Holly's Heart Collection Two (57 page)

It wasn’t
what
he said that made me want to do exactly what Uncle Jack asked, it was
how
he said it. “Sure, I’ll help,” I said as Mom placed a large plate of eggs and toast in front of me. “What’s up?”

“Only about twenty-five loads of laundry, give or take,” Mom joked. “You probably want to freshen up your summer things for your trip, too, right?”

I nodded, scooping up a forkful of eggs. “Can I run over to Andie’s first?” I asked before taking a bite.

Uncle Jack turned to me. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you put in a load of wash right after breakfast, and I’ll drive you to Andie’s on my way to work.” He glanced at Mom. “Okay with you, Susan?”

“Sounds good.” Mom sat down with her usual peppermint tea. “Just don’t be gone too long.”

“I’ll catch the bus home,” I said. It was perfect. Dressel Hills had public transportation via city buses—free to the public. That made getting around our little town a cinch.

Mom stirred honey from the plastic bear into her tea, humming softly. She seemed a little distant, though, like she was contemplating something important. Uncle Jack reached across and covered her hand with his big one. “What’s on your mind, Cupcake?”

She smiled a whimsical smile at me. “Guess I’m just going to miss my number-one girl, that’s all.”

“Aw, Mom, I’ll be fine. You know that,” I said.

“Of course you will.” She brightened. “It’s just such a different world out there on the West Coast.” She was thinking about big cities. Mom hated them. Too many people packed into one area gave her stress. Lots of it.

Uncle Jack squeezed Mom’s hand. “Holly’s going to be okay,” he said. “True, she’s not a big-city girl, but she knows how to handle herself.” He nodded at me. “Right, kiddo?”

“Uncle Jack’s right,” I said, smiling. He sure knew how to lighten up a conversation.

He got up and carried his plate over to the sink. “Holly won’t fall for some big, bad beach bum,” he said more for my benefit than Mom’s. “I guarantee it. Right, angel face?” His eyes twinkled, but I caught the serious glint behind them.

He must have heard from Mom that I’d pretty much written off the boys around here. After the way things turned out at camp, I figured it was a good idea to cool it with the boy-girl thing. Far as I was concerned, being just friends with the opposite sex was perfect at my age—almost fourteen and a half.

“That’s one of the reasons why I thought it would be fun to take Andie along to California,” I said glumly.

Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “Andie?”

Oops! The California thing was supposed to have been kept a secret. Except now that things were at a standstill with Andie’s parents, maybe it wasn’t such a big deal anymore.

I tried to laugh it off. “Well, it was a fabulous idea while it lasted,” I said. “Andie asked if she could go along, so I talked to Saundra about it. She said it was fine with her, but now Andie’s mom says no.”

Uncle Jack came over and leaned his hands against the bar. “That’s really too bad, isn’t it, hon? I think Andie’s going is a really terrific idea.”

A minute later, Mom was agreeing with Uncle Jack. Yes! With both of them on our side, maybe, just maybe, Andie and I could talk her mom into letting her go. What a fabulous turn of events!

It started to rain while I was at Andie’s. A dismal outlook for the day. Trying to be cheerful, I helped Mrs. Martinez by dressing Chris and Jon. The twins seemed happy to see me. Andie too. But there was an underlying sense of disappointment in the air.

“It’s going to be so boring around here without you, Holly,” Andie blurted out when her mom left the room.

I wanted to find the bright side of things. “Maybe it’ll still work out for you to come.”

“Huh?” She looked at me like I was crazy. “You don’t know my parents. Once they decide something, that’s it.”

“Well, listen to this.” And I began to fill her in on Uncle Jack’s reaction.

Andie beamed with anticipation. “So your stepdad liked the idea?”

“Would I kid you?” I laughed. “Let me hang around your mom for a while, you know, help her out a little. Maybe the subject will come up gracefully.”

Andie sighed. “Yeah, don’t you wish.”

I did my thing with Andie’s mom, following the twins around, picking up after them and assisting with anything that would bring me in close proximity to Mrs. Martinez.

Several times the conversation touched on my California trip, but mostly in reference to my dad and the fact that he’d become a Christian recently.

“Are you looking forward to going to California?” Mrs. Martinez asked politely.

I nodded. “It’s always perfect on the beach, you know. I always feel close to God out there.”

“What’s your stepmother like?” she asked rather pointedly.

I wanted to be careful about the way I described Saundra. After all, she wasn’t exactly the best role model around. If I told the truth and launched into a description of my stepmom’s materialism, it might limit Andie’s chances of going for sure.

“Saundra and I are getting to know each other better every time we’re together.” What a pathetic statement. I wasn’t really saying much of anything.

Andie’s mom sat down at the kitchen table with Jon on her knee. “Is she starting to go to church with your dad?”

“I don’t know exactly.” It remained to be seen how Saundra was responding to Daddy’s conversion. “The best I can do is pray for her.”

“Good for you, Holly” was all Mrs. Martinez said, and since I didn’t feel the timing was right, I dismissed the idea of pushing for Andie to go.

When the phone rang, I suspected it was my own mother, reminding me of my duties at home. My assumptions were correct, and reluctantly I said good-bye to Andie and to her mom before scampering out into the drizzle to catch the bus.

On the ride home, I thought of the logistics involved in getting Andie’s ticket in time for the Monday flight. Even if her parents agreed, it was unlikely that there would be a seat available at this late date, especially at such a hectic vacation time of year. Yet something in me held out hope.

When I arrived home, Carrie and Stephie greeted me at the back door. “You’re late,” Carrie bossed.

“Yeah,” Stephie echoed her. “We’ve been sorting your dirty clothes.”

I pushed past them and ran down the steps to the laundry room. The place was crammed with piles of whites, colors, and darks. “You weren’t kidding,” I said to Mom about the dirty clothes. “This is a mess.”

Mom ignored my comment. “What took so long?” she asked, her hands on her hips now. “I thought you were coming right back.”

I couldn’t tell her that my plan to approach Mrs. Martinez had bombed. That I’d tried to worm my way into the conversation over there, only to end up discussing Daddy’s new wife. So I muttered, “Sorry, things took longer than I thought.”

“Well, I hope we have
all
your dirty laundry.” She glanced around. “Carrie and Stephie brought everything down from your hamper.”

I wondered if my sisters had taken advantage of the moment and snooped elsewhere in my room. I could see Mom was feeling frantic about getting me ready for the trip. After all, I was going to be gone two full weeks.

“Have you made a list of things to take?” she asked.

“That’s a switch,” I said, laughing. “I’m usually the one asking you.”

She nodded. “Well, I think a list would be a good idea.”

“Sure, I’ll make one.” I started sorting through the underwear. Then I loaded the washer, sprinkling detergent around before I closed the lid.

I gathered up the next load, but Mom kept hanging around. It seemed she had something on her mind. I knew I was right when she said, “Any chance that Andie’s folks might change their minds?”

I shook my head. “Probably not.”

She leaned against the dryer, pushing a strand of blond hair away from her face. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of this earlier. Andie would be marvelous company for you.” What Mom was trying to say wasn’t coming out too clearly. She really meant to say that if Andie went to California with me, maybe she wouldn’t be as worried about me.

Just then a fabulous plan hit me. “Do you think Andie’s mom would be more open to the idea if you gave her a call?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Mom said, backing out of the laundry room.

“Aw, come on,” I said, laughing. Maybe by keeping an upbeat, cheerful attitude about this, I could get her to see the light. “Let’s discuss this.” Playfully, I reached for her arm.

“It’s not my place to interfere with Andie’s family.” She let me pull her back into the room.

“But you’re such good friends with her mom, and—”

“I don’t think it’s fair to use our friendship like that,” she said. “Rosita can be a very stubborn woman at times, and I think this may be one of those times.”

“But, Mom, can’t you at least call her and find out why she said no? Ple-e-ase? I’ll do anything, any chore you ask.”

Mom folded her hands in front of her and stepped toward me, grinning. “Does this mean
that
much to you?”

I hugged her nearly off balance. “Thanks, Mom. You’re so fabulous.”

She cocked her head. “Oh, so now I’m your favorite word.”

I tried to maintain my composure as she headed upstairs to get the portable phone. Minutes later, she came down with the phone in her hand. “I want you to hear what I say, Holly.”

Strange. Mom
never
wanted us to listen in on her phone conversations. What could possibly be on her mind?

LITTLE WHITE LIES

Chapter 6

“Hello, Rosita? Yes, this is Susan.”

I held my breath.

“How are your little ones?”

Another medium-sized pause. I could just imagine Andie’s mom telling something humorous about one of the twins. Except Mom wasn’t laughing.

“Oh, that’s good,” Mom said, nodding. “Yes, we’re just fine. Thanks.” A short pause. “Well, yes, Holly mentioned something about it.”

About what? What did I say?
I wanted to know where this conversation was headed.

“Jack and I thought it was a very good idea,” Mom said, much to my surprise. Could she be referring to Andie going with me to California?

I studied Mom’s face. Her eyes grew serious; her eyebrows knit into a hard frown. “I know. Sometimes things don’t make a bit of sense, but if you feel that way, I understand completely.” Mom glanced at me. “Well, it was no picnic the first time I let Holly go out there, but I guess letting go is a rather slow process.”

There was an exceedingly long silence on this end. Mom shook her head from time to time but nothing more.

“What?” I whispered, but Mom waved at me to be still. This was
so
agonizing, standing here in the middle of the laundry room, listening to Mom discuss my summer plans with my best friend’s mother.

The rinse cycle came on with a whooshing sound as water sprayed against spinning clothes. The noise triggered the end of Mom’s conversation with Mrs. Martinez. She said she’d talk with her again. I couldn’t wait for Mom to hang up. Maybe then I’d get some straight answers at last.

Finally she beeped the phone off. “What?” I demanded. “What did Andie’s mom say?”

“Holly-Heart,” Mom said, smiling, “I think you can relax about the whole thing.”

“What are you saying?”

She sighed. “Rosita’s just a little fearful, that’s all.” She placed the phone on top of the dryer. “There’s really no logical reason for her to have said no, but who knows, maybe next year. Things like this take time.”

“Time?” I was beside myself. Here we were, approaching the goal, and Mom was talking about our biggest enemy. “We don’t
have
time!”

She smiled. “We do if you want this thing to work itself out.”

Mom was probably right. Again. “So…how long do we have to wait?”

Her eyes twinkled. “Only until Rosita calls a travel agent. How’s that?”

“Oh, Mom!” I ran to her open arms.

“Happy?” she whispered.

I showed her just how very happy with the biggest bear hug I could muster.

Hours later, Andie’s mom called back. She’d gotten the information she needed. It was celebration time. Which, unfortunately, only lasted five seconds.