Rachel started to open her mouth to say—
“Good morning,” Bob said before she could form the words.
“Good morning,” she said at the same time but,since it came a little after his greeting, hers sounded like more of an afterthought.
Bob headed straight toward the coffeepot.
Rachel was mid-swipe with the spatula in her egg scramble when Evelyn stepped beside her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
Rachel’s pulse paused with the tone of Evelyn’s words.
“Eggs,” Rachel replied.
“Rachel, dear, we are a breakfast pastry family.” Evelyn dropped the box she’d been carrying on the table.
“Mama,” Travis said low and with what sounded like a great deal of restraint. “Rachel can fix whatever she’d like for breakfast.”
“I guess we are a breakfast pastryandegg family, while I’m here.” Rachel laughed, but no one joined in.
One of the boys pushed pause on their show. The entire kitchen descended into awkward silence.
“Mom, where’s the milk?” Brady asked.
Rachel set the spatula beside the stove to go in search of the milk in the refrigerator. Then Kellan needed a refill, Evelyn asked for a glass, and, in the midst of it all, Rachel decided coffee was a very good idea—so she poured herself a cup.
“Are those burning?” Evelyn tilted her head toward Rachel’s smoking eggs.
Crap.
She hurried back to the stove.
“Not burned, just really well done.” Rachel tried to flip the eggs onto a plate, but they stuck to the nonstick coating that was, it turned out, not so nonstick after all.
Rachel stood, unable to form a sentence, spatula still in hand, staring at the smoke rising from the pan.
The eggs she’d been making for her kids to offset their sugar intake were totally wrecked.
She tossed them into the dog bowls, but even they gave her stink-eye about her breakfast offering.
“I guess it’s tarts for breakfast!” Evelyn bustled through the kitchen, grabbing the now-unnecessary spatula and dropping it in the sink. “We’ve got a new flavor we want everyone to try. It’s our first go at pumpkin spice.”
“How does she do that?” Rachel whispered to Travis.
“What?” he asked.
“Always get her way?”
“It’s her gift.” He shrugged.
“Did you know that most pumpkin products aren’t pumpkin at all?” Brady asked, reaching for the box and studying the label. “They’re really squash that’s dyed orange to look like pumpkin.” He lifted a shoulder. “It’s just easier.”
“Pumpkin is gross,” Kellan said immediately. “I like eggs,though.”
Evelyn brushed him aside. “Eggs are fine for lunch. No one needs that kind of heavy for breakfast.” She pressed a kiss to Kellan’s temple, leaving a bright red lipstick print. “And don’t you worry, we added extra sweetener,so they’ll taste delicious.”
“More sugar?” Rachel asked, ready to grab the spatula and whack the box from her son’s hands.
