Laura Ray (Ray Series) (23 page)

Danny knew that he and Aaron hadn’t played volleyball much. Eli was tall and probably much more capable that Aaron and him. Considering it all, he figured that the boys had the height on the girls so why not.

“Okay, we’ll take the challenge,” he agreed. He nodded to Eli to take the first serve. At least maybe Aaron and he could watch so that they could feel better about knowing how to serve.

Eli was a good player, Danny realized. About all he and Aaron could offer was a willing body and a competitive spirit. The Brenda, Laura and Debbie were really good and had played together a lot, Danny speculated. The girls won hands down but the boys made them work for it.

At the end of the game, Brenda laughed at him and said, “Good game, sucker.”

“What?” Danny looked to Eli for an explanation.

Eli grinned and said, “These girls took our school to state last year for the volleyball championship.”

Danny frowned and glared at Brenda, “You never said anything to me about a championship.”

Brenda shrugged over her shoulder, “You didn’t ask.”

“I’m sorry,” Eli apologized. “She made me promise to not to say anything.”

“That’s okay,” Danny acquiescenced. “She deserves to win one once in a while.”

After hanging out in the park for a while
, they were ready to go back to Laura’s house. The girls went into the kitchen to prepare drinks for all of them. When the boys got in the kitchen, Brenda placed the cupcakes on the table but she placed her treated cupcake in front of Danny.

Had Danny known who had made them he might have been suspicious but he innocently took a big bite. He started to chew and immediately ran to the bathroom to spit it out.

He came back to the kitchen and said, “That was the saltiest cupcake I have ever eaten.”

Everybody else looked at him puzzled. “Mine’s good, I want another one,” Little Ed requested.

“Why was mine so salty I couldn’t eat it,” Danny demanded.

Brenda shrugged, “Everybody else likes them.”

“It was you. You salted my cupcake,” Danny accused pointing his finger at her.

Totally unruffled, she reached over and picked up another cupcake and held it out to him, “Here, cousin, have another one.”

“No, thanks, I’ll pass.”

Aaron sat back and watched the exchange between Danny and Brenda with amusement and amazement. He held his own with Danny and his sense of humor but he had never seen Danny bested two times in a row like this, especially by a girl.

Danny and Aaron went out to the backyard to sit on Nora’s bench in her flower garden, Danny asked, “You see what I’m up against with her? She’s fearless.”

“I feel for you, Danny.” Aaron sympathized. “It looks like you
’ve met your match.”

“No, she’s not won yet,” he said speculating. “I still have tonight and tomorrow.”

“Do you have any cola at your house?” Danny asked. “I could go get some but if I got them she would get suspicious.”

“Sure,” Aaron responded. “Do you want me to bring them over?”

“I think we could use them. I’ll bring some chips?”

“Okay.” Danny nodded. “That would make her really thirsty so she would drink a lot. Do you still have that little black plastic spider?”

Aaron laughed, “I know what you’re getting at now.”

“Let’s go in and suggest that we come over and watch TV together tonight.”

“This is getting good,” Aaron laughed rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

“Now
, here’s what I want you to do. If I do it she will be suspicious.” Danny assured him. After Danny explained his plan, he asked, “Okay?”

“Sounds like fun
!”

Danny suggested
to Aunt Becky, “Would it be alright with you if Aaron and I came back in a little while to watch TV with the girls tonight? Aaron said he would bring cola and I will bring chips.”

“That’s a great idea
, Danny.” Aunt Becky said. “In fact that puts my mind at ease because Art, Laura, Ward and me want to go to the drive-in movies tonight. I think Laura and Eli want to go too. So if you and Aaron came to stay with the girls and Little Ed, I would feel much better about leaving them.”

“Yes,
Aunt Becky. It’s what we want to do,” Danny agreed, happy that his plan was working.

When the boys returned later carrying their bags of cola and chips, they found that Aunt Becky had prepared a platter of sandwiches for them. Soon the adults left and they all settled in to watch TV.

After watching TV, chatting about their favorite shows, and favorite movie stars, Aaron asked, “Would anyone would like to have another glass of cola?”

Almost everybody agreed to have one. Brenda started to get up to prepare them and Aaron put his hands out. “No, Brenda. I’ll fix it. You are the guest.”

That was a new concept and a surprised smile came over her face as she sat back to enjoy the program.

After she sat back down Aaron and Danny gave each other a relieved, knowing glance. Aaron headed to the kitchen to prepare the drinks.

“I’ll help,” Debbie offered. She had been eyeing Aaron all day but somehow she couldn’t tell if he had noticed her or not.

“No, no,” Aaron held out his hands. “I can do it.” Aaron looked over at Danny for help.

Danny just shrugged.

Debbie ignored his protests and walked on into the kitchen.

She pulled the glasses out of the cabinet and Aaron got out the ice trays. Soon the glasses were filled.

Trying to make conversation, Debbie said, “So you and Danny go to school together?”

“Yes, we’ve been best friends ever since first grade,” Aaron responded.

“So you’re pretty close, must be nice to have each other.
” Debbie commented. “I understand both of you have no brothers or sisters at home.”

“Right,” Aaron said. “I’m an only child. Danny and I are like brothers, soon to be cousins. Like tomorrow.”

“Not really cousins, but close.” Debbie kept smiling at him, showing him her best profile.

Anxious to pull his trick, he was unsure how much to trust her. If she would only turn around or take her own drink, he would be relieved.

He was becoming frustrated with her. She kept standing there grinning at him.

Debbie saw Aaron reach into his jeans pocket, and asked, “What do you have there?”

Aaron put his finger to his lips and hushed her. “Can you keep a secret?”

Acting indignant, she whispered, “Of course!”

“I’m putting this plastic spider into Brenda’s drink for Danny. You can’t let on that you know.”

Debbie loving a tricky joke squinted her face up in delighted glee, “Yes!”

“You can’t let on,” Aaron cautioned.

Debbie shook her head and formed the word ‘no’ with her mouth.

He brought the glasses of cola and they all watched TV for another thirty minutes. Brenda continued to take sips of her drink
while they anxiously waited.

They were getting bored with the programs so Danny suggested that they play a game of spades. He knew that if he and Aaron paired up that they could play a mean game. Brenda and Debbie looked at each other and smiled. This could be fun. This was a game they played at home a lot. Little Ed was entertaining himself playing with his
toy soldiers he brought with him from home.

They all sat down at the kitchen table.
Both teams felt confident in their game. Half way through the game, Brenda’s glass was almost empty. Every time she lifted her glass the other three could see that small spider floating around in the bottom of the glass.

Every time the boys got the giggles, Brenda frowned at them thinking they were cheating in their game but she couldn’t see any evidence of it. She would look at Debbie, but she would shrug her shoulders and say something like, “They’re boys.”

It was almost at the end of the first game when Brenda finished her drink and started eating the ice. The spider slid into her mouth with a small piece of ice.

The other three saw it go in and they sat forward in anticipation. They got their reward when Brenda’s eyes bugged out and she jumped up from the table and ran to the sink. She spit out everything in her mouth and saw a spider.

She screamed, pointed, and yelled, “A spider.”

The other three broke out in laughter, enjoying their joke.

She ran to the bathroom and started heaving. Debbie became concerned and went in to console her. She grabbed a wash cloth and damped it. She put the cloth next to Brenda’s forehead. “It wasn’t real, Brenda. It was just a little plastic spider. They pulled a prank on you. You’re okay.”

When Brenda finally got herself under control, she
turned on Debbie. “You were in on it weren’t you?” she accused.

Hesitantly Debbie nodded her head, “I knew about it. Yes.”

“How could you do this to me,” Brenda asked angrily.

Debbie shrugged, “The same way I helped you pull two pranks on him today.”

At that time Danny stepped up to the door holding up the tiny black spider. “Brenda, it’s plastic. Perfectly harmless.”

“How could you do this to me?” Brenda said in a hurt voice.

“Maybe because you pulled two pranks on me today,” he stated firmly.

“Yeah, but a spider?” she asked incredulously.

“Let me ask you this,” Danny asked calmly. “Would you have done it to me if you had thought of it?”

“In a
heartbeat!” Brenda declared.

“Alright, then,” Danny put his hands out, palms toward her. “I am absolved of all crimes.” He turned back to the table to finish the game.

“Danny, that was almost over the board, but a really good one. I’ll remember that one,” Brenda stated beginning to get her sense of humor back.

Before Danny sat down, he turned toward her and asked, “Brenda? Would you like for me to refill your glass?”

“No, thanks, Danny,” Brenda then turned to Aaron, “or Aaron. I’ll fill my own glass. By the way I made some cookies. Would you like one?”

Both boys declined shaking their heads.

When the parents returned, they found them in the kitchen happily playing another game of spades, munching on chips and with a glass of cola.

Aunt Becky said
cheerfully, “I’m so glad to see that you kids got along so well. It looks like you’ve had a good time.”

Brenda smiled up at her mother, “That’s right, Mom. A really good time.”

The rest of them nodded in agreement.

Chapter Twenty Five

Nora and Jeremy had arrived the night before and spent the night in the extra bedroom. They had come in before Laura and Art returned from the movie and had made themselves at home in the new house. It was so good to see them, they had stayed up well past midnight getting acquainted with Art and catching up on each other.

Nora and Jeremy explained how happy they would be to graduate this year, Nora from Oklahoma University Premed and Jeremy with his bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University with a biochemistry and horticulture degree. Jeremy had been staying on campus in Stillwater during the week and driving to Tulsa to stay with Nora on the weekends. They explained how stressful that had been and were looking forward to graduation. Jeremy hoped to get a job in Tulsa and stay with Nora permanently then.

Art assured them, “I understand that your family situation isn’t what you prefer now, but it will be so worth it once you get out of college.”

Jeremy agreed, “That’s why we have toughed it out for the last three years.” Jeremy looked over at Nora and smiled, “Just look at her, that’s my lovely Nora. She’s worth any sacrifice.”

Nora smiled and ducked her head with a blush.

Art looked at Laura who looked so much like her daughter, “I know exactly what you mean. I waited a long time for Laura to decide to ask me to marry her.” Art grinned.

Jeremy chuckled looking back and forth from Art to Laura, “I hear a story coming. Tell me about it.”

Finally the time for the wedding drew near
. Art and Laura had stayed sequestered in the master suite since the guests began arriving.

Samantha had worked her magic in the back yard. She had enhanced the
water feature by adding more flowers. Several extra pots of white and yellow lilies sat next to the feature with shorter flowering bushes in front of the crepe myrtles portraying a display of flowers reaching ten feet high.

Samantha also placed a white arch covered with white and yellow lilies interspersed with sprigs of red and lavender crepe myrtle for them to stand in front of with an altar bench before it.

“Stunningly beautiful!” Laura exclaimed when she saw it.

“Thank Jeremy,” Samantha smiled. “He designed it.”

Laura shook her head, “I will. It is amazing how talented he is.” Then she added, “Thank you, Samantha, without your talent and hard work, none of this would have happened.”