Free A Lot to Tackle by Belle Payton Page B

Mrs. Cookson turned to her with interest. “So she has a teaching degree?”
    â€œShe does. It’s framed in our house. Little kids love her.” Ava emphasized this important fact.
    â€œWhy didn’t she get a teaching job when she moved?” Mrs. Cookson began to rinse the spinach leaves in the sink.
    â€œShe wanted to try starting a ceramics business. She’s gotten tons of orders,” Ava said proudly. The interview was going better than she’d expected. Then she noticed a laptop on the counter. “Do you want to see her website?”
    Mrs. Cookson nodded, and Ava went over to the laptop and started typing. Her mom’s home page appeared on the screen. Laura Sackett Ceramics flashed in a brilliant blue type that matched the color of her mother’s pots in the picture below.
    â€œShe looks like you,” Mrs. Cookson commented, drying her hands on a dish towel. Then she oohed and aahed over the photos of the ceramics. The famous blue-glazed bowls. Ombré pots in a sunset palette. Stone-baked canisters with whimsical handles.
    â€œI would certainly like to meet your very talented mom,” Mrs. Cookson said. “I’m in quite a bind. Our teacher had to leave earlier than we’d expected. Her doctor put her on bed rest, because she’s having twins.”
    â€œI’m a twin,” Ava offered. Would that help? she wondered.
    â€œFabulous. Your mom will understand my situation.” Mrs. Cookson regarded Kylie, then Ava. “She is interested in this job, correct?”
    â€œTotally!” Kylie said before Ava had the chance. “Will you hire her?”
    Mrs. Cookson chuckled. “Let’s start with an interview.” She clicked open her calendar on the computer. “This week is crazy. How about she comes to talk to me at the school a week from tomorrow?”
    â€œPerfect! Thank you!” Ava said. The timing couldn’t be better. Friday was the big game in Austin. They’d spend Saturday in the city and drive home on Sunday. On Monday her mom would nail down the new job.
    Mrs. Cookson hugged Kylie good-bye. Ava reached out her hand, and they shook on the deal. Then Mrs. Cookson hugged her, too!
    Kylie and Ava walked their bikes back down the path. Kylie held a brown bag filled with spinach. As soon as they reached the dirt road, Ava pedaled fast, enjoying the sweet Texas sunshine on her face. She waved to a cow in the field and let out a whoop!
    â€œI’m staying in Ashland!” she cried.

CHAPTER
NINE
    Are you sure?
    Alex stared at Lindsey’s latest text. Alex had promised her over and over. She’d even shown her proof online. What more did Lindsey need?
    100% sure it’s totally gone.
    She’d deleted the online scrapbook from her page yesterday, as soon as she noticed Lindsey’s frantic texts.
    I should’ve tried harder to steer Lindsey away from the whole scrapbook idea, Alex thought. She felt guilty, even though Ava kept reminding her that Lindsey had been the one to mistakenly send it out. But still, she had designed the scrapbook.
    One more example of how I mess everything up, Alex thought.
    She’d spent the entire day on the sofa, watching Spanish soap operas. She didn’t even speak Spanish! Her mom thought she was being industrious and teaching herself Spanish. That would have been typical of the old Alex. But new Alex stared at the television, not caring that she didn’t understand anything.
    I can’t study right, spell right, run a bake sale, or give my friend decent boy advice, she thought. She knew she was having a pity party, but she felt she deserved one. A big one. How could she ever hope to run a big company or even be the mayor of Ashland? Lindsey texted again.
    Corey is coming over tonight.
    Alex glanced at the clock in the family room.Eight o’clock on a Sunday night. That seemed like an odd time for him to come over, but what did she know? Maybe boyfriends