to finalize the arrangements for burying my brother.”
“You don’t seem all that torn up about losing him,” I said, and instantly regretted it. I’d let her anger spill over onto me, and I didn’t like what the woman was bringing out in me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, and I apologize for it.”
She wasn’t in any mood to receive it, though. “Forget it. I had a message to deliver, and I’ve done that. Be warned, I’m deadly serious.”
“So are we,” Maddy said.
Gina turned and left, her heels clicking away as she moved.
“Wow, that was impressive, wasn’t it?” Maddy asked me after she was gone.
“What, how quickly she managed to change Nathan’s mind about us, or the manner in which she just attacked us?”
“Both.” She reached down, retrieved her muffin, and then took another bite.
I couldn’t eat mine. Gina had sucked the last bit of joy out of it for me. “Are you ready to get started on prepping for pizza?”
Maddy had finished her muffin by then, and she pointed to mine. “Aren’t you going to finish that?”
“You can have it,” I said. “I just lost my appetite.”
She took mine and had a healthy bite of it as we walked over to the Slice. “I wouldn’t want to offend Paul, would I?”
“No, we can’t have that,” I said as I unlocked the door and let us in. After I had it bolted behind us, I made my way into the kitchen. I had a lot on my mind, but making pizza dough would help relieve some of the tension.
As I started measuring the flour and yeast, Maddy said, “Don’t forget, we need more sauce, too.”
I glanced at the clock and realized that I was going to have to work really quickly if I was going to get everything prepped in time for our opening. I might even have to take a few shortcuts to do it.
Maddy started to talk as she chopped vegetables, but I had to focus on what I was doing.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I really have to concentrate on this. We can talk later, but right now, I need to work.”
“That’s fine with me,” she said.
After a minute, Maddy reached over and flipped on the radio. “This is okay, though, isn’t it?”
“It’s fine as long as you don’t turn it up any louder,” I said. That was a distraction I could at least live with.
“I could always make the sauce myself,” Maddy said as she finished her prep work. “I’ve watched you a hundred times.”
I was about to decline when I realized that it would make my life easier if she pitched in. I was normally a bit of a control freak in my kitchen, but this was no time to quibble.
“Okay, but on one condition,” I said.
She smiled. “You name it.”
“No ad-libbing on the recipe. If it says two tablespoons of something is needed, that’s what you add, no more and no less. If you can’t agree to that caveat, I’ll do it myself.”
“I promise. I’ll follow your directions to a tee,” she said.
“Then knock yourself out,” I said.
“Could you taste this?” Maddy asked me forty-five minutes later. I’d just finished punching the second batch of dough down, so I set it aside to rest with its mate.
I grabbed a spoon, tasted a bit of sauce, and then nodded. “Hey, that’s really good.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
I laughed. “Don’t act so surprised. I knew all along that you could do it.”
“Then why did you wait so long to let me try?” she asked.
“You know me, I’ve got to be in charge of everything. I’ve had a hard time letting go of things since we were kids.”
“Eleanor, it’s okay to delegate now and then.”
I smiled at my sister. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll try to lighten up a little.”
“Can I take a stab at that pizza dough tomorrow?” she asked.
“Don’t push your luck,” I said, “or I’ll have you make the sauce every time we need it.”
“It’s not nice to threaten your favorite sister,” she said with a smile.
“You’re my only sister,” I reminded her.
“Then I’ve got
“You don’t seem all that torn up about losing him,” I said, and instantly regretted it. I’d let her anger spill over onto me, and I didn’t like what the woman was bringing out in me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, and I apologize for it.”
She wasn’t in any mood to receive it, though. “Forget it. I had a message to deliver, and I’ve done that. Be warned, I’m deadly serious.”
“So are we,” Maddy said.
Gina turned and left, her heels clicking away as she moved.
“Wow, that was impressive, wasn’t it?” Maddy asked me after she was gone.
“What, how quickly she managed to change Nathan’s mind about us, or the manner in which she just attacked us?”
“Both.” She reached down, retrieved her muffin, and then took another bite.
I couldn’t eat mine. Gina had sucked the last bit of joy out of it for me. “Are you ready to get started on prepping for pizza?”
Maddy had finished her muffin by then, and she pointed to mine. “Aren’t you going to finish that?”
“You can have it,” I said. “I just lost my appetite.”
She took mine and had a healthy bite of it as we walked over to the Slice. “I wouldn’t want to offend Paul, would I?”
“No, we can’t have that,” I said as I unlocked the door and let us in. After I had it bolted behind us, I made my way into the kitchen. I had a lot on my mind, but making pizza dough would help relieve some of the tension.
As I started measuring the flour and yeast, Maddy said, “Don’t forget, we need more sauce, too.”
I glanced at the clock and realized that I was going to have to work really quickly if I was going to get everything prepped in time for our opening. I might even have to take a few shortcuts to do it.
Maddy started to talk as she chopped vegetables, but I had to focus on what I was doing.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I really have to concentrate on this. We can talk later, but right now, I need to work.”
“That’s fine with me,” she said.
After a minute, Maddy reached over and flipped on the radio. “This is okay, though, isn’t it?”
“It’s fine as long as you don’t turn it up any louder,” I said. That was a distraction I could at least live with.
“I could always make the sauce myself,” Maddy said as she finished her prep work. “I’ve watched you a hundred times.”
I was about to decline when I realized that it would make my life easier if she pitched in. I was normally a bit of a control freak in my kitchen, but this was no time to quibble.
“Okay, but on one condition,” I said.
She smiled. “You name it.”
“No ad-libbing on the recipe. If it says two tablespoons of something is needed, that’s what you add, no more and no less. If you can’t agree to that caveat, I’ll do it myself.”
“I promise. I’ll follow your directions to a tee,” she said.
“Then knock yourself out,” I said.
“Could you taste this?” Maddy asked me forty-five minutes later. I’d just finished punching the second batch of dough down, so I set it aside to rest with its mate.
I grabbed a spoon, tasted a bit of sauce, and then nodded. “Hey, that’s really good.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
I laughed. “Don’t act so surprised. I knew all along that you could do it.”
“Then why did you wait so long to let me try?” she asked.
“You know me, I’ve got to be in charge of everything. I’ve had a hard time letting go of things since we were kids.”
“Eleanor, it’s okay to delegate now and then.”
I smiled at my sister. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll try to lighten up a little.”
“Can I take a stab at that pizza dough tomorrow?” she asked.
“Don’t push your luck,” I said, “or I’ll have you make the sauce every time we need it.”
“It’s not nice to threaten your favorite sister,” she said with a smile.
“You’re my only sister,” I reminded her.
“Then I’ve got
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