my lap.”
I suddenly realized that my legs were still draped across his, and I scrambled back, sitting cross-legged. I said, “We’d better start over. I’m Julie Hollister. Gabe and Glenda Hollister are my dad’s uncle and aunt. I’m here to visit them for the summer.”
“And I’m Luis Garcia,” he answered. “I’m here to fix the drain under the sink.”
We both laughed.
I spoke first. “Aunt Glenda told me about you. She said you’re in high school.”
“For one more year,” Luis told me. “Then I plan to go to Texas A&M. Because I’m number two in my class, I’ve got a good chance for early
Similar Books
