Katie was up and ready to go to the mall before anyone in her family—including her dog, Pepper—was even awake. That rarely happened. Usually, it was the cocker spaniel who woke Katie—with a big wet lick to the face. Katie wanted to get to the mall as early as possible. She’d promised Louie that she would help him set up for the contest. “You’re awfully quiet this morning,” Katie’s mom said in the car on the way to the mall. “Worried about the contest?” “I guess,” Katie admitted. “What if no one shows up?” “That won’t happen,” Mrs. Carew assured her. “There are already a lot of people signed up.” “What if that’s not enough? What if Louie still goes out of business?” Katie asked. “There’s nothing you can do about that,” her mother said softly. “You’ve given it your best shot. You’re a very good friend to Louie.” Katie wasn’t so sure about that. She kept remembering Louie’s sad face when he spotted her in Olives and Oregano. “This just has to work,”
