“What did those,” Katie then called Rooster and James names that made Ellen giggle and blush at the same time, “want?”
“Same thing they always want,” Penny said, sitting to join them at the gazebo. “For me to fall over and die.”
“Dad thinks they’re up to something,” Katie said, snarling in the direction James’s flashy car had disappeared.
“Your dad thinks Rooster is up to something,” Ellen said, trying fruitlessly to keep a neutral voice and serious expression. Her lips twitched as she tried to suppress a grin that stubbornly refused to die. “Rooster doesn’t have the brains to plan anything too awful. I’m surprised he remembers to dress himself before stepping outside in the morning.”
Katie shifted her snarl to Ellen.
“Not Rooster, you dope. His dad, his family.”
“How does he figure
