The Wish Master by Betty R. Wright

Author:Betty R. Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504013307
Publisher: Holiday House

CHAPTER NINE

A Scrawny Little Nothing

“It’s no use checking the weather channel every ten minutes,” Corby’s mother teased. “The weatherman won’t call off a rainstorm for tomorrow just because it happens to be the Fourth of July.”

“I know that,” Corby said. He glared at the weather map on the screen. There was rain moving toward Berry Hill, but it might go to the north and miss them. Or it might not. He wanted all the clouds in the sky to head right for Berry Hill. He hoped the rain would come down in buckets, with so much lightning and thunder that no one would dare go outside. He had a feeling it would take a super storm to make the town call off its parade.

Grandpa took the remote control out of Corby’s hands and switched to the evening news. “You know how to ride?” he asked, his eyes on the screen.

“We rode at camp.” Corby squirmed uneasily.

“That’s no answer,” Grandpa said, but at that moment the telephone rang and the questions stopped.

“I’ll get it!” Corby’s mother jumped up. “It’ll be your dad, Corby,” she said. “We talked for a few minutes this morning, and he said he’d call again tonight. I think he has big news.”

Corby shot off the couch as if he were jet-propelled. He reached the kitchen before his mother did, and for the next few minutes he stood on one foot, then the other, listening to her side of the conversation with growing excitement.

“That’s wonderful!” his mother said. “When?” Then she said, “He’ll be thrilled.” And, finally, “You tell him yourself.” She handed the phone to Corby, looking so pleased that he decided she must have guessed all along how much he wanted to go home.

“Corby, I wish you were here in Santa Barbara right now.”

Corby grinned. Those were the words he’d been hoping to hear.

“I’ve had a promotion at work—a big one! If you and your mom were here, we’d go out to celebrate. But we’ll do it in September for sure.”

Corby stared down at the kitchen counter. A new job? That was the big news?

“Great,” he said weakly.

If he sounded disappointed, his dad didn’t seem to notice. “Looks like we’ll be able to get the new computer you’ve been wanting—how about that?”

“Great,” Corby said again. “That’s really neat, Dad.”

“I want to talk to your mom again, and then Grandpa, okay?”

“Okay.” Corby handed the phone back to his mother and escaped down the hall.

“Be quiet on those stairs,” Grandpa called in a low voice as he passed the den. “If your grandma’s awake, tell her I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

Corby hurried upstairs. Grandma’s bedroom door was open a crack, and he peeked in. She was sleeping. He closed the door and tiptoed to his own room, stepping carefully around the creaky spots in the floor.

He pulled off his clothes and climbed into bed. An owl hooted nearby. Any other time, he would have enjoyed the eerie sound, but tonight he hardly noticed it. Tonight there was only one thing to think about.

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