Page 81 - Book 8 Matty Hedgehog and the Paper Chase

Matty Hedgehog and the Paper Chase 79
Jackson went around the counter and scooped up the sticky dough with a wooden spoon. ‘Seems all right to me, Mrs Hedgehog,’ he said wiping off the dust.
‘I travelled in style, Mum, in the cart,’ Matty said. ‘Dad and Mr Squirrel practically dragged me up the stairs. I’m going back to Barns Wood later.’
Betsy smiled and threw the dough in the bin. She hugged her boy and almost started to cry. ‘I expect you are both hungry. Turn the sign around, Jackson. We are closed for lunch.’
Matty took Jackson to his room. He wanted to make sure that his kid brother, Archie, hadn’t been messing with his games whilst he had been away from home. As they sorted through drawers and shelves Jackson’s nose twitched.
‘I can smell food. Come on, let’s see what your mum is cooking.’
After a hearty lunch, Jackson guided Matty down the wooden staircase to visit Paris and Jessica. The hedgehog was looking forward to returning home to the garden to stay with the rabbit family, whose house was on one floor, until he could climb the staircase alone.
‘You have a surprise visitor, girls,’ shouted Charlie along the hallway. ‘Go through, lads. Now, Chloe, we can finish our puzzle and we won’t be disturbed. Those four will stay in Paris’s room until this evening. See! That’s the tree finished.’
‘No, Dad. You can’t force the pieces in. That’s a hedge piece, silly. Stop cheating or I will tell Velvet,’ said Chloe.
‘Tell me what, Chloe?’ asked Velvet, bringing in a basket of dry washing with Isla.