Read Home for Free Online Page B

looked back into the apartment—at her mom stomping around the living room, kicking toys and staggering into furniture.
    “Mom...” Allie felt her throat tighten.
    “What?” Allie’s mom glanced up, but she didn’t make eye contact. “What?” she asked, louder.
    “I miss you.”
    Allie’s mom flopped down on the couch and hung her head. “Same here. I’ll get you back. You’ll see.”
    When they got to the cruiser, Buddy opened the door. “I’m sorry,” he said, as Allie climbed in.
    Allie ignored him. She was too numb to care, and too tired to be bitchy.
    They slowly headed out of town, up the long paved road that got older, narrower and bumpier, then eventually turned to gravel. He pulled up to the back door of the farmhouse. And for a minute, they all sat silently in the cruiser.
    “That’s where the rooster attacked Jonathan,” Madeleine said, pointing at the hammock.
    “I think Jonathan may have pooped his pants,” Luke announced, as if it was normal to be having a conversation in the back of a police cruiser in the middle of the night. “And there’s a bull in that barn that doesn’t move if you fall on his back. And cats in the haymow. And piglets. Lots of piglets. And lots and lots of poop.”
    “Sounds like quite the place,” Buddy said. It was too dark to see, but it sounded like he was smiling.
    Allie poked Luke to shut him up. “Can we get out, now?” she asked.
    “Yep, you’re home,” Buddy said, opening the door.
    Allie frowned. This would never be their home. Never.
    When the cruiser door slammed shut, the house came to life. The outside lights turned on, the door flew open, and out poured JoJo, Arthur and Jonathan. Thor shoved past them and headed straight for the twins. He bounced back and forth between them, rubbing his big head into their bellies and wagging his tail nonstop.
    “Nice going, moron,” Jonathan said to Allie. “Have fun in the city?”
    “Stop it, Jonathan,” JoJo said, as she shooed Thor away from the giggling twins. JoJo was wearing a big, ankle-length flannel nightie—all billowy and soft and fluffy-looking. She looked huggable. Not that Allie wanted a hug.
    Apparently, Luke and Madeleine did. They buried their faces into her pudgy belly and squeezed. JoJo squeezed right back, holding them tightly.
    “Come on,” Allie said to the twins, as she stomped past JoJo, refusing to look at her.
    But as she got closer to the door, a weird, jittery feeling started building up in her stomach. Something wasn’t right.
    Allie grabbed the doorknob, then turned to face the group. JoJo, Arthur, Jonathan, the twins and the cop were all staring at her. No one was moving. Not even the twins.
    “What?” she asked, trying to sound snarky. “What?”
    “Say hello,” Arthur said, frowning.
    “What?”
    “Say hello,” Arthur said, sharply. “We’ve been sitting here for hours, waiting to find out what happened to you. The least you could do is say hello.”
    Allie squeezed the doorknob so hard, she was surprised it didn’t pop right off in her hand.
    “Hello,” she said, her cheeks burning. “Come on!” she snapped at Luke and Madeleine, as she turned and hurried inside.
    Allie stomped up the stairs and threw herself onto the bed. Luke and Madeleine tiptoed in and sat beside her.
    “Are you mad at us?” Luke asked. “We didn’t mean to do it. Whatever we did, we didn’t mean to do it.”
    Allie stifled a sob and wiped her tears on the pillow. “It’s not you. It’s just...everything. I don’t know how to get us home if Mommy can’t stop drinking.”
    “She can. And she will,” Madeleine said. “She loves us.”
    Allie took a deep, shaky breath. She hoped Madeleine was right. She really did.

CHAPTER 6
    A sunbeam poked at Allie’s eyes, and the smell of bacon tickled her nose.
    Oh, no, not a new foster home, Allie thought, as she struggled to shake off the night’s stupor. She looked around the room, squinting in the bright morning light. Flowery