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out of the oven and was hoping for company, so I
don’t eat them all myself. Come in and sit down.”
    We washed the horsehair off our hands and sat
at her big wooden farmhouse table, while she put warm chocolate
chip cookies on a plate and poured cold iced tea into tall glasses.
The cookies were crisp with gooey chocolate chips and the tea was
cold and sweet, all my idea of comfort food.
    “What’s new, Miss Julie?”
    “Oh, Piper, Addie, I’m so excited! I’m going
to start interviewing people to rent my spare room. Sam got it all
freshly painted and put a television in, we got internet access,
and I think we’re ready for boarders. Sam was here all week to take
care of things, so I could start renting it out.” Sam is usually
only in town on weekends, but he kept a law office on the town
square for the occasional consultation.
    “Wow, you really move fast,” said Addie.
    “Well, once you make up your mind to do
something, you don’t need to dilly-dally.”
    “That’s what I think, too,” I said. “That’s
why we want to get that second horse over here, so we can go riding
together.”
    “What did your dad say about it? Before you
left, he poked his head in the door, laughing, and said you were
all going out to look at a free horse.”
    “He liked it. It’s blind in one eye, but he
said that isn’t really a problem.”
    “Is that right? Well, Dan Jones knows a lot
about horses and I would trust his opinion anytime. When do you
think you can get the horse?”
    “I hope in a few days. We have to build a
stall for him, but he won’t need that until winter. Miss Julie, you
heard about the break-ins, didn’t you? I mean, you live out here
all by yourself most of the time. You should be careful.”
    “It’s sweet of you to worry, Piper, but I’m
fine. I’m only alone a few days at a time. Sam is home on long
weekends and pretty soon I’ll have boarders living here. You don’t
need to worry about me. And I have my phone and I’m thinking about
getting a dog.”
    “A dog would be great! Could I help you
exercise it?” said Addie, pumping her fists. “I love dogs.”
    “Well, if I get one, I’ll take you up on
that. Meanwhile, I will lock up and keep the yard light on.”
    I got up, full of cookies, but knowing my mom
would be wondering where I was for lunch. I rinsed my glass in the
sink, and thanked Miss Julie for the treats.
    “Why don’t you take some home for your mama?
I’ll put them in this plastic bag. Has she had any luck finding a
job?” Miss Julie busied herself in the kitchen, packing up some
cookies to go.
    “No, she keeps looking, but there aren’t many
jobs open right now. It makes her kinda crabby.”
    “Too bad,” said Miss Julie. “You know, Sam’s
office girl is quitting to have a baby. I wonder if your mother
would want that job.”
    “Wow! Should I tell her about it?” This might
be the answer to my mom’s job search. And her grouchiness.
    “Better let me talk to Sam first. He might
not want someone he’s involved with working in the office with
him,” she said.
    “You think they are that involved? Already? I
thought last night was their first date.” I gasped.
    “Honey, I’ve seen the way he looks at her.
And she looks right back at him the same way. Yes, I think they are
that involved. They won’t want to waste any time. Are you okay with
that?”
    This was something I needed to think about. I
had been ready for Mom to date again, but was I ready for her to
get serious about a guy?
     

Chapter Nine
    ~ Angel Calls ~
     
    Back at
Mom’s, I searched the house, but she was gone. I checked the garage
and her car was missing. Was she off with Sam Applegate again? I
liked him, but I wasn’t sure I wanted him for a stepdad. Or maybe
they weren’t planning on getting married, which might be worse.
Maybe he would want to just move in. Ick.
    Addie had gone to swimming lessons and I
really didn’t have anyone else I could talk to about parent issues.
She was