by Clare Hutton
“Well, it actually is,” Zoe muttered, still stuck halfway through the maze. At Emma’s look, she sighed and added, “But we are going to help clean up.”
“You’re not in trouble,” Natalia’s mom said. “Just come inside. We have something exciting to tell you.”
In the elegant front room of Seaview House, Emma’s mom, Aunt Amy, was waiting. Natalia and Zoe’s mom sat down next to her on the long velvet settee and waved the girls into cushy armchairs.
As Natalia looked at her mom and aunt, she was reminded again of how different she and Zoe were, because their mom and Aunt Amy, who were twins, too, were just as unlike each other. Aunt Amy, who had been a lawyer in Seattle before coming back to Waverly, looked very businesslike. She had short, neat hair and wore blazers and nice pants and shoes with a low heel on them. Natalia’s own mom was more a classic-mom type: shoulder-length hair, sweaters, and sneakers. But they shared the dream of turning Seaview House into a bed-and-breakfast, and they worked together really well.
“So what’s up?” Zoe asked curiously.
Natalia’s mom and Aunt Amy looked at each other. “Well …” Aunt Amy said, drawing out the anticipation, “… we have our first guests!”
“What?” Natalia said. “That’s amazing!” Zoe and Emma cheered. Her mom and Aunt Amy had been working on fixing Seaview House up for months and, except for a reception for friends and family, they hadn’t opened for business yet. Apparently, getting ready for guests took a long time.
“We have two couples coming for three full weeks. They’re friends and they’re traveling together,” Natalia’s mom said. “They sounded lovely on the phone.”
“We could work to make their stay better. I can help Dad in the kitchen,” Emma offered. “I like cooking.”
“Do you want me and Zoe to wait tables?” Natalia asked. “That could be fun.”
Zoe frowned, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. “Do I have to? I’d rather make beds or something like that. I don’t want to have to talk to strangers first thing in the morning. Ugh.”
Their mom laughed. “Don’t worry, Zoe, I think we can handle four guests. We can come back to the idea when the bed-and-breakfast starts getting busier. But if we ever do need you girls to help out, it’ll be your choice. And I imagine you’d get paid.”
“Well, congratulations,” Emma said. “The guests are going to have a great time.”
“I hope so.” Aunt Amy sighed. “Each couple is bringing a dog with them. They asked if I could recommend a dog-walking service or doggy day care around here, but I couldn’t. They decided to come anyway, but it means they’ll have to schedule their days around walking the dogs.”
Zoe and Natalia’s mom shook her head. “I really wish we could have found another option for them. Those dogs are going to get restless.”
A brilliant idea hit Natalia, and she bounced in her seat. “What if we walk the dogs? I love dogs!”
Her mom and Aunt Amy exchanged a look. “Are you sure?” Aunt Amy asked. “You’ll be responsible for taking them out twice every day. If you’re going to do it, you’ll have to make a commitment and stick to it.”
“Of course we’ll stick to it,” Natalia said.
“I want to help,” Emma said hesitantly. “But I’ve got soccer practice twice a week and games as well. And swim team practice, too.”
“And I’m going to do theater club with Natalia this year,” Zoe said, not making eye contact with anyone.
“You are?” Natalia asked, distracted. Zoe had never wanted to sign up for theater club before. “Are you going to paint sets?”
Zoe’s cheeks were turning pink. “I might try out for Dorothy,” she mumbled. “I really like The Wizard of Oz.”
Of course. Natalia knew that was her sister’s favorite musical. “I think that’s great,” she said decidedly. “You’ve got a way better singing voice than I do.”
Zoe peeked at her from the corner of her eye. “Do I?”
“You really do,” Natalia assured her.
“It sounds like you girls are pretty busy,” Natalia’s mom said, biting her lip. “It’s a good idea, though. Maybe there’s someone at your school who would like—”
“No!” Natalia said. “We want to do it. Come on, you guys. There are three of us, and only two dogs, for just a few weeks. It’ll be easy.”
“Well …” said Emma.
“I guess …” said Zoe.
“Awesome,” Natalia said confidently. Between the three of them, they’d have plenty of time. “We’ll do it,” she said to her mom and Aunt Amy. “Trust me, it’ll be a piece of cake.”
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Illustrations by Helen Huang
Cover art by Helen Huang, © 2018 American Girl
Cover design by Yaffa Jaskoll
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First printing 2018
e-ISBN 978-1-338-11505-5
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