For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance)

Copyright 2010 Chautona Havig

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

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All Scripture references are from the NASB. NASB passages are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (registered), Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

For Carmen
--

I can’t imagine my life without memories of chocolate, cheesecake, the Olive Garden, and late night chats about fascinating things such as hammers, screwdrivers, and drills. Who knew we were such handywomen? Don’t answer that. This book’s for you. Your friendship is priceless to me. I already miss you
more
than I could ever say. That’s sayin’ something coming from a gal who can talk… a lot!

For Mom Havig
--

You’ll never know how blessed I feel to have you in my life. Thank you for being everything that I could have hoped for in a mother-in-law. Not all women have such a treasure.

Books by Chautona Havig

The Rockland Chronicles

Noble Pursuits

Argosy Junction

Thirty Days Hath…

The Aggie Series

Ready or Not

For Keeps

Here We Come

The Annals of Wynnewood

Shadows and Secrets

Cloaked in Secrets

Beneath the Cloak

The Not-So-Fairy Tales

Princess Paisley

Everard (coming 2012)

A Rude Awakening

Monday, August 4
^th

Lost in dreams of term papers, finals, and job applications, Aggie rolled over, sliding further under the sheets in a futile attempt to drown out childish shrieks outside.
“
Lord, I am so grateful I decided again
st elementary education. Can’t Y
ou prompt the mother of those kids to make them be quiet?
”
As the shrieks turned to wails, she groaned and added a pillow to her makeshift soundproofing. A new thought crossed her mind.
“
Lord, why are kids
--”

Understanding dawned. Just as Aggie jumped from her bed and flew to the window to see if she could determine the cause and culprits of the banshee-like chaos outside, she heard Tina’s no-nonsense voice.
“
All right, that’s enough. You’re making enough noise to wake the dead
--
or at least your aunt.
”

“
A few seconds ago, those two were nearly synonymous,
”
Aggie muttered dryly.
“
Besides, the way your voice carries, I’m sure Murphy is feeling properly chastised right now, and she hasn’t done anything wrong. Yet.
”

The protests of the children, as Tina ordered them into the kitchen, told Aggie the woman might need backup. She hurried from her room and down the stairs, and was on the second floor before she looked at her knees peeking out of her summer nightgown. The last time she’d left her bedroom without getting dressed first, Luke had tried to avoid a snicker when she grabbed her keys to run to town for a gallon of milk.
“
Mibs,
”
he’d said while strolling from the room,
“
wouldn’t you rather put on something more appropriate for a trip to the store?
”

She turned on her heel and scrambled up stairs. Naughty children could revel in their naughtiness for just a couple of minutes
while
she threw on a skirt and t-shirt. So obsessed was she with getting downstairs, Aggie didn’t have time to glance in the mirror. It was a daily ritual. She woke up, brushed her teeth, got dressed, brushed her hair, frowned at her appearance, prayed that they’d be done with renovations soon, and then dreamed of the day she could take her faded, stained, holey clothes out to the fire pit she hoped to have and burn them.

Pandemonium reigned in the kitchen. Vannie held Kenzie in a chokehold as she argued with Laird who restrained a kicking, screaming Cari. The other children all spoke at once, while Tina repeatedly cried,
“
Just calm down and tell me what’s going on!
”

“
Stop!
”
Silence descended instantly. Scowling faces threw nasty looks at each other, but all arguing ceased.

Tina raised an eyebrow.
“
Impressive.
”

“
Just remember, ‘stop.’ It’ll save your sanity, I promise you.
”
Turning to the children, Aggie pointed at Cari.
“
Tell me what you did wrong.
”

“
Kenzie
--”

“
I didn’t ask what Kenzie did. I asked what Cari did. What did Cari do wrong?
”

“
She
--”

Taking a deep breath
while biting her tongue, Aggie led Cari to the corner.
“
Stand there. Not a word. You listen to how this works; I didn’t ask what she did. I asked what you did. You’ll get a turn in a minute.
”

A few mumbles began, but Aggie’s stern face soon squelched them.
“
Kenzie. What did you do wrong?
”

“
Well, Cari
--”

“
Kenzie…
”
Aggie leaned against the island, crossing her arms.

“
I wouldn’t let Cari play with me.
”

“
That isn’t nice, but it isn’t against the rules. Anything else?
”
A pointed look from Laird told Aggie all she needed to know.
“
I’m waiting.
”

“
I pushed her.
”

“
Hard, too!
”
Lorna’s indignant tone nearly sent Aggie into a fit of giggles.
“
Cari just wanted to play.
”

“
What did Lorna do?
”
Aggie’s sigh wasn’t lost on Vannie and Laird.

The pixie-eyed girl sniffled.
“
I kicked her.
”

“
Kenzie?
”
Aggie’s eyes flew to Kenzie’s legs to see if there was any evidence.

“
No, Vannie.
”
Lorna’s
indignation had returned.

“
You kicked Vannie.
”
Trying to hide a smirk, Aggie rubbed her nose.
“
Ok, and why did you kick
Vannie?
”

“
’Cause she slapped Cari’s hands.
”

Aggie’s eyes closed for a moment as she processed this information. What was she going to do now? As if inspired by genius, an idea formed rapidly in her mind.
“
Laird, who did
not
do something wrong this morning?
”

“
Ellie.
”

“
Ellie,
”
Aggie began,
“
did you do anything wrong this morning?
”

“
Probably. I wanted to do a lot of things that are wrong.
”

“
Such as?
”

“
Knock some heads together,
”
the child admitted.
“
Mom
my would be so ashamed of us
.
”

“
Not you, Ellie,
”
Tavish argued.
“
You tried to be a peacemaker.
”

“
Not in my heart.
”

Before a new argument erupted, Aggie shook her head.
“
Ok, ok. For the record, Ellie, temptation isn’t the sin. It’s not a sin to feel like doing something wrong, as long as you turn around and do the right thing instead and don’t dwell on the temptation.
”
She tugged at Ellie’s thick braid and sent her to pour herself a bowl of cereal.