An entire two weeks passed without a word from David. She kept herself busy, running sometimes twice a day to fill the time, and feeling absolutely miserable inside. She vacillated between outright misery and anger. Every time she thought about David dating Ann, she was miserable; every time she thought about how stubborn and unforgiving he was turning out to be, she was angry.
Early one afternoon, when Summer returned from swimming at Regina’s house, her mother met her on the front steps. One look at the bleak expression in her eyes told Summer some trauma was about to unfold. “What did Michael do now?”
“I’ve lost your grandfather.”
Now, another person would have at least blinked with that bit of news, but not Summer. It had happened before, and in all probability, it would happen again.
“When did you last see him?” Summer asked. She was already walking toward the garage to get her bike.
“It’s that new medicine he started taking last week,” her mother said. “It makes him a little confused.”
“Mom, Grandpa hasn’t been confused in a long, long time. I think he just went on an errand or something. Don’t worry.”
Summer searched the neighborhood, stopping to ask children and adults if they had seen her grandfather pass by. Everyone knew him, but no one had seen him today. After an hour, she had talked to almost everyone she could think of and was about to turn her bike toward home when one of the gas station attendants said he had seen her grandfather just a few minutes ago. Summer hurried off in the direction he pointed. Gliding to a stop in front of the ice cream store, she spotted her grandfather through the tinted glass. She almost fell off her bike when she noticed who was sitting next to him. David! David—and Ann Logan.
“What a mess,” she muttered. She became angry with herself when she felt her hands begin to tremble.
Plastering a smile on her face, she entered the shop and went directly over to her grandfather. “Mom’s looking for you,” she stated a bit briskly.
She looked only at her grandfather, concentrating on his face in her bid to completely ignore David and Ann. It was rude, but she didn’t care.
A part of her brain registered the fact that her grandfather seemed completely aware of where he was and what he was doing. His expression didn’t look the least bit confused.
“Why would your mother be looking for me?” He didn’t appear to want an answer as he dug into his pocket for some change. “David, nice to see you again. Come by the house sometime and I’ll show you my latest invention. I miss your visits.”
So do I, Summer wanted to say. But of course she didn’t and couldn’t, not with Ann hanging all over him. Ann wore the smile of the contented, the smile of the victorious. She knows how miserable I am, and she’s relishing it, Summer thought.
“Nice to see you again, David, Ann,” Summer finally said, pleased that her voice sounded just right, not too surly. She still couldn’t look into David’s eyes, but she got close, staring at his shirt collar while she spoke.
Grandpa was ready to leave, and without a backward glance, Summer followed him out the door.
“Mom didn’t know where you were. She got worried,” she said. She walked beside her grandfather, pushing the bicycle between them.
“Just doing a few errands. I left her a note,” Grandpa replied. “No need for her to get upset.”
“You know Mom,” she answered. “She likes to get uptight. Keeps her slim and trim.”
Grandpa laughed at Summer’s astute description.
“Did you sit down with David and Ann? Or did they come in and sit down with you?” For some reason, her grandfather’s reply was terribly important.
“Why, they sat down with me,” he answered. “What difference does it make?”
“I just wondered. I didn’t want David to feel funny…since we aren’t dating anymore.”
“That Ann girl have an eye ailment?”
Summer turned to her grandfather with a frown. When he saw he had her complete attention, he started batting his eyelashes furiously, and Summer broke into gales of laughter. His imitation of Ann was priceless.
“The boys all seem to like the way Ann flirts,” she said. “I think she looks like she has a problem.”
“Your claws are showing, kitten,” her grandfather admonished. “You’re very pretty, as pretty as Ann, and you’re Irish besides. David will come around. You mark my words.”
Wishful thinking, Summer concluded.
“Just hope you find a little confidence in yourself soon, girl. After you win the race, we’ll have to concentrate on that area.”
“So I’m going to win the race, am I?” she teased.
“Of course,” her grandfather answered immediately. “Bet a fiver on you with Clancy. Easy money. Course I had to talk him into betting against you. He finally gave in, though.”
“I think I have a good chance,” she said, “but I haven’t seen the competition. They might all be pros.”
“Nope. The pros, as you call them, don’t stand a chance against you. Now, I’ve got a few suggestions for increasing your speed just a wee bit more.…”
“Summer! Wait up a minute!” The summons came from David.
They turned and watched David jog toward them. Out of the corner of her eye, Summer noticed the smug expression on her grandfather’s face.
“Hi, David,” she said in a breathless little voice.
David seemed to be having a little trouble looking directly at her. In fact, he seemed downright fascinated with the part in her hair. She reacted by nonchalantly tossing her hair back over her shoulder.
“Listen, you did say you were going to help with the project, and I’ve got over thirty posters that need to be delivered. Ann’s going to take ten, and I’ll do ten, and—”
“I’ll be happy to take ten,” Summer interjected. “Anything else?”
“Well, the T-shirts are just sitting in boxes at Ann’s house. She was supposed to sell them yesterday at the grocery store, but she couldn’t. Ann’s very busy, you know,” he added.
Sure, she is, Summer thought. She’s always busy when real work is involved.
“Look, David, maybe Regina and I could sell them this Saturday.” A sudden inspiration penetrated Summer’s brain. “Uh, you know, that is, Regina is going to have this party, and if I bring the shirts, maybe I could talk some of the kids into buying them. Regina could even make it a T-shirt party or something.”
David perked up over that suggestion. “When is it?”
“Next Friday—no, I mean it’s next Saturday, I think. I’ll have to check with Regina and let you know.”
“I should probably go to Regina’s party,” David said. “Since I’m in charge of the T-shirts, that would probably be the smart thing to do.” He was addressing her feet now, having apparently lost interest in her hair.
“Oh, I agree,” she said a little more enthusiastically than she intended.
“I’ll come by tomorrow with your posters, and you can tell me when the party is.”
“Fine.”
“You might as well ride with me to deliver them.”
Summer nodded, and David left. Grandpa started chuckling. He never said a word about the conversation, only gave her a broad wink that told her he was mighty pleased.
The rest of the trip home was spent discussing her strategy for increasing her running speed. She barely listened, planning her own strategy with one David Marshall.
When the pair entered the house, Summer’s mother was so relieved that Grandpa was behaving rationally that she hugged him and planted a big kiss on his ruddy cheek.
“Read my notes before you get yourself all worked up,” her grandfather chided. His expression was firm, but the gentleness in his voice suggested he liked the fact that she was concerned about him.
Summer felt very close to her family all of a sudden. They were caring people, and even if they were a little weird most of the time, they belonged to her; and no one, not even Ann Logan, could take them away.
“Summer, please help me set the table,” her mother asked.
“She needs to call Regina first,” Grandpa interjected with a wide grin.
“Why?” Summer and her mother asked in unison.
“Don’t you need to tell her she’s having a party?”