Chapter Forty-Nine
"Aunt Kay!" Ali exclaimed. "Have you seen my new kitty?" Kay handed MJ to Miguel and kneeled down to Ali's level. "No, Miss Ali, I haven't. She's a real beauty," Kay said. Stroking the kitten's soft white fur. "Aww. What a sweet little kitty cat," Jessica gushed. "Look at the pretty white kitty, Faith," she told the toddler in her arms. "Isn't she pretty?" "Pretty," Faith cooed. Giving the kitten a wet smack.
Jake crept along the side of the picnic table. It was Ali's job to distract everyone else while he swiped the cake. Closer and closer he came. He stretched his little hands out to the cake. But before he could lay a finger on it, he heard a cheery voice. "Not right now, Jake. I know tomato soup cake's your favorite, but you'll just have to wait." Oh no! he thought to himself. Not again. He held his breath until his aunt Grace was out of sight. Close call.
"Hi, Ali," Simone smiled. Joining them. Eve scanned the yard for Sheridan. They had some really important business to discuss. She waved at Ali as she passed. Barely catching Kay's question to the little girl. "What's her name?" "Well," Ali began. Tossing her long blond hair back off her shoulders in annoyance. "Mommy calls her Miss Priss, but I want to name her Princess." "Those are cute," everyone agreed.
"Wonder what Luis calls it," Sam joked in a low voice to Martin. "Oh, I can tell you that," Ali solemnly said. "Okay. Miss Ali. Go right ahead," Sam said with a grin. "This ought to be good," he whispered to the man beside him. They all waited expectantly for Ali's answer. "Daddy calls her a pain in the ass."
Kay spit the diet Coke she was drinking all over Reese. "Oh...my...god," she gasped. Dying laughing. "I am so sorry," she said. Watching as her brother-in-law wiped the soft drink from his glasses. "Mija!" Pilar scolded in shock. Sam shook with laughter. Unable to contain it. Martin had to hide his smile from his wife.
"But Nana! That's what Daddy calls her. A pain in the..." Pilar stopped her with a hand over her mouth. Hauling her up in her arms and stalking off with her. Faith, who loved to mimic people, began chanting Ali's earlier words. To Jessica's horror. And everyone else's great amusement. Jake giggled as he crawled from his hiding place under the table. Boy was Ali in trouble. And now his little cousin wouldn't stop saying it either.
This time no one was watching the cake. His mission was successful. Carefully, he tiptoed away from the table. The cake perched precariously in his arms. He was almost home free when a voice startled him. "Jake Bennett! What do you think you're doing?" Uh oh! He'd been caught. "Um...um...nothing," he said. Without turning around. "Nothing at all, Coach Russell."
"Uh huh. Then let me see your hands. Turn around," T.C ordered. Oh man, Jake thought. Now Dad's not going to be happy. Taking a deep breath, Jake slowly began to turn around. The cake still in his hands. But God and Father Lonagin must have looking out for him. Because he tripped. Mid-turn. And landed flat on his face. On the offensive cake, of course.
"Yuck!" he said. Wiping as much of it off his face as he could. "Oh man," T.C. chuckled. "Little buddy, I think that's punishment enough," he said. Pulling Jake to his feet. "I hate this stuff!" he gagged while T.C. rumbled with laughter. The kid was hardly recognizable under all that goop. "Come on," T.C. Taking him by the hand. "Time to get you cleaned up. I hope your dad paid you well." "Not enough," Jake mumbled. "Not enough."
"Aunt Kay!" Ali exclaimed. "Have you seen my new kitty?" Kay handed MJ to Miguel and kneeled down to Ali's level. "No, Miss Ali, I haven't. She's a real beauty," Kay said. Stroking the kitten's soft white fur. "Aww. What a sweet little kitty cat," Jessica gushed. "Look at the pretty white kitty, Faith," she told the toddler in her arms. "Isn't she pretty?" "Pretty," Faith cooed. Giving the kitten a wet smack.
Jake crept along the side of the picnic table. It was Ali's job to distract everyone else while he swiped the cake. Closer and closer he came. He stretched his little hands out to the cake. But before he could lay a finger on it, he heard a cheery voice. "Not right now, Jake. I know tomato soup cake's your favorite, but you'll just have to wait." Oh no! he thought to himself. Not again. He held his breath until his aunt Grace was out of sight. Close call.
"Hi, Ali," Simone smiled. Joining them. Eve scanned the yard for Sheridan. They had some really important business to discuss. She waved at Ali as she passed. Barely catching Kay's question to the little girl. "What's her name?" "Well," Ali began. Tossing her long blond hair back off her shoulders in annoyance. "Mommy calls her Miss Priss, but I want to name her Princess." "Those are cute," everyone agreed.
"Wonder what Luis calls it," Sam joked in a low voice to Martin. "Oh, I can tell you that," Ali solemnly said. "Okay. Miss Ali. Go right ahead," Sam said with a grin. "This ought to be good," he whispered to the man beside him. They all waited expectantly for Ali's answer. "Daddy calls her a pain in the ass."
Kay spit the diet Coke she was drinking all over Reese. "Oh...my...god," she gasped. Dying laughing. "I am so sorry," she said. Watching as her brother-in-law wiped the soft drink from his glasses. "Mija!" Pilar scolded in shock. Sam shook with laughter. Unable to contain it. Martin had to hide his smile from his wife.
"But Nana! That's what Daddy calls her. A pain in the..." Pilar stopped her with a hand over her mouth. Hauling her up in her arms and stalking off with her. Faith, who loved to mimic people, began chanting Ali's earlier words. To Jessica's horror. And everyone else's great amusement. Jake giggled as he crawled from his hiding place under the table. Boy was Ali in trouble. And now his little cousin wouldn't stop saying it either.
This time no one was watching the cake. His mission was successful. Carefully, he tiptoed away from the table. The cake perched precariously in his arms. He was almost home free when a voice startled him. "Jake Bennett! What do you think you're doing?" Uh oh! He'd been caught. "Um...um...nothing," he said. Without turning around. "Nothing at all, Coach Russell."
"Uh huh. Then let me see your hands. Turn around," T.C ordered. Oh man, Jake thought. Now Dad's not going to be happy. Taking a deep breath, Jake slowly began to turn around. The cake still in his hands. But God and Father Lonagin must have looking out for him. Because he tripped. Mid-turn. And landed flat on his face. On the offensive cake, of course.
"Yuck!" he said. Wiping as much of it off his face as he could. "Oh man," T.C. chuckled. "Little buddy, I think that's punishment enough," he said. Pulling Jake to his feet. "I hate this stuff!" he gagged while T.C. rumbled with laughter. The kid was hardly recognizable under all that goop. "Come on," T.C. Taking him by the hand. "Time to get you cleaned up. I hope your dad paid you well." "Not enough," Jake mumbled. "Not enough."