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exist in hers. Kari stopped and glared at him.
I wouldn t dream of it. She could see Paul didn t like the idea of her taking off
anywhere with Kathryn, let alone Detroit. He probably didn t think he was in a position to
insist that she not go.
We re leaving tomorrow morning and will come back late tomorrow night. I won t
even be gone twenty-four hours. Can you believe it? I m going to fly on a plane. Kari
opened the small mailbox and pulled out the thick stack of mail that had accumulated over the
week.
She held up one of the envelopes. Here s the check Mom gets every month for her
investments. Maybe I can budget in some more apple trees. Kathryn said she could search for
prices on your computer.
I don t remember you re mom s will saying anything about investments. Paul
frowned, and glanced down at the envelope in her hand.
I don t know much about them. I think she told me she used money from diamonds
dug out of our land and bought some stocks or something. They mail the interest every
month.
Paul took her hand so he could see the envelope better. It s addressed to Kathryn.
Kari turned the envelope so she could see it better. I don t understand. Why would
Kathryn get mail from Mom s investment company?
I don t have a clue. Paul took the envelope and studied the return address. Kari, I
want you to do me a favor.
Okay, the word held a bit of hesitation. He sounded very serious all of a sudden.
This one is quite a mystery, and I m as curious as you are to hear the explanation. I
want you to give this to Kathryn, and not ask her any questions.
Why not?
This has a Michigan return address on it. That s where Kathryn s Dad is, and I bet this
is money he s sending her. She told us she called her dad for money. If you ask her about it,
she is going to run to him for an answer. Angela has asked in each letter that you not contact
him yet. Do you see?
I see. Kari frowned at the letter. If her Mom had been getting money from her Dad
all these years, she ached to know why she d never mentioned it.
49
The Prodigal Daughter
Glancing at her other mail, she groaned. It s another letter from that investor
company.
What investor company?
Some people want to buy all of our land. Kari shrugged. Mom always threw the
letters away.
And Kari did the same, tossing the unopened letter into the trash can along the wall.
Paul followed the action with his eyes, frowning. Good. Now let s go find that sister
of yours, and give her mail to her.
Lorie O Clare 50
Chapter Nine
The urge to honk her horn as Kari drove down Three Hills s main street Tuesday
morning made her fingers itch. They d arrived back in Little Rock late the night before, and
Kathryn talked her into staying at a motel, and driving home the next morning.
The trip to Detroit had bonded them together like true sisters. Kathryn needed her, and
no one had ever needed her before. She knew Kathryn didn t want her to know why she no
longer had a place to live, but Kari wasn t stupid. Besides, Darren Boring what a last name
said enough to Kathryn while they were at the apartment for Kari to get most of the picture.
So, now Kathryn was moving in with her. She wasn t going to be living in the big old house
by herself after all.
Isn t that your friend, Sara? Kathryn pointed to a lady chasing a two year old down
the sidewalk.
Yeah, it is. Kari honked the loud booming horn, and Kathryn laughed.
You were dying to do that, she accused, as Kari pulled the big old truck into an
empty stall.
Hi there, you two. Sara sounded tired. Her daughter slipped behind her mother s
leg, and stared out from behind her. What is all this stuff in the back of your truck?
Sara Dean, you won t believe it. My sister is moving in with me. Kari jumped out,
and stood next to her friend, grinning at the furniture piled in the back of her truck. Kathryn
swore the smile on her sister s face was permanent. Why aren t you at work?
Oh, Mrs. Porter is under the weather and can t watch June Elizabeth today. I swear
there isn t a thing wrong with the old lady. June is just getting to be too much for her. Sara
sighed, and reached around to grab her daughter.
You re supposed to be a handful, aren t you sweetheart? Kathryn wiggled her finger
at the two year old, and the child buried her face in her mother s crotch.
She s kind of shy around strangers, Sara explained. Anyway, we were out for a
walk. I heard you went on an airplane.
It was the most exciting thing. Kari quickly went into the story of their flight.
Kathryn silently thanked her for not offering any details about their day in Detroit. So, now
we re going home to figure out where to put this stuff. Why don t you come out with us?
And, if you need to go to work later, we could watch your daughter. Kathryn was
still trying to convince the child to look at her.
Oh, Kathryn. Kari s smile finally faded. I thought later today I would go to the
library. I really need to get organized for next week.
Well then, I could watch her. Kathryn beamed at the thought. Oh, please let me. I
love children.
Kathryn wouldn t confess that she hadn t been around children much in her life. But
watching the adorable little girl cling to her mother, made Kathryn determined to make the
child like her.
Sara Dean didn t object for a minute. She agreed to meet them out at the house, and
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