Free Missing in Action by Dean Hughes

say.
    â€œI do, honey. I do.” But now she had started to cry. He didn’t want that, didn’t want her to go back to her sadness and her grouchiness, but she needed to know that he wasn’t going to let her talk that way about his dad.

CHAPTER 7
    THE FOURTH OF JULY CAME on a Sunday, so the celebration in Delta was put off until Monday. Gordy came by for Jay that morning, and they walked into town. There was going to be a parade at nine o’clock that would come down Main Street. He had seen the Covered Wagon Days parade in Salt Lake; it had lasted for hours. He couldn’t imagine that such a little town could come up with much, but at least some of the boys had a few firecrackers, hard as they were to get these days. Gordy said he was going to set some off and try to scare some of the girls they knew.
    When he and Gordy reached Main Street, it was just after eight thirty, and not many people had come into town yet. “Let’s walk down the street and see if we can spot Lew or any of the other guys,” Gordy said.
    â€œI know who you’re really looking for,” Jay said.
    â€œWho?”
    â€œElaine Gleed.”
    Gordy turned and punched him in the shoulder. But then he surprised Jay by saying, “How did you know?”
    â€œâ€Šâ€™Cause you love her.”
    â€œYou can’t blame me for that,” he said. “The girl’s a looker.” He grinned with those giant front teeth of his, looking sort of goofy, but pleased with himself. “Have you seen how her and her friends have been coming around every night lately? I figure she’s there to get a look at me.”
    Jay laughed. “I wouldn’t bet on it.”
    â€œWhy not? I’m the best player. Even a girl can tell that.”
    â€œThose girls are just looking around for something to do.”
    â€œYeah. And maybe every one of ’em’s got it bad for me. It wouldn’t surprise me. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m awful good-looking.” He stopped and struck a pose, showing his profile.
    â€œYou’re right about one thing. I haven’t noticed.” This was something new. Jay usually didn’t joke much.
    â€œYou better watch it, Chief. You mess with me and I’ll scalp you.” He jumped and got him in a headlock, grabbed some of his hair, and pretended that he was hacking away at it. But Jay’s temper fired; he swung him around and threw him off.
    â€œHey, Chief, what’s up? You wanna fight a couple of rounds? ’Cause if you do, I’m ready for you.” Gordy seemed about half-mad.
    Jay wasn’t going to let that happen. “You’d have a better chance fighting Elaine,” he said, and tried to smile. “Try her first.”
    Gordy took a long look at him, like he wasn’t sure whether he was mad or not, and then he started into that sandpaper laugh of his. “If she wants to go a few rounds with me, rasslin’—best two out of three—I guess I’d lock up with her. I might kiss her on the lips while I was at it too.”
    â€œShe’d slap your face again.”
    â€œYeah, she might. But then again, maybe that’s just what she’s hoping for—a little rasslin’. We’re not kids, like the last time I kissed her.”
    Jay wondered. He had watched Elaine and Jolene Wickham and a couple of other girls. They’d actually paid no attention to the baseball game. They mostly seemed interested in talking to each other. They giggled all the time, the way girls always did, and he thought maybe sometimes they did talk about the boys. He had a feeling they made fun of Gordy.
    Jay wondered what girls thought about him. Maybe they all thought he was an Indian, because of the stuff that Gordy always said.
    The parade finally started, but it was a poor excuse for a parade. The mayor came by, he and his wife ridingin the rumble seat of an old-fashioned Ford. The mayor was wearing a