Groundhogs and Greed by Rune Stroud

Author:Rune Stroud [Stroud, Rune]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-16T16:00:00+00:00

14

“No. I wasn’t sneaking out. I was just fixing my window.” – Sixteen-year-old Rowan told his mother while grinding his teeth as if it hurt to speak.

* * *

After rescuing Rowan and returning to the house, I found mom coming down the stairs carrying the book she’d been reading and a brown paper bag. “Autumn. Have you taken Phoenix to see their parents yet?”

I shook my head. “I’ve worked a long day. We’ll head down there now.”

Mom nodded. “Good. Bring Summer some tea, will you? The special blend.” She handed me the bag. “Gran’s party starts at six sharp. Don’t be late.”

“They won’t let us stay long, anyway. And I’ve got to be back to meet Doctor Winters for Pigcasso’s checkup.”

She grinned. “That pig. If I had the room in my house, he’d be an adorable familiar.”

I tried to imagine Pigcasso trotting through mom’s cute little house. All I saw was him knocking priceless art off shelves and rooting through her laundry basket. I laughed. “If you say so.”

Phoenix ran up to me. “Cousin Ivy says she won’t tell me a ghost story unless mom and dad say it’s okay. You’re my babysitter, though, so you can say it’s okay.”

Mom raised her eyebrows. “Why don’t you ask your parents instead?”

I ruffled their hair. “Want to go see your mom in the hospital?"

“Yes!” They started running up the stairs. “I gotta go to the bathroom first.” They stopped at the top step. “I don’t have any flowers. Mama always brings flowers to people in hospitals.”

I nodded. “We’ll stop and get some on the way, okay?”

“Thank you!” They raced away.

Mom walked past me. “Ivy! It’s been too long. How’s the ghost-hunting business going? Autumn said you’re doing ghost tours now?”

I decided to use Gran’s bathroom before we left.

When I returned to the living room, Phoenix waited impatiently. “Come on! I get to pick the flowers, right?”

“You get to pick the flowers. Okay, get in the truck, then.”

“Are we bringing Simon?”

I grimaced. “No. I’m not taking him to the hospital ever again. Last time, he tried to steal the stethoscope from a doctor outside the ER and he stole a shiny get-well balloon from a child who was getting in his car to leave. He just can’t behave himself.”

“Like when you took him to the hardware store?”

“Exactly like that. That poor clerk.”

Once the child buckled in, I told Chief to let my cousin out of the car.

Rowan glared at me, nearly steaming. “It took you long enough.”

I grinned. “I didn’t even notice you there.” I got into my truck, backed out of my spot, and headed into town.

We stopped at Fern’s Flowers to pick up a bouquet. Phoenix went inside and wandered around wide-eyed. “What about that one?”

I followed. “Not that one. It’s for a funeral. How about you come look at these in the vases?”

They backtracked, examining the case I’d stopped beside. “Those are boring. Mom’s favorite flower is a sunflower. She says it’s always happy.” They walked toward the displays of other flowers, pointing out the sunflowers.

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