Angel Falls (Angel Falls Series, #1) by Babette Jongh (inspiring books for teens txt) 📗

ones who are waiting to be picked up,” Jennifer offered. “I can put a DVD on for them to watch in the studio.”

“Thanks so much.”

Meredith and Jenn gathered up a bunch of girls who were milling around the foyer, and my helpers and I were left with blessed silence and only one girl being measured while her mom wrote a check.

Joan Murphy burst into the silence like the firecracker she was, as sparkling and loud and attention-getting as fireworks. Her twins trailed behind, and a few more parents arrived with their kids.

“Hey!” Joan’s voice was three times as big as her body. “I see Meredith brought you those listings. Let me know when you and Ben are ready to look inside some of the houses.”

Victoria cut her eyes toward us, listening to the conversation while she called out measurements to Keely.

“Okay, Joan.” I lowered my voice in the hope that she’d lower hers. “Thanks.”

“I’m pretty free on Friday if you and Ben want to come by the office then.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“No problem!” Joan wrote a hefty check for costumes and signed with a flourish. “Y’all let me know as soon as you make a decision on which houses y’all want to see!” She talked as if everyone around her was hard-of-hearing but needed to know what was going on. “I know you’ll love one that isn’t even on the list! We’ll look at it once you’ve seen the others. Even though it’s a little out of Ben’s price range, it’s a great buy! Someone else will snap it up for sure if you don’t beat them to it! I can’t wait to show it to you!” She glanced at her watch and whistled. “Girls, are y’all about done? We’ve got to fly to pick up your brother at band practice!”

They left like a whirlwind, leaving everyone in the room breathless. Meredith came back in and marshalled the kids waiting to be measured along one wall, then sat beside me. “So,” she said quietly, “I’m confused about something.”

“Yeah?” I was counting out cash, paper-clipping each bundle when I got to a hundred. “Rumor has it that you’re dating the new editor, but you’re house-hunting with Ben.”

I stopped counting but didn’t look up. “Wrong on both counts. Ian and I aren’t together anymore, and Ben is just a friend.”

Meredith made a humming sound. “I figured you and Ian might not be an item anymore, since he...” She cleared her throat softly.

“Since he—what?”

“Well, that big house he’s living in is about to go up for sale. You know he’s just renting, right? And he has first refusal but claims he doesn’t want it, even though the owner just came down off the price by a substantial amount. His lease runs through the end of the year, but...”

Meredith’s voice was drowned out by the clamor in my head. No wonder Ian wasn’t interested in making amends. He didn’t plan to stay.

“He’s in negotiations to sell the newspaper, too. I know this is none of my business, and I’d probably get in trouble for telling you if anyone found out, but I wanted you to know in case... in case...” Meredith put a hand over mine.

“Thanks.” I went back to counting money, while my heart crumpled like a used paper cup. “I appreciate the information, but it isn’t necessary. Ian and I are old news.”

*

I spent the next two mornings driving past houses. Even if the perfect house fell on top of our heads, Ben wouldn’t be able to close a deal and get his family moved in before Christmas. Still, I looked. I came up with five possibilities and called Ben Thursday night.

“I can’t go tomorrow,” he said. “We’re starting a new project with a company in Birmingham. I’ll have to be there early in the morning to meet with the development team. I was just about to call you, to make sure you could take care of the kids.”

“But what about looking at houses? Do you want me to move the appointment to Saturday?”

“No, no.” Ben sounded distracted. I could hear him rattling papers in the background. “Look at them all and pick the best one. I won’t be back until really late tomorrow night. We’ll all go together on Saturday to check it out.”

“Ben, one day is not enough time to find a house, for God’s sake. These things take time. Maybe you shouldn’t try to move until summer break.”

“Do the best you can.” He said it as if he was sending me to the grocery store for milk and couldn’t figure out why I was having trouble with the assignment.

“Ben,” I said, exasperated.

“Angel, I’ve got to go. You’ll pick the kids up after school tomorrow?”

“Yes, I will.”

“You can drop them off at Lois and Herb’s if you need to, but they’d rather sleep in their own beds, if you’re willing to stay with them.”

“Fine, Ben. I’ll keep them at your house.”

I called Joan and set up an early morning appointment, since I’d have to pick Amy up at noon.

I went to bed feeling... I don’t know... manipulated, unappreciated. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but I knew I didn’t like it. I pulled Chester’s furry bulk closer. “Come here, fat cat.” Poor thing, he lived alone half the time while Lizzie and I stayed at someone else’s home. “Let’s go to sleep.” And after a while, we did.

Friday morning dawned blustery gray, spitting a half-hearted drizzle that made the cold go all the way to the bone. I dressed in layers topped off with a rain slicker, grabbed a kiwi-strawberry smoothie from the fridge, patted Lizzie on the head, and left the house.

Joan’s big maroon Cadillac was parked outside Murphy Realty, a squatty red-brick building in a row of others just like it. I parked in the empty space next to Joan’s ostentatious land yacht, and saw her sitting inside. She honked the horn and waved to motion me in. I exited my car and entered hers in less than a