Free Kyle's Island by Sally Derby Page B

the kitchen, she shook her head at me, moving her eyes in Mom’s direction. She was telling me not to ask anything. It was a quiet meal. Even Josh seemed solemn. Finally Mom shook her head, like she was coming out of a daydream. “How was the rowing lesson?” she asked.
    â€œMe and Kyle had a great time, didn’t we?” Josh said.
    â€œKyle and I,” Mom said automatically. Whenever we make a grammar mistake, she always repeats what we said the correct way, and then we say it right after her. Her heart didn’t really seem in it today, but Josh went ahead and corrected himself.
    â€œKyle and I,” he said. “I’m getting real good, aren’t I, Kyle?”
    â€œPretty good,” I answered.
    â€œAndrea and I are going to swim out to Marshalls’ float and hang around there for a while this afternoon,” Vicki said. “Want to come along, Kyle?”
    She didn’t sound too enthusiastic about having me join them. “Nope,” I answered. “Even if Jeff and Brad have their braces off, they’re a couple of snobs as far as I’m concerned.”
    â€œThey are not!”
    â€œI said, as far as I’m concerned. You don’t have to thinkso if you don’t want. But I know them better than you.” A couple of summers ago I’d hung out with those guys, till I finally figured out that if they couldn’t brag about all the things their family owns, they wouldn’t have any conversation at all. Vicki would just have to learn that for herself.
    Mom had sort of dropped out of the conversation again. Maybe she really was thinking hard. “I’m going to lie down for a while,” she said now, pushing back her chair.
    It was Andrea’s turn to do the dishes, so she started clearing the table.
    â€œCome on, Josh, let’s get the cricket cage,” I said.
    Two hours and twenty-three crickets later, Josh lost interest. I told him to go get some lettuce to put in the cage and to be sure to keep the cage in the shade. Clyde Stemm wouldn’t pay for fried crickets.
    After the crickets, Josh talked Andrea into playing Crazy Eights. I got out the push mower and did the bit of lawn between the bottom of the hill and the lake edge. Then I lay down on the pier to sun myself a little, and I fell asleep. It’s a good thing I don’t burn easily like Vicki does, because I slept for quite a while, I guess. Andrea woke me up by scooping up some water and dribbling it on my back.
    â€œSupper’s finally ready. It’s way late,” she said. “But first Mom wants to talk to us.”
    We climbed the steps together. “Has she decided?” I asked.
    â€œI think so,” Andrea said. “But I don’t know which way.”
    Mom was sitting in the rocker on the porch. Andrea and I dropped down on my bed. Vicki took the other rocker, and Josh sat on the floor, leaning back against the bed.
    Mom took a deep breath. “I’ve decided to turn down the offer,” she said.
    Vicki ran over and hugged Mom. Andrea clapped. I sat up and rumpled Josh’s hair. “Hear that?” I asked him. “Mom’s not going to let the Thompsons tear the cottage down.”
    â€œHowever,” Mom said, rubbing the back of her neck. “The cottage is still for sale. It’s my hope that a family will buy it, a family who will love it as much as we have. You kids will have to accept that. This is our last summer here, so enjoy it as much as you can.”
    I scowled. Why did she have to say that?
    â€œI don’t want you to think,” she went on, “that this changes anything. I’m still determined to sell. It’s just that I couldn’t bear to see it torn down.”
    After that, there wasn’t much to say. I didn’t know how I felt as we sat down to eat. Sure, the cottage was saved temporarily, but Mom was right. Nothing had really changed.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    NOT MUCH HAPPENED