Promises to Keep Nan Rossiter (books for 7th graders .txt) 📖

into anything—if he wanted to friend his biological mom, he would do it when he was ready and not a second sooner.

“So, where should we go shopping?” she asked.

Mason pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. “I have a list.”

“Perfect,” she said, holding out her hand.

He handed it to her and while she perused it, he took another bite of his sandwich. “Where do I find extra-long sheets? I didn’t even know they made extra-long beds . . . because if I had, I would’ve asked my mom to buy one for me a long time ago.”

“My mom says all the stores have them, especially this time of year because all the dorm rooms have extra-long beds.”

“Nice,” Mason said, smiling. “I’ll look forward to not being cramped or having my feet hang off the end of the bed.”

Ali looked up. “I wouldn’t know—I’ve never had that problem.” She looked back at his list. “I need a lot of this stuff, too. I guess our best bet is Walmart.”

“Figures,” Mason said, frowning—he hated shopping. “Are you sure you don’t want to go hiking?”

Ali laughed. “We both need to get this done. When are you leaving?”

“Monday. I’m thinking of trying out for the cross-country team, and preseason starts on Tuesday with a meeting Monday afternoon.”

“Wait! What? I didn’t know you were leaving so soon,” she said, her smile fading.

Mason nodded. “I know. I wasn’t sure if I was going to—I just decided . . .”

“Can you do that—just show up and try out?”

“I talked to the coach and told him some of my race times in high school, and he said I was welcome to try out, but I’ve been pretty lax this summer so it’s going to be a challenge.”

“Do they have a room for you?”

“Yep, athletes move in early.”

“Then I think we should definitely go shopping because when else will you do it?”

Mason shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I thought I’d do it after I got there.”

Ali frowned. “No, we should go today . . . and maybe we can go hiking tomorrow . . . if you’re all packed.”

“I’m planning to pack tonight,” he said, and then he smiled sadly. “I’m gonna miss you, Al. Who’s gonna get me through the hard times?”

She looked in his eyes. “I’m gonna miss you, too, Mase. But we’re only twenty minutes apart.”

“Yeah, if you’re driving,” he said, “and first-years can’t have cars.”

She smiled. “I heard there’s a shuttle between Emory and Georgia Tech.”

Mason’s face brightened. “There is?”

She nodded, and Mason grinned. “Game changer!”

Ali eyed him with a frown. “If you can’t have a car, how are you planning to get there?”

“I don’t know,” he said, and then his face lit up. “Want to drive me?”

“I guess I’ll have to,” Ali said, shaking her head and laughing. “I love the way you go through life, Mason, without a set plan, just hoping things will work out.”

“And they usually do,” Mason said, grinning. “My mom called it ‘a wing and a prayer.’”

“And she was right,” Ali said, laughing.

41

“WHERE THE HECK IS HE NOW?” MAEVE ASKED, AS SHE AND MACEY pulled into the driveway of the cabin on Saturday afternoon and found Gage’s truck missing. “I was hoping he’d be here so, you know, he could tell me he how much he regretted everything he said last night.”

Macey eyed her. “What did we talk about?”

“I know, I know. Don’t go running back,” Maeve said as she climbed out, “but I was still hoping it was just the whiskey talking.”

Macey followed her sister up the path, admiring the flowers. “Your gardens are gorgeous, Maeve.”

“Thanks. I’ve spent a lot of time out here, but they’re not gonna be mine to tend anymore.”

“They’ll be your gardens again,” Macey said dismissively. “You should’ve let Harper come with us—she still talks about the day she came over and helped you in the garden.”

“I would’ve let her come if I knew Gage wasn’t going to be home.”

“Did you try to call him?”

“I texted, but he hasn’t written back.”

Macey shook her head. She liked Gage. He was a sweet, funny, and fun-loving person. He was a perfect match for her sister, not to mention he fit in perfectly with their family—Ben, their parents, and Harper, who adored him—so she didn’t understand why the news of a long-ago transgression had made him react so strongly. Maeve said he’d had his heart broken when he was younger, but that, too, had been a long time ago. In fact, it must’ve happened around the same time, and what an odd twist that would be. Was it possible that they’d both gone through something traumatic and heartbreaking around the same time . . . when they were around the same age?

“Remember when we were having breakfast at Goose Feathers the other day, and I asked you to remind me to show you something?” Maeve asked, as she pulled open the screen door.

“I do,” Macey replied.

Maeve tried to turn the knob of the main door, but it was locked. “That’s odd. He never locks the door.” She reached under the mat for the key, unlocked it, and put the key back.

They went inside and Macey watched as her sister looked through the contents of the drawer under Gage’s drawing table. “What was it?” she asked.

“It was a little black jewelry box. I don’t know what was in it . . . because I didn’t look—even though I had the chance—but I thought it might be an engagement ring.”

“No way!” Macey said in surprise.

Maeve nodded and closed the drawer. “It’s not here now, though,” she said glumly. She clicked on the lamp and realized Gage had framed the small photo of Dutch and stood it on the shelf above his table. “Here’s that drawing he just finished of his grandfather, though—the one Harper was talking about.”

Macey looked over her shoulder. “Wow! That’s amazing!” she said, admiring his work. “He’s very talented.” She studied the image. “Do you think there’s a little family resemblance?”

“I know, right?” Maeve said. “You should see his brothers.”

Macey frowned. “Where have you seen his