Just Visiting by Laura Dower Read Free Book Online Page A

looked a little like the billboard outside the BBQ restaurant and the flyer from the beach back in Far Hills—only this one said much more. Just as Dad had predicted.
    Winnetka was holding its own Fourth of July extravaganza with a carnival, BBQ, and fireworks, too. Madison wondered if maybe the celebration here could possibly be better than the one back home.
    As she and Gramma drove from the store toward the house on the lake, Madison rolled down the window and took some deep breaths. Even the air was different here. Gramma described the places in town as they passed: city hall, the real library, her favorite florist shop, and even a pet shop.
    “Hey, look, Phin!” Madison cried out. “A pet store!”
    Phinnie barked from the backseat.
    “It’s so peaceful here,” Madison said to Gramma. After driving for only a few miles, she’d almost forgotten all her reasons for feeling sad. She still missed her friends … but Madison was getting more and more excited about being in Winnetka.
    “Heeeere’s my driveway,” Gramma pointed out as they drove onto the smooth blacktop. “Just had it paved again. Isn’t that super? Do you remember coming here when you were just a pipsqueak?”
    “Gramma!” Madison laughed at the old nickname. Madison nodded even though she didn’t really remember much about the place.
    “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with me and my neighborhood on this trip,” Gramma Helen said with a big grin.
    As soon as the car stopped, Madison jumped out with Phin, who wandered around Gramma Helen’s front yard, sniffing trees. He seemed to like the new surroundings. So did Madison. She glanced around for herself.
    Gramma’s house looked like a storybook cottage. The family had owned it for so many years—since Mom was a little girl—and Gramma claimed that it grew cozier and cozier with each year. At one time it had been reserved just as their summer house when the family moved to downtown Chicago. But now, Gramma lived by Lake Michigan all year long. She’d sold the city house long ago.
    The pretty white porch was set off beautifully against the woodsy landscape, and the yard was wide open except for a jam-packed clothesline off to the side. Gramma didn’t believe in clothes dryers.
    Directly next to Gramma’s house was another, more contemporary cottage with gigantic windows. Gramma said a family named the Millers lived there. On the opposite side was a plainer-looking house with yellow curtains and a weather vane. Her best friend, Mabel, lived there.
    Around toward the back of Gramma’s house was a rickety old wooden dock where Grandpa had used to moor his fishing boat.
    “Let’s head inside for some lunch,” Gramma said when they hopped out of the car. “I’m starved.”
    No sooner had Madison entered the kitchen than Gramma began heating up some kind of brown stew. She had it prepared on the stove already. Madison laughed when she saw—and smelled—it. Gramma’s food always smelled weird, but tasted great. She’d even set aside a goody bag of food for Phin.
    Phin’s nose was going crazy.
    “So we’ll eat and then play some cards,” Gramma Helen announced. “You still good at crazy eights?”
    Gramma was addicted to cards. Madison had to play three games of crazy eights before she was finally able to sneak Phin away for a short walk.
    When they went out, Madison and Phinnie strolled past some of the other homes in Gramma’s area. Kids were running through sprinklers on one lawn, and it reminded Madison of home. She and Aimee always cooled off that way in the summer.
    What was Aimee doing right now? Madison wondered.
    On the way home she bumped into Mr. Miller, the neighbor with all the windows. He introduced himself and his own dog, Cha-Cha, a terrier. Madison almost laughed out loud when she heard the dog’s name. Cha-Cha and Phin seemed to “sniff” it off perfectly.
    Gramma had turned on her afternoon soap operas and mystery programs by the time they