The Secret Sisters Club

Chapter 10: THE SCHEMING CONTINUES

The summer sun lit the hen house fully as Tillie opened the bottom half of the door. “Oh good! You’re alone.”

Ginnie laughed. “You’re the only one who ever comes in to do the chickens with me, that’s why this makes the perfect clubhouse.”

Tillie set her basket next to Ginnie and squatted to pick up an egg. “That’s true. But we need to focus on OSS. The mall wasn’t a complete bust, but we need a better plan.”

“I told you my dad was lame.”

“That’s okay. He and Mom talked when he offered everyone ice cream cones.”

Ginnie added three eggs to her basket, then took a deep breath. “Well, enough of the past. What’s our next plan going to be? What does your mom like to do?”

“My mom isn’t picky. Dinner, movies, football games. Your dad has the problem with dating. Where did he take your mom on their first date?”

Ginnie shrugged. “I only know she was a beauty queen, she loved competing with Eternal Love, she liked taking pictures, she thought Toran and I hung the moon ... oh ... and she was stubborn.” Ginnie leaned back on her heels and laughed. “And apparently, when I argue with Daddy, he thinks I’m just like her.”

Tillie smiled. “You are if she was stubborn, and funny, and a very good friend.”

“Thanks.” Ginnie pushed her bangs out of her face. “And lately I keep hearing how much I look like her.” She threw a disgusted glance at her chest and rolled her eyes. She liked being a tomboy and her body’s betrayal irritated her.

Tillie laughed. “You waste being a girl. Your mom was a beauty queen and you don’t even wear lip gloss. How did that happen?”

“Because she died.” The angry whisper startled Ginnie.

She glanced at Tillie and then turned away, ashamed of the hurt that flickered across her friend’s face. “I didn’t mean it like that. I could care less about being a beauty queen. But I want to be a trick rider like her and Daddy won’t let me.” Ginnie dropped an egg roughly into the basket, cracking the one below it. Great.

Tillie offered her a sympathetic smile. “She sounds nice. My mom met her once, when she was still married to Jasper.”

“Really?” Ginnie locked her eyes on Tillie’s. “When?”

“When we were two. You know Uncle Jake and Jasper were friends in high school.” Tillie grimaced while mentioning her birth father’s name. “Uncle Ben invited us over for a barbecue when Uncle Jake was home on leave. Your dad was at work, but your mom brought you and Toran over to nap while she rode Eternal Love. Aunt Sadie kept you guys up to play with me and when your mom was done riding, they talked.” Tillie sighed and picked up an egg. “They might have been friends, but Aunt Sadie died right after that and Jasper didn’t want to come out to the farm anymore.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Me either, but Mom says Aunt Sadie was a second mom to Jasper. After Aunt Sadie died, Jasper started drinking. That’s when things got bad.” Tillie took a sudden interest in some hens squawking and sat back on the heel of her sneakers.

Ginnie tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat.

“When Jasper hurt us, your family were the only ones she trusted to help us.”

“I’m glad she thought to come to the farm that night. That’s when we became like sisters. I was sorry when Uncle Ben helped your mom find the apartment and you guys moved out.”

“Me too. But if we can get our folks to fall in love, Mom and I can move back in.” Tillie put an egg in the basket and smiled at Ginnie. “My mom’s a nice person and so’s your dad. They need to be together and not just so we can be sisters. They could both use a good friend.”

“Yeah. Dad doesn’t act like he misses Mama, but I know he does.” Ginnie glanced at Tillie and then the door. “I think the reason he ditched us was because he felt sorry for me that I don’t have a mom. I don’t really need one, because I have Vi, but I like your mom and with her around, he won’t worry about me so much. I hate how overprotective he is.”

Tillie chewed her lip. “I like that about him.”

“You won’t when he hovers over you all the time. He even told me I can’t date until I’m thirty-seven. Not that I want to, boys are gross.” Ginnie rolled her eyes. “But seriously, what’s our new plan gonna be?”

Tillie opened her mouth and jumped to her feet, squealing. “I’ve got it! A picnic! Lunch, talking, and maybe even kissing.”

“Daddy treats your mom like Vi, who’s like his little sister. He’s not going to kiss his sister.” Ginnie leaned forward. “Vi calls him and Uncle Jake ‘Neanderthals’ for a reason. They enjoy picking on Vi’s boyfriends. And remember when your mom dated that Albert guy? Even Daddy teased him.”

Tillie sucked in a horrified breath. “If they start dating, do you think Uncle Jake will be nice, or not?”

“I dunno.” Ginnie gathered more eggs. “But Uncle Ben will make him behave if they do get serious.”

Tillie groaned. “Uncle Jake better not mess up our plans.”

“We haven’t made any plans, but a picnic is out.”

“Why?”

“How’s a picnic gonna happen?” Ginnie frowned. “Hand them a lunch basket and tell them to go away and not come back until they want to get married?”

“What about dinner at a restaurant?” Tillie suggested.

Ginnie shrugged. “Or a movie?”

“No, we want them to talk.” Tillie scrunched her eyebrows in thought.

“We need to get them to take us somewhere.” Ginnie suggested. “They aren’t going to go off by themselves.”

“Fine, where do we want to go?” Tillie asked.

Ginnie didn’t hesitate. “Go-carting.”

“Good idea. And fun, too. So when are we going?” Tillie squatted next to Ginnie and brushed straw off an egg.

Ginnie shrugged again. “Let’s ask Daddy.”

They gathered the rest of the eggs and rushed into the farmhouse to drop their baskets off in the kitchen. They nearly ran into Buzz, Uncle Ben’s son.

“Have you seen my dad?” Ginnie asked.

“He’s loading Dad’s truck with hay.”

Ginnie motioned Tillie to follow. “Thanks, Buzz.”

“No prob.”

They hurried through the dining room and out the front door.

Ginnie and Tillie rushed down the gray-painted concrete steps and sprinted between Dad’s green sedan and Vi’s purple convertible VW bug.

Uncle Ben’s loaded truck was headed down the lane, followed by a cloud of dust.

Disappointment clouded Tillie’s face. “Now what?”

Ginnie could only shrug.