Finders Keepers (A Carrington Family Novel Book 1) by Sarah Monzon

Author:Sarah Monzon [Monzon, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Radiant Publications
Published: 2016-05-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

How had they gotten here? Fourth of July family picnics used to consist of legendary squirt gun wars and watermelon-seed spitting contests. Now they played at the trendy version of horseshoes. Corn hole. Trent snorted. They couldn’t have picked a more redneck name for the game.

Adam tossed his bag. If it made it into the hole one more time, Trent was toast. Who knew a defense attorney could have such a good arm? Of course, it really shouldn’t have surprised him. Adam had played baseball in high school. Then again, that was over a decade ago.

The bag landed, half in the hole, half on the platform. Beans shifted, and in slow motion the bag disappeared.

Adam turned, his face split in a triumphant grin. “Your turn.”

Trent looked at his watch. Sure was taking Mom and Summer a long time to grab that pie. He chucked his remaining bag at Adam’s chest. “I’m going to investigate what’s taking so long with dessert.”

“You forfeit the game, so I win.” Adam’s words hit his back.

He called over his shoulder, “No one wins until the game is finished.”

“Then get back here so I can whoop—” Trent closed the glass-paneled door, cutting off his brother’s trash talk.

An empty kitchen, half-full dishes still littered the counter. Where had they gone? Murmurings drifted from the other side of the wall that partitioned the living room from the kitchen and dining combo. Trent popped his head around the corner, then stepped into the room.

Summer’s long red hair contrasted brightly beside Mom’s dark-gray bob. He’d hoped the two would hit it off, but he never thought they’d get this close…literally. Bodies angled toward each other, knees touching, hands clasped together. Growing up in a religious family, he was more than familiar with this posture. They were praying. And if there were any doubt, the open Bible lying on the coffee table wiped it away.

Surprise punched him in the gut. She was a Jesus freak too? You don’t believe in Jesus? Her question rang in his ear, and he tried to recall her tone. There hadn’t been any accusation or shock or sadness. She hadn’t recoiled or started to evangelize him. There hadn’t been any signs that she was of the Bible thumper variety. Usually he could spot them a mile away…enough time to run in the opposite direction.

Summer sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

She’d been crying? His lips twitched. He was horrible, the way his heart lifted at the revelation. Maybe she wasn’t brainwashed like the rest of his family. More than likely Mom had cornered her and Summer had felt obligated to pray out of politeness.

“Everything okay?”

Summer turned toward him, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, her lips tilted up in a wobbly smile, but her face…it radiated.

“Your mom is a gem—I hope you know that.”

What in the world had happened while he’d been out playing corn hole with Adam? He looked at his mom. Her eyes shone, and she sent him an unspoken message as she nodded her head toward Summer and then himself, her mouth parting in a toothy smile.

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