Heart Strings Read Online Free PDF

scooted over.
    Joey burst out laughing. “Sis is left-handed. A southpaw. Do you play baseball, Tripp?”
    “No, he doesn't,” Aunt Ev said.
    “I can,” Tripp corrected her. “I'm not an expert but I sometimes play for fun.”
    “I'm on Little League and play for the Medics,” Joey said. “Maybe you can give me some pointers. Our team lost their first game yesterday and the coach said all of us could use practice.” For the rest of the meal, Joey talked about Little League, and after dessert, he jumped up. “Want to play pass, Tripp?”
    He rose and Mrs. Jefferson lay her hand on his arm. “Do you think you should, dear?”
    He felt his face turn red. “There's no reason I shouldn't. I'm fine.”
    “Have you been sick recently?” Mrs. Johannsen asked.
    Tripp shook his head. “Your very nice neighbor is just a bit of a worrywart,” he said, patting Evelyn on the shoulder.
    “Did you know Tripp is Evelyn's nephew?” Keely asked her mother with a taunting glance at him.
    Clearing his throat, he shifted from one foot to the other. Should he say something or leave this to Evelyn and follow Joey?
    Aunt Ev made the decision, nodding him away.
     
    *****
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER 4
     
     
    The sun hung low in the sky, half a red ball peeking over the horizon, when the barbecue ended. After helping Sara Johannsen carry in the dishes, Aunt Ev left, telling Tripp to stay as long as he liked. Joey was sweaty and tired but complained when his mother shooed him inside for a bath. Eric Johannsen excused himself to catch the highlights of the race on TV.
    Tripp found himself alone with Keely, which, providing his “aunt” had explained their relationship satisfactorily, was great. However, if Keely started asking questions, he didn't know what he'd say. To start the conversational ball rolling in another direction, he asked her questions about the town and school. “If you'd like a tour, I could show you around,” she offered. “I love to walk and in a town this size, you can see everything you'd want to see in half an hour.”
    Branburg was laid out in a checkerboard pattern that was easy to follow. They took a left at the corner of Old State Road One and walked two blocks down Plum Street so Keely could show him where Megan lived. Crossing Plum, they walked through a residential district and took a right and she showed him the high school. She then led him through the three-block long downtown district. On the furthest corner, she showed him an eating place called Mosley's and pointed to the sign, Best Dogs in the Midwest. “It's a local hangout. The kids from high school come here a lot. The cooks grill their dogs the same as Daddy did and they have a ton of toppings to choose from.”
    “Your Dad's hamburgers were terrific.”
    “He has a secret way of making them that he won't tell anybody.”
    “There was definitely garlic in them. And Worcestershire, I bet.”
    “We don't have any in the house. Megan checked.”
    Catching Keely's drift and her hand, he chuckled. “Caught me playing detective like your friend, did you?”
    Her laugh was sweet and she squeezed his hand before taking hers gently away. “Thanks for returning my romance book.”
    Romance would be nice with a girl like Keely, but he couldn't read the signals she gave. Sometimes he thought she liked him. Then she'd pull away. “What are your summer plans, besides reading?”
    “Mom's conducting two different three-week cheer camps this summer and I'm watching Joey. Megan wanted me to work at Hoosier Hot Wings, the new chicken take-out place, with her, but Mom said she'd pay me to stay home.”
    “Maybe I'll see you around then. I'll be around the house a lot since my work with HAH is flexible”
    Keely tucked her hair behind one ear and looked up at him, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Hah?”
    “Hah, hah,” he joked.
    “Stop that,” she said, swatting him.
    “Have-a-Heart.”
    “Wimp! I barely touched you.”
    “I was explaining