Meeting the Grant Family

by Rebekah E.

Part 1

Andrea Carter hung precariously out the coach’s window. With a sigh, Mitch pulled her back inside again. Andi sat back down on the hard seat and tried to brace herself against the bumps without much success.

“When will we be there?” she asked.

Mitch rolled his eyes. “C’mon Andi!” he said with a touch of exasperation. “You’ve asked me that at least a hundred times!”

Andi’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Yes, but every time I ask it, a few more minutes have gone by!” she replied.

Mitch sighed again and shook his head helplessly. “I can’t believe you talked Mother and me into agreeing with this crazy scheme of yours to go and visit Jenny Grant of all people!”

Andi bristled. “Jenny is my best friend, next to Cory. Without her I couldn’t have survived living in that awful school!” she shuddered.

Mitch shrugged. “All I’m saying is it won’t be a vacation for me. Jenny is practically you all over again, except for her hair, which means I’ll be dealing with twice as much trouble.”

Andi grinned. “I’m sure we’ll make your life somewhat exciting for a little while, but it’s only two weeks. Besides, you’ll have her brothers to talk with!”

Mitch frowned and growled something under his breath that Andi couldn’t quite catch, but it sounded sort of like: “two weeks!” followed by a groan.

Andi shrugged. Fine, if Mitch decided he was going to be grumpy, she’d let him. She was planning on enjoying herself for the first time since school started. Her eyes went back to the open widow, and she enjoyed the scenery. It was very different from where she lived, but she loved the difference.

Her mind wandered away from the snow covered mountains and tall pine trees as she thought about Jenny’s family. What would her brothers be like, and how would they get along with Mitch? Jenny had written to Andi off and on whenever she thought of it, and it was obvious in her letters that she was very proud of her siblings, and often recorded things her brothers had accomplished. Andi grinned to herself. She often wrote similar things to Jenny about her brothers! It was almost like a contest: whose brothers were more awesome?

Andi glanced at Mitch out of the corner of her eyes, and smiled. Mitch really was sacrificing things for her to be able to go on this trip. There had been no way her mother would have allowed her to go by herself, and Mitch volunteered. She was very grateful to him for coming with her just to make her happy. She suddenly hugged him, just for being a great brother. It took him by surprise, but he did seem to like it.

“What’d you do that for?” he asked.

Andi laughed. “Because you are a great brother!” she replied. “Thanks for agreeing to come; I wouldn’t have been able to go if you hadn’t.”

Mitch grinned good-naturedly, his grumpiness forgotten. “Sure, sis, anytime.”

Andi looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. “Really?

You mean I could visit Jenny again soon?”

Mitch got a look of horror on his face. “Oh, no!”

Andi laughed again, thankful that she and Mitch were the only ones inside the stagecoach for now. “I was only joking.” She said quickly, and Mitch gave a deep sigh of relief.

There was silence again, and Andi looked out the window. It certainly looked as if they were almost there. Jenny had told her about the huge trees and high mountains. Her home was drastically different form Jenny’s but they both could appreciate the other’s home, although Jenny said that she preferred trees to open grassland. Andi looked at the trees as they went by and didn’t blame her. Washington was a beautiful place, despite having less open grassland. She was daydreaming about her home when Mitch shook her gently.

“We’re here.” He said, and Andi jolted from her dreams for the time being. Mitch “helped” Andi from the stagecoach, and they walked through the town to Jenny’s home. It was a very nice house, not fancy, but simply homey, and Andi liked it right away.

Jenny met them at the door, and flew into Andi’s arms for a long awaited hug. Mitch stood awkwardly to the side, but Jenny, realizing his position told him to go on in and set the bags near the door.

“Oh, I have so much to show you!” Jenny exclaimed when Mitch disappeared inside. “It’s been such a long time! Come on in, or Mother will scold me for keeping you out in this weather.”

Andi looked up at the sky, and it did look as if was about to rain at any moment.

Jenny saw her glancing upward and guessed why she did. Laughing, she dragged Andi into the house. “Don’t worry; here it always looks like it’s going to rain.” She paused thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, almost always. You’ll get used to it. Not much like hot, sunny California is it?” she prattled on.

Andi merely shook her head, still somewhat in surprise. Jenny stopped talking, and showed Andi her own room, her eyes shining with excitement. “You’re going to share it with me while you’re here.”

Andi looked around her in delight. Jenny’s room was beautiful to her eyes, though it probably would have made Melinda throw up her hands in dismay. The walls were covered in pictures of birds, plants, and wildlife of Washington. Jenny’s dresser was an array of leaves and rocks, and she had two rocking chairs before a warm fireplace. Andi let out a sigh of happiness, and Jenny grinned.

“I thought you’d like it.” She said.

Andi nodded, no words being able to form themselves. Jenny told her where to put her things, Mitch arrived in the nick of time with her bags and they unpacked with lots of giggling delight. Andi had brought Jenny a journal to keep her leaves she collected in as a thank you gift, and Jenny loved it and began to use it right away.

Unpacking was soon finished and the girls went downstairs to have their lunch.

The two girls walked arm in arm into the parlor, and stopped in surprise. Mitch was standing with his feet far apart, and his hat tilted back on his head. Before him were three boys. It appeared to be a staring contest, so Andi tried to enter quietly. Andi took this time to study Jenny’s brothers, but Jenny saved her the trouble by introducing them, despite the staring contest.

Eli age 19

“This,” she said, gesturing towards the tallest of the boys, “is my second to oldest brother, Eli. He’s off work right now because Father didn’t need a lot of help today; the work was easier, so Eli got to stay home.” 

Eli nodded politely, and the staring contest ended. The next boy looked to be about Andi’s age, and Jenny introduced him as Micah. The youngest boy was Gideon, and Andi began to feel more at home. Gideon reminded her slightly of Levi, her nephew, but he didn’t look half so troublesome.

Andi’s turn came and she introduced Mitch. Then Jenny's brothers all

Micah age 15

shook her hand like proper gentlemen. Andi grinned when she thought how jealous Melinda would be when she found out how handsome Jenny’s brothers were. And I get to spend a whole two weeks with them! When she told this in a whisper to Jenny, her friend laughed.

“That’s one thing that doesn’t happen to me.

Gideon age 10

I don’t have any sisters to make jealous, and brothers just wouldn’t appreciate it!” She whispered back. Andi laughed along with her, but they both stopped when Mrs. Grant suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Jenny let out a squeak of dismay; she had completely forgotten to tell her mother they had guests. Mrs. Grant stood a moment, her eyes wandering over Mitch and Andi, over her boys and then on Jenny.

“I’m sorry.” Jenny said softly, “I forgot to have one of the boys let you know they were here.” Mrs. Grant raised an eyebrow, but suddenly her face dimpled into a smile.

“Oh, Jenny.” She shook her head in a hopeless fashion and turned to Eli. “Eli, go down to the mill and let your father and brothers know our guests have arrived. Micah, please help Miss Carter get the rest of her things into Jenny’s room.”

The two older boys hurried off to perform their tasks, and only Gideon was left. Mrs. Grant smiled at him. “As for you, my little rascal, I need you to go to the store and buy some treats to refresh our guests with.” 

Gideon leaped up from the chair he had been sitting in, doffed his cap to his mother, and marched out the door as if his chore was the most important mission in the world.

Jenny age 13

Micah was waiting impatiently at the door for Andi to ask her what she wanted done with her things, but she informed him that she had already unpacked. He broke into a wide grin and took off running after Gideon. Jenny and Andi left Mitch with his head buried in a book until their lunch, and went upstairs. They sat on the bed, and while Andi helped Jenny arrange her leaves in the new journal, Jenny told Andi about her family.

Andi age 13

“Well, Father is still in charge of the saw mill, and Mother is still in charge of us.” She smiled. “I really have been trying to be more like a lady, but” she added, lowering her tone, “I think my brothers prefer me as a tomboy.”   

Andi laughed. “Go on,” she begged. “Tell me about your brothers! I want to learn all I can, and I’ve only got two weeks!” 

Jenny grinned. “Alright.” She licked her lips thoughtfully. “Well, about my brothers: Seth is the oldest, and he’s 21, so he helps Dad a lot with the saw mill. My personal opinion is that Seth is going to be the one to be the manager once Dad retires. Seth is so careful, and, well, like an older brother. He kind of reminds me of Justin a little bit, only slightly less fatherly.” Andi smiled.

“I’ll probably like him then, if he’s anything like Justin!” she

declared. “Go on.”

“Next comes Eli at age 19, and he’s the rough and tough brother, the brawn, if you know what I mean. Our family is very clannish, to the point of being extreme, and Eli is the most clannish of all. If anyone dares to hurt his siblings, his wrath will come down on them like…like…” she paused, searching for words.

“A lightning bolt?” Andi helpfully suggested. Jenny nodded.

“Yes, sort of like that.” She smiled. “You get the picture though.” Andi grinned, Jenny

Caleb age 17 & Seth age 21

continued. “Then comes Caleb, age 17, he’s the bookworm of the family, and spends a lot of time up in our library poring over Latin and Greek and things like that. He helps out as a mill clerk and keeps all Father's records organized.” Jenny paused again.  Andi looked up from the leaves she was working on.“None of my brothers are bookworms, except maybe Justin. He does read law books and stuff like that.”  Jenny smiled.“Well, there you have it.”

There was a pause, and Andi looked up. “Go on.”

“Let’s see, where was I? Ah yes. Next up is Micah. He’s 15, and is the complete opposite of Caleb. Micah loves the great outdoors and hates school of any kind. He and I are pretty close, we both love the outdoors, and neither of us wants me to become a lady.” She paused and her eyes began to twinkle. Andi laughed.

“Then, my one and only younger sibling is Gideon, he’s 10. He’s just well…a boy! That’s really the only way to describe Gideon: a boy. He loves ships, pirates, guns, soldiers, frogs, and all sorts of things like that. But we all love him.” She added with a sigh. “He’s so willing to do anything we ask and always with a cheerful attitude.”  A small sigh escaped Andi's lips.“I wish I had a younger brother or sister.” Jenny hugged her.“One can’t have everything one wants.”

Suddenly, with perfect timing, the lunch bell rang. Andi heard the sound of many boots being taken off and the stomping of many feet below them. Jenny looked at Andi with her eyes shining.“Father's home with the boys, and lunch is ready. C’mon!”           The girls rushed downstairs.

 

Part 3

 

Andi flew down the stairs after Jenny, but she stopped when Jenny threw herself into the arms of a big, bearded man with a happy, “Papa, you’re home!” The man hugged Jenny. 

Andi smiled to herself, but felt tears come to her eyes. Her friend was so lucky. She had a father.

The man saw Andi on the stairs, and welcomed her with a fatherly smile.

“So you must be Miss Andrea Carter from the ladies' school. Welcome to our home.” His eyes twinkled with warm humor. 

Andi liked him immediately. She returned his smile and came the rest of the way down the stairs. “Thank you! I am enjoying myself already Mr. Grant.” 

Mrs. Grant came in before Andi could introduce her brother properly, and announced that lunch was going to get cold if they didn’t come at once.

Andi, Mitch, Mr. Grant, and the Grant kids all walked into the dining area and sat down after Mr. Grant said grace. Andi looked in front of her at the array of food and felt her stomach growl. Jenny sat next to her on one side, and Mitch sat on the other side. The meal started, and Mrs. Grant was the first to speak.

“Mr. Grant, I think we should have a formal introduction in the living room after lunch. I’m sure Andi’s brother is very eager to meet our sons.” Jenny choked on her soup but hastily apologized, so Mrs. Grant continued, oblivious to the fact that Micah was silently shaking with suppressed laughter behind his napkin, and Eli and Seth were exchanging looks across the table at each other. “And also our sons and Jenny would love to show the guests around our town. There is so much to see.” 

Mr. Grant’s eyes were twinkling again, and he smiled at his wife. “Very well, my dear, we shall introduce ourselves after lunch. But, perhaps we should wait until tomorrow to have our guests travel again. They are probably still tired from travelling the way here. You know how bumpy stagecoach rides are.” 

Mrs. Grant quickly agreed with her husband, all sightseeing would begin tomorrow. Andi looked at Mitch out of the corner of her eye, but he seemed to be oblivious to the conversation.

The meal was soon finished, and the Grant family lined up oldest to youngest in the parlor while Andi and Mitch stood in front of them with Mr. and Mrs. Grant on one side of them. Mr. Grant started briskly.

 “This is our oldest, Seth, 21 years old. He’s my main help with the business.” Blond Seth bowed like a proper gentleman, and Andi bit her lip to keep herself from giggling. She met Seth’s eyes when he stood erect again, and caught a twinkle in them. She realized that Seth was kind of like Justin, Jenny was right; she knew she was going to like him. Mr. Grant went to the next one.

“This is Eli: he is our second oldest son and also helps in my business. He’s 19.” Eli bowed, but with a martyr-like look on his face. Andi nearly lost control of herself there and almost laughed out loud, but she managed to change her outburst last minute into a cough. Eli gave her an odd look, but Mr. Grant continued.

 “Next comes Caleb: he’s 17.” Caleb bowed, but it was sort of an absent minded bow, and Andi saw that Caleb was studying the books behind them carefully, and Mr. Grant went on.

 “This is Micah, he’s 15.” Micah winked behind his father’s back at Andi, and she winked back, much to Micah’s surprise.  

Well, how was he supposed to know that when someone winked at her winking back was her immediate reaction? 

Mr. Grant continued down the line.  “You already know Jenny.” He said with a smile, and tousled her hair. Jenny beamed, and her eyes were dancing with suppressed mirth when they met Andi’s. They exchanged a secret smile.

 “And last, but not least,” Mr. Grant finished, “Is Gideon. He’s the youngest, and he’s only 10.” 

Gideon’s eyes flashed dangerously when he bowed.“I’m almost 11!” he exclaimed suddenly. “Only 10, huh.” He glowered darkly. Mr. Grant smiled.

“My deepest apologies, Gideon, I forgot myself for a moment.” The wounded boy was temporarily satisfied.

“Alright.” He said grudgingly. “Just don’t say that again.”  There was a general smile, and then the Grant’s looked expectantly at Andi. She cleared her throat.

“Well, I’m Andi, and I’m 13.” She waved her hand toward Mitch. “This is my third oldest brother, Mitch, he’s 22. He’s the only one of my family other than me that had time to come out here for a couple of weeks. My oldest sibling is Justin, he’s a lawyer and he’s 28, then there’s Chad, he’s 27. Melinda is my only sister, and she’s 17. I’ve got another sister, but she’s grown up and married, so I don’t see her very much.” Andi stopped rather abruptly, because the topic of her “other sister” always made her a little mad still, and she didn’t want to be upset right now.

Jenny broke into her thoughts after Mr. Grant went back to close his mill for the day and Mrs. Grant went back to her embroidery in another room, leaving the children alone.

          “Well, I’m very glad that we’ve been introduced.” She stated with relief. “Now we can start having fun!” Jenny’s brother’s sat down, Caleb got a book. He shot an apologetic look at Andi, but she merely laughed.

“Go ahead!” she said. “Don’t bother about me! Don’t forget that I have three brothers of my own!” Eli gave a sigh of relief and plopped himself down on the nearest chair.

“Am I glad to hear that!” he exclaimed. 

Jenny laughed. “I told you she was like me!” 

The Grant brothers, excepting Caleb who was engrossed in his book, all smiled with some relief, and Andi grinned back at them, her eyes shining.

“Now,” she said. “What do you want to show me? I’ve only got two weeks, and I want to see and do as much as I can before I go back.” 

Seth smiled. “First you should see our Father’s saw mill.” He said. 

Eli sprang from his chair. “And you must see the Puyallup River! I can try to rent a sail boat and sail on the bay, maybe.” Micah nodded approvingly at his older brother.

“Yes, and the woods!” Gideon bounced up and down on the couch. “She should see my frog, and my insect collection.” 

Andi frowned. “Do you have any spiders in your collection?” she asked in mock fear, just to see the reaction she would get. 

Eli got a gleam of mischief in his eye. “Yes, and snakes!” he said with a glance at his brothers. Seth shook his head, and Micah stifled a laugh. 

Andi grinned, and looked at Mitch.“Wonderful!” she exclaimed, and watched their faces change. “A friend of mine always gives me a snake on my first day of each school year! I’ll feel right at home!” 

Micah’s eyes widened. “Your friend wouldn’t by any chance be Cory Blake would it?” 

Andi’s mouth dropped open. “You know him?” 

Micah nodded. “Yeah! He gave me a snake one time too when I went to school with him for just a year. He's one of my best friends!” 

Andi grinned. “Well, I’ll tell him I saw you, and see if he remembers you!”

“Do that! I wish I could see his face when he realizes Jenny’s brother is his friend from school a while back!”  

Andi had forgotten Mitch in the joy of getting to know the Grant’s, but he got her attention by politely clearing his throat in a way that Andi knew: Mitch was going to speak.

 

Part 4

 

“I am sure this is all exciting and everything, but shouldn’t we start doing something?” Mitch asked. There was a moment of silence, then Seth frowned thoughtfully.

“I suppose we can, but what are we going to do first?” There was another silence, and finally Gideon spoke.

“Could we go to the woods?” he asked hopefully. The Grants looked at Andi and Mitch. 

Andi grinned. “Yes, let's!”

Gideon bounced up and down on his chair in excitement, and kept saying “hurrah” over and over again.

Andi, Mitch, and the Grants all pulled on their boots, slipped into jackets, and went out the door after Seth left a note on the table for Mrs. Grant letting her know where they were going.

As they got out of town and further into the “wilderness,” Andi breathed deeply. The air was moist and sweet. She smiled to herself; she knew she was really going to enjoy this stay.

Jenny walked next to Andi and pointed out certain birds, flowers, and trees that she would want to know about.“That’s a maple tree. They usually drop a lot of leaves in the fall. They make the best leaf piles for jumping into, because they're nice and soft, not prickly like the fir and spruce trees. There’s a robin! They're said to be the first signs of spring. Around here they sometimes come as early as January . . . maybe even December. They’re always ahead of the other birds! Also, there’s a goldfinch. Those birds are really pretty; I love their bright, cheery colors.” Jenny stopped to catch her breath as they climbed a large hill, and Andi heard Micah give a laugh behind them.

“Jenny loves everything about all birds!” he said with a grin. “Don’t ask her for favorites.” 

Andi laughed.“Alright, I won’t! I feel the same way about horses. I love all horses in general, but I must say Taffy is my favorite.” 

Gideon, who was walking next to Micah, tilted his head. “Can you tell me about your horse?” he asked curiously. Andi smiled, but before she said anything, Jenny broke in.

“Oh, yes she would like to tell you about Taffy! But be careful…” Jenny shook a finger at Gideon in mock severity. “Once you get her going about her horse, she’ll go forever!” 

Mitch grunted.“Yeah, you got that right. Every day at our house it's ‘Taffy this’ and ‘Taffy that’. I can’t believe she can find so many things to say about one horse!” There was a general laugh. Up ahead, Eli and Seth called out that they were to the woods.

Andi looked in awe at the cedar and Douglas fir trees towering above her. They seemed to reach up to the very sky. She could hardly drag her eyes away from them long enough to make sure she didn’t trip over roots or the sword and bracken fern taht covered the ground. 

Mitch whistled in admiration. “These trees sure are tall.” 

Andi nodded mutely, unable to say anything. 

Gideon pulled on Andi’s coat.“I want to show you our cave!” he said excitedly, but somewhat mysteriously. Andi’s curiosity was aroused. A cave?

“Lead the way, Gideon!” she said. He bounded ahead with Micah. Seth and Eli fell back with Mitch. Soon the three of them were in a deep discussion over ranch stuff and sawmill stuff, so the girls followed Micah and Gideon further into the woods, leaving the older boys far behind.

Suddenly, there in front of them, was a cave. Gideon popped out of it with a wide grin. “I found it myself, and Micah helped me sweep the floors and make it ready for company.” 

Micah stepped out of the cave. “Please, ladies, come in and make yourselves comfortable.” He said in an over-done gentleman’s voice. 

Jenny rolled her eyes. “Stop that,” she said, lightly punching Micah on his shoulder. “Just let us in!” He laughed, but held aside the ivy for Andi and Jenny to step in. Gideon lit a well-used candle, and Andi looked around in amazement, as did Jenny.

“You did a great job on this cave,” she exclaimed in admiration. Jenny nodded.

“When did you find it?” she asked, her voice echoing through the cavern. Gideon thought for a moment.

“About a month ago, I think.” He said. Micah shrugged.

“Yeah, about then, we had lots of fun working on it too!” Gideon nodded.

“We stored some food in here as well, the cave keeps it cool, and it stays fresh!” Andi exchanged a look with Jenny.

“Food?” she asked. The boys nodded.

“Yeah.” Micah gave Gideon a remember-your-manners nudge, and Gideon scooted

to get the refreshments. Andi and Jenny sat  on some logs Micah pulled into the cave. Then he set out the food on a large, oval stone that sat right in the middle of the cave. It was perfect.

Gideon came back with a basket full of some bread, crackers, and a jar of jam, some tea, coffee, and a kettle to boil water in. Micah left when Gideon came in, and while Gideon prepared the tea, bread and jam, Micah came back with a table cloth. He set down plates that were only slightly cracked.

A delightful feast began. Andi ate everything in front of her. Once done, she gave a satisfied sigh, and declared the meal was the best she had ever had. Micah and Gideon seemed pleased.

The meal was finished and cleaned up when Jenny suddenly spoke. “I wonder where Seth and Eli are. Shouldn’t they be here by now?” 

A look of worry came to Andi’s face. “What about Mitch? Where are they?” 

Micah gasped. “I don’t think they know where we are,” he exclaimed. “We kept the cave a secret so we could surprise you.” 

Jenny moaned, and Andi bit her lip.

“What are we going to do?” Gideon asked in dismay. 

Micah frowned thoughtfully. “Let’s go home.”

“And leave them out here searching for us?” Andi asked. 

Micah remained calm. “They’ll be fine.” He stated matter-of-factly. “It’s us I’m worried about. We need to get home before dar, or Mother will worry. Seth and Eli know the woods better than Gideon and me. And they’re a lot older than any of us. Don’t worry. We’ll be home soon. C’mon!” 

 

Part 5

 

Getting out of the woods turned out to be a lot easier than Andi had thought. Micah, Gideon, and Jenny moved with ease through the maze of trees and bushes that all looked the same to Andi. In no time at all, they were back on the road through the town.

Once back in the Grants' home, they were greeted by a worried Mother and Father.

“Where have you been? Where are the others?” Mr. Grant asked. Bit by bit, the story came out, and Mr. Grant seemed satisfied.

“Well, at least it’s the oldest boys gone in woods, not you. They’ll be back by tonight, or tomorrow morning. Have no worrie,s children. Off to bed with you!” There was a hurried scuttle towards the rooms, and soon they were in their beds. 

* * * * *

After a few hours or so of sleeplessness, Andi rolled over. 

Jenny looked at her. “You can’t sleep either?”

Andi shook her head. “No, I can’t stop worrying about the others. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t stop.” 

Jenny squeezed her hand reassuringly, but her voice had worry in it too when she replied. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.” 

Andi chewed her lip thoughtfully, an idea forming in her mind. “What if we went out and looked for them?” 

Jenny jumped on the suggestion.“Yes, lets! What a wonderful idea!” They slipped out of bed, pulled on warm clothing, and crept down the stairs. Once they heard something, and both girls froze, but it stopped and didn’t happen again, so they continued.

At the door they shoved their feet into boots and tiptoed outside. The moon was full and lit up the path to the woods nicely, so the girls weren’t afraid. The only sound in the still night air was their shoes on the gravel path, and crickets singing softly in the night.

Andi shivered, whether from excitement or cold she wasn’t sure, but she found reassurance in squeezing Jenny’s hand. They soon came to the woods, and Jenny took out the lantern they had managed to smuggle on the way through the house. Andi gave her a match, and they got it lit.

Jenny led the way into the woods, and Andi’s pulse quickened as they worked their way through the narrow trails. Excitement mounted inside both girls as they walked through the wood. Jenny’s eyes darted around the trees, and she whispered to Andi different landmarks her and her brother’s made to help them through the woods.

On and on they went, getting further into the forest. Andi was thrilled, an adventure almost right away! She exchanged a confident smile with Jenny. “Just wait until we find them! They’ll be so surprised it’s us!” 

Jenny laughed. “I still wish I could find them faster. Maybe we could both do a story to help pass time as we go through the woods.” 

Andi nodded eagerly. “You start.”

Jenny licked her lips and started the story:

 “It was a dark night, like this one, and two girls were making their way through a dangerous wood to help their father, who was the sheriff of Dusty Town, capture three renegades…” She stopped for a moment to think on the next line. 

Andi shivered. “You should make it less creepy, you’re giving me the shivers!” 

Jenny smiled. “Alright…let’s see…Ah! It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and the birds were singing sweetly in the trees overhead as two girls skipped happily on the way to find their three brothers who had worked all afternoon chopping trees down to help the family buy food… That better?”

Andi rolled her eyes.

“Never mind, the other one was more adventurous.” Jenny laughed, and continued with the first story.

“Well, as I was saying: The two girls worked their way through the undergrowth to help their father capture the criminals. All of a sudden…” 

Andi took the cue and jumped in enthusiastically.

“The moon broke through the clouds and the once-dark forest glimmered with a silvery light. The two girls stopped in awe and admired the beauty around them before continuing their journey, now with a light which they used to guide them through the maze of trees. One girl had to stop to remove a rock from her shoe, and the other stood guard over her as she stopped. Then suddenly…” Jenny took the cue and began again. “The light was gone, and utter darkness made it almost impossible to see again.” 

Andi groaned. “And it was so nice for a while.” 

Jenny grinned, but suddenly, a wisp of air got through the lantern walls. The flame flickered and went out. Jenny gasped, and Andi groaned again. “This is what happens when you change a nice story.” She sank onto the ground. 

Jenny sighed. “Do you have another match?” she asked hopefully. 

Andi shook her head, but then realized Jenny probably couldn’t see her.

“No.” she said aloud. “I thought one would be enough.” 

Now it was Jenny’s turn to groan.

Andi put her chin in her hands and began to do serious thinking. “We could try yelling.”

“But everyone is asleep; I’d hate to wake anyone up.”

“It’s better than freezing out here in the dark, and besides that, worrying your parents.”

“Alright, it’s worth a try.” Andi groped for Jenny’s hand, and they stood up together.

“One…two…three…HELP!” they both shouted at the same time. Almost immediately, there was a response.

“WHO’S CALLING FOR HELP?” a voice drifted from somewhere in the woods. Andi exchanged a glance with Jenny’s silhouette.

“ANDREA CARTER AND JENNY GRANT!!” There was a cry of amazement somewhat closer, and the voice spoke again.

“JENNY? ARE YOU ALL SAFE?” Jenny gave a sort of gasp.

“IS THAT YOU, SETH?”

“YES! KEEP YELLING: WE’RE FOLLOWING YOUR VOICE!”

“ALRIGHT, I’M YELLING, BUT MY VOICE WILL GIVE OUT EVENTUALLY. DO YOU HAVE A LANTERN?”

“NO! DO YOU?” 

“NO WE JUST HAD OURS GO OUT!” The voice came steadily nearer, and at last, Seth, Eli, and Mitch, looking a lot worse than that afternoon, came into view. The moon decided to come through the clouds just then, bathing the forest in silver light. Andi took a deep breath, and Jenny sighed with relief. Seth grabbed her hand, and Mitch hugged Andi quickly.

“We had better go while the going’s good; you can explain where Micah and Gideon are on the way.” Seth said, pulling Jenny after him. Eli followed and Mitch dragged Andi in the back.

 

Part 6

 

The moon, after a few minutes of showing its face, drew back into the clouds, and the wood was dark again. Sides heaving, and breath almost used up, Andi threw herself onto the nearest log and sat, resting. Seth let everyone have a rest before speaking.

“Alright, I’m ready to hear your story,” he said in his most big-brother voice. He sounded so much like Justin that Andi let out a giggle. Seth looked at her with an odd expression, so she hurried to explain.

“That’s just how my oldest brother talks when he’s getting ready to scold me, that’s all.” 

Mitch gave a choked cough, but Seth seemed to not hear it. He turned back to Jenny. She swallowed and told Seth how they all got out of the woods safely, but Andi and she couldn’t sleep because they were worried, and then had this great idea, and did it, she concluded with the lantern going out and the decision to yell. 

Seth, after Jenny finished, shook his head.“You two are impossible to predict, but at least the two boys are safe, and you haven’t been lost all this time.” 

Jenny leaned forward eagerly.“It’s your turn now! What happened to you?” 

Seth shrugged. “Nothing much, really.” He turned to Mitch. “Why don’t you tell them our story?” Mitch agreed and began.

“Well, we were walking down the path in a deep discussion over what we wanted to do when we had our own trade, when we found that you had disappeared. Naturally, we were worried that you had gotten lost, so we started looking for you. We didn’t want to just give up and go back, especially since it was getting dark. Just when we began to give up hope and go home, you both yelled for help, Seth yelled back, and we followed your voices to where you were.” He stopped and took a deep breath. Andi sighed happily.

“I must say, I feel a lot safer now that we’re not alone.” Jenny nodded, and there was a moment of silence as they waited for the moon to come out again. It did, and they ran again for a while, making it out of the woods. The path to town was easier to follow, and soon they were safely home again.

Once inside they were greeted by a tearful Mrs. Grant, and a worried Mr. Grant. Jenny and Andi were hugged by Mrs. Grant first, and then scolded.

“Why did you two have to do that? Oh, I am so glad you’re safe, we were almost worried sick. How could you do that to us? I’m so glad you’re back!” They were all sent promptly off to bed, and this time, Jenny and Andi not only fell asleep soundly, but slept heavily until it was well past breakfast.

* * * * *

Andi awoke to the sun streaming through the window, and she blinked several times before remembering where she was and all that happened the day before. She quickly jumped out of bed, slipping back into her clothes, and shook Jenny awake. Jenny was out of bed in a moment, and they both rushed downstairs.

They were greeted by Micah, whistling cheerfully past the bottom of the stairs. He waved at them, and then stopped his tune, halting in front of them.

“So, I hear you had quite an adventure last night.” Andi looked at Jenny, who looked back at her.

“Yes, I guess we did.” she said cautiously. 

Micah sighed. “I wish I could have gone with you.” He shoved his hands into his pocket. “Wake me up next time.” 

Andi caught a twinkle in his eyes, and she grinned. “Maybe, but hopefully there won’t be a next time.” They continued into the dining room, but the only ones there were Mitch and Seth. The two girls sat down, and served themselves cold eggs and bacon. 

Andi forced it down as a punishment to herself, and Jenny did the same, but it ended up a contest to see who could make the most awful grimaces. Jenny and Andi tied, because the judges (Mitch and Seth) were both bias towards their sisters, so both of them thought their sister had the worst face.

Gideon came in at the end of the contest and begged to hear their adventure, so they invented a wild tale that kept him on the edge of his seat, until Mrs. And Mr. Grant came in to take them around town.

The sightseeing was very exciting, and Andi and Mitch got to find out where all the Grant’s favorite places were. The day ended with a picnic on the beach and swimming in the frigid water. Andi could only stand it up to her ankles, but Jenny actually got her whole body (except arms and head) under it. 

Andi nearly froze just thinking about it! Eli, Jenny, and Micah begged her to come out and try just once, but Andi held her ground and stayed up to her ankles.

Once, When Andi wasn’t paying attention, Eli and Micah worked together and dumped a bucket of water over her. Mitch got upset and almost had a fist fight with them, but Andi kept her peace until the two of them were comfortably dry on the beach, sunning themselves on a rock, then she and Mitch got them both with a two bucketful’s of freezing water. They learned a lesson from that day that lasted all two weeks: Don’t mess with the Carters!

Once to Jenny’s home again, it was bed time, and everyone went to bed after a quick “goodnight” from the Grant parents.

Andi fell asleep quickly, dreaming of what would happen the next day.

 

Part 7

 

And so the days passed, one rolling delightfully into the next as Andi spent her vacation with the Grants. She had never enjoyed a vacation more in her life, and she was sorry when the time grew nearer for her to leave.

The Grant family, the last day they were to stay, threw a party in their honor at their house, and Andi said her last goodbyes. She even felt tears come to her eyes as she hugged Jenny for the last time, but brushed them away somewhat angrily. She would see Jenny again, soon, and nothing was going to spoil it.

She shook all Jenny’s brother’s hands, and they returned her grip solemnly. So solemnly that Andi almost smiled, but swallowed it last minute, realizing she was going to miss them all. They were practically her family now! At the stagecoach door, she gave one last wave to the Grant family, and she thought she saw Micah grin smugly. Was that her imagination? She forgot tears for the moment, and jumped in, next to her brother and her bag.

Suddenly, as the stage coach lurched into action, Andi felt something wiggle inside her bag. She put her hand in, and pulled out a snake! Mitch chuckled.

“I guess Micah decided to give you one last parting gift.” He said. 

Andi grinned. Hanging out the window again, she waved back at Micah, a small figure now, and thought she saw him return the wave. She leaned back against the seat, and let out a happy sigh, the snake safe inside her bag again.

“I think I’ll share him with Cory.” She said thoughtfully, but Mitch offered no reply. He was gazing drearily out the window. Andi patted his shoulder gently, and he gave her a sad smile. Andi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Mitch missed the Grant’s too! She sighed. “Don’t worry, we’ll go back soon.” 

Mitch looked at her. “Do you really think Mother would let us?” he asked, almost happy again. 

Andi shrugged. “I sure hope so!” she replied. 

Mitch let out a long breath. “Me too.” 

Andi looked at him in amazement. “I thought…” she began. 

Mitch interrupted. “That was before I met Seth and Eli.” He said. 

Andi grinned.“So you’re leaving friends too?” she asked. 

He nodded, and then grinned. “I least I’ve got one thing to look forward to.” 

Andi frowned. “What’s that?”

“Home!” he replied. 

Andi knew he was right. Any place was nice for a while, but there was truly no place like home.

The End