Read Online Broken Horse by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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looked up.
“What?” he asked. That was unusual. Normally if Stevie hit any of her brothers, they would immediately either hit her back or yell for their parents.
If Stevie was surprised at her brother’s lack of retaliation, she didn’t let it show. “Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to introduce my friends to your little guest?”
“Oh,” Alex said, glancing over at Carole and Lisa. “Okay. Paige, these are my sister’s friends. Carole and, uh, Lisa. And this”—he put an arm proudly around his Paige’s shoulders—“is my girlfriend, Paige Dempsey.” He put a slight emphasis on the word
girlfriend.
Carole and Lisa politely said hello. Paige just smiled at them and squeezed Alex’s hand tighter. Then she and Alex returned their complete attention to each other.
“Well, so much for that,” Stevie said, as the three girls left Alex and Paige to themselves and set to work making the garlic bread.
Lisa shook her head. “I must say, Stevie, I really thought you were exaggerating about them. But you weren’t.”
“Told you so. Where’s Chad?” Stevie asked her father as she reached around him to grab the garlic powder.
“He’s still at soccer practice,” Mr. Lake replied. He closed the oven door and glanced at his watch. “He should be home in about twenty minutes—just in time to eat. He’s bringing his friend David home to dinner.”
Stevie didn’t pay much attention to most of her older brother’s soccer teammates, but she knew David. “You mean David Norfolk? He’s the one who sings in that rock band, right?” she asked. She turned to Carole and Lisa. “This band is really cool, despite the fact that it’s made up of a bunch of guys from Chad’s class. It’s called Rotting Meat.”
Carole wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. What a name.” She finished slicing and buttering the bread as Lisa prepared a pan and started laying the slices on it.
Stevie unscrewed the cap on the garlic powder. She sprinkled the contents liberally over the bread slices. Then, as Lisa carried the pan to the oven, Stevie glanced over her shoulder at Alex and Paige. With a sly smile, she carefully took a few steps toward them. When they didn’t look up, she quickly reached over and sprinkled garlic powder over them.
“Stevie!” cried Mrs. Lake, turning away from the counter just in time to see what her daughter was doing.
Stevie looked sheepish. “Sorry, Mom. I couldn’t resist.”
To Carole’s amazement, Alex and Paige hadn’t even noticed what Stevie had done. Paige’s nose wriggled a little, and she let out a tiny, polite sneeze.
“Gesundheit,” Alex said, leaning over to grab a tissue outof the box on the counter. He offered it to Paige gallantly, and she giggled and accepted, dabbing daintily at her nose.
Alex looked up and sniffed at the air. “Mmm, something smells good,” he said. “I hope you put plenty of garlic on the garlic bread. I love garlic.”
Stevie, Carole, and Lisa burst out laughing. Even Mrs. Lake couldn’t help smiling a little. “Alex, could you do me a favor and get two of the folding chairs from the basement? We’re going to be a big group tonight.”
“Sure, Mom,” Alex said, standing up. He took Paige by the hand. “Want to come help me?”
“Absolutely,” Paige replied coyly. “Lead the way.”
Stevie let out a sigh of relief when her brother and his girlfriend had left the room. “Is it just me, or did the saccharine level in this room just drop?” she commented.
“Let’s lock them in the basement while they’re down there getting the chairs,” Michael suggested.
Stevie looked thoughtful for a moment. But before her parents could say anything, she shook her head. “No good, Michael,” she said. “They’d probably like that. It would give them one more excuse to be alone together.”
A few minutes later, Mr. Lake announced that the lasagna was ready. “Smells like the garlic bread is done, too,” he added. “Let’s eat!”
Mrs.
“What?” he asked. That was unusual. Normally if Stevie hit any of her brothers, they would immediately either hit her back or yell for their parents.
If Stevie was surprised at her brother’s lack of retaliation, she didn’t let it show. “Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to introduce my friends to your little guest?”
“Oh,” Alex said, glancing over at Carole and Lisa. “Okay. Paige, these are my sister’s friends. Carole and, uh, Lisa. And this”—he put an arm proudly around his Paige’s shoulders—“is my girlfriend, Paige Dempsey.” He put a slight emphasis on the word
girlfriend.
Carole and Lisa politely said hello. Paige just smiled at them and squeezed Alex’s hand tighter. Then she and Alex returned their complete attention to each other.
“Well, so much for that,” Stevie said, as the three girls left Alex and Paige to themselves and set to work making the garlic bread.
Lisa shook her head. “I must say, Stevie, I really thought you were exaggerating about them. But you weren’t.”
“Told you so. Where’s Chad?” Stevie asked her father as she reached around him to grab the garlic powder.
“He’s still at soccer practice,” Mr. Lake replied. He closed the oven door and glanced at his watch. “He should be home in about twenty minutes—just in time to eat. He’s bringing his friend David home to dinner.”
Stevie didn’t pay much attention to most of her older brother’s soccer teammates, but she knew David. “You mean David Norfolk? He’s the one who sings in that rock band, right?” she asked. She turned to Carole and Lisa. “This band is really cool, despite the fact that it’s made up of a bunch of guys from Chad’s class. It’s called Rotting Meat.”
Carole wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. What a name.” She finished slicing and buttering the bread as Lisa prepared a pan and started laying the slices on it.
Stevie unscrewed the cap on the garlic powder. She sprinkled the contents liberally over the bread slices. Then, as Lisa carried the pan to the oven, Stevie glanced over her shoulder at Alex and Paige. With a sly smile, she carefully took a few steps toward them. When they didn’t look up, she quickly reached over and sprinkled garlic powder over them.
“Stevie!” cried Mrs. Lake, turning away from the counter just in time to see what her daughter was doing.
Stevie looked sheepish. “Sorry, Mom. I couldn’t resist.”
To Carole’s amazement, Alex and Paige hadn’t even noticed what Stevie had done. Paige’s nose wriggled a little, and she let out a tiny, polite sneeze.
“Gesundheit,” Alex said, leaning over to grab a tissue outof the box on the counter. He offered it to Paige gallantly, and she giggled and accepted, dabbing daintily at her nose.
Alex looked up and sniffed at the air. “Mmm, something smells good,” he said. “I hope you put plenty of garlic on the garlic bread. I love garlic.”
Stevie, Carole, and Lisa burst out laughing. Even Mrs. Lake couldn’t help smiling a little. “Alex, could you do me a favor and get two of the folding chairs from the basement? We’re going to be a big group tonight.”
“Sure, Mom,” Alex said, standing up. He took Paige by the hand. “Want to come help me?”
“Absolutely,” Paige replied coyly. “Lead the way.”
Stevie let out a sigh of relief when her brother and his girlfriend had left the room. “Is it just me, or did the saccharine level in this room just drop?” she commented.
“Let’s lock them in the basement while they’re down there getting the chairs,” Michael suggested.
Stevie looked thoughtful for a moment. But before her parents could say anything, she shook her head. “No good, Michael,” she said. “They’d probably like that. It would give them one more excuse to be alone together.”
A few minutes later, Mr. Lake announced that the lasagna was ready. “Smells like the garlic bread is done, too,” he added. “Let’s eat!”
Mrs.
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