All I Have Read Free Page A

He planted a kiss on Carla's cheek, adding, "And how are you, dear?"
    "I'm right as rain now that those friends of yours have moved on."
    Ellie noted her father's frown. "I don't get you. What did they do to offend you?"
    "Well if you don't know, then I'm not sharing." She flung her head back, slinging her hair to the side, and stomped back into the house.
    Jake shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand women." He looked at Ellie, "Are you coming in for dinner?"
    Ellie left the rocker and followed him inside. For dinner they enjoyed roast beef, boiled potatoes and carrots, and cornbread with pinto beans. A cold glass of milk washed it all down.
    Jake said, "Tomorrow we'll give our compliments to Charlotte. She must have dragged out the recipe box because that reminded me of…"
    Ellie caught Carla's frown as her father's speech faltered. The tension in the room increased. A storm was brewing between the two. It was the same every time Charlotte, the housekeeper, made one of her mom's old dishes.
    In hope of avoiding the conflict, Ellie slipped from the room, taking her dirty dishes to the kitchen. A window above the sink revealed light from the cabin. The Wiseman men were no doubt settling in. After their long drive, they probably didn't feel like preparing dinner. Ellie dished up several containers of leftovers and prepared a note for her dad and Carla. She placed it on the refrigerator under a magnet. Leaving the kitchen, she walked out the back door and took the wooded path to the little house.
     

Chapter Three
    Shane and Nicholas unloaded suitcases and boxes in the cozy living room and bedrooms and then plopped on the couch. An air conditioner hummed in a nearby window. The ceiling fan wobbled with each rotation.
    "So, what now? Wanna watch TV?" asked Shane, twirling the remote in this hand.
    Nicholas pushed up from the couch and walked to the adjoining kitchen. He poked his head in the refrigerator. "Dad, didn't Jake say his wife stocked the fridge?"
    "Yeah, he did."
    "Well, somebody must have gotten their wires crossed because there's no food in here."
    "What about in the cabinets?"
    Nicholas opened cabinet doors. Every shelf was empty. He shook his head and swore under his breath. Before long his father joined him in canvassing the kitchen. After a fruitless search, they collapsed back on the couch.
    "So what do we do now?" asked Nicholas. "I guess we should have stopped before we got here."
    Shane raised an eyebrow. "We'll have to go out and eat and then run by the store. I don't know what else we can do."
    "What store? I only saw an auto repair shop and a gas station—and maybe a fast food joint."
    Shane laughed, "Nicholas! It isn't that bad."
    "Might as well be." He crossed his arms over his chest.
    Shane grabbed the truck keys. "Let's go find something. I just hope once we leave this place we can get back in. That narrow road wasn't exactly easy to see."
    Nicholas sighed and slipped his shoes back on. Jerking the door open, his heart thumped when he saw the hand poised to knock.
    "Oh, hello. I thought you two might be hungry."
    The girl with the emerald eyes stood with a box full of food containers. She thrust the box toward Nicholas, but Shane stepped between them to grab it. It was a good thing his father took the initiative because all Nicholas could do was gawk.
    The word, "Thanks," finally pushed past his lips.
    She shrugged. "Sure. We had plenty left over. No reason to let it go to waste."
    Shane said, "Nicholas don't just stand there, invite the girl in."
    Nicholas stood aside and motioned for Ellie to enter. She hesitated before crossing the threshold. Once inside, she walked to the kitchen and opened cabinets and drawers. Plates and cutlery were pulled out and she set the table. Shane and Ellie worked together to spread out the feast. Another cabinet was opened and Ellie came away frowning.
    "I thought…I mean...there was supposed to be food here."
    Shane grabbed her hand and led her to a