where are the suitcases?”
Mrs. Cooke grinned. “Why do you need a suitcase, dear? Are you planning to run away?”
“Don’t be silly, Mom. I’m packing for my trip to Grandma’s.”
Her parents gave each other a look.
“I don’t think we can go to Grandma’s this summer,” Mr. Cooke said. “I may be busy.”
“That’s okay, Dad. You and Mom don’t have to go. Tina’s going with me.”
Her father sighed. “I don’t think so,Katie Lynn. The truth is, we can’t afford it.” Mr. Cooke picked up the newspaper and pretended to read.
Katie Lynn didn’t know what to say.
Suddenly, a great idea popped into her head. She ran back upstairs, grabbed her piggy bank, and shook all of the money onto her bed. She counted her change twice. Seventy-five cents!
Well, that certainly wasn’t going to buy a plane ticket to Florida.
She threw herself across her bed. How could she make enough money to go to Florida? There just had to be a way.
Katie Lynn snuggled up against her stuffed animals. She thought and thought. But nothing came to her.
It didn’t look like she was going to Grandma’s, after all. How was she goingto break it to Tina?
“Katie Lynn?”
Mr. Cooke was standing in her doorway. He looked excited about something. “Your mother and I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?” Katie Lynn cried. She scrambled to her feet. Maybe they’d changed their minds about the trip!
Before he could answer, Mr. Cooke scrunched up his nose. “What’s that smell?” he asked.
Katie Lynn sniffed. “Dad, I think it’s … smoke!”
I Can Do It!
“I t’s coming from the kitchen!” Katie Lynn shouted as they raced downstairs.
“Oh, no! Not again!” her father cried.
They burst into the smoke-filled kitchen.
“Kathy?” Mr. Cooke called through the haze. “Are you in there?”
Mrs. Cooke coughed a couple of times. “Yes!” she gasped. “But I think we need tocall the fire department right away!”
As she dialed 911, Katie Lynn heard sirens approaching.
Somebody started banging on the front door.
Katie Lynn ran to answer it.
“I saw smoke coming out your kitchen window!” explained Mrs. Merchison. “I knew your mother was trying to cook again, so I called the fire department.”
Suddenly, two firefighters dashed through the front door.
“The fire’s in the—” Katie Lynn began.
“We remember where to go,” one of the firefighters interrupted her. “Same as last week, right?”
“Oh, if only your poor mother would let me teach her how to cook,” Mrs. Merchison said.
Katie Lynn tried not to laugh. Mrs.Merchison’s cooking was even worse than her mother’s.
“Just a little smoke damage,” one of the firefighters said as he came out of the kitchen. “Everything is fine.”
“Tell your mother to call me anytime,” Mrs. Merchison said. “I’ll come over with all of my cookbooks.”
“I’ll tell her, Mrs. Merchison,” Katie Lynn promised. “Thank you!”
The firefighter gave Mrs. Merchison a funny look. “Didn’t we put out a fire in
your
kitchen yesterday?”
Mrs. Merchison blushed and scurried out the door. Laughing, the firefighters followed close behind.
Katie Lynn started to close the front door, but the smell was so bad she left it open.
Just then, she saw her mother going upstairs.
“Are you all right, Mom?” Katie Lynn asked.
“Of course I am, dear. But I wanted to surprise you with some cookies—just like your grandmother’s. I wanted to make up for the trip to Florida. I’m so sorry I burned them.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Mom,” Katie Lynn said. “You don’t have to bake anything for me. Really.”
Just then, the telephone rang.
“If it’s for me, I can’t talk right now,” Mrs. Cooke said. “I need to take a shower to get rid of this smoky smell.”
Katie Lynn ran to answer it. “Cooke residence.”
“Katie Lynn! It’s so good to hear yourvoice! I miss you so much!”
“Grandma! I’ve been thinking about you and your
Mrs. Cooke grinned. “Why do you need a suitcase, dear? Are you planning to run away?”
“Don’t be silly, Mom. I’m packing for my trip to Grandma’s.”
Her parents gave each other a look.
“I don’t think we can go to Grandma’s this summer,” Mr. Cooke said. “I may be busy.”
“That’s okay, Dad. You and Mom don’t have to go. Tina’s going with me.”
Her father sighed. “I don’t think so,Katie Lynn. The truth is, we can’t afford it.” Mr. Cooke picked up the newspaper and pretended to read.
Katie Lynn didn’t know what to say.
Suddenly, a great idea popped into her head. She ran back upstairs, grabbed her piggy bank, and shook all of the money onto her bed. She counted her change twice. Seventy-five cents!
Well, that certainly wasn’t going to buy a plane ticket to Florida.
She threw herself across her bed. How could she make enough money to go to Florida? There just had to be a way.
Katie Lynn snuggled up against her stuffed animals. She thought and thought. But nothing came to her.
It didn’t look like she was going to Grandma’s, after all. How was she goingto break it to Tina?
“Katie Lynn?”
Mr. Cooke was standing in her doorway. He looked excited about something. “Your mother and I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?” Katie Lynn cried. She scrambled to her feet. Maybe they’d changed their minds about the trip!
Before he could answer, Mr. Cooke scrunched up his nose. “What’s that smell?” he asked.
Katie Lynn sniffed. “Dad, I think it’s … smoke!”
I Can Do It!
“I t’s coming from the kitchen!” Katie Lynn shouted as they raced downstairs.
“Oh, no! Not again!” her father cried.
They burst into the smoke-filled kitchen.
“Kathy?” Mr. Cooke called through the haze. “Are you in there?”
Mrs. Cooke coughed a couple of times. “Yes!” she gasped. “But I think we need tocall the fire department right away!”
As she dialed 911, Katie Lynn heard sirens approaching.
Somebody started banging on the front door.
Katie Lynn ran to answer it.
“I saw smoke coming out your kitchen window!” explained Mrs. Merchison. “I knew your mother was trying to cook again, so I called the fire department.”
Suddenly, two firefighters dashed through the front door.
“The fire’s in the—” Katie Lynn began.
“We remember where to go,” one of the firefighters interrupted her. “Same as last week, right?”
“Oh, if only your poor mother would let me teach her how to cook,” Mrs. Merchison said.
Katie Lynn tried not to laugh. Mrs.Merchison’s cooking was even worse than her mother’s.
“Just a little smoke damage,” one of the firefighters said as he came out of the kitchen. “Everything is fine.”
“Tell your mother to call me anytime,” Mrs. Merchison said. “I’ll come over with all of my cookbooks.”
“I’ll tell her, Mrs. Merchison,” Katie Lynn promised. “Thank you!”
The firefighter gave Mrs. Merchison a funny look. “Didn’t we put out a fire in
your
kitchen yesterday?”
Mrs. Merchison blushed and scurried out the door. Laughing, the firefighters followed close behind.
Katie Lynn started to close the front door, but the smell was so bad she left it open.
Just then, she saw her mother going upstairs.
“Are you all right, Mom?” Katie Lynn asked.
“Of course I am, dear. But I wanted to surprise you with some cookies—just like your grandmother’s. I wanted to make up for the trip to Florida. I’m so sorry I burned them.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Mom,” Katie Lynn said. “You don’t have to bake anything for me. Really.”
Just then, the telephone rang.
“If it’s for me, I can’t talk right now,” Mrs. Cooke said. “I need to take a shower to get rid of this smoky smell.”
Katie Lynn ran to answer it. “Cooke residence.”
“Katie Lynn! It’s so good to hear yourvoice! I miss you so much!”
“Grandma! I’ve been thinking about you and your
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