ground and gave her a big kiss on first one cheek and then the other. He released her. She looked completely shocked. Vladimir turned to Mr. McCurdy. “Is fine to hug and kiss women, no?”
“A lot better than hugging me,” Mr. McCurdy said, cackling.
“Good, good.” He turned back to my mother. “Your kids are wonderful! Smart, kind, they care for animals! Very brave and —”
“Brave?” she asked.
“Very brave!”
The last thing I wanted was for him to tell our mother anything more than she needed to know about what had happened at the animal camp.
“He means around animals,” I said, butting in. “You know how we’re not afraid of animals — especially Nick.”
She nodded but didn’t look convinced. I thought I’d better change the subject before she asked anything more, or Vladimir volunteered something.
“Mom brought us dinner,” I said, pointing at the plastic bag she was still holding. Mentioning food always seemed to distract people.
“Food, all right! What did you bring?” Nick asked as he tried to look in the bag.
“Chinese food, but I’m afraid I didn’t bring enough. I didn’t know Angus was back with Mr. Mar— Vladimir.”
“But we can share what you brought, and I can make up something to go along with it for all of us,” I said.
“That’s okay, Sarah. We wouldn’t want to be any troub—” Mr. McCurdy began.
“The only trouble would be if you didn’t eat with us. We’re sharing and that’s that!” I stated loudly.
Mr. McCurdy looked as if he was going to argue but didn’t.
Vladimir shrugged. “I will not argue about food. The important thing is not what is eaten but who it is eaten with.” He turned to my mother. “Will you be eating with us?”
“Not tonight,” she said. “I have a prior engagement.”
“Engagement?” Vladimir asked. “What is that?”
“Sort of like a date,” I said.
“Oh, you have a date?” Vladimir said to my mother. “You have a boyfriend?”
“Not a boyfriend,” she said. “I’m just having dinner.”
“Who with?” Nick asked.
“The acting chief of police,” I said.
“You’re eating with him?” Nick gasped.
“Why do my children seem so surprised by that?”
“Well, he does seem mighty old for you,” Mr. McCurdy said. “He’s practically my age.”
“Not the old chief,” my mother explained. “The new chief is the old captain.”
“So they finally replaced that old bird.”
“He’s retiring, and the captain replaced him,” I said. “It’s not official yet, so he’s still the acting chief for another couple of months.”
“He seemed like a decent enough fella … especially there at the end. You want the kids to stay here tonight?” Mr. McCurdy asked.
“No, they might as well sleep at home,” Mom said.
“It’s just if you’re going to be out really late —”
“I won’t be out that late,” she said. “We’re just having dinner. I’ll be home early enough to tuck them both into bed.”
I didn’t really want to be tucked in by anybody, but it would be good to be home in my own bed tonight — and to have her there with us.
Mom looked at her watch. “In fact, we’re having an early dinner, so I should go home to change, and get to the restaurant.” She was standing with her back toward the pond, and as she stood there, Peanuts stuck his head out of the water and began to emerge slowly.
“Do you want to see all the new animals before you go?” Nick asked.
“I’d like to, but I don’t think I have time right now.”
Nick, who was standing beside me, could see Peanuts as well as I could. “How about if you just see one animal, one big animal?”
Peanuts continued to move forward. Vladimir and Mr. McCurdy were facing away, as well, so it was only Nick and I who could see Peanuts.
“I’d love to, Nick, but I really don’t want to rush things. How about if I drive the two of you back here tomorrow? Then I’ll have time to see the animals —”
Just
“A lot better than hugging me,” Mr. McCurdy said, cackling.
“Good, good.” He turned back to my mother. “Your kids are wonderful! Smart, kind, they care for animals! Very brave and —”
“Brave?” she asked.
“Very brave!”
The last thing I wanted was for him to tell our mother anything more than she needed to know about what had happened at the animal camp.
“He means around animals,” I said, butting in. “You know how we’re not afraid of animals — especially Nick.”
She nodded but didn’t look convinced. I thought I’d better change the subject before she asked anything more, or Vladimir volunteered something.
“Mom brought us dinner,” I said, pointing at the plastic bag she was still holding. Mentioning food always seemed to distract people.
“Food, all right! What did you bring?” Nick asked as he tried to look in the bag.
“Chinese food, but I’m afraid I didn’t bring enough. I didn’t know Angus was back with Mr. Mar— Vladimir.”
“But we can share what you brought, and I can make up something to go along with it for all of us,” I said.
“That’s okay, Sarah. We wouldn’t want to be any troub—” Mr. McCurdy began.
“The only trouble would be if you didn’t eat with us. We’re sharing and that’s that!” I stated loudly.
Mr. McCurdy looked as if he was going to argue but didn’t.
Vladimir shrugged. “I will not argue about food. The important thing is not what is eaten but who it is eaten with.” He turned to my mother. “Will you be eating with us?”
“Not tonight,” she said. “I have a prior engagement.”
“Engagement?” Vladimir asked. “What is that?”
“Sort of like a date,” I said.
“Oh, you have a date?” Vladimir said to my mother. “You have a boyfriend?”
“Not a boyfriend,” she said. “I’m just having dinner.”
“Who with?” Nick asked.
“The acting chief of police,” I said.
“You’re eating with him?” Nick gasped.
“Why do my children seem so surprised by that?”
“Well, he does seem mighty old for you,” Mr. McCurdy said. “He’s practically my age.”
“Not the old chief,” my mother explained. “The new chief is the old captain.”
“So they finally replaced that old bird.”
“He’s retiring, and the captain replaced him,” I said. “It’s not official yet, so he’s still the acting chief for another couple of months.”
“He seemed like a decent enough fella … especially there at the end. You want the kids to stay here tonight?” Mr. McCurdy asked.
“No, they might as well sleep at home,” Mom said.
“It’s just if you’re going to be out really late —”
“I won’t be out that late,” she said. “We’re just having dinner. I’ll be home early enough to tuck them both into bed.”
I didn’t really want to be tucked in by anybody, but it would be good to be home in my own bed tonight — and to have her there with us.
Mom looked at her watch. “In fact, we’re having an early dinner, so I should go home to change, and get to the restaurant.” She was standing with her back toward the pond, and as she stood there, Peanuts stuck his head out of the water and began to emerge slowly.
“Do you want to see all the new animals before you go?” Nick asked.
“I’d like to, but I don’t think I have time right now.”
Nick, who was standing beside me, could see Peanuts as well as I could. “How about if you just see one animal, one big animal?”
Peanuts continued to move forward. Vladimir and Mr. McCurdy were facing away, as well, so it was only Nick and I who could see Peanuts.
“I’d love to, Nick, but I really don’t want to rush things. How about if I drive the two of you back here tomorrow? Then I’ll have time to see the animals —”
Just
Similar Books
