Charlie popped the last bite of syrup-drenched pancake into her mouth. “Shockingly, I’m going to do a little reading today, too. I know, I know, try not to hit your head on the floor when you faint. The thing is, we got our summer reading assignments from Wolcott e-mailed to us last week. Mine is Tess of the d’Urbervilles. It’s kind of long and I read like a snail. Actually, like a snail who reads really, really slowly. So I figured I’d better get started now.”

“Do you need to go the bookstore or library?” Maggie said. “I was going to drive into town today, do some shopping. Maybe we could go together? Not this morning. A little later in the day. Richard and I have a golf lesson together at nine.”

“Couples golf? That’s so adorable I think I just might throw up.”

Maggie playfully threw her balled-up napkin at Charlie.

Charlie, just as playfully, threw it back. “That’s all right, I brought a copy of the book from home,” she said. Then, hooking a strand of hair behind her ear, “If it’s okay with you and Richard, I’m going to sign up for the tennis clinics they’re running at the club in the afternoons. I saw a notice about it last night.”

Traitor, Alice thought. So Charlie was going to be the good stepdaughter, and she was going to be the difficult one.

“I’m surprised,” Maggie said.

“Yeah, I’m surprised, too, Charlie,” Alice said, glaring at her sister.

“Surprised,” Maggie added, “but happy. Of course it’s okay with Richard and me. There’s nothing we’d like more.”

Ignoring Alice, addressing Maggie only, Charlie said, “I just figured I might want to try out for the team at Wolcott. I probably won’t make it. It’s got to be a lot better than the team at Rindge and Latin was. Still, there’s always JV, right?”

“Absolutely there is. You’re athletic like me. You’ll get better fast and—”

“Now don’t go getting all excited and ruining it for me.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t,” Maggie said, raising her hands in surrender. “But, baby?”

Charlie looked up from her plate.

“I am excited.”

Charlie laughed, squeezed her mom’s hand. “I know you are,” she said, then turned toward the kitchen. “Hey, Luz, could I have another glass of orange juice?”

• • •