A Thousand Tomorrows & Just Beyond The Clouds Omnibus by Karen Kingsbury

Author:Karen Kingsbury [Kingsbury, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Center Street
Published: 2011-01-06T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Elle sat with her mother at the kitchen table and tried to concentrate on their heated game of Scrabble. But Daisy’s distractions were relentless. She was dancing in the kitchen, twirling and spinning and singing a song she was making up about field trips and the steps of a bus. It was Thursday, which meant tomorrow was another field trip day. Daisy would be dancing and giggling and celebrating until bedtime.

Field trips had that effect on her.

“Your turn.” Her mother stood and headed toward the sink. “Elle, I’d swear your mind is somewhere else tonight. You don’t usually let me get this close in Scrabble.”

“I’ll still beat you.” Elle leaned down and scratched Snoopy’s ears. The beagle was ten years old now, the hair around his eyes and nose more gray than brown. “I haven’t had good letters all game.”

“Shoulda swapped ’em!” Daisy twirled past Elle’s chair. “I’d swap ’em.”

“You’re probably right.”

Their mother poured three glasses of iced tea. She set one on the counter for Daisy and brought the other two to the table. “You ignored my observation.”

“What?” Elle lifted her eyes and feigned innocence. “About beating me at Scrabble?”

She raised one eyebrow. “About your mind being somewhere else.”

“Nah. Just thinking about tomorrow’s field trip.” Elle reached for her tea and took a sip. “Thanks for the drink.”

“Tomorrow’s field trip!” Daisy jumped in the air, both hands straight out in front of her. She began to hum. “I could’ve danced all night… I could’ve danced all night.”

Their mother looked doubtful. “Where are you going?” She raised her voice so she could be heard over Daisy’s gleeful singing.

“The park and out to lunch. Everyone’s bringing money.” Elle took four of her letter tiles and built the word “guilty” down along a double-word square. She grinned at her mother. “There. That should put me ahead.”

Daisy stopped, out of breath, and dropped to the chair next to Elle. “Do you like bull riders, Elle?”

Elle looked at her sister and blinked. What was the fascination with bull riders lately? Ever since Carl Joseph mentioned his brother and how the guy had ridden bulls, Daisy brought it up nearly every day. “Not particularly.”

Their mother leaned on her elbows and looked from Elle to Daisy. “How’d you hear about bull riders?”

“From CJ.” Daisy beamed. “His brother’s a bull rider.”

Elle gave her mother a side glance and the slightest shake of her head. With her eyes she conveyed her doubt. “He’s probably an accountant or something. Just moved back to the Springs.”

“He’s a bull rider.” Shock and indignation filled Daisy’s face. “I said he’s a bull rider and he’s a bull rider.”

“Okay.” Elle patted her sister’s hand. “He’s a bull rider.”

Daisy took a long drink of her iced tea. One ice cube plopped onto the table, and she quickly picked it up and dropped it back into her cup. “You didn’t see that, okay, Elle? But he is a bull rider.” She finished her tea with three big swallows and stood.

When she was out of earshot, Elle whispered toward her mother: “And I’m a ballerina.

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