Twenty Wishes (Blossom Street #5)(25)

“I brought Baxter to visit Ellen Falk,” she explained as the children gathered around.

By the time Anne Marie had walked inside, Ellen’s second-grade class had been dismissed for lunch. She found the little girl waiting in the hallway by the lunchroom. She stood with her back against the wall, staring down at the floor.

“Hello, Ellen.” Anne Marie spoke softly so as not to alarm her.

Ellen glanced up and when she saw Baxter, a tentative smile slid into place. “You brought him!”

“I called and Ms. Mayer said it would be all right to bring Baxter so the two of you can meet.” Bending down to her constant friend and companion, Anne Marie said, “Baxter, this is Ellen.”

Ellen stared at the dog. “Hi,” she said and offered him her hand to sniff. “Would it be okay if I petted him?” she asked, her eyes filled with longing.

“I’m sure he’d like that.”

Even with Anne Marie’s permission, Ellen hesitated as she raised her hand and gently touched the top of Baxter’s head. As if he understood how badly this little girl needed a friend, Baxter licked her hand.

“He likes you,” Anne Marie told her. “Would you like to hold him?”

The girl’s eyes grew large. “I’m allowed to do that?”

“Of course. Let me show you how to carry him.” She gave Ellen a demonstration of the way she tucked Baxter between her arm and her side, then handed her the dog.

Baxter wagged his tail, and Ellen couldn’t stop smiling.

“Shall we get some lunch?” Anne Marie asked. “Ms. Mayer said we’ll need to take our lunches back to the classroom. Is that okay?”

“Yes.” Ellen looked at her anxiously. “Baxter can come, too, can’t he?”

“Of course,” Anne Marie assured her.

The Yorkshire terrier attracted lots of curious attention as Ellen waited outside the busy cafeteria. “I’ll get our lunch while you watch Baxter,” Anne Marie said.

The menu for the day was chili with corn bread, which Anne Marie remembered was Ellen’s favorite. She chose a fresh salad and canned peaches for herself. Her appetite was improving. Since her lunch with Elise the day before, she’d actually felt the faint stirrings of hunger. Talking to her friend had made her feel calmer and more rational, although Anne Marie wasn’t ready to confront Rebecca yet. She would in time, as soon as she was emotionally prepared to deal with the other woman’s answer.

When she’d assembled their lunch, several of the children had gathered around Ellen, asking questions about Baxter.

“I have to go now,” the child told the others, and Anne Marie grinned at the importance in her voice. Ellen dutifully followed her down the hall toward the classroom, carrying Baxter as though he was the most precious burden imaginable.

The door was open and Ellen led the way to her desk. Anne Marie set the tray down and pulled up a chair next to Ellen’s.

“What about Baxter?” Ellen asked, carefully putting him down. “We can’t eat in front of him, can we? That would be impolite.”

“Yes, it would,” Anne Marie agreed. She’d brought along a small can of gourmet dog food, which was a rare treat for him. As she retrieved it from her purse, Baxter practically did flips of joy.

Ellen giggled, covered her mouth with her hand, then giggled again. “He’s so funny.”

“Yes, he is,” Anne Marie said, smiling, too.

Ellen seemed far more interested in Baxter than in eating her own lunch. She watched Baxter wolf down his food before she turned to her own plate. “One time my mama said she’d buy me a dog.”

Knowing the girl lived with her grandmother, Anne Marie wasn’t sure how to comment.

“What kind of dog do you want?”

Ellen looked up from her chili. “Any kind. But Mama made lots of promises she never kept. I live with my Grandma Dolores now.”

“Does she have a dog?”

Ellen shook her head. “She said she’s too old to take care of a dog.”

“How old is she?” Anne Marie asked.

Ellen contemplated the question. “Really, really old. I think she’s over fifty.”

Anne Marie managed to suppress a smile. “That old,” she said, exaggerating the two words. Her guess was that the woman was actually quite a bit older.

“She sleeps a lot.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t mind. She lets me watch TV as long as I do my homework.”

“She loves you very much, doesn’t she?”

Ellen swallowed a bite of her corn bread. “And I love her,” she mumbled.

“I’m sure you do.”

“Only…only Grandma’s too old to get me a dog.”

“I’ll be happy to share Baxter if you’d like,” Anne Marie offered.

Ellen’s eyes lit with pure joy. “You promise?”

“We’re Lunch Buddies, aren’t we?”

Ellen nodded enthusiastically. She took another spoonful of her chili and paused long enough to pet Baxter.

“We should probably take him for a walk once you finish your lunch.” Anne Marie had brought a plastic bag in case nature called while Baxter was outside.

“I’m full,” Ellen said decisively, planting both hands on her stomach.