Free Crunch by Leslie Connor Page A

“We’re fine, fine, fine!”
    “Are you sure?” said Pop. “Because you’re looking a bit blue.” He grinned and grabbed her painted hand and shook it. He leaned toward her and begged, “Please don’t make me bike that seafood back home.” Lil finally gave up a small grin, and I knew they’d be staying.
    Before he left, Macey repeated that he’d keep looking into the case of the twin’s bikes himself. Itwas nice to think that it mattered to him.
    Dinner was a little quiet right up until I suddenly caught sight of Mr. Spivey coming around the fence. He was leading Gloria Cloud through the gate and into our paddock.
    “What?” I gasped. I whispered to Lil. “Did you loan Gloria Cloud to the Spive today?”
    “No. Why?”
    I pointed. “He must have helped himself,” I said.
    “To your sheep? Aw! The nerve!” Pop banged his hand on the table. “I say, the nerve !”
    “But wait!” said Lil. “He’s making a little history here.”
    “What? Overcoming his dread of droppings?” Vince said.
    “No. He’s bringing her back ! Without bothering us,” Lil said. “I’m telling you, this is history !”
    “I don’t know,” said Pop. “He took her in the first place. Could be time for that geezer-to-geezer chat.”
    Lil rolled her eyes. “Pop, don’t worry. We’re so used to him.”
    “Yep. Used to him like a tack stuck in your toe,” Pop said. “Egg thief. Berry snatcher.” The twins giggled, and Pop got louder. “ Zu -cchini robber. Sheep bandit! ”
    “Shh! Pop!” Mattie gave him an elbow and quite a look. “The Marrisses have an understanding with their neighbor. All is well.”
    “I’ll tell you what is well. Their neighbor is well fed , and his lawn is well trimmed, all thanks to the Marrisses.”
    Lil rose from the picnic table. “Well, Pop, we’re well fed tonight because of you. Thank you for the scallops and the crab, too.”
    “Pop always brings a little bit of crab ,” Mattie said. Pop could not help laughing at that.
    That night, while Angus and Eva soaped dishes at the sink, I swept the floors. Lil had sent the dogs upstairs to “beg from above,” which meant they hung out on the balcony just above the kitchen table with their noses between the rails. Vince made a game of jumping up and trying to set dog treats under their noses. The danger was overfeeding. Old Goodness was a bit of a puker. But atleast Vince’s athletics made us laugh and cheer a few times. Then Lil took the call from Mom and Dad.
    “It hasn’t been the best day,” I heard her say. “But we’re all right.”
    Apparently the first thing Mom and Dad did was ask Lil to please say those two sentences in the reverse order in the future. She’d given them both minor heart attacks.
    “I’m going to let Angus tell you,” she said. She let him dry his hands then gave him the phone. Eva closed in to listen with him. We could have delivered the next lines in unison.
    “Mom. Dad. Our bikes got stole.”
    I didn’t hear exactly what Mom and Dad said, but the rhythm of their voices seemed consoling. The twins kept nodding as they held the receiver between them. Then Eva suddenly said, “We are going back to Sea Camp tomorrow. Because we want to make history .”
    I looked at Lil. She scrunched up her face. Vince had an ear on the conversation too.
    “Like Mr. Spivey,” Eva went on. “He madehistory today. He stole Gloria Cloud. But then he brought her back when he was done with her. So the robber guys could put our bikes back at the pavilion. When they’re done with them.”
    Lil, Vince, and I had a collective heart dive.
    While Lil helped Angus and Eva get ready for bed, she explained to them that it was not likely that the bikes would be returned to Sea Camp.
    “That’s what Mom said too,” Eva said. “But I’m making a wish.”
    Later on, when our twins had fallen asleep, Lil asked, “Do you guys have any little bike frames in the shop?”
    “Sixteen inchers? Not a one.” I shook my head