and it’s kind of interesting to try to answer them.”
Prissie frowned. Beau didn’t speak up unless he had something to say, and it felt as though he was still working up to it. “I think Koji looks at things differently than most people,” she suggested.
“Do you know that he’d never used nail clippers before? He watched me trim mine, then asked me to do his, too.”
“That was nice of you,” she said nervously.
Beau shrugged. “It’s kind of like having another little brother, except that he’s older than me. You’re his favorite, though. Does Margery know she’s been displaced?”
Prissie’s expression clouded, and she crisply answered, “I doubt she minds.” She and her best friend Margery had drifted apart over the summer. Since Prissie needed to show Koji around, she’d barely said two words to her in school today. Not that Margery noticed. She’d been busy giving the grand tour to Elise Hanson — another newcomer to West Edinton.
Her brother took a deep breath. “You’re not going to ditch Koji, are you?”
“What?” she exclaimed.
With a determined expression, Beau forged ahead. “I know you don’t mind being his best friend around here, but how are you going to treat him when other people are around? You might get teased because he’s different.”
With flashing eyes and flaming cheeks, Prissie demanded, “You think I’d be that awful to someone?”
“Hope not,” he muttered.
He dropped his gaze, but his back was straight, and that meant he was sticking by his question. She scowled. “There’s no way! Koji’s ours now, and I’m not letting anyone make fun of him!”
“Ours, huh?” Beau looked embarrassed and relieved at the same time, as if his almost-accusation had been as hard for him to say as it had been for her to hear. “So you really are okay with him and his weirdness?”
“Obviously.”
“Good.”
Although Beau let the subject drop, Prissie’s conscience nagged at her. It was easy to overlook Koji’s bizarre qualities because she knew he was an angel. If he’d been a regular boy, would she treat him the same way? Thankfully, she didn’t have to answer that question. Just then, the school bus swung into view — right behind an old, green car. “Milo!” she cheered, immediately feeling better.
There were times when Prissie hated how crowded and noisy her house could get, but there were also times when she wouldn’t trade the hubbub for the world. Today, she was glad to be part of a big family.
Momma herded everyone into the kitchen, where Grandma Nell lifted fresh cookies onto cooling racks, filling the room with the mouthwatering smell of melting chocolate. Grandpa Pete found an excuse to come in for a cup of coffee, but even with Milo and Koji added to the mix, there was no need to squeeze around the sturdy kitchen table. It had been built to serve a crowd.
Questions and answers flew through the air as notes were compared. Yes, Prissie’s oft-rehearsed fears of alphabetical seating arrangements had been realized. No, Zeke’s teacher hadn’t fainted dead away at the sight of him. She’d taught Neil, after all. She was brave. Yes, the school bus driver still listened to country music while he drove. No, Beau hadn’t forgotten his lunchbox in his locker. He was turning over a new leaf now that he was out of elementary school.
Milo was right in the thick of things. He asked Tad if he’d still have time to work on the old truck he was rebuilding now that classes were back in session, and he checked with Neil to see if the football coach had finalized the roster for Friday’s game. However, it didn’t take long for Zeke and Jude to mob the mailman, eager to share their grade school adventures.
As the conversation took a turn towards pencil sharpeners and dodge ball, Koji claimed a place at Prissie’s side. “I drove!” he whispered eagerly.
“Tad let you drive the quad?” she asked, amused by his excitement. All the Pomeroys learned to drive as soon as their feet reached the pedals of the various mowers and tractors on the farm. One of the jobs Grandpa had given Koji was to help Tad feed and water the pigs, and since their shed was in the back forty, they used a four-wheeler to drive out there.
Koji nodded. “We brought them apple mash from the cider press, and I tried to use the pump. It was difficult, but Tad is quite able.”
“It sounds like you had fun, but it’s a lot less fun if the weather’s bad,”