Free Queen by Sharon Sala Page B

wounds and cleaned up the mess.
    The entire backseat of the Blazer was full of bags, some containing food, some containing extras like special soaps and bath powders. Cody knew he'd probably overdone it, but he'd be damned if he'd be accused of being lax by his in-laws. While they were here, he was determined to prove that he could provide everything necessary for common comfort.
    He turned in the driveway leading to his house and found that the knot in his stomach was starting to relax. Whether it was because he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do or because he had something and someone to come home to was irrelevant. He was ready for anything now.
    And then he saw them.
    The play erupted as Donny swung and the ball flew through the air. Cody watched, spellbound, as Queen turned and jumped, as graceful as a cat, and caught the ball in midair. Then he heard their shrieks of laughter as the race began. She and Donny collided on base in a tangle of long arms and legs. Cody watched them roll onto their backs, hysterical with laughter, covered in blood and dust, and knew that he wasn't ready at all.
    He parked and got out, wishing that his arrival would not stop the game. Wishing that he could join in and be the next one to roll Queen Houston on the ground. Before the thought could become deed, he heard the arrival of another vehicle and turned, knowing before he looked who it would be.
    "Oh, no."
    There was nothing else he could say. They were here. Just as he'd suspected. Just as he'd feared. They'd come at the worst possible time, unannounced, and in the middle of something they'd never understand.

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Chapter 5

     
    It was the unnatural quiet after so much hilarity that first alerted Queen that something was wrong. That and the fact that suddenly she was the only one laughing. Startled by the abrupt silence around her, she began wiping at the dust in the corners of her eyes. Then she looked up.
    The two younger boys stood soldier straight above her, their faces strained and pale beneath the grime. Will and J.J. moved aside as Donny bolted to his feet and began brushing at his clothes in an unusually frantic motion.
    "What in…?"
    Her gaze collided with Cody's stern expression. He was back, but something was wrong. Surely a simple ball game would not cause all this concern. She looked beyond him, and in that moment her heart sank as she watched a stately, graying couple emerge from a Lincoln and gawk in disbelief at the sight before them.
    The grandparents were here. And from the expression on the elder woman's face, Queen could tell they were none too happy about what they'd just witnessed.
    Nothing like a good first impression, she told herself.
    Sonofabitch! The word kept replaying itself over and over in Cody's mind, but he knew that giving voice to it, as well as to his frustration, would not be wise. He was in a quandary as to what to do or say first when Lenore Whittier spoke and the decision was no longer his to make.
    "Who… are you?" Lenore asked, staring in glacial disgust at the long-limbed, buxom beauty sprawled at her feet in an ungainly fashion.
    The tone of her voice hurt Queen; it was an echo from her past, when the gambler's daughters had often been judged unfairly. Anger overwhelmed any embarrassment she might have felt as she reached for the ball bat lying by her side.
    Lenore Whittier gasped and took a step backward, as if expecting the woman to assault her.
    Queen's eyes narrowed as she read the woman's expression. Lady, for two cents I'd give you a reason to be afraid. But the fear on the boys' faces changed her mind. Something had to be done to end this stalemate.
    Her fingers closed around the bat. She gripped it tightly and then tipped it on end, using it cane fashion to pull herself up.
    "She's our aunt Queenie," J.J. said defiantly, and then looked away, unwilling to bear the brunt of his grandmother's disapproval.
    Lenore's eyebrows rose. Aunt indeed! She gave Cody a look he tried to ignore,