Baker Family

Of yard work and the girl next door

Pete led the two boys out and Dawson was assigned the task of picking up sticks in the yard to get ready for cutting the grass. Ricky went to the shed where he got a tree pruner and began to cut several low hanging branches. He thought how his arms were going to hurt.

After a few minutes of cutting branches Ricky noticed the neighbor girl emerge from the back of her house. The fourteen year old girl smiled as she saw them and Ricky quickly waved. He felt his heart pound in his chest and his palms began to sweat.

"Hey Scarlet." He said to the girl who had long red hair and clear blue eyes that he found himself easily getting lost in.

"Hey Ricky." She then walked over to the fence. "Doing yard work."

"Yeah my parents are having a dinner party and they want us to get the yard ready." He said clumsily. Though he was not sure why the yard needed to be ready when the dinner was going to be in doors.

"That's nice." She said. "A bunch of us are going to the mall later this afternoon will you be there."

Ricky gave her an awkward look as he said "No we will be doing chores all day."

A look of disappointment crossed her. "I am sorry to hear that."

Same here he thought.

"What will you be doing tomorrow afternoon?" Scarlet asked.

"I am not sure." Ricky said. "I..."

A hand than clasped on his shoulder as he said "I am sorry to interrupt but Ricky really needs to get back to work."

"Of course." Scarlet said still smiling at him. "I'll see you Ricky."

"See you Scarlet."

Ricky watched her as she went back to her house.

"Dad how can you tell if a girl likes you?" Ricky asked.

Scarlet walked up to the porch, turned and gave him one more smile before going into the house.

"That's how." Pete said with an amused grin. He then rubbed his son's back as he said "Come on buddy get back to work."

He then gave the boy a firm slap on the bottom to help motivate him.

Ricky let out a small ow.

"Yes sir." Ricky said and began to cut another branch.

Pete walked back up to the porch and watched his boys as he took another sip of his coffee. He thought how much he hated yard work and was glad that he now had three teenage boys to do it for him.

Ricky soon finished cutting the branches and Dawson was done picking up sticks. He got the lawn mower out of the shed and started to cut the backyard while Dawson grabbed the weed whacker and started trimming the grass along the fence.

He saw Mickey soon emerge from the back of the house. He watched as his father spoke with him wagging his finger in his face. It was not too hard to imagine what he was saying. The words shape up and fly right went through his mind. It was one of his father's favorite phrases. A nervous look crossed his brother's face and he could see him mouth yes sir.

His dad then spun him around and gave him a slap on his bottom. A little harder than the one that Ricky received earlier.

Mickey then hurried off the porch and then ran to the shed where he grabbed the second lawn mower. He pushed the lawn mower towards the front yard tussling Dawson's hair as he walked past him. Dawson told him to stop it but Mickey only laughed at him.

Pete yelled his name giving him an impatient look.

Ricky shook his head as he thought someone really wants to get his butt whipped.