Instead Mom paid Trudy’s niece to watch the horses, and we spent three days in Raleigh. Or should I say we spent three miserable days in Raleigh, because everyone was so stressed out that even nice, cheerful Holly snapped at my mother and my sweet, calm mother snapped right back, and Dad got right into it too, taking Holly’s side. There’s not much point going into the details. Suffice to say I had never been so happy to get home. Straightaway I called up Tim. He said he’d borrow his mom’s car and come get me. Dad came out while I was waiting with Daisy on the front stoop. “Where you going?” “Riding around with Tim,” I said. He scratched his head a minute. If they hadn’t been so wrapped up in the farm, I’m sure my parents would have made Tim the topic of much discussion and warning and rules. But as it happened, they’d barely said a word. Now Dad dusted off his old parenting skills. “I’m trying to remember when we said you could ride in cars with guys,” he said.
