Read Promise Me A Rainbow for Free Online Page B

on the interiors at the Allen site. I can’t bother him. It’s been raining. He’s got to do the inside work so he can get some money.”
    “If he thinks you’re lost someplace, I doubt he’s getting very much work done.”
    “I’m not lost.”
    “He doesn’t know that, does he? Maybe all he knows is that you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”
    Fritz thought about this. “I can call Della and Charlie,” she decided.
    “Who are they?”
    “My sister and my brother.”
    “I think you should do that.”
    Fritz looked at Ms. Holben closely. She wasn’t angry; she was just using the kind of voice that meant Fritz had better do it.
    “I know you wanted to make sure Daisy and Eric were all right. But it’s not good to worry people who love you if you can help it.”
    “I couldn’t help it,” Fritz said. “I wanted you to have a card with Joe’s name on it.”
    “I know. Now finish your chocolate and go call them.”
    Fritz dutifully took a last swallow of her chocolate and stood up.
    “The telephone’s over there,” Ms. Holben said.
    “Maybe I can’t reach it,” Fritz suggested in desperation.
    “Maybe you can stand on the stool right in front of it.”
    Fritz took a deep breath. She was going to have to call Della and Charlie. There was no way out of it. She climbed up on the stool and dialed the number. The line was busy.
    “It’s busy,” she said, holding the receiver out in case Ms. Holben didn’t believe her and wanted to listen. “Della has a lot of boyfriends.”
    “Try one more time,” she said, but she didn’t come to listen to the busy signal.
    Fritz dialed again. “Still busy.” She climbed down from the stool. “I can go get on the bus. That’s how I got here.”
    “I’d rather you didn’t do that. Let’s don’t give me nightmares about your riding on the bus by yourself at this time of night, all right?”
    Fritz looked at the windows. It was dark, and it was still raining. “All right,” she said agreeably. She didn’t want to give Ms. Holben nightmares, and she liked it here.
    Ms. Holben ran the sink full of hot water and squirted in some dish detergent so she could wash the mugs and the pan they’d used to make the hot chocolate. “Who looks after you when Joe’s working?”
    Fritz brought the spoons to the sink. “Della.”
    “Della,” Ms. Holben repeated. “How old is Della?”
    “Sixteen. She can drive a car. Charlie’s fifteen. He likes computers.”
    “And what does Della like?”
    “Being a cheerleader, and dancing classes and boys and parties. And new clothes that cost too much. What do you like?”
    “What do I like?” Ms. Holben stopped washing. “Oh, old ghost movies with Abbott and Costello or Topper or the Dead End Kids . . . and popcorn . . . and gnomes.”
    “And hot chocolate,” Fritz supplied.
    “And hot chocolate,” Ms. Holben agreed.
    “And Blue Willow stuff.”
    “That, too. Go call.”
    “I was hoping you’d forget.”
    “Not a chance. Go call.”
    Fritz dialed the number again, and this time Della answered.
    “This is Fritz,” was all she managed. She had known Della would be mad—if she’d missed her yet—so she was prepared. She waited until Della wound down.
    “The Mayfair with Ms. Holben,” she said in answer to Della’s yelling. “Apartment 3-A.” She waited in case Della had more to say, then hung up the phone. I’m supposed to wait here,” she told Ms. Holben.
    “I think that’s a good idea.”
    “Ms. Holben?”
    “What, Fritz?”
    “Could I hold Daisy and Eric until she gets here?”
    “Yes, Fritz. Take them into the living room.”
    Fritz carried them back to the couch, making herself comfortable and covering her legs with the afghan again. She wasn’t cold now; she just liked the pink crocheted flowers. She held Daisy and Eric carefully, turning them around and around to see their faces from different angles, to touch the daisies and acorns and to find the coin. Ms. Holben stayed in