Free Catching Genius by Kristy Kiernan Page B

us he was having a problem, and he stole notification about the PSAT test from the mail.”
    â€œI thought he just took those tests.”
    â€œThat was a makeup test, which we were lucky enough to find out about.”
    â€œWell, it’s not as if he robbed a bank, Connie—”
    â€œThanks, Mother. So, I’ll see you Monday?”
    â€œI spoke with Estella yesterday.”
    I was surprised into silence. Two conversations in one month. It was surely a record. “And?” I finally asked.
    â€œShe’s looking forward to seeing you,” she said.
    â€œShe said that?” I didn’t believe her. She was just trying to soften us up before we saw each other. She’d probably told Estella the exact same thing.
    â€œYes, she did. And this is a perfect time for the two of you—”
    â€œI get it, Mother,” I interrupted. “I’ll talk to Luke.”
    When I hung up I gathered Gib’s keyboard and cell phone and stashed them in my closet just as I heard the garage door rumble up. I met Luke in the kitchen and held the test results out to him as he walked in the door. He put his briefcase on the counter as he read them and then looked at the report card again.
    â€œSo he takes summer school,” he finally said, shrugging.
    â€œBut don’t you see that this is a bigger problem than just taking summer school?”
    He sighed. “No, I don’t. What’s the problem?”
    â€œHe’s hiding things, Luke. Even from you.”
    He looked startled. “All kids hide things from their parents when they become teenagers,” he said, but he sounded less certain. “I’ll talk to him.”
    â€œHe’s in his room. I took his phone and keyboard and told him no television.”
    â€œDamn, Connie,” Luke protested. “You should have waited until I got home so we could decide what to do about this together.”
    â€œI’m his mother. I did what I felt I had to do, and you weren’t here, were you?”
    Where were you, Luke?
    I remembered Bob’s advice, remembered the paperwork I’d been gathering, the trips I’d made to a new bank, the jewelry I’d hidden there. We both had our secrets, and my questions went unasked.
    He shook his head at me and walked out of the kitchen. Carson came in, wrapped in a big towel, and I made him a snack while Luke talked to Gib. When Luke came back downstairs his face was sober.
    â€œHey, buddy,” he said absently to Carson. “Want to give me and your mom a few minutes alone?”
    Without a word, Carson picked up his plate of fruit and gathered his towel around him again, heading for the sunroom to eat among the orchids.
    â€œI don’t think it’s quite as bad as you’ve made it out,” Luke started, putting his hand up to stop me when I began to interrupt. “We’ll sign him up for summer school and get a tutor if he still doesn’t get it. He’s got this last week of school and then I told him I wanted him to get a job.”
    I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
    â€œWell, if you’re going to Big Dune with your mother—”
    â€œI was going to talk to you about that,” I said quickly.
    He shrugged. “It’s fine, Gib told me. He doesn’t want to go, and I’m not going to have time to baby-sit him. Summer school gets out early—he can work after school and we’ll get home around the same time. We’ll be bachelors. It’ll be fun.”
    â€œAll right,” I said. “I’ll plan to go to Big Dune right after Carson leaves for camp, but Luke, you’re responsible for making sure he’s going to school. I don’t want to get back here to find out that it didn’t happen and you never knew about it.”
    He leaned down to peck me on the lips and then gave a mock salute. “No problem, Sarge. What’s for dinner?”
    Â 
 
On Monday I fairly