Read Online Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan - Free Book Online

just like it did for the rooster.”
    Hannah said, “I have to admit, it’s a little coincidental.”
    â€œMy mom watches a lot of crime shows on TV and the investigators always say there is no such thing as coincidence,” I said.
    â€œThis might be a good time for me to point out that we’re not on a TV crime show,” Hannah said. “There could be amillion reasons why Bud and Mr. Quinn are sick. Maybe they have a cold. Colds are very common. That’s why they’re called ‘common colds.’ People get them all the time.”
    â€œThat’s not a million reasons,” Darbie said. “That’s one.”
    â€œYou get the point.” Hannah blew her blond bangs out of her face. She was frustrated with Darbie already.
    I tried to change the subject so we didn’t start fighting. “Ready?”
    â€œFor what?” Hannah asked.
    â€œWe’re a cooking club, aren’t we?” I pulled my apron over my head. “I’ve been doing some thinking and—”
    There was a knock on the back door. I saw a curly mane in the door’s window. “You’ve got to be kidding me. She must have some kind of wicked radar system.” I went to the door, but this time I was careful to stand in front of it so Charlotte couldn’t just walk in. “May I help you?”
    â€œActually, you can. Do you have any clear nail polish?”
    â€œNail polish?”
    â€œYeah, I ran out in the middle of doing my nails.” She tried to be nonchalant when she stretched her head to the right and left, but I could tell she was trying to see what we were doing in the kitchen.
    I looked at her hands. “They don’t look wet.”
    â€œUm, my toenails.”
    I looked down. She wore sandals, and there was some polish on her toes that I suspected was also dry.
    â€œNo. I don’t have any clear polish.”
    â€œWhat’s that smell?” Charlotte asked. “Is that chili?” I didn’t answer. “Gross. Maybe you shouldn’t even bother to enter this year. Honestly, I don’t understand why anyone would go to all the trouble of making something you could buy already made. Seems like a waste of time. And it seems stupid to enter a contest you know you’re going to
lose
.”
    I had successfully blocked Charlotte so she couldn’t see Darbie. But she heard Darbie when she yelled, “Wanna make a bet?”
    Charlotte asked me, even though I wasn’t the one who asked the question, “
You
want to make
me
a bet that
you’ll
win the chili contest?”
    â€œYep,” Darbie yelled.
    â€œOh, you’re so on. What did you have in mind?” she asked me.
    I opened my mouth to answer, but Darbie beat me to it. From her kitchen chair she yelled, “If Kelly wins, you have to rake her yard. If Kelly loses, she’ll rake your yard.”
    Charlotte grabbed my hand and shook it. “It’s a bet, Kelly Quinn.” She followed the beaten path back to her house.
    I slammed the door and walked over to Darbie, whose eyes were buried under a bag of frozen peas. I propped my hands on my hips. “What did you do that for?”
    The peas fell into her lap when she lifted her head. “What?”
    â€œThat bet. Are you crazy?” I asked.
    Hannah chimed in, “Mrs. Rusamano is on a four-year winning streak. You and your mom are good cooks, but Mrs. R. is great.” Hannah was right, but it would have been nice if she was a little more optimistic about our chances of winning.
    Darbie picked up the encyclopedia with her bandaged hand. “Have you forgotten that you have an ancient secret recipedia?”
    The corners of my lips started to bend, and suddenly I wasn’t so mad at Darbie.

10
Hexberry Tarta
    â€œIf the Book can make Bud lose his voice, then it should be able to help you win a chili contest,” Darbie said.
    I smiled because I liked what Darbie was saying,