Page 64 of Merry Mayhem
He nods. “Something like that. It’s definitely happened before. The scoring is close. And now you’ve got Muriel and Patty as partners. You need to be here for them.”
Thea and I exchange a look. She shrugs. “That’s true. We can’t leave them without their partners.” She looks at her mom. “I feel bad that I haven’t been up there, though.”
“Why?” Bebe says. “Violet’s exactly where she needs to be. She might need your help once she’s home, but there’s nothing you can do at the hospital. She’s doing fine.”
“I guess,” Thea says with hesitation.
“We’re going now,” Harley says, heading toward the door with his cane. Bruce is right behind him.
At the door, they have to step back to let Andi in. “Hey, guys,” she greets, giving them each a hug. “Heading to New Orleans?”
“Yep. You need anything?” Bruce asks.
“I’ll text you if I think of anything,” she says. She shuts the door behind them, then joins us in the kitchen. “Hey, what’s up?”
“We need your help,” Thea tells her.
Clearly, Thea texted Andi to join us.
“Hit me.” Andi starts loading a plate at the buffet.
“I need two methods of transportation for Muriel and Patty tomorrow during the obstacle course,” Thea says, sitting at the dining room table with her lunch. “Light weight, easily maneuvered for me and Josh, but sturdy enough to carry them between stations over grass and gravel.”
“Mom!” Ruth suddenly runs into the room. There’s another girl her age with her. “Jordyn wants Anna and me to spend the night tonight. Can I?”
“Your mom is okay with it?” Thea asks the girl.
“Completely. You can text her.”
“I will later. But yes, it’s okay with me. Go home and grab your stuff. Take the pan of pecan rolls out of the freezer and take them with you. That way Steph won’t have to feed you in the morning,” Thea says.
I make a little noise of protest. She’s giving pecan rolls away?
Thea clearly hears me and shoots me a grin. “I have something else for you.”
God, I love that grin. I love her flirty. I want whatever she has in mind for me.Whatevershe has in mind.
“Thanks!” Ruth and Jordyn call out as they run from the house.
“You need to get Muriel and Patty around the obstacle course quickly and easily,” Andi says, picking right up on the conversation as she takes the seat perpendicular to Thea’s.
“Yeah.” Thea picks up a chip and pops it into her mouth. “I was thinking…the rules don’t say that pairs have to take turns on the obstacles. They both have to be there and “participate”. I’m thinking if Josh and I can get them around the course with us and we have them do the things they can, we take care of everything else, we can’t be disqualified.”
“Well, disqualifying people for being physically unable to complete a task would be very shitty and probably even illegal…Nora would never do something like that,” Andi says. “If you all try to make accommodations and help them participate as much as they can, Nora will love it.”
Thea nods. “Agreed. What do you think?”
“I can just put Muriel on my back,” I say. “Piggyback.”
Thea and Andi both laugh.
“Okay, that would be worth seeing. If we can’t come up with something else, good to know that’s an option,” Andi says.
“Well,Ican’t do that with Patty,” Thea says, with a grin.
“I can finagle something,” Andi says. “Is the course at the high school like usual?”
“Yes, on the football field, so it’s not too uneven or anything. There’s grass, gravel, sand…oh, and blacktop, some pavement. Maybe a few cracks there.”
