She took the time to hand wash her favorite bra. It was long overdue for a cleaning, but she'd been too embarrassed to wash it at Kennedy and Scott's apartment. She doubted her friend's surly mountain man of a husband wanted to find it hanging to dry in his bathroom any more than she wanted him to.
She faced a similar dilemma here, however. She didn't want Rudy to walk in and find her unmentionables hanging in his shower. She tried to convince herself that she would remember to take it down before he came home, but she tended to be forgetful when it came to things like that.
For lack of a better place, she finally decided to hang it on the bathroom doorknob in her bedroom. That way, if she forgot to take it down in a few hours, she'd be the only one to see it.
After she dressed in denim shorts and a white tee, she found Alice in the kitchen.
"Good morning, dear." Alice looked up from the large lump of dough she kneaded. "Did you sleep well?"
"Very well, thank you." Eden looked at the dough. "Are you making...bread?"
"Yes." Alice wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist. "I've gotten lazy over the years and don't make bread near as often as I used to. But fresh strawberry jam tastes best on fresh homemade bread."
"You're making jam with the strawberries?" Eden rocked forward on the balls of her feet.
Naturally, strawberry jam was her favorite, but so many of the store-bought brands didn't taste good. Her favorite brand was only sold at a cute little boutique in Spokane. Because it was so expensive, she only bought it on special occasions.
"Jam and pies." Alice dropped the dough into a large bowl and spread a dish towel over the top. "Would you like to help me? My daughters often come to help, but they're all busy today."
"I've never made jam before, but sure, I'd love to help. It's not like I have anything else to do."
"Job hunt not going so good?" Alice asked, her voice full of sympathy.
"No, because I'm not sure I want to work in the business field anymore."
"So, what do you want to do?" Alice pulled a covered plate from the fridge and put it in the microwave.
"I don't know." Eden shrugged. "I don't want to feel like I'm wasting my business degree, but..." Eden let her words die off.
"But you don't want to use it the same way you did while working for your father."
"Exactly."
Alice understood her better than she understood herself right now.
The older woman pulled the plate from the microwave and set it on the table. She motioned for Eden to sit. "If you're going to help me, you need to eat a good breakfast first. We have a lot of work to do."
Eden wasn't a big breakfast eater, but the smell of bacon made her stomach growl, and she slid into the chair without complaint. Her eyes widened as she took in the pancakes and eggs that accompanied the bacon.
Alice unloaded small jars from the dishwasher as she talked about the jam-making process. The woman seemed to always be in motion. Kennedy had once said her mother-in-law was happiest when she was serving others, and Eden believed it.
Surprisingly, Eden finished her whole breakfast. She'd have to make it a point to work out more often if she was going to eat like this.
As soon as Eden loaded her plate in the dishwasher, Alice handed her an apron. This one was black and red and saidKiss the Cookacross the front. "I'd hate for you to stain that white shirt." As soon as Eden had donned the apron, Alice continued. "We'll start with the pies. Which means we need to wash two quarts of strawberries."
Eden followed Alice's instructions washing and trimming the tops off the strawberries, while the other woman pulled out ingredients for the pie crust.
When Eden had enough strawberries trimmed, Alice motioned for her to join her at the counter where she showed her how to cut the butter into the flour until it created a clumpy yet crumbly powder.
"Good, now stick your hands in there and mash it all together," Alice said as she poured in the water. When Eden hesitated, she stepped closer. "It's okay, dear. Just stick your hands in like this." Alice's hands disappeared into the dough, and she demonstrated how to mix and knead for a minute before cleaning her hands. "Now it's your turn."
The wet dough clinging to Eden's hands made her stomach feel a little funny. Every time she moved her hands, it seemed more dough stuck to them, and she doubted she was doing any good. Alice continued to sprinkle more flour in until the dough was smooth and barely tacky.
After dropping the dough on the counter and kneading it a little more, Alice broke the clump of dough into two balls. Eden did her best to mimic Alice's actions and follow every step, but her crust ended up shaped like Africa, instead of round.
"You're doing fine. Now roll the other direction," Alice patiently coached Eden. "That's the way. Push a little harder."
Eventually Eden achieved a mostly round crust that didn't fall apart when she lifted it into the pie pan. She felt like cheering at her accomplishment, small as it was. She settled for giving herself a mental pat on the back.
