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me.”
    â€œJeez,” Josh said, rolling his eyes and, for some reason, feeling embarrassed.
    â€œWhat?” Benji said. “In Mongolia, when you burp it’s like telling the cook the food’s great, and I love your mom’s stew. You are such a good cook, Mrs. LeBlanc.”
    â€œYou’re so sweet, Benji,” Josh’s mom said.
    â€œGood grief,” Josh said.
    â€œJosh has an opportunity to play on one of the best U14 travel teams in the country,” Josh’s father said to Jaden.
    â€œWhat team?” Jaden asked, taking her notebook back out from under her leg and unclipping its pen.
    Josh’s dad glanced at the notebook, then slowly said, “Rocky Valentine’s team, the Mount Olympus Titans.”
    Jaden curled her lower lip up under her teeth, then quietly asked, “Mr. LeBlanc, wasn’t he the guy whose team got asked to leave the U13 tournament in Dayton last summer? I remember Bud Poliquin wrote about it in the Post-Standard .”
    Josh’s dad snorted and shook his head, forcing asmile onto his face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    â€œIt was all kind of weird,” Jaden said, her excitement growing. “No one from the tournament would say why. All the parents were mad. Rocky Valentine never said anything to anyone, and the whole thing just went away.”
    â€œRight, the whole thing went away,” Josh’s father said, keeping his voice pleasant but wearing a look on his face that made Josh shift in his seat. “So, why are you bringing it back up?”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
    JADEN LOOKED AT JOSH’S father’s face for a moment, and her lip disappeared into her teeth again. She replaced the pen and tucked the notebook back under her leg.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said. “My dad says a good reporter asks the questions other people want to know but are afraid to ask. This stew is great, Mrs. LeBlanc.”
    â€œIf you like it as much as I do,” Benji said, “let one fly.”
    Laurel burped and banged her spoon on the tray attached to her chair, giggling.
    â€œThere you go,” Benji said with a grin and a nod.
    â€œSave it for Mongolia,” Josh’s father said, his low voice rumbling.
    â€œSorry, Mr. LeBlanc,” Benji said, dropping his voice and his chin to his chest.
    They ate the rest of the meal in relative silence. Josh’s mom did her best to spark conversation about the new hotel that was supposed to go up next to the Destiny USA shopping mall beside the lake, but no one picked up the slack. When he finished, Josh’s father excused himself, telling Josh’s mother that he had some work to do.
    â€œIt was nice to meet you, Jaden,” he said pleasantly, stopping in the doorway. “I hope you’ll come again.”
    â€œThank you,” Jaden said, and smiled up at him.
    â€œJosh,” his mother said after watching his father disappear, “I’ll clean up. Why don’t you and Benji walk Jaden to the hospital? She has to meet her father there at eight.”
    â€œWhy?” Josh asked, but caught his mom’s icy glare and immediately changed his tone. “Sure. Yeah. That’d be great.”
    â€œThat’s okay, Mrs. LeBlanc,” Jaden said, getting up and taking some plates to the sink. “I’ll help you and then I can take myself. I walk by myself all the time. We live right on the corner of Pond and Carbon, so it’s not far.”
    â€œYou’re sweet,” Josh’s mom said, “but I wouldn’t feel comfortable if Josh didn’t walk you. I asked you to stay and I want to make sure you get there okay. Josh and Benji can use the exercise anyway.”
    Josh wanted to tell his mom that his limbs felt likejelly and exercise was the last thing he needed, but he knew better all the way around. Besides, for whatever reason, what Jaden said to his dad had struck a nerve, and Josh knew once