Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (76 page)

“That’s
a
depressing
thought.
I
don’t
think
they’re
that
greedy,
do
you?”

“I
don’t
know
anything
right
now,”
Aggie
confessed.
“I
just
know
that
I’m
not
going
to
risk
ruining
this
for
them
or
my
parents.
Not
this
year.”
She
stacked
another
package
on
her
hearth
before
asking,
“Do
you
think
I
should
give
them
next
week
off
school?
I
wasn’t
going
to.
I
mean,
they
got
part
of
yesterday
off
and
today.
Monday;
that
means
five
and
a
half
days.
Is
that
enough
of
a
break
or
should
I
give
them
the
week?”

“Why
wouldn’t
you?
Don’t
most
kids
get
at
least
two
weeks?”

“Yeah,
well,
but
we
started
so
late…”

“And
didn’t
you
add
extra
work
every
day
to
help
make
up
for
that?”

Aggie
frowned,
thinking.
“Yes,
but
I
don’t
know
that
it
has
made
enough
of
a
difference.
I’d
have
to
look
where
they
are
compared
to
where
they
should
be.
”

As
she
reached
for
the
tape,
Luke
snatched
it
from
the
table.
“Did
you
or
did
you
not
schedule
that
extra
work
so
that
they’d
be
caught
up
by
the
end
of
the
year?”

“Yes…”

“
Then
why
are
you
trying
to
catch
them
up
on
top
of
catching
them
up?”

The
answer
unnerved
her
even
more
than
the
question.
“I
already
feel
like
I’m
failing
them,
Luke.
I
need
proof
that
they
aren’t
going
to
be
so
far
behind
at
the
end
of
the
year
that
I
have
to
put
them
in
school—and
back
where
they
should
have
been
this
year.”

The
emotion
choking
her
seemed
to
change
Luke’s
mind
about
continuing
the
conversation.
He
shook
his
head
and
passed
the
tape
back
to
her.
“Why
don’t
we
do
this?
Give
the
kids
the
week
off.
Their
brains
need
the
rest.
Then,
we’ll
talk
about
this
after
the
first
week
that
they’re
back,
ok?”

A
knock
interrupted
before
Aggie
could
reply.
“Can
I
come
in?”

“Sure!”
She
beamed
at
her
father.
“Just
in
time
to
be
put
to
work.”

“What
on
earth
is
all
this?”

“I
took
Mom
a
little
too
literally
when
she
said
buy
whatever
looks
remotely
interesting.
The
stuff
in
bags
is
going
back—unless
you
think
five
presents
each
isn’t
enough.”

“Five
is
plenty.
It’s
a
fraction
of
their
usual,
sure,
but
that’ll
be
a
relief.
You
can’t
imagine
how
horrible
Christmas
mornings
were
with
Geraldine.
We
tried
a
couple
of
times,
but
Martha
couldn’t
take
it.
You
saw
her
at
the
twins’
birthday!”
He
grinned
at
Aggie’s
relieved
expression.
“Between
this
and
stockings,
they’ll
have
a
Christmas
any
kid
could
hope
for!”