• All For The Love Of Thomi
• The Resurrection of Joleigh-Anna Kelmann
• The Kingsley Twins - Dalton's Last Stand

• All For The Love Of Thomi
• The Resurrection of Joleigh-Anna Kelmann
• The Kingsley Twins - Dalton's Last Stand
• Babies And Toddlers A Picture Book
• The Little Book Of Red Hot CHILI PEPPER RECIPES

"Ha! I won't have to try!" He followed us to the checkout, pretended to be stalking man eating lions on the way. "Jeoffrey says you're having family night tonight. When my mom and dad get back we'll have one, too. We do all sorts of neat stuff. We have the best time!" As if no one else ever did.

"That's the idea of it," Mom replied in her mild way. "We have family nights every night the kids' father isn't working on someone's computer system. He's been pretty busy lately."

Ralph Henry shot a charging lion just as it was leaping over the candy display. "My parents are gone a lot, too. They decorate people's houses. Rich people's houses. They make tons of money. When they get back, we'll go shopping. That'll be the best time ever!"

I hung my head again. Saw Jerrianna roll her eyes before I did it. If this line didn't move faster, I might just disappear out the door. Mom could handle the bags. That's what carts were for.

Finally, it was our turn. The checkout lady listened to Ralph Henry's lips flap with a funny look on her face. She looked from Mom to Ralph Henry and said, "You must have fun with that one!"

"Oh, not so much," Mom replied. "Doesn't belong to me!"

"Really? Lucky you then! Pity his parents! That'll be twenty one fifty seven."

Mom chuckled and dug around in her denim purse. "Who knows. Maybe they deserve him!"

The checkout lady thought that over. "You could be right," she said, taking the money Mom held out to her.

Ralph didn't seem to care they were talking about him. He just kept bouncing around, checking for lions and rhinos and poachers. Thought we'd get rid of him when we walked out the door, but no, he followed. Out by the spot where you get rid of your bottles waited a tall guy with light brown curly hair. Soon's he saw Ralph Henry, he nailed him.

"Hey, buddy! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Look, Ronny!" Ralph hopped on one foot than the other in front of his brother. "These are my friends, Geoff and Jerri Kingsley. This is their mom---the one who beats everyone playing air hockey! Can I go over their house for a while?"

Jerrianna sucked in a dismayed breath, and I did my flop head thing. Mom didn't say anything. Without looking, I knew the expression she probably was wearing.

None.

I don't know how she can do that so good. If she doesn't want you to know what she's thinking, you don't. I bet she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings now, so that's why she was doing it. Who cares, for crying out loud? It was just Ralph Henry!

Ronny faked a punch at Ralph Henry's belly, then quick whacked him behind the head. "I don't think so, buddy. Mom and Dad're calling us tonight. You don't want to miss that, do you? Maybe another time, huh? Glad you're finally making friends!" He looked at Mom. "Saw you play last week, Mrs. Kingsley. Think you could teach me some things sometime?"

"I can try," Mom replied. She might have said more, but Ralph Henry broke in with one of his conversation stoppers.

"I don't need anybody teaching me! Play me Saturday, Mrs. K. I'll show you a few things!"

"You can try," said Mom with the smile that meant he'd be sobbing his losses in less than three minutes. Dad says that's her subtle way of bragging. Just seems like the truth to me.

Ronny grabbed Ralph Henry's shoulder and kept him from bouncing in circles. "Well, it was nice meeting you. We gotta go, bud. Mom and Dad'll be calling and we won't be there if we don't hurry up. Already got our stuff in the car. Let's go!"

"Hey, see you guys in school tomorrow!" Just as if we'd be thrilled to remember that.

I flopped my head forward. Mom put a hand out and lifted it up. "You're going to have your head rolling on the floor one day. Instead of wimping about people like him, Jeoffrey, learn to constructively deal with them. Makes your life a lot easier!"

"Yeah, how do you constructively deal with a guy like Ralph Henry Dalton?" Jerrianna demanded. "Why couldn't he be like his brother?He seems really nice!"

I had a solution . . . . "Let's stuff the weasel in a box . . ."

"Jeoffrey, don't start," advised Mom, motioning for me to take charge of the cart.

"Wrap it all up good and tight," I continued, heading out the automatic doors with the cart, "and put that box in another box, and wrap it up, and put that box in another box. And put that box in a bigger box! Tape it up and send it to the most outer regions of space! Only the ship gets pulled into a black hole and lands near a star going super nova--" Setting one foot on the lower rack of the cart, I rode it out onto the parking lot like it was a scooter.

"Jeoffrey!"

"Well, it's not my fault the star's going super--"

"Jeoffrey Kurtis!"

"Okay! Okay! But I can't think of anything that'll help me like him. Or anyone else who acts like that!"

"I'll think of something," Jerrianna declared positively. "I'll think of something that'll help us deal with him -and shut him up!"

Mom halted suddenly. She shook her head, threw her arms wide, and wondered in complete bewilderment, "Who came up with the theory that kids learn by example? I mean---the they'll learn the Good Things as well as the Bad part!"

"What? At least I don't want to send him into space where he gets blown to little itty bits in a super nova!" Jerrianna grabbed the cart as she spoke, pulling it around to the back of the car. I stayed on and took the ride.

"Not today, at any rate," Mom remarked dryly, opening the trunk of our car.

We stowed our groceries in, first grabbing out an apple a piece. We were just about done when somewhere close by, we heard, "Meow!" So close, it sounded, it seemed like some cat could just jump right into my arms if it wanted to.

We all looked around us. Jerri and I checked under the car.

"Meow! Meow!"

"You know, that sounds like it's coming from---" Mom slammed the trunk door closed and looked straight into the back window. Up there in the ledge of the back seat sat a fluffy yellow and white cat with dark green eyes. "---inside the car," she finished. "Who left a window open? Here, Jeoffrey, run the cart over to the cart corral."

I did it in double quick time. Almost tripped myself up racing back to the car because I'd forgotten to call Shotgun! No Blitz! for the front seat privilege on the way home. But I didn't have to worry about Jerri beating me to it. By the time I ran back, Jerrianna had curled up in the backseat with the cat and made it her lifelong buddy. It snuggled up in her arms and butted her chin with her head. Licked her cheek with a sandpapery tongue.

Mom stood holding a piece of yellow paper in one hand and a can of Happy Kat Stew in the other. She read outloud, "This is KittyKat. Our baby is allergic to cats and the doctors say having one will seriously hurt him. My parents think we should just ditch KittyKat at a farm, and my wife's parents say put it to sleep. I don't want to do either of those things. KittyKat isn't a farm cat. But we don't have time to wait for someone to answer newspaper ads. Please forgive us for doing this. I saw you going into the store and just feel you'd be right for caring for KittyKat. Here's some toys and food so you won't be totally burdened. Thanks. A desperate dad."

"Dad is gonna be desperate when he sees it! He's not a cat lover, you know!"

"He doesn't hate them, either." Mom shoved the note into her jeans pocket and moved the bag of cat food and toys onto the floor so she could get in. "Get in, Jeoffrey. Don't either of you get your hopes up. There's no guarantee we're keeping her. But we won't dump her in someone's car."

I went around the other side and jumped in the front. Guess Jerri didn't care about sitting in the front seat with the cat to keep her company in the back. "How come you're calling it a her? How do you know what it is?"

"Just a guess. Buckle up."

"Hey, Jeoffrey, look!" Jerrianna poked me in the back. "Look at the size of these paws! It's got built in air hockey mallets!"

Now that I was buckled, I craned my neck around to check it out. Jerri waved the cat's massive seven toed left paw at me. "Whoa! Sweet!"

"Be cool if she actually played. I'd have a partner anytime I needed one. One that wouldn't be afraid to play me because they don't ever win . . ."

"Well, jeekers, Mom. Winning is motivational!"

"Expanding your vocabulary this week, Geoff?" she teased. "If you'd just try a little harder and didn't come to the table with the why bother? I'm only going to lose attitude, you might come closer to it!"

"I don't wanna come close. I wanna do it!"

"Then lose the attitude. Jerri plays me without crying. Must be a guy thing!"

Jerrianna laughed. "Dad doesn't cry as hard as Jeoffrey does, though. You're a pretty sad wimp, Geoff!"

I tossed my apple core over the seat hoping to hit her with it. Her giggle told me it missed. "You're a bad shot all the way around!" Then, changing subjects, she said, "Wonder if it is a girl. Hard to tell by the name KittyKat."

"Stupid name!" I huffed, folding my arms and staring out the window. "Probably is a girl!"

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