Read Online A Roast on Sunday by Tammy Robinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Tammy Robinson
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lake?”
“Creek.”
“Bring me home trout this big for the smoker,” said Ray, extending his hands as wide as he could to either side of him.
“I’ll try my hardest.”
Willow left the kitchen and about five seconds later they heard her scream, “Nooooo.” They both jumped to their feet and ran to the front door.
“What is it, what’s wrong?” Maggie called out, her heart all the way up in her mouth from the sound of her daughter in trouble. She stopped at the top of the steps when she saw her daughter standing in the drive, still in one piece and, as far as Maggie could tell, unscathed. Then Maggie saw what had made Willow howl the way she had.
“You again.”
“Morning,” Jack said cheerfully. He was holding out something made of pink plastic, with large comical strawberry faces plastered all over it. Willow’s raincoat. Willow herself had backed away and was staring at him as if had come bearing a human head on a stick.
“ Where the hell did you find that?” she asked in disbelief.
“Willow , don’t swear.”
“ But…the last time I saw that thing was at the bottom of the lake. Weighed down with stones . I thought I’d finally got rid of it.” She saw her mother’s face and hurriedly added, “I mean, I was really worried that I’d never see it again.”
“Anyone would think you tried to lose it on purpose,” said Dot as she emerged from the house to see what all the noise was about.
“Well duh, of course I did.”
“ Willow ,” Maggie warned.
“Sorry,” Willow muttered darkly, not looking sorry at all.
“Where did you find it?” Maggie reached out to take the coat off Jack.
“Washed up on the shore of the lake,” he said. “Rufus and I were out taking our morning walk. He led me down a path and there it was, washed up on the shore, none the worse for wear.”
Willow scowled at Rufus who had the decency to look mournful. “Stupid dog. You couldn’t have just kept on walking, could you?”
Maggie turned the coat over in her hands. He was right, it was in remarkably good condition considering it had spent the night at the bottom of a lake. No rips or tears; it was as shiny as the day Dot had first brought it home.
“ Thank you for bringing it back,” she said to Jack, then turned to go back inside the house. She hoped he would take the hint and leave.
“Rufus,” her dad piped up. “That’s a terrible name for a dog.”
Jack sighed. “So people keep telling me.”
“I told him he should have called it Apollo,” said Willow.
“Now that’s a name a dog can be proud of,” agreed Ray. “That, or Shadow,” he mused. “I’ve always thought if I had a black dog that’s what I’d call it.”
“Lucky we never got one then,” said Willow.
“Don’t be so bloody cheeky.”
“Don’t swear,” said Dot and Maggie.
Jack looked from face to face in amusement. Then he looked over Maggie’s shoulder at the big old house behind her.
“ What an amazing house,” he said. “I’d love to see inside.”
Maggie’s mout h dropped open at his audacity, which was a shame because she was too slow to close it again and answer, so her father got in first.
“C ome on in lad, I’ll give you a tour.” Ray was very proud of the house he’d worked hard to buy and had owned for almost fifty years.
Collecting herself, Maggie smiled a warning at Jack behind her father’s back.
“I’m sure Jack has other places to be and other people to annoy,” she said.
“Nope,” Jack said, “just here and just you.”
Then he swept passed her with a grin and followed Ray up the porch steps and into the house.
Maggie watched him go, dumbfounded at this sudden turn in events.
“You’ll catch flies,” remarked Willow.
Maggie snapped her mouth shut.
Rufus gave a little whine and looked up at them woefully out of his big brown eyes. His ears drooped and he gave a heavy sigh.
“ I’ll just stay here and look after your dog shall I?” Maggie yelled after
“Creek.”
“Bring me home trout this big for the smoker,” said Ray, extending his hands as wide as he could to either side of him.
“I’ll try my hardest.”
Willow left the kitchen and about five seconds later they heard her scream, “Nooooo.” They both jumped to their feet and ran to the front door.
“What is it, what’s wrong?” Maggie called out, her heart all the way up in her mouth from the sound of her daughter in trouble. She stopped at the top of the steps when she saw her daughter standing in the drive, still in one piece and, as far as Maggie could tell, unscathed. Then Maggie saw what had made Willow howl the way she had.
“You again.”
“Morning,” Jack said cheerfully. He was holding out something made of pink plastic, with large comical strawberry faces plastered all over it. Willow’s raincoat. Willow herself had backed away and was staring at him as if had come bearing a human head on a stick.
“ Where the hell did you find that?” she asked in disbelief.
“Willow , don’t swear.”
“ But…the last time I saw that thing was at the bottom of the lake. Weighed down with stones . I thought I’d finally got rid of it.” She saw her mother’s face and hurriedly added, “I mean, I was really worried that I’d never see it again.”
“Anyone would think you tried to lose it on purpose,” said Dot as she emerged from the house to see what all the noise was about.
“Well duh, of course I did.”
“ Willow ,” Maggie warned.
“Sorry,” Willow muttered darkly, not looking sorry at all.
“Where did you find it?” Maggie reached out to take the coat off Jack.
“Washed up on the shore of the lake,” he said. “Rufus and I were out taking our morning walk. He led me down a path and there it was, washed up on the shore, none the worse for wear.”
Willow scowled at Rufus who had the decency to look mournful. “Stupid dog. You couldn’t have just kept on walking, could you?”
Maggie turned the coat over in her hands. He was right, it was in remarkably good condition considering it had spent the night at the bottom of a lake. No rips or tears; it was as shiny as the day Dot had first brought it home.
“ Thank you for bringing it back,” she said to Jack, then turned to go back inside the house. She hoped he would take the hint and leave.
“Rufus,” her dad piped up. “That’s a terrible name for a dog.”
Jack sighed. “So people keep telling me.”
“I told him he should have called it Apollo,” said Willow.
“Now that’s a name a dog can be proud of,” agreed Ray. “That, or Shadow,” he mused. “I’ve always thought if I had a black dog that’s what I’d call it.”
“Lucky we never got one then,” said Willow.
“Don’t be so bloody cheeky.”
“Don’t swear,” said Dot and Maggie.
Jack looked from face to face in amusement. Then he looked over Maggie’s shoulder at the big old house behind her.
“ What an amazing house,” he said. “I’d love to see inside.”
Maggie’s mout h dropped open at his audacity, which was a shame because she was too slow to close it again and answer, so her father got in first.
“C ome on in lad, I’ll give you a tour.” Ray was very proud of the house he’d worked hard to buy and had owned for almost fifty years.
Collecting herself, Maggie smiled a warning at Jack behind her father’s back.
“I’m sure Jack has other places to be and other people to annoy,” she said.
“Nope,” Jack said, “just here and just you.”
Then he swept passed her with a grin and followed Ray up the porch steps and into the house.
Maggie watched him go, dumbfounded at this sudden turn in events.
“You’ll catch flies,” remarked Willow.
Maggie snapped her mouth shut.
Rufus gave a little whine and looked up at them woefully out of his big brown eyes. His ears drooped and he gave a heavy sigh.
“ I’ll just stay here and look after your dog shall I?” Maggie yelled after
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