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realize I can take care of myself.”
    “Maybe he just wants to be a part of your life,” Violet suggested, softening a little toward Nelson.
    Fran looked at Violet in surprise. Then she quickly changed the subject. “Any thoughts on the mystery riddle?”
    “We were pretty sure we had a lead,” said Henry. “But it fizzled out.”
    “Oh!” Fran looked disappointed.
    “Don’t worry,” Benny said. “We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
    Jessie didn’t say anything. She couldn’t help wondering if Nelson was right. Were they getting Fran’s hopes up for nothing?

CHAPTER 6
The Tree House
    During dinner that night, Fran and the Aldens did most of the talking. Lottie was strangely quiet.
    “When I’m making my designs, I keep a bowl nearby filled with pressed flowers,” Fran was telling them. “And some ribbons, too, of course — satin, velvet, and a few snippets of lace.”
    Violet swallowed her last bite of chicken. “That must be the hard part,” she guessed. “Coming up with a good design, I mean.”
    “Well, the secret is to have something in mind before you begin.” Fran took a sip of water. “But you really can’t go wrong. Flowers always look nice.”
    As Henry and Jessie stood to clear the dishes, Fran said, “You’re not yourself tonight, Lottie. Is anything wrong?”
    The young woman’s face reddened. “Oh, no, nothing’s wrong.” She got up from the table. “I think I’ll skip dessert if you don’t mind.”
    Benny’s jaw dropped. “But … we’re having strawberry shortcake!”
    “Yes, and I’m sure it’s delicious,” Lottie said, smiling a little for the first time. “But I’d much rather paint right now.”
    “It must be very hard, Lottie,” Jessie said, “making that kind of switch.”
    Lottie’s whole face suddenly changed. Her smile faded and her eyes narrowed. She looked like a different person. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” she asked in a strained voice. “Are you implying that — ”
    Jessie felt her cheeks turning pink. “I … I only meant that it must be hard switching from sketching to painting every day.”
    Lottie was clearly startled. “Oh, I didn’t realize … ” She quickly left the room without finishing her sentence.
    “What was that all about?” Henry wondered.
    “You got me!” Jessie answered. “Lottie’s awfully touchy.”
    “Well, there’s no need for anyone else to skip dessert,” Fran said, as she dished up the strawberry shortcake.
    Benny was glad to hear that.
    After feasting on Fran’s wonderful dessert, the Aldens washed and dried the dishes. Then they went outside to play croquet. Jessie was helping Henry set up the wickets when she noticed Reese watching from a distance.
    “Hi, Reese!” she called out to her.
    Reese walked over and gave the Aldens a big smile.
    “We’re learning how to play croquet,” Violet told her cheerfully.
    “You can play with us if you want,” offered Benny. “Those arches are called, um…”
    “Wickets,” Henry reminded him.
    “Right,” said Benny. “And you hit the ball through them.”
    “Sounds like fun,” Reese said as Violet handed her a mallet.
    They were soon laughing and cheering as they hit the wooden balls through the wickets. Sometimes they hit a ball too hard and had to go searching for it in the long grass by the creek. But they didn’t mind. It was a beautiful evening and the birds were singing. It wasn’t until the shadows grew longer that they finally put the game away.
    “Guess what, Reese?” Benny said, as they all sat together on the kitchen steps.
    “What, Benny?” Reese replied.
    “We went to your mother’s antique shop today,” he told her, “and I bought a cookie cutter shaped like a ghost cow.”
    “Oh, Benny!” Jessie laughed. “It’s not shaped like a ghost cow. It’s in the shape of an ordinary cow.”
    Reese was quiet for a moment. “I keep thinking about that magazine article,” she said. “My mother says Fran will get over