The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker by E. D. Baker Read Free Book Online Page B

things jumping out at you.”
    â€œI’m sure I can find a place like that!” Cory said with a laugh.

    Cory told her uncle about her day at dinner that night. He seemed interested, especially when she mentioned the spiders in Marjorie’s house. “How big did you say they were?” he asked.
    â€œAs big as my hand,” Cory said, holding up her hand and spreading her fingers wide.
    â€œI don’t know if this will work or not, but I have an idea that might do the trick. There’s a spray made from chrysanthemums that I’ve used to get rid of insects. It’s worked well for me, but then I’ve never tried it on such big spiders. I have some in the garden shed if you want to try it.”
    â€œI would! Thank you!” Cory told him. “I think that at this point, Marjorie will try just about anything.”

Chapter 6
    The next morning, Micah was already making breakfast when Noodles followed Cory into the kitchen. “Someone sent you a message,” Micah said, gesturing to an envelope propped against Cory’s plate.
    â€œWas it my mother?” asked Cory.
    Micah shook his head. “It wasn’t her handwriting.”
    â€œGood,” Cory said, taking her seat at the table. “Because I really don’t want to read what she has to say.”
    Let’s have dinner together tonight. Nimzy is a jerk and my parents are making me crazy. You pick the place
.
    Daisy
    Because of the hours she’d had to work as a tooth fairy, Cory hadn’t gone out at night with a friend in a very long time. Although she knew that Daisy wouldn’t get her message until the flower fairy returned from work, she wrote back to her saying, Everything Leaks at 7:00. She was about to put it in the basket when she stopped and asked her uncle, “Do you have any special plans for tonight? Do you mind if I go out with Daisy?”
    â€œGo right ahead. Noodles, Flicket, and I will be fine, won’t we, boys?” Micah said as he dropped a handful of lettuce leaves in the woodchuck’s bowl. Flicket was nearly finished with a pile of nuts.
    â€œThanks!” Cory said, dropping the message into the basket. She was determined to make her stay with her uncle work out. If he hadn’t offered to let her live with him, she didn’t know where she would have gone. Until her mother accepted that Cory was not meant to be a tooth fairy, she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to Delphinium again. The way things stood now, she wasn’t sure that would ever happen.
    Cory began to slather crushed berries on a piece of toast. The morning newspaper was on the table, so she glanced at the front page as she took a sip of juice. There was another picture of Santa Claus, only this time he was standing beside one of his elves; they both looked very unhappy.
    â€œApparently, one of Santa’s elves punched a reporter in the nose,” said her uncle.
    â€œIt was probably one of those paparazzi who always follow them around,” Cory replied. Noodles grunted as he munched his lettuce.
    She opened the paper to the help-wanted section and glanced down the column. “The ads are all the same as yesterday,” she said, then noticed that one was missing. The ad from P. Cottontail wasn’t there.
    â€œI should have applied there while I had the chance. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I can’t get a job,” she told her uncle. “Mother will probably tell me I should have thought of that before I quit the TFG. All I know is that I
don’t
want to collect teeth. I want to help people. I just don’t know how.”
    The woodchuck came over, a piece of lettuce sticking out of his mouth. He stretched out on her foot and closed his eyes while he chewed.
    â€œYou’re so lucky, Noodles. You don’t have to worry about your future. You know I’ll always be here for you.” The woodchuck grumbled when she rubbed his back with her