“Sure.”
Paige wrinkled her nose, screwed up her face, and sneezed so loudly Sophie worried she’d wake Jamison.
“Is there a…dog…in…this…place?” Paige asked right before she sneezed again.
Sophie pointed her mug at Atticus sleeping on his quilt in front of the fire.
Mia dropped to her knees beside the puppy. “Oh, he’s the cutest thing! What is he?”
“I have no idea,” Sophie told her.
“He has to go!” Paige said. “Either that, or I do!”
That seemed like an easy to decision to Sophie, but after a quick look at Luke’s face, she gathered the puppy into her arms. “Come on, Atticus,” she muttered into his fur. “We know when we’re not wanted.” Inside the mudroom, she put a towel on the floor and placed him on it. He blinked at her with sad, tired eyes. “You’ll be fine in here for a few hours,” she said while petting him.
Back in the living room, she found Paige rummaging through her purse while Luke and Mia sipped their cocoa.
“What sort of name is Atticus?” Paige asked as she pulled a small pill bottle from her purse.
“You know, like Atticus Fitch from To Kill a Mockingbird.”
“To Kill a Mockingbird? You mean that movie with Jack Nicholson? I don’t remember any dogs in that film,” Paige said.
Luke bit back a laugh. “You’re thinking of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Paige sneezed again. “Do you mind if we open the windows and doors?” she asked moments before she did so. A cold breeze blew into the room.
“Mia, help me set the table,” Luke said.
Paige followed Sophie into the kitchen. “I’m allergic to dogs.”
“I sort of got that,” Sophie said.
Paige sniffed and popped open her pill bottle. “Where’s the tea?”
Sophie opened the cupboard where Chloe had left a large collection of teas. Paige sniffed again, selected a bag, and made a small sound that might have been a thank you when Sophie handed her a teacup.
Sophie pulled the lasagna from the oven. The cheese on top had turned a crispy, golden brown, just the way she liked it. The French bread would soon be done as well.
Paige removed a head of Romaine lettuce, a box of croutons, and a bottle of dried Parmesan cheese from the grocery bag and put it all down on the table.
“Do you have a bowl?” Paige asked.
“Um, sure.” Sophie retrieved the bowl, a cutting board and knife, and a colander.
Paige eyed the colander. “What’s that for?”
“I thought you’d want to wash the lettuce.”
“No. I bought this at Whole Foods.”
“Still—”
“Everything there is organic.”
Sophie bit her lower lip and took another peek at her French bread.
“I know what you’re doing,” Paige said as she whacked the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
