Missing in Action Read Free

grandpa had a house on that street. It was old but big—a lot bigger than any place he’d lived in before. That was okay, but sometimes Grandpa tried to act like he was his dad, not telling him what to do, but asking him all about everything.
    Everything here was different. He didn’t like it much so far. Grandma was nice, but he’d heard her talking to Mom about his dad, saying things that weren’t exactly right. His dad was a good ballplayer. And he was funny, always making jokes and everything. Grandma didn’t know about things like that. She didn’t have to be saying things about him.
    When he got back to the house, his mom was sitting out on the porch. “Jay, you promised me you’d be home by nine o’clock,” she said. She sounded upset. That’s how she was a lot lately.
    He stepped up onto the porch. “What time is it?” he asked.
    His mom was wearing slacks—something Grandpa didn’t like very much—and her hair was loose, hanging down her back. Everyone said how pretty she was, and Jay thought maybe she was, but she didn’t look at all like him. He had black hair, and she had reddish brown hair and green eyes. She was tall for a woman, and thin, and he was thick through the body, like his dad. “It’s a quarter to ten. You’re forty-five minutes late.”
    â€œIt seems like it’s still early.”
    â€œThat’s because the sun stays up forever. I just hate setting the clock forward two hours.” She glanced over at Grandma, who was sitting next to her, both of them on white wicker chairs.
    The crickets had started in, chirping loud, but the sun wasn’t gone yet, not all the way.
    Grandma was nodding. “I know what you mean. When the sun finally goes down it’s time to go to bed, and it’s still hot as blazes.” She fanned herself with her hand, the way she always did. Mom and Grandma said the same things to each other every night.
    It was true about the heat, though. The middle of Utah was worse than Salt Lake, which was up by the mountains. Delta was in a flat place, with no mountains very close. In the afternoon there wasn’t a cool spot anywhere, not even in the shade.
    â€œYou need a wristwatch, Jay.”
    He looked at the screen door and saw his grandpa standing there, sort of hidden by the dark screen. “Walk into my office and I’ll give you one I don’t use,” Grandpa said.
    â€œThat’s good,” said Mom. “And then you’ll have no more excuses. I’m not going to have this, Jay—you making promises and then running around all hours. This might be a little town, but there’s still bad kids you can fall in with. What have you been doing?”
    â€œPlaying ball.”
    â€œWho with?”
    â€œI don’t know. A bunch of boys.”
    â€œWhat were their names?”
    â€œGordy and Lew and Eldred. I walked back into town with those three.”
    â€œThey’re okay, Louise,” Grandpa said. “Gordy’s the Linebaugh boy. You know his family. And it was probably Lewis Larsen, Jack’s son. And little ol’ Eldred Parsons; he’s as good a boy as you’ll ever find. His family just barely gets by, but they’re good people.”
    â€œThat’s all well and good. But you know howpeople talk down here, and you know the first thing they’ll say about Jay. When I tell him to come in by a certain time, I want him to do it.”
    â€œWhat is it you think they’re going to say?” Grandpa was asking.
    â€œYou know very well. He looks like his dad, and you know what people think about that.”
    That made Jay mad, but he only said, “I’ll come home at nine from now on.” Then he walked on into the house.
    Grandpa had a room he called his office. It had been a bedroom once, when all the kids had been home—eight of them. His mom was the baby of the family, and Grandpa was