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So nine-year-olds weren’t kids anyue, she let the coly easy After Shana couardianship papers, it was done Jazmine was led out of the office and into a classroo herself not to follow like a uardian?" the school secretary asked

Shana nodded "Jaze to mention Peter’s death and the fact that Ali was out at sea Instinctively she realized that the less anyone knew about these things, the better for Jazht in," the secretary assured her

"I hope so" But Shana wasn’t sure that was true There were only a feeeks left of the school year Just when Jazed to adjust, it would be time for summer break And ould Shana do with her then? It was a question she couldn’t answer Not yet, anyway

With reluctance she walked back to her parked car and drove to Olsen’s Ice Crea the name, but the restaurant had been called this for the last thirty years A new nae, so she’d decided to keep everything the same for now

Shana’s day went smoothly after her visit to the school She was on her o, her training with the Olsens finished They insisted the secret to their pizza was the tomato sauce, made from their special recipe That recipe had been kept secret for over thirty years Only when the final papers had been signed was Shana allowed to have the recipe, which to her untrained eye looked fairly unspectacular She was alhetti and had gotten the recipe out of a "Dear Abby" colu the Olsens’ exa to h had risen, it was put in the refrigerator, awaiting the day’s pizza orders The restaurant opened at eleven and did a brisk lunch trade How uesswork Shana’s biggest fear was that she’d run short As a consequence she usually

At three o’clock, Shana found herself watching for the school bus Jazmine was to be dropped off in front of the ice-cream parlor Fro and worrying about her niece The eleh crowd--okay, raders, but the ones in the fifth and sixth grades, ere giants coirl could hold her own

Business was constant--people waiting to catch ferries, high-school students, retired folk, tourists Shana planned to hire a part-time employee soon Another idea she had was to introduce soup to the menu She’d already experimented with a nu that i her own froe batches was limited

A bus rolled into view and Shana instantly went on alert Sure enough, Jaz a frown, and marched inside Without a word to Shana, she slid into a booth

"Well," Shana said, unable to disguise her anxiety, "hoas it?"

Jaz with details Thinking fast, Shana asked the questions her mother had bombarded her with every day after school "What did you learn? Anything interesting?"

Jazmine shook her head

"Did you make any new friends?"

Jazmine scowled up at her "No"

That was said eone well "I see" Glancing over her shoulder, Shana sighed "Are you hungry? I could make you a pizza"

"No, thanks"

The bell above the door rang and a custo directly to the ice-cream case Shana slipped behind the counter and waited patiently until the woman had made her selection As she scooped chocolate chip– was different about Jazure out what it was

"Jazz," she said, startled, "where’s your backpack?"

Her niece didn’t answer

"Did you forget it at school? We could run by to pick it up if you want" Not until the parlor closed at six, but she didn’t ht o’clock; she didn’t mention that, either

Jazmine scowled even more ferociously

Shana hadn’t kno irl’s eyes could convey Her niece’s anger seemed to be focused solely on Shana The unfairness of it struck her, but any attempt at conversation was instantly blocked