Condemned by Barbara Huffert Read Free Book Online Page A

onto his arm. “We’ll
have to talk it over with Mom but we can probably convince her to let us have a
piano at home.”
    “I heard both of you and agree that you did very well for
your first lesson,” Alyssa complimented them. “I’ll make a deal with you,
Charlie. If you promise to try as hard as you possibly can not to say any more
of the words you hear your brother say even though he knows better, we’ll get a
piano so you can play at home. That is, if Andie will agree to teach you too.”
    “I’d love to,” Andie agreed. “I don’t have that many
students so I have plenty of time to come visit.”
    “You can ride with me sometimes,” Brett volunteered
instantly. “That is, if you don’t mind staying over. I have plenty of room too,
if the gatehouse is taken.”
    “Thanks, Brett.” She reached out and put her hand on his
arm. “I’d like that.” They seemed suspended in time.
    “Hey, that’s great,” Jordan spoke up, breaking the spell
when he noticed Tish staring at the pair. “I told Kiley that all she had to do
is ask you, Andie. From listening to you in the past, I knew you wouldn’t mind
that she’s older than most of your students.”
    “You’re never too old to learn anything if you want to.”
Andie turned around on the piano bench and moved slightly away from Brett.
“It’ll be fun teaching both of you.”
    “Charlie hasn’t promised yet,” Alyssa pointed out.
    “Oh, Momma, I promises,” she declared seriously. “I’ll be
good and not say any bad words. Flynn’ll stop it too.” She looked expectantly
at her brother.
    When everyone else turned toward him, he shrugged. “This is
your thing, Princess. You don’t need me for this one. I already do try hard to
watch my mouth. You all know that.”
    “Yes, we do, son.” Shane ruffled his hair. “And your mom and
I both appreciate it.”
    “Yeah, well.” He looked uncomfortable being the center of
attention. “Can I go over to Joey’s? He’s working on the tree house and I said
I’d try to get there to help.”
    “I wanna go too,” Charlie insisted.
    “Go ahead, Flynn,” Alyssa responded. “Be home before dinner
so you can get cleaned up. You, Princess Charlie, are staying here with us.
You’re too little to be climbing around in trees when your brother is busy
building. He won’t have time to watch you today and I don’t want you to fall.
You remember Daddy’s shoulder? That’s what happens when you fall out of trees.”
    “But Momma!”
    “But nothing. Not this time, Charlie.”
    “Aw.”
    “Charlie, you know you can’t always go with Flynn.” Shane
caught her attention. “Just like he can’t always go along with you when you
play with your friends.”
    “I’ll show you when it’s done,” Flynn offered.
    “You promise?” She peeked at him.
    “I promise,” he said seriously, before he turned to leave.
“Later.”
    “Can I ask something?” Tish spoke up. “I don’t mean to be
rude but he seems a bit older…”
    “We’re ’dopted,” Charlie announced, squirming to be put down
so she could go to the newest person.
    “Oh.” Tish didn’t know how to respond.
    “Yes, we’ve only been married three months but they’ve been
with us from the start,” Alyssa supplied. “We knew Flynn from the city and I
met Charlie in a small town in Nebraska. Both were too precious to ignore.”
    “Um, how nice,” Tish said weakly, clearly wishing she hadn’t
asked.
    “Momma found me after the ’nado,” Charlie added. “I was
buried under stuffs and she saved me.”
    “What?” Tish didn’t understand so Alyssa quickly explained.
“Oh my, what a lucky little girl you are.”
    “Yep. Momma and Daddy comed to get me after.”
    “We sure did.” Shane recaptured her. “Why don’t we ask Jesse
to walk home with us now so I can talk to him a little bit?”
    “Uh-oh.” Charlie giggled. “Secret Squirrel time. I better
stay with Momma.”
    “I’m coming too. You need a nap, since you