Chapter One
âRosie! Move!â Max cried out.
Max was trying to play a video game on the TV while his younger sister, Rosie, was inspecting the couch with a magnifying glass.
âMax, scoot over a little bit.â
âROSIE!â
âA-ha! Just as I suspected!â Rosie shouted. She reached between two cushions and pulled out a small, sparkling object. âI found Momâs earring!â
âGreat,â Max said. âNow will you get off the couch?â
Their mom rushed in from the kitchen. âDid I hear you found my earring? Where was it?â
âIn the couch,â Rosie said proudly, handing over the missing piece of jewelry. âYou said the last time you wore it was Sunday. That was the day we all watched movies together. I figured this room was the best place to look.â
âRosie Anderson, youâre an expert detective!â her mom said, giving her a huge hug.
Rosie beamed with delight. It was her dream to become a real detective and one day work for the FBI. She put her magnifying glass back into her special detective kit. It was a green tote bag filled with all sorts of gadgets, including binoculars, a flashlight, and fingerprint powder. Rosie carried her kit with her everywhere because a good detective is always prepared.
âSweetie, I have something for you too,â Mrs. Anderson said, giving Rosie an envelope made of delicate paper. Inside, Rosie found a card with a picture of a girl wearing a lavender dress. She was holding a basket overflowing with petals.
Rosie opened the card and read the inside. âItâs from Greta. Sheâs asking me to be a flower girl in her wedding.â
Greta Goodwin was Rosieâs favorite babysitter. She was a great hide-and-go-seek player; she made delicious ginger snap cookies; and she liked to climb trees as much as Rosie. Greta was a college student in Rosieâs hometown of Washington D.C. Now she was graduating and marrying her boyfriend, Mark. Rosie wondered if sheâd ever play hide-and-go-seek with her babysitter again.
âWhy would Greta want me to be a flower girl?â Rosie asked. âIâve never been one before.â
âBeing a flower girl is a very special honor,â her mom replied. âJust because you havenât done it before doesnât mean that it wonât be fun and exciting.â
Rosie groaned. She really liked Greta, but she didnât like trying new things. There was always a chance that something could go wrong. Sheâd tried ballet once, but the tutu gave her a rash. Another time, she had tried a baking class and accidentally spilled cake batter all over herself and the cooking teacher! Rosie preferred to stick to the thing she loved best: detective work.
âWhy do I have to try anything new?â Rosie asked. âMy life is good the way it is.â
âRosie, trying new things is what life is all about,â her mother replied. âHave you considered that Greta isnât even family, yet she likes you so much she wants you to be in her wedding?â
Rosie thought about her motherâs comment. She didnât want to disappoint her favorite babysitter.
âWellâ¦What would I have to do?â she asked.
âIn a traditional wedding, the flower girl walks down the aisle right before the bride and throws petals on the ground. In a way, the flower girl announces the brideâs arrival. Thatâs a very important job, donât you think?â
Rosie liked the idea of being important. And throwing petals didnât seem so hard. Maybe she could do it for Gretaâs sake. Rosie tucked her light-brown hair behind her ears and announced, âOkay, Iâll do it.â
âGreta will be thrilled.â Then her mother added, âWhen she gave me the card, we talked about all the details. She wants to meet in a couple of weeks to pick out the flower girl dress.â
âHAH!â Max fell off the couch