“Two dollars,” he said, tapping his pants pocket as if he already had money there. “I’ll pay the price for two kids, and all you need to do is take one.”
Just then, the door to the ice cream parlor opened.…
“Be quick,” Julian said, glancing behind him. Lucky thought he might even be a bit nervous. “You have to decide right now. Yes or no?”
“Whatever it is, we’ll do it!” Abigail stepped between Pru and Lucky before either of them could ask any more questions or turn the deal down. At their look, she said, “It’s two dollars! All our problems will be solved.”
Pru gave in as well. “And for just one kid.”
Lucky didn’t understand why someone would pay more than the normal cost of camp, but her friends had already agreed. “Who’s the camper?” she asked Julian.
Aunt Cora stepped into the sunlight. Behind her was a young boy. He had an ice cream cone in one hand while Aunt Cora balanced two more cones.
“Here’s your ice cream, Julian,” she said, handing the cone to him. “Oh,” she said, seeing Lucky and her friends for the first time. “Would you young ladies like some ice cream, too?”
“Sure,” Abigail said, answering for all of them. “Thanks, Miss Prescott.”
“Happy to do it. I’m having a wonderful day now that Julian and Oliver are here,” she gushed. “I didn’t tell anyone they were coming. I wanted it to be a lovely surprise. I haven’t even told your father yet,” she told Lucky.
Aunt Cora was very proud that she’d kept this big secret. “Oliver, stay here and get to know your cousin.” She stepped back, humming happily. “Ice cream for everyone. I’ll be right back,” she said, quickening her steps toward the parlor.
“Oliver?” Lucky said, looking at the boy. He had short brown hair that he swept to the side like Julian’s, and he was wearing a jacket that was very similar, too. “Is this your brother, Julian?” she asked, though it was pretty obvious.
“Of course.” Julian put a firm, protective hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “Best brother in the world.”
Lucky was excited to finally meet her cousin. “Hi,” she said to Oliver.
The boy started to smile, but then Julian whispered something in his ear and instead, Oliver frowned and stepped behind Julian.
Lucky was about to crack a joke to try to break the ice when Snips called out, “I’ll help Miss Cora carry cones!” Snips rushed toward the ice cream shop, where Cora had just pulled open the door. “I’m coming, Miss Cora! Señor Carrots likes to share strawberry.”
Even though she couldn’t see her aunt’s face, Lucky could just imagine Cora’s horrified expression at the idea of Snips and his donkey sharing an ice cream cone. Aunt Cora and Snips went into the parlor, leaving Oliver with Julian.
“A deal’s a deal.” Julian leaned over and wrote Oliver’s name on the list before taking another long look. “Here’s my nine-year-old brother for your camp this summer. You two are going to have a blast.”
“I didn’t know Julian had a brother,” Abigail told Lucky while Julian was busy writing down the information.
“Is he nice?” Pru asked.
Lucky looked at Oliver, who pulled back farther into Julian’s shadow. “I’ve never met Oliver,” Lucky admitted. “He’s never come to town before now. Julian usually comes alone. I guess this summer Oliver is finally old enough to stay with Aunt Cora.” She glanced at the boy again, remembering how he’d frowned and pulled away from her. “I don’t really know if he’s nice or not.”
Julian raised his head and set down the pen. “Wait till you all get to know Oliver. He’s wonderful. I’m teaching him to be just like me.”
“That’s adorable!” Abigail cooed. “He’ll grow up to be a little cousin Julian! So classy!”
Ugh. Lucky didn’t think that was adorable. It sounded terrible, not good.
Julian tapped a finger on the sign-up sheet and told Lucky, “I’m not paying yet.”
“Really? That’s not how it works.” She stared at him. What was he up to? Everyone else paid half at sign-up, with the agreement they’d pay the other half at the end of camp.
“Now, come on, Lucky! You know I’d never back out on a promise, especially to you! But I also promised my mom and Aunt Cora that little Oliver here would have a fun summer—and now I’m entrusting his happiness… to you. So before we get into the matter of payment, I want to make sure Oliver likes the camp. It wouldn’t be fair if he didn’t have just as good of a time with you as he would’ve with his big brother, now would it? You gotta earn this money.” He patted his pocket again, which made Lucky wonder if he really did have two dollars in there.
Just then, Aunt Cora and Snips came out of the ice cream shop juggling cones for everyone. As they handed them out, Aunt Cora gushed to Lucky, “It’s going to be a wonderful summer.”
Lucky looked hard at Julian. “Yes, it will be, Aunt Cora.” But she had some doubts. What if Oliver really was just like Julian? Someone like that, a mini-Julian con child, could ruin everything! Then again, they really did need the two dollars.
“Come, Oliver, time to unpack and settle in.” Aunt Cora led the way. Lucky noticed a spot of ice cream on Oliver’s nose when he took one last long glance her way.
His expression was both cute and sad, kind of like a lost puppy. It looked to Lucky as if Oliver didn’t want to be leaving with Cora. As if he wanted to stay with her and her friends. In that instant, Lucky felt her heart reach out toward him, and she knew she was being given a big opportunity. This was about more than money!
She had a brilliant idea. Maybe if Oliver was around all summer, she could save him! Pru and Abigail and Lucky would make sure that Cousin Oliver turned out nothing like his sneaky older brother.
Lucky watched Oliver and her
