Read Online The Puzzle Master by Heather Spiva - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Spiva
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just about everything you do.”
Someone was barbequing steaks, and the smell wafted over to them.
“ Mmmm , that smells good.” Iris closed her eyes.
“Hey, we haven’t eaten yet. I just realized that.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t eat a lot. When I was on chemo and through the bone marrow transplant stuff, nothing sounded good. Sometimes even today, nothing sounds good. Nothing but ice cream.”
Marshall nodded. “Now there’s a diet. I love ice cream too. Say,” and he jumped up, “We have ice cream inside. Let’s go get some.”
“For dinner?
“Yes silly, for dinner. You just said you liked ice cream and we haven’t had dinner.”
“Okay,” she said throwing up her hands. They went in just as Mason was getting home from football practice. He stunk worse than the egg salad.
“Mason, ugh,” said Marshall plugging up his nose. “I have company—go take a shower.”
“Okay, okay, Gee.” Mason smiled at Iris. “Who’s your friend?”
“Iris, this is my smelly brother Mason. Mason, Iris… she’s Luke’s niece.”
“Nice to meet you,” and they shook hands. “ So you’re like the neice of Luke’s Junk Luke?”
She nodded and smiled.
“Yes, for Pete’s sake, yes. Now go ,” said Marshall shoving Mason toward the bathroom. Get out of here, before you smell up the entire kitchen.”
Marshall stuck his head in the freezer. “Whew, smells way better in here. Sorry about him, he’s just gross. Okay, we have mint chip or rocky road.”
She chose rocky road and he chose the same. He spooned out about three scoops for each other them and handed a bowl to her. “Let’s go out back before the whole house is filled up with everyone. Once Leila’s home, we won’t get to talk in peace ever again.”
They ate their ice cream in silence. Crickets chirped, talking for them—filling up the silence. The breeze was even better now, and the ice cream felt good inside their hot bodies.
“This is probably the best dinner I’ve had in ages,” she said, taking a huge bite and stuffing it into her mouth.
“Yeah, me too.”
They finished eating, and talked about school, and the stupid club the three amigos created. Iris said she thought she heard Michael say he might want to allow girls this year. Marshall was about to laugh and say that Michael was just trying to get the girls, when the phone rang. Mason came to the door to tell them Luke was coming by to pick Iris up.
She grabbed her backpack and they walked to the front of the house. The driveway and asphalt road were still hot from the sun, so that the front was much warmer than the back and hot like an oven.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said. “You think we should start on the big one?”
Marshall scratched his chin. “ Nah, lets finish the little ones. And I’ll bring that glue so we can stick them up on the wall.”
Her eyes widened in excitement.
“Then we’ll start the big one,” he said. “I figure, if we do one puzzle every two days, we can start on the big one the Monday after next. We just have to win that bet. That fishing pole has my name on it.”
Iris agreed. “I know we can do it,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for having me over.”
Luke’s beat up Lincoln chugged up to the front of the house. The windows were down, and they could smell the cigarette smoke from the front porch.
“Sure. See you soon.”
She smiled again. “Yes, tomorrow,” she said, running down the sidewalk. “I’ll be there around four.”
“Okay!” He was so excited he felt like jumping out of his shoes.
“And thanks for dinner!” she yelled back.
He waved. Iris was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Chapter 6: Devil’s Hill
Saturday morning began with every intention to do just as he should. Marshall was going over to Luke’s later and if he didn’t want that taken away from him too, he’d have to do a lot. Like read his mother’s body language, do what his father wanted him to do
Someone was barbequing steaks, and the smell wafted over to them.
“ Mmmm , that smells good.” Iris closed her eyes.
“Hey, we haven’t eaten yet. I just realized that.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t eat a lot. When I was on chemo and through the bone marrow transplant stuff, nothing sounded good. Sometimes even today, nothing sounds good. Nothing but ice cream.”
Marshall nodded. “Now there’s a diet. I love ice cream too. Say,” and he jumped up, “We have ice cream inside. Let’s go get some.”
“For dinner?
“Yes silly, for dinner. You just said you liked ice cream and we haven’t had dinner.”
“Okay,” she said throwing up her hands. They went in just as Mason was getting home from football practice. He stunk worse than the egg salad.
“Mason, ugh,” said Marshall plugging up his nose. “I have company—go take a shower.”
“Okay, okay, Gee.” Mason smiled at Iris. “Who’s your friend?”
“Iris, this is my smelly brother Mason. Mason, Iris… she’s Luke’s niece.”
“Nice to meet you,” and they shook hands. “ So you’re like the neice of Luke’s Junk Luke?”
She nodded and smiled.
“Yes, for Pete’s sake, yes. Now go ,” said Marshall shoving Mason toward the bathroom. Get out of here, before you smell up the entire kitchen.”
Marshall stuck his head in the freezer. “Whew, smells way better in here. Sorry about him, he’s just gross. Okay, we have mint chip or rocky road.”
She chose rocky road and he chose the same. He spooned out about three scoops for each other them and handed a bowl to her. “Let’s go out back before the whole house is filled up with everyone. Once Leila’s home, we won’t get to talk in peace ever again.”
They ate their ice cream in silence. Crickets chirped, talking for them—filling up the silence. The breeze was even better now, and the ice cream felt good inside their hot bodies.
“This is probably the best dinner I’ve had in ages,” she said, taking a huge bite and stuffing it into her mouth.
“Yeah, me too.”
They finished eating, and talked about school, and the stupid club the three amigos created. Iris said she thought she heard Michael say he might want to allow girls this year. Marshall was about to laugh and say that Michael was just trying to get the girls, when the phone rang. Mason came to the door to tell them Luke was coming by to pick Iris up.
She grabbed her backpack and they walked to the front of the house. The driveway and asphalt road were still hot from the sun, so that the front was much warmer than the back and hot like an oven.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said. “You think we should start on the big one?”
Marshall scratched his chin. “ Nah, lets finish the little ones. And I’ll bring that glue so we can stick them up on the wall.”
Her eyes widened in excitement.
“Then we’ll start the big one,” he said. “I figure, if we do one puzzle every two days, we can start on the big one the Monday after next. We just have to win that bet. That fishing pole has my name on it.”
Iris agreed. “I know we can do it,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for having me over.”
Luke’s beat up Lincoln chugged up to the front of the house. The windows were down, and they could smell the cigarette smoke from the front porch.
“Sure. See you soon.”
She smiled again. “Yes, tomorrow,” she said, running down the sidewalk. “I’ll be there around four.”
“Okay!” He was so excited he felt like jumping out of his shoes.
“And thanks for dinner!” she yelled back.
He waved. Iris was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Chapter 6: Devil’s Hill
Saturday morning began with every intention to do just as he should. Marshall was going over to Luke’s later and if he didn’t want that taken away from him too, he’d have to do a lot. Like read his mother’s body language, do what his father wanted him to do