Waiting for Dusk Read Online Free

Mrs.
Johnson picked up her purse, kissed Joanna on the cheek and went
out the door.
    “Wait! Isn’t Mrs. Johnson going on a picnic
with us?” Katie was a little disappointed. Maybe she would find the
nerve to talk to MiMi during their outing.
    Katie’s mother put her arm around her. “No,
it’s just you and me, kid. I do have a surprise, though, besides
the picnic. Since you turned sixteen, your father hasn’t had much
time to take you out for driving lessons. So today you and I are
going driving...in the Mustang.”
    “Me? Drive the Mustang?” Katie was elated.
That was a surprise.
    “Yes, only when we get to the lake and you
have plenty of room in the parking lot.”
    “We’ll have the top down, right, Mom?”
    “Yes, the whole way.”
    Katie grabbed the picnic basket and ran out
to the garage, leaving her cereal untouched.
    “Come on! Let’s go!”
    “Good thing I packed our towels and swimsuits
already.” Joanna called after her. “It’s great to see you so
happy.”
    Katie opened the special third car garage
door. There sat the gleaming 1969 black convertible in all its
glory. It had two large red racing stripes down the black hood that
were about a foot wide. The black leather seats were soft and
smooth.
    “Mom, come on! You’re taking too long!” Katie
shouted from the car. She jumped into the bucket seat.
    Katie heard the trunk pop open and turned to
see her mother throw everything in. The trunk slammed shut, her mom
hopped in the driver’s side and started the car. It purred like a
kitten, as her father always said. Katie leaned her head back on
the headrest as her mother pulled out of the garage and headed for
the open road.
    When they got to the lake, Katie couldn’t
wait to drive the car.
    “Let’s eat lunch first, Katie. I’m starving!”
Her mom parked and ran around to the back of the car.
    Katie loved Mrs. Johnson’s egg salad
sandwiches and was sure that was what she packed for them, plus
other surprises. They found a picnic table and sat down to eat.
    “I’m sorry I’m neglecting you this summer,
Katie. I didn’t know I was going to have to teach a class at the
University.”
    “I’m a big girl now. I’ll survive.”
    “I guess I have to start thinking of you that
way. You will always be my baby girl though.” Joanna patted Katie’s
hand and dropped the keys into the palm of her hand.
    Katie looked at her mom and felt a shiver of
excitement go down her back. “Now? Really?”
    “Now. Really.”
    Katie jumped up, cleaned off the picnic table
and ran to the car. She slipped into the driver’s seat. When Joanna
sat down on the passenger side, Katie glanced at her and said,
“What about Dad? Do you think he’ll be alright with this?”
    “Don’t worry about Dad. I’ll take care of
him.”
    Katie started the car and slowly took it for
a scenic drive in the parking lot. Afterward, they spent the rest
of the day relaxing on the beach, going in and out of the lake,
talking and laughing about past summers they had spent as a
family.
    “Wow, it’s getting close to dinnertime. We
should be going,” Katie’s mother said as she looked at her
watch.
    Katie reluctantly agreed. She enjoyed herself
and hadn’t thought about her dream. Now that she was going back
home, she had an odd anticipation about reading the book again. She
shivered.
    “Are you cold, Kate?”
    “What did you call me?” Katie said with a
little more anger in her voice than she planned. It should be no
big deal. But her mother had never called her Kate before. It took
her by surprise.
    “Well, my dear Kathryn, I think I called you
Kate. Is there anything wrong with that?”
    “No. Sorry, Mom. I guess I’m just tired.”
Katie did not want to go into a whole story about her dream and
meeting a boy named Drew who called her Kate. They drove home most
of the way without talking.
    Katie unloaded the car, then helped her
mother get dinner ready. They hadn’t said a word for hours until
her mom broke the