Read Online Sugar Plums for Dry Creek & At Home in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad - Free Book Online

is too old for ballet.”
    One cow boy who was still reaching stopped with his hand mid way to the dough nut. “We don’t need to do this ballet stuff if we take one, do we?”
    Another ranch hand who had al ready taken a bite of his dough nut sighed. “It would be worth it if we did.”
    â€œNo, you don’t need to sign up,” Lizette said. Half of the dough nuts were al ready gone from the tray. She looked around and saw that every one had a dough nut. “You could help by spreading the word though. We’re hoping to do the Nutcracker ballet be fore Christmas, and I still need a minimum of five more students.”
    â€œThe pastor has twin boys that are about six years old,” Pete Denning said as he licked his fingers. He’d had a jelly dough nut from the plate earlier and was now eyeing the tray. “I think the pastor went to get them when we heard about the dough nuts.”
    â€œWell, we’ll have to save some dough nuts for them then,” Lizette said as she turned to take the tray out of the room.
    â€œThey might not want dough nuts,” Pete said as he saw Lizette turn to leave.
    Judd snorted. At least he knew kids better than that.
    Pete heard him. “Well, maybe they’ll want a dough nut, but their mother might not let them have one since it’s so close to lunch time and she’ll be worried they won’t eat their vegetables.”
    Judd flinched. He probably shouldn’t have let Bobby and Amanda have dough nuts, either. This being a parent seemed to have lots of rules that he didn’t know. He looked over at the two kids. They both had frosting on their chins and happy gleams in their eyes. It was likely they wouldn’t want lunch.
    Judd doubted the kids would eat any vegetables either if he put any in front of them at this point. He’d have to be sure they took a vitamin pill when they got home. He’d bought a big jar of children’s vitamins when Bobby and Amanda first came. He didn’t want his cousin to accuse him of stunting her kids’ growth when she came to pick them up.
    He wondered if he should take the kids to the dentist, too. When did kids start going to the dentist anyway?
    Just then some one knocked on the door.
    Lizette started to walk to ward the door, but one of the ranch hands opened it be fore she got there.
    Mrs. Hargrove came into the room and looked around with surprise showing on her face. Or at least what Judd could see of her face seemed to show surprise. The older woman had a red wool scarf wrapped around her neck, and she started to un wind it. She was wearing a long pink parka with a green gingham house dress under it. Her gray hair was clipped back with a red barrette. Mrs. Hargrove was al ways colorful.
    â€œYou must have got ten the news then?” Mrs. Hargrove said as she looked around the room. She still stood on the small black mat that was be side the door. “Looks like I’m interrupting the celebration. Sheriff Wall al ways did say the rumor line beat the phone line in this part of the country any day.”
    â€œWhat news?” Judd asked since she seemed to be looking at him.
    â€œThey’re just here for the dough nuts,” Charley said as he jerked his head at the ranch hands. “They didn’t bring any thing but their appetites with them.”
    Mrs. Hargrove looked over at the group of cowboys and frowned. “Don’t tell me you came to beg dough nuts off of Lizette when she’s hardly even settled in yet? What’s she going to think of us?”
    â€œOh, that’s all right,” Lizette said. “I’d al ready made the dough nuts when they came.”
    â€œStill, these boys know better than to come in and eat up your food supplies like this. What if you were on short rations your self?” Mrs. Hargrove looked at the men. “I’ll bet each of you have been short a time or two in your