Heartknocks, - [best mystery novels of all time txt] 📗

basin and leaned over. As she cupped her right hand and reached for the water, her left hand, which she was leaning on, slipped. She fell hard. Fortunately, her right hand and arm took most of the blow from the stone at the bottom of the basin, which kept her head from hitting it.

Logan quickly helped her to her feet and out of the cold water. Kaili wiped her face. Her hand hurt badly, and she rubbed it. “I think I may have sprained my – No! Logan!”

“What?”

“My ruby!”

The ring was on her finger, but the ruby had been knocked out.

Logan jumped back in the water. In one quick motion, he threw his jacket to the side and dropped to his knees. He took off his shirt and dove for the hole in the back corner. Kaili screamed his name.

He scooted on his hands and knees for at least ten minutes searching for the gem.

“It’s okay, Logan. Please, get out. Please. It’s okay.”

With his shirt stopping the water’s main exit, the floor where Kaili stood began to turn into a tub. The water almost reached the top of her shoes, and it was rising. He trembled as he looked at her. “I’m sorry, Kaili.” He jerked his shirt out of the hole and climbed out of the bowl. The water outside immediately began to recede.

He thanked Kaili for having placed his jacket on one of the chairs. He put it back on without a shirt underneath and sat down. The combination of his wet jeans and the rock chair made a squishing sound.

“You’ve got to be freezing,” Kaili said.

“I guess I could wear the jacket as pants instead of a shirt. But I think I’ve got enough of a problem explaining to your parents why I’m not wearing a shirt.”

She needed the laugh.

“I am a little cold, though,” he said. “How about you?”

“I think it’s time we find a little more sunshine.”

“But first…” Logan pointed to the little hole in the wall. “Check out your bird’s nest.”

“Logan. Seriously? I hope you didn’t get me anything. It’s just a halfy birthday.”

“But it’s thirteen and a half. That’s a big deal.”

She reached for the bird’s nest and pulled out a silver necklace with a small ruby pendant. It was obviously something that matched her ring, at least until a few moments ago. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you so much.”

His voice was sad. “You’re welcome.” He looked into the basin.

“It’s okay, Logan.”

“I’ll get you a new ring – this week! I can –”

“No –”

“But I want to.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Understand what?” he asked.

Kaili unfastened her new necklace. She pulled the ring off her finger and threaded the silver chain through the ring, letting it hang with the ruby pendant. She handed the ends of the chain to Logan and turned her back to him. He lifted the necklace over her head and fastened it for her.

Kaili turned around and faced Logan. She grasped the bottom of her necklace and took hold of her ring. She held the ring up to Logan and looked deeply into his eyes. “This! This is the ring that is special to me. Not a new one. This one is special, and I want to keep it. It stays here.” She let it drop under her shirt. “Close to my heart.”

Logan didn’t say a word, but he smiled.

Climbing up the rope was much more difficult than going down. Kaili worried that she might not make it, but as she reached for the ground at the top of the hole, Logan clutched her hand and helped her out.

She knew there was no way she could ride a bicycle the three miles back to town. As she rode on the handlebars, Logan continuously apologized, but Kaili responded by only thanking him and laughing about the day they’d had.

 

Once they made it back to town, Kaili wanted to walk – which she did, as Logan pushed the bike.

The walk home was nice, and he asked her a question that he had asked before. “Will you tell me what you wished for on your real birthday?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“You closed your eyes for a really long time.”

“I didn’t want to tell you then. I thought it might make me cry.”

“You don’t have to tell me now either.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind telling you now – but first…”

“What?”

“I know something you want to know. So, it’s only fair…”

“Why does that make me a little nervous?” he asked.

Kaili pressed her hand against his chest to stop him from walking. She smiled. “What’s up with your knock-knock-knocking calling card?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. The knock, knock-knock, knock-knock-knock thing. It’s cute and all, and I know it’s you. But does it have any special meaning? Did your grandfather knock on Granma’s head or something as a sign of affection?”

Logan laughed. “I guess I could tell you. But I’m not sure that my little secret might be more valuable than yours.”

She knew he was kidding. “I’ll tell you first.”

“Okay, deal.”

Her playful mood quickly changed, and she wondered if she should’ve just let it go when she had the chance.

No, I can do this.

“It was more of a prayer than a wish,” she said.

“Oh, I guess I know what you prayed for, then.”

“No, it wasn’t what I prayed for. It was who I prayed for.” Kaili instinctively felt for her ring from the outside of her shirt and squeezed it. “I prayed for Mom and Dad. And I prayed for you, Logan.”

Logan looked into the distance and wiped his eyes.

“Is that good enough for you to tell me your secret?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s more than good enough.”

Logan placed his hand on Kaili’s shoulder. He leaned toward her and whispered into her ear.

Kaili didn’t respond. Not at first. And when she did, she stuttered. “Th…th…thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was a good day.

 

* * *

 

“Well, crap.”

Kaili shook her head as if there were cobwebs or something that needed to be removed. She felt inside her nightgown and stared at the lamppost, which now had only two buttons: EARLY and NOW.

She assumed she needed to push another button and tried to reason things out. “The ‘LATER’ button wasn’t exactly what I expected. Maybe it just meant the later part of my life.”

Kaili carefully looked around. She saw no one and heard nothing.

“I’m still not feeling so cozy about the ‘NOW’ button, so I guess I only have one option.” She placed her hand on the top button. “I wonder how early ‘EARLY’ is. I may wake up in my crib.”

She pressed the button.

 

* * *

 

She was in her favorite place in the whole wide world.

There was nothing better than curling up in Grandmother’s lap. Mom told her that they came to see Grandmother often, but it didn’t seem often enough to her.

“Will you read me a story, Grandmother?”

“I would love to. What would you like to hear?”

She pointed to her favorite book, which lay on the table beside her.

Grandmother smiled as she picked up her diary. “How about a story from when I was about eleven years old?”

Kaili wriggled so she could get a little more comfortable. She told Grandmother that she was ready, and Grandmother began to read.

Mother and Father finally said I could have a new dog, so we went to pick out a puppy today. I was so excited.

We drove past the Millers’ house and then in about ten more miles we made it to the farm where a mother dog had six puppies. The names of the owners were Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, and they told us the puppies were about nine weeks old. They said the mom was a border collie and the dad was part border collie, but he had some other kind of dog in him too.

The puppies were so cute.

There were four boys and two girls. They were all black and white, except one of the girls had some brown in her.

They were all playful, and they ran after me when I ran.

But then I noticed that one of them limped or something.

When I sat down, they all wanted in my lap, and it was then when I saw that the one who had a limp only had three legs.

“Only three legs, Grandmother?”

Grandmother nodded.

I asked Mr. Anderson what happened, and he said that the puppy’s leg must have got wrapped around the cord when it was born. But he said that the puppy never knew he was supposed to have four legs, and that he could run and play as good as the rest of them.

I felt sorry for this puppy, but he did look as happy as all of his brothers and sisters. He even seemed to like me a lot. A whole lot. When I ran away and fell down and rolled around the grass, he was the first one to come running to me and lick my face.

I got to play with all of the dogs for maybe ten or fifteen minutes while Mother and Father visited with the Andersons. Finally, Father asked me which dog I wanted.

I told him I wanted the one with three legs.

And guess what?

He is sitting on my bed right now beside me.

His name is Trey. Father said we should name him that since he only had three legs. I think that is a funny name but also a perfect name.

I already love him.

“Did you like that story?”

“A whole lot, Grandmother. But why did you pick the dog who was missing a leg?”

Grandmother closed her diary. She softly caressed Kaili’s hair. “Because,” she said, “I knew that dog was special, and I wanted to keep him.”

Kaili snuggled deeply into her grandmother’s lap. “And you and your special dog lived happily ever after.”

“Yes, sweetie. Trey and I definitely had a lot of wonderful years together. And speaking of special, I have a little gift for you today.”

Kaili released her hug and sat up straight. “For me? But it’s not my birthday. I won’t be eight until July.”

“I know, but can’t a Grandmother give a special gift to her sweetie just because she loves her?”

“I love you too, Grandmother.”

Grandmother set her diary down and pulled a book out from under the table. “Guess what this is?”

“Another one of your books, but it’s a lot bigger.”

“It is a book, but it’s not mine.”

The seven-year-old smiled. “It’s for me!”

“Yes, sweetie. It’s your own diary.” Grandmother handed it to her, and Kaili’s eyes lit up. “Now, you can write your own stories. And maybe one day, you will be as lucky as me and have someone special to share them with.”

 

* * *

 

With her hand holding the ring inside her nightgown, Kaili stared at the lamppost. There was no button. “I guess it’s now or never,” she said. “I wonder what would’ve happened if I had pushed the ‘NOW’ button first.”

“Maybe nothing,” said the voice behind her.

Kaili abruptly turned around.

“But then again,” said the lady, “maybe a small electrical charge would’ve run through your body.”

The lady looked to be someone’s grandmother, in spite of the fact that she had long braided hair. Most grandmothers Kaili knew wouldn’t consider long