Read Online Running Lean by Diana L. Sharples - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diana L. Sharples
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Her delicate hand gripped the wooden banister until she disappeared behind the slope of what was once the roofline of the old house.
Calvin played with his baby sister, launching tickle attacks then sitting as still as a statue until her giggling subsided. Light flowedthrough the dining room, along with a draft of cool air. Someone had opened the back door at last.
A high-pitched wail upstairs made Calvin jump. He breathed out as he realized it was just Jacob having another fit. His brother came flying downstairs, his pale, angelic features twisted in agony. “Mom! Mom!”
“What happened now,” Mom said, coming around the wall from the dining room.
Jacob grabbed Mom’s shirt hem and pointed upstairs. “Somebody’s throwing up in the bathroom!”
Chapter 6
“W hat’s that deal where they stick their fingers down their throats?”
Tyler’s question stuck in Calvin’s head as he stood outside the bathroom, listening to water running in the sink on the other side of the door. Mom hovered behind him, her breath coming in quick gasps from her dash up the stairs. Jacob peered around her hips, clearly grossed out and terrified. Zachary, all wide-eyed curiosity, stood across the hall in the doorway of the bedroom he shared with his younger brother. Calvin thought he heard Lizzie’s voice from the stairwell. Great. Almost the whole family was there for the unveiling.
The door opened, and Stacey came out, her head lowered. She nearly collided with Calvin and let out a yip of surprise as she jumped back.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“What? Oh. Um.” Her eyes darted around to all the staring faces. Then she turned toward the wall, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel well. I think I might have caught something.”
Even in the dim light of the hallway, her skin glistened. Like at school the other day. Calvin sighed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I thought it would go away. I didn’t want to ruin our plans.”
Calvin’s suspicions wavered. Passing out at school and now this … What if she was really sick?
Mom came around Calvin and put her hands on Stacey. “Oh, sweetheart. Poor thing. Lizzie, go down and get a glass of water for her to sip. Then I need you to watch the baby for a moment. Boys, don’t just stare at her. Go into your room for a bit.”
Calvin’s shoulders slumped. “Are you feeling any better now?”
“Uh …” Stacey leaned toward Calvin. He remained immobile, unable to push aside the nagging questions in his head. But she looked miserable. What kind of jerk would he be to hold himself back from her? He pulled her into his arms, and she in return pressed her forehead against his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay.” He tangled his fingers in her hair. “I don’t want you to be sick.”
She stiffened. He tightened his grip on her, to hold on until he got the answers he wanted. “Talk to me, Stace. Please tell me what’s going on.”
Mom came out of the bathroom with a wet cloth in her hand and dabbed it against Stacey’s forehead and cheek. “Has she been sick before this?”
Stacey’s eyes widened and she gave her head a little shake. Calvin understood.
Don’t tell
. Okay, not yet. Which was fine—he wanted to talk to Stacey alone before he said anything to Mom or anyone else.
“It was that smell,” Stacey muttered. “The polish. I thought I’d be okay today, but then that smell just made me feel sick again.”
Plausible. Still …
A glass with tinkling ice appeared next to Calvin. Mom took it and pressed it into Stacey’s hand. Taking command, fixing the sick child. “Drink slowly, hon. Little sips.”
Stacey muttered thanks and took a swallow. Holding the glassin one hand, Stacey reached over to stroke his forearm down to his wrist. Calvin jerked away and tugged the hair at the front of his head toward the bridge of his nose. Was she actually sick? And if she had the flu or something,
Calvin played with his baby sister, launching tickle attacks then sitting as still as a statue until her giggling subsided. Light flowedthrough the dining room, along with a draft of cool air. Someone had opened the back door at last.
A high-pitched wail upstairs made Calvin jump. He breathed out as he realized it was just Jacob having another fit. His brother came flying downstairs, his pale, angelic features twisted in agony. “Mom! Mom!”
“What happened now,” Mom said, coming around the wall from the dining room.
Jacob grabbed Mom’s shirt hem and pointed upstairs. “Somebody’s throwing up in the bathroom!”
Chapter 6
“W hat’s that deal where they stick their fingers down their throats?”
Tyler’s question stuck in Calvin’s head as he stood outside the bathroom, listening to water running in the sink on the other side of the door. Mom hovered behind him, her breath coming in quick gasps from her dash up the stairs. Jacob peered around her hips, clearly grossed out and terrified. Zachary, all wide-eyed curiosity, stood across the hall in the doorway of the bedroom he shared with his younger brother. Calvin thought he heard Lizzie’s voice from the stairwell. Great. Almost the whole family was there for the unveiling.
The door opened, and Stacey came out, her head lowered. She nearly collided with Calvin and let out a yip of surprise as she jumped back.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“What? Oh. Um.” Her eyes darted around to all the staring faces. Then she turned toward the wall, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel well. I think I might have caught something.”
Even in the dim light of the hallway, her skin glistened. Like at school the other day. Calvin sighed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I thought it would go away. I didn’t want to ruin our plans.”
Calvin’s suspicions wavered. Passing out at school and now this … What if she was really sick?
Mom came around Calvin and put her hands on Stacey. “Oh, sweetheart. Poor thing. Lizzie, go down and get a glass of water for her to sip. Then I need you to watch the baby for a moment. Boys, don’t just stare at her. Go into your room for a bit.”
Calvin’s shoulders slumped. “Are you feeling any better now?”
“Uh …” Stacey leaned toward Calvin. He remained immobile, unable to push aside the nagging questions in his head. But she looked miserable. What kind of jerk would he be to hold himself back from her? He pulled her into his arms, and she in return pressed her forehead against his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay.” He tangled his fingers in her hair. “I don’t want you to be sick.”
She stiffened. He tightened his grip on her, to hold on until he got the answers he wanted. “Talk to me, Stace. Please tell me what’s going on.”
Mom came out of the bathroom with a wet cloth in her hand and dabbed it against Stacey’s forehead and cheek. “Has she been sick before this?”
Stacey’s eyes widened and she gave her head a little shake. Calvin understood.
Don’t tell
. Okay, not yet. Which was fine—he wanted to talk to Stacey alone before he said anything to Mom or anyone else.
“It was that smell,” Stacey muttered. “The polish. I thought I’d be okay today, but then that smell just made me feel sick again.”
Plausible. Still …
A glass with tinkling ice appeared next to Calvin. Mom took it and pressed it into Stacey’s hand. Taking command, fixing the sick child. “Drink slowly, hon. Little sips.”
Stacey muttered thanks and took a swallow. Holding the glassin one hand, Stacey reached over to stroke his forearm down to his wrist. Calvin jerked away and tugged the hair at the front of his head toward the bridge of his nose. Was she actually sick? And if she had the flu or something,
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