Daisy Lane Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Anytime; you’re always welcome.”
    “Thanks,” Grace said as he rolled his window back up.
    “Wow,” Hannah said to Grace. “You really made an impression. He doesn’t invite just anybody.”
    The two dogs had already hopped up into the back of the truck, as if eagerly anticipating a ride. As the family drove away, Grace found she was sorry to see them leave. It was unusual for her to feel attached to anyone, but there for a few moments she had felt almost like she was part of their little family.
    “How fun it would be to have Sammy as a little brother,’ she thought.
    Grocery store owner Matt Delvecchio opened the back door to the loading dock just moments after she rang the bell, as if he were standing there waiting.
    “Exciting morning, Gracie?” he said.
    He was a tall, jovial man with dark curly hair shot with gray. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and a too-short tie with his short-sleeved shirt. He was one of the kindest people Grace knew and the only person who called her “Gracie.”
    “These sure are some beauties,” he said, as she unloaded the zinc vases into a grocery cart. “Hold on a sec and I’ll get your money.”
    Grace waited outside the back door until Matt returned with an envelope full of cash.
    “The weeks before and after Easter were really good,” he said. “Almost as good as Valentine’s Day.”
    “Thank you,” said Grace, as she stuck the envelope in her back pocket without opening it, and turned to go.
    “Hey, Gracie,” Matt said. “I’ve got some dented cans and open box items I was just about to toss if you want them.”
    Grace smiled to herself as she turned around. Matt was always saving things for her, and she suspected he dropped a few things on her behalf as well. He handed her a bag full of various cans and packages.
    “Thanks, Matt,” she said.
    “As soon as you turn sixteen you’re coming to work here, right?” he asked. “You’ve got a birthday coming up.”
    “I know,” Grace said. “If Grandpa will let me.”
    “Don’t you go working for anyone else,” he called out as she left. “Remember, I have first dibs.”
    Grace smiled and waved to him.
    Taking the wagon back down Pine Mountain Road didn’t require pulling; it was more holding on tightly to keep it from barreling down the hill into the barriers at the edge of the Little Bear River. At the intersection of Iris Avenue and Pine Mountain Road she met Tommy, who was riding his bicycle. He stopped, hopped off, and walked next to her.
    “Scott found out the old man’s name,” he said. “He called the bus company. It was Nino something and he was from Italy. You were right about that.”
    “Did Scott find out why he was here?” Grace asked.
    “No,” Tommy said. “He’s still trying to find his family so he can let them know he died.”
    “Did they say why he died?”
    “Heart attack,” Tommy said. “It’s kind of like a mystery, don’t you think?”
    “Yeah,” Grace said. “I hope they figure it out.”
    “We could, like, investigate it ourselves,” Tommy said. “Do you want to?”
    “What could we do that they couldn’t?” Grace said.
    “Scott probably doesn’t have time to do research,” he said. “We could look up stuff on the Internet, maybe find his family.”
    “You know I don’t have a computer,” Grace said.
    “We could use Ed’s,” Tommy said. “Or go up to the library and use theirs.”
    “I don’t think I should get involved,” Grace said.
    “You mean your grandpa wouldn’t like it,” Tommy said.
    Grace nodded.
    “He wouldn’t have to know,” Tommy said. “We could use the library’s computer today and the computer lab at school during lunch.”
    Grace looked at him to see if he was serious. This was a big commitment.
    “We could do it that way,” she said. “If you really want to.”
    “Awesome!” Tommy said. “Meet me up by the funeral home after dinner and we’ll go up to the library.”
    “If I can,” Grace said.
    Tommy hopped