By Kristi S.
“This is a good
breakfast,” Riley said, smacking his lips.
“Thanks, I used the
last of the sausage though,” Andi sighed, “cuz I burnt most of it.”
“Ooh,” questioned
Riley, “Is that why I saw so much in the garbage?”
“Riley Jared!” she
exclaimed.
“I was just kidding,”
said Riley completely serious, at least he was trying to be.
“I know, I’m just
tired,” grouched Andi, “I think I’ll clean up and go for a short nap.”
“Okay, well, I’d better
get to work or Chad will skin me alive,” said Riley.
Andi was cleaning up
the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. It was Wyatt from the Circle C
Ranch.
“Howdy, Wyatt,” said
Andi, “What brings you here?”
“The boss sent me to
come get you.”
“Oh, so big brother is
still bossing me,” Andi said, a frown on her face.
“No, it’s serious,”
said Wyatt.
“Oh, I’ll get ready,”
replied Andi.
“I’ll be glad to saddle
your horse, Miss Andi.”
“Sure, Wyatt,” Andi
said worriedly.
He touched the brim of
his hat. “My pleasure, Miss Andi.”
“I wonder where the
rest of the family is,” Andi mused, “Oh, I forgot they went to visit Kate.”
She hurried out,
climbed on her horse, and galloped to the Circle C Ranch. She got there
breathless.
“Hello, Luisa, where’s
mother?”
“Oh, she’s upstairs.
Senor Chad is in the sitting room. He wants to talk to you,” said Luisa.
“Oh, what’s it about,”
Andi laughed nervously.
“Just go talk to him,”
Luisa said in Spanish.
Nervously, she walked
into the room. “H-hi Ch-Chad,” she said in almost a whisper.
“Mother has influenza,”
Chad said in a small voice that Andi had never heard before.
“Oh,” she gasped. “I
must see her,” Andi cried.
“She is sleeping right
now. Don’t wake her.”
“Okay, I just want to
see her,” whispered Andi.
Chad hugged Andi.
“Okay,” he whispered.
Andi scurried up the
stairs, her legs were shaking. She almost fell. Mother was sleeping, so she
went home and got extra clothes, because she was going to stay awhile.
The next day mother was
not feeling any better. She tossed and turned. Nobody could pull Andi away from
Mother. She bathed Mother’s head and whispered to her to get better.
On Sunday Mother was
good enough to sit up and read. On Wednesday Mother was feeling great and said
that Andi should go home, but Andi stayed till Friday.
After that Andi went
home. On Saturday she decided to give the house a hard cleaning, because she
had gone to look after Mother, right when she was planning to work.
She started the dishes
as she gazed out the window, wishing that she was riding Shasta to her special
spot. Oh wait, she was at her special spot. She lived there!
She finished the dishes
and then wiped the table off. After that she tidied up. And then took a nap.
Falling, falling,
falling. “Oh,” Andi cried. She woke up startled. “Calm down,” she chided
herself, “It was only a dream.”
She got up still
sweating from her dream and scrubbed the windows until they shone. Then she
looked at the clock. “Oh, almost time for supper. I know what I’ll do. I’ll
make a picnic supper. If I hurry, I can make a peach pie.”
After she was done with
supper preparations, she sat down to read one of Mitch’s dime novels.
Riley came home a while
later and she told him to guess what they were having for supper.
“Charred roast beef,”
he guessed.
“Nooooo, Riley Jared.
We’re having a picnic with peach pie.”
“How about we skip
everything else and have the peach pie?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Best idea ever,” Andi
said cheerfully.
That was amazing!!!!
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