It's Raining Cupcakes Read Free Page A

work. She asked me to do it, but I’m leaving for camp in a few days.”
    I felt my stomach tighten up. I’d forgotten she was going to camp. “How long are you going to be gone?”
    â€œThree weeks. Well, camp is for two weeks, but after Mom and Dad pick me up, we’re going to the Grand Canyon for vacation.”
    My stomach got even tighter. “You get to see the Grand Canyon?”
    She stood up and stretched, her arms clasped above her head. She reached to the right just slightly, reminding me of a tall, lean ballerina.
    â€œYeah. If I survive the car ride. Hayden’s latest obsession is the solar system. The whole way there, I’ll have to listen to him spout off facts about Saturn and Mars and every other planet in the galaxy. I don’t get it. Who cares about planets that are millions of miles away?”
    â€œGirls,” Mom called from the other room, “I’m back. Want to come help make the cupcakes?”
    I looked at Sophie and shrugged. “You want to?”
    She started walking toward the door. “Sure. But wait. Are you gonna go see Mrs. Canova?”
    â€œYeah, I probably will, if Mom and Dad say it’s okay. Little kids aren’t my most favorite thing in the world, but how hard can it be?”
    She laughed and threw her arm around me as we walked down the hall. “Oh, sure. A piece of cake. Or should I say, cupcake?”

    I got the job and started a couple of days later. I think scrubbing floors with a toothbrush would have been easier than babysitting two toddler boys.
    â€œNo, Lucas, don’t—” But I was too late. The bowl of water he’d been using to dip his paintbrush in was now all over the kitchen floor. Frustrated that his blue blob looked nothing like a stegosaurus, he had grabbed the bowl and dumped its contents.
    Logan sat in his chair, paintbrush out like a sword drawn for battle, little chuckles coming from his mouth as he said, “Dat’s funny.”
    The chuckles turned into a full-blown laugh as they watched me on my hands and knees, trying to sop up the water with a big wad of paper towels.
    â€œIt’s not funny,” I told them. “We have to be careful when we’re painting. Very, very careful. You understand, Lucas?”
    Lucas nodded his head, then grabbed his paint-brush and painted across the kitchen table. “Keep paint on paper.”
    Knowing that paint on a table is much worse than water on a floor, I tried to jump up and clean it before it dried. Normally that would have beenfine, except the floor was slippery, so my flip-flops couldn’t get a firm grip, and I ended up back on the floor. Total face plant.
    Lucas and Logan threw their paintbrushes in the air like confetti to celebrate the occasion, and laughed until they cried.
    Me? I just cried.

    When I got home, a pretty pink sign with elegant black lettering greeted me.
    It’s Raining Cupcakes
    I ran up the stairs, excited to tell Mom how great the sign looked. After I turned the corner when I reached the top of the stairs, I ran right into Stan, carrying suitcases in both hands.
    â€œIsabel,” he said, laughing. “You in a hurry?”
    â€œOh, sorry. Hey, are you going somewhere?”
    â€œJust getting them out of storage. We don’t leave for another week. Judy and I are going to jolly old England.”
    My heart leaped at the thought. “You’re going to England? What part?”
    â€œThe northeastern part to start with. County Durham, North Yorkshire, and Northumberland.”
    â€œYou’ll get to see Durham Castle! And the Durham Cathedral!”
    He chuckled. “Have you been there, Isabel?”
    I shook my head. “I just read a lot.”
    He nodded like he understood. “Well, you probably know more about the place than I do. I’m not much into traveling. More of a homebody myself.”
    â€œThen why are you going?”
    He smiled. “Because I have a