Free Queen Sophie Hartley by Stephanie Greene Page B

says is ‘Ha!’”

Chapter Nine
    â€œI have a present for you,” Dr. Holt said when Sophie came around the corner into the backyard.
    â€œA
present?
” said Sophie. She stopped. This was even more shocking than strawberry shortcake. “For me?”
    â€œDon’t get your hopes up,” Dr. Holt said. “It’s not much.”
    But Sophie couldn’t help getting her hopes up; her hopes were always up when it came to presents. She loved everything to do with them. The wrapping paper. The bows. The feeling inside when someone handed her a present that maybe, just maybe, it was going
to be the one thing she wanted more than anything in the world.
    Half the time, she didn’t even know what that one thing was. It was the not knowing that was so exciting.
    Dr. Holt waved her hand at a small square package on the glass-top table. “Go on,” she said gruffly. “Open it.”
    It felt awfully light. It didn’t really look like a present, either; it was wrapped in plain brown paper. There wasn’t a card or anything.
    But still. Sophie started to unwrap it carefully.
    â€œI would have thought you were the type to rip right into it,” Dr. Holt said as Sophie slowly unstuck the first piece of tape so as not to tear the paper.
    â€œMy mother likes to reuse the wrapping paper,” said Sophie. This paper had already been used, she could tell. The name of the local grocery store was written in red on the inside.
    â€œIf you take much longer with that thing, you’re going to have to throw it away,” Dr. Holt growled.
    â€œThrow it away?” It didn’t surprise Sophie at all that Dr. Holt had strict rules about opening presents. She quickly tore off the paper, tape and all, and opened the top of the box.
    It was filled with worms.
    â€œOh,
thank
you,” Sophie said. She didn’t stop to think that hugging Dr. Holt might be like hugging a statue with bones. She just hugged her. And even though Dr. Holt seemed a little startled, her return hug was surprisingly human.
    â€œHow did you find them?” Sophie asked.
    â€œMy daughter helped me,” Dr. Holt said gruffly. “You don’t think I touched those things, do you? Half of them had crawled away by the time we got out here. She had to dig up some new ones. It was hard work, let me tell you. I ought to make you split your profits with me.”
    â€œBut they’re a present,” Sophie said, clutching the box to her chest.
    â€œI know, I know....” Dr. Holt leaned forward in her chair. “How much are you going to charge your father for them?” she asked.
    â€œSeven cents a worm,” Sophie said promptly.
    â€œHighway robbery,” said Dr. Holt.
    Â 
    She had put the worms in her father’s bait bucket in the garage. Now she needed to go inside and figure out how much he owed her. As she came across the yard toward the back door, Sophie saw John and Thad sitting on the back steps. John was the picture of doom, with his elbows on his knees, his chin resting on his hands, and a heavy scowl on his small face.
    â€œI wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” Thad told her.
    â€œWhy?” said Sophie. “What happened?”
    â€œNora didn’t get the part.”
    Sophie stopped dead in her tracks. “She didn’t?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œI’m going in the army,” said John. He banged the heel of his boot against the stairs.
    â€œWho got it?” Sophie asked Thad. “Lauren?”
    â€œHow should I know?”
    â€œIf girls cry in the army, they kick ’em out,” said John.
    â€œNora’s
crying?
” The bones in Sophie’s legs seemed to turn to jelly and she sank down onto the step next to Thad.
    â€œShe was when she got out of the car,” reported John.
    â€œShe was when I went into the kitchen,” said Thad. “Believe me, you don’t want to go in there.”
    Nora