Lake Rescue by Annie Bryant Page A

dad almost always puts people in a good mood.”
    Katani didn’t hesitate long. “Won’t hurt to try.” She took off with the vest to plead her case.
    They moved toward shoes. Katani caught up. “Mom said okay, she’d advance me money, but I have to pay it back. At this rate, I’m going to be baby-sitting for about a year without pay. But it’s worth it. If I’m going to help Isabel make pajamas for us all, I don’t have time to sew a vest. Do you think I can find orange socks to match?”
    “Go for it. But bright colors attract rattlesnakes,” said Avery with a mischievous grin.
    Katani stopped and stared at Avery. “That’s not true. Iknow that’s not true.” She acted, though, as if she wasn’t positive that Avery was teasing her.
    “Well,” interrupted Charlotte, “I don’t know about snakes, but I do know that bright colors attract bees.”
    “That’s true, but I went on hikesafe. com. It said you should wear bright clothes so people can see you in the woods,” said Avery. “So actually, Katani, your vest is a good idea.”
    “I have no hiking boots,” Maeve said. “Help me look, Charlotte. You’re buying boots, aren’t you? I’m not sure what to get.”
    Charlotte nodded. She hadn’t packed her old boots when they left Paris. She looked around. Where to start? The store must have a million styles. Methodically, she made her way up one aisle and down another. Nope. No way. Maybe. Too expensive. Not at all practical. Her father followed her, but he waited for her to pick out some to try on.
    “I keep thinking of what we’d need if we were in Africa or Australia,” he said. “You will need shoes suited for climbing in the mountains. Then again, we haven’t planned next summer’s vacation. We could go someplace wonderful to hike. Like the Grand Canyon, or the Appalachian Trail.”
    “That would be so fun, Dad. Start collecting information.” A trip with her father was always an adventure. “Will you teach summer school?”
    “Not if I can work on my new book. How about these?” Her father pulled a pair of medium high-tops off the shelf. They were a nice combination of dark brown and tan. “Try them on.”
    Charlotte sat on a chair and piled her collection of clothes next to her. Before she could get her shoes off, Maeve showedup waving hot pink boots. “Look, Char, look! Aren’t these the best? Ms. Razzberry Pink will freak out when she sees them.” Maeve was a big fan of Think Pink!, Razzberry’s store for everything pink.
    “Sit here by Charlotte and try them on, Maeve,” said Mr. Ramsey.
    Once Maeve was wearing them, she jumped up and walked up and down the aisle. She looked in one floor mirror, then another.
    “Does the sole feel very thick, Maeve? They don’t look as if they have lug soles at all, but flat ones. They might be a little slick walking in mud or rain. And I think your feet will get cold and wet quickly with so much canvas instead of leather on the sides.”
    Mr. Ramsey made his argument against the pink boots without saying “no way will those work.” Maeve walked around a bit more. “I guess they are more for fun than for hiking. But they’re so Elle Woods.” Elle was one of Maeve’s favorite movie characters from one of her all-time favorite movies, Legally Blonde .
    “Look at what I’m getting, Maeve.” Charlotte held up one foot. “What if you got something like this in charcoal gray and then replaced the shoelaces with some pink ones?”
    Maeve tried on a pair of boots like Charlotte’s and walked around. “I see what your dad means. These feel much sturdier. But I hate being so practical. It’s just not my style.”
    Mr. Ramsey disappeared, then showed up again holding a pair of hot pink shoelaces. “Look here, on the package.” He pointed to some writing that actually said, “Guaranteed not to be practical or even dorky.”
    “Those are fabulous!” Maeve took the laces and placed them against the boots. “Thanks, Mr.