High Hurdles Collection Two (72 page)

“So how did you do?” Lindy called from the living room, where she'd been snoozing on the sofa. She stretched and yawned as DJ entered the room.

“Stormy and I took a blue, and Jackie the red. I'm not even sure what all else I got, I did so many classes. Jackie and Brad let us do all the riding, other than Matadorian. You should have seen him in the Costume class. He was totally awesome.”

“Your father or the horse?” Lindy brushed her hair back behind her ears.

“Both.” DJ grinned. “Where's Dad?” While it still felt strange sometimes to call Robert “Dad,” it was becoming more natural all the time.

“Gone to bed. He was beat.” She patted the sofa beside her. “You hungry, thirsty?”

“Nope. We ate, and then Amy and I slept most of the way home.”

“Sean called. I told him you'd call back tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” DJ leaned against the sofa back. “Showing strange horses was really fun. Not strange, you know, but different.”

“I figured that out. Brad wouldn't own
strange
horses.”

“Jackie asked if I was excited about USET camp, and I about freaked. Inside, anyway. I didn't really want her to know.”

“Why?”

“M-o-m, that camp is clear across the United States, and …” She paused, trying to decide what to say.

“And?” Lindy waited quietly.

“And … and I won't know anyone there at all.”

“You'll make friends quickly.”

“But … but what if I don't?” The words came out in a whisper.

“Ah, Darla Jean, you are always so capable that we forget sometimes you are still a girl, just barely fifteen.” Lindy leaned over and pulled her daughter close. “I, for one, will miss you, and the twins are already groaning about your being gone. They asked their dad tonight who would give them their riding lessons while you were gone.”

“What did he say?”

“He said you'd give them an extra one this week to make up in advance.”

DJ smiled. “Good plan. Thanks a big fat bunch. Besides, I'll be gone a week.”

“They haven't figured that out yet.”

DJ left her head on her mother's shoulder. Lindy's perfume teased her nose and made her wonder if someday she, too, would find a perfume she liked and wear it all the time like her mother did. But for now, “eau de horse” would have to do. She turned and kissed her mother's cheek. “Night. I'm about to crash and burn.”

“Tomorrow we work on cards?”

“Sure. In the morning since I don't have school. But please, please keep the boys from waking me. I finally get a chance to sleep in.”

Lindy chuckled as she got to her feet. “Okay, but close your door. They were hoping you'd be home before bedtime. They've been missing you.”

“And me them.” DJ shook her head. “You know what? I never thought I'd think something like that.”

Lindy nodded. “Yeah, I do know, and ain't it grand?”

“DJ, wake up!”

“Go away. I'm sleeping until I wake up myself.”

“Okay, but I've got some great news, and it's after ten already.” Lindy sat down on the end of DJ's bed.

DJ groaned. “Go away.”

“Mommy, is DJ sick?” The voice tried to whisper but failed as usual.

Queenie leaped up on the bed and stuck her cold nose into DJ's face. After a lightning-quick tongue lick, she gave a sharp, high bark.

“Sheesh, why didn't you bring General along, too?” DJ stuck her head under the pillow.

“We'll go get him.” Both boys bailed off the bed, and thundering footsteps headed for the door.

“No!” DJ threw back the covers and sat up. “You can't bring your horse up here.”

“Thank you for clarifying that.” Lindy leaned back, her hands clasped around a raised knee.

“I know, I have to remember sarcasm doesn't work with those two.” DJ tried to glare at her mother but yawned instead. “All right, I'm awake. I thought you said you'd let me sleep all day if I wanted.”

“I said that?” Lindy's grin said she remembered but wasn't admitting it. “Besides, I've got such exciting news I thought you'd want to hear it.”

“It better be
really
exciting. Like we won the lottery or something.”

“Well,
I
think it's exciting, and so did Robert.” She rocked back and forth, her slip-on sandal flapping against her foot.

“If you don't tell me now, I'm going back to sleep.”

“As if you could.” Lindy pulled a letter out of her shorts pocket. “Read this.”

DJ took the envelope and pulled out a letter. She read the first paragraph and threw her arms around her mother. “They want your book! Wow! They want your book.”

For almost a year Lindy had talked about writing a book about young entrepreneurs, using DJ and Amy as her inspiration. Now that Lindy wasn't working anymore, she had the time to fulfill her dream.

“Well, at least they want to see more of it. Now I've got to get the proposal going, and Mom says I should look for an agent.” She took the letter back and read it again. “Pretty cool, huh?”

DJ looked down where the boys and dog were rolling on the floor, laughing and barking like usual. “My mother is going to be a writer.”

“
Is
a writer already. Going for author.”

“Just think, Gran is an illustrator, you're a writer, and I'm an artist.” DJ scrubbed her fingers through her hair.

“Such talent, huh?” Lindy patted her daughter's knee. “Maria is making strawberry waffles for brunch, so get a hustle on, okay?”

“We're hungry.” At the mention of food, the boys' ears had perked up and they leaped to their feet. “Come on, DJ. We'll race you.”

DJ swung her feet to the floor. “Give me twenty minutes, okay? If I don't wash my hair, it might all fall out.”

The boys plowed to a stop. “You have nice hair. Don't let it fall out.”

“Beat it, guys.” DJ looked at her mother and shook her head. “Sheesh.”

“I'll call Amy to come over, too. We've got some business to negotiate.”

“What?”

“Take your shower.”

DJ rushed through her shower and combed her wet hair back into a ponytail. She jogged down the stairs just as Amy rang the doorbell.

“What's up?” Amy asked. The two of them walked into the kitchen, sniffing appreciatively.

“Got me. Mom has great news—a publisher wants to see more of her young entrepreneurs book.”

“Cool. Did you tell them that the showgrounds in Davis wants more of our cards?”

“Nope, forgot.”

“You sit.” Maria pointed at the table, decorated with a fruit plate, fresh squeezed orange juice in the good crystal glasses, and a platter of little pigs sausages. Bobby already had one sausage ready to pop into his mouth, but his father's glare stopped him.

“Grace first.” Robert pulled out Lindy's chair, motioned DJ and Amy to the other side, and prayed.

“Start with juice and fruit.” Maria set a waffle topped with strawberries and a ring of whipped cream in front of Lindy.

“Maria, do you want me to gain all my weight today?” Lindy speared a fresh strawberry. “Oh my.”

“Baby needs food.” The cook brought another plate for Robert, the mound of strawberries and whipped cream even higher than Lindy's.

“Ah, Maria, you are a saint for sure.”

“So how come all this?” DJ's nod indicated the table and everything.

“Well, since you'll be leaving in a couple of days …”

“D-a-d, it's not like I'm going to be gone for a month or something.”

“We decided to celebrate, and your mother's good news was one more reason. Besides, we have a proposal to put before the two of you.”

“Us?” DJ and Amy looked at each other, then across the table.

“But first we eat.” Robert raised his glass of juice. “I propose a toast.”

When they all had picked up their juice glasses, he continued. “Here's a toast to DJAM, Etc., and Mom's new book. And yesterday I signed the final papers on that group of condos. May we all prosper.”

“You left out General,” Bobby interjected.

“And to General.” Robert touched his glass to everyone's around the table. Maria set a waffle in front of Amy and grabbed Bobby's glass just before it spilled.

“And to Maria, who has the fastest reflexes in California.”

DJ got the giggles, which set Amy off, which infected the boys and finally the adults so none of them could drink their juice for the toast.

After they'd finished eating and cleared the dishes away, Robert laid some papers on the table. Looking at both girls, he tapped the sheets in front of him. “This is a contract for a loan so you can have a large order of your cards printed.”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“Know what?”

“The showgrounds we were at this weekend wants to order a dozen of each set for starters.”

“I didn't. Your mother and I just figured this was the best thing to do to make all our lives easier. Now, here's the way it will work.” He explained about the interest and the payments and answered all their questions before pushing the paper toward them. “Dad says maybe we should all buy shares in your company, but for now, this will work. One of these days you might think of hiring the residents at Outlook House to fill the packets for you. They do a good job, and it gives mentally challenged people a chance to earn some money.”

DJ stared at the amount of money they were borrowing. “Guess we better sell lots of cards, huh?”

“You already have orders for more than half this amount. I'm just afraid this isn't enough.” Lindy signed on the line below DJ and Amy.

“Thanks, Dad, Mom.” DJ looked at both her parents. “You guys are awesome.”

“Wait until your first payment comes due.” Robert waggled his eyebrows. “Then we'll see what you say.” He sounded like a mean bad guy—or at least he tried to.

“DJ, have you called Sean back?” Lindy asked as the two girls were leaving the room.

“Oh no, I forgot. But I will.”

Several hours later, after they'd called in their big order to the printer, Amy left on her bike, and DJ dialed Sean's number on the phone in her room. Lying on the bed, kicking one foot in the air, she waited for an answer. When the answering machine clicked on, she groaned. Telephone tag again.

Time flew by as DJ's family got her ready to leave. On Wednesday she had Herndon all sheeted and ready when Brad came to pick him up.

“Do you wish you were going on the plane with us?” He slammed the tailgate in place.

“Nope. I think ours will be more comfortable.”

“You're right. See you in New Jersey.”

DJ nibbled her bottom lip as he drove out of the Briones parking lot. There was no backing out now—as if she'd ever given it a serious thought. Funny what things her mind did when she least expected it.

Saying good-bye to her family at the airport on Thursday was harder than she thought it would be. Not only had she never been so far away before, but this was her first flight.

“Don't worry, darlin', you'll do just fine,” Gran whispered in her ear with her final hug.

“You got enough money?” Joe asked with his hug. He slipped a bill in her hand as he let her go.

“I'm so proud of you, Darla Jean, I could just pop.” Lindy hugged her close.

“Not here, okay?” DJ smiled in spite of the tears she felt burning at the back of her eyes.

“You got enough money?” Robert shoved something in her pocket after he hugged her.

DJ looked from her dad to her grandfather. “Thanks, you two.” She shook her head as she bent to hug the boys.

“Bye, DJ. We're missing you already.” The boys each gave her a fierce hug, reluctant to let loose.

“Rows fourteen through twenty-one now boarding …” came over the address system.

“That's us, DJ. Let's go.” Jackie put an arm around DJ's shoulders. “I promise to call you as soon as we get there.” She handed DJ her backpack.