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When I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I found it irls were all busy prepping so around the room like little worker bees

When Rose spun away froe, she smiled when she took irl," she said, setting a couple cartons of eggs on the counter

I made a non-comirls stopped what they were doing to checktheir surprise

I gave Lily a What do you think? look, and she flashed me a thumbs up She was infinitely more sure about the way I looked than I was

"Have you everthe frying pan suspiciously "But I’ve eaten my fair share"

"Then that qualifies you Coive me the front and center position "Clementine already mixed the batter up, so all you need to do is pour it onto the griddle, flip them, and throw them onto the platter"

Cle else A seven-year-old was kicking my ass in the home economics department I wasn’t sure whether to be proud of ram or directions I can follow?" I asked as Rose handedto be pretty"

Holding up her finger, she turned to the griddle "Ladle Scoop" She grabbed the ladle and scooped out a full serving of batter "Pour" The batter sizzled as it hit the griddle surface "Repeat" She was pouring another ladleful, then four more, before I blinked "Flip" She flicked the spatula in s "Ladle Scoop Pour Repeat Flip"

"Burn," I said, studying the six pancakes as though they were a puzzle "Fail"

As I was about to attempt to flip a pancake, Hyacinth shouldered up beside ed me "Wait until tiny bubbles surface around the outside before you flip the new

"Thanks," I replied,plates out of a cabinet They used plates? Real plates they had to wash? Along with air conditioning, paper plates must not have made their way to the Walkers’ corner of the world yet

I turnedthem so intently I don’t think I blinked once The second those bubbles started popping to the surface, I wielded my spatula and flipped the first pancake

It was a proudbatter all over the place, the cooked side was a perfect golden brown If that was all there was to cooking, I had it down No problem

I repeated the process with the other five; all were a beautiful golden brown As soon as I let et a little cocky, like I was the modern day Betty Crocker, the kitchen door to the porch flew open Goosebumps trailed up my spine I hadn’t yet turned my head, but I was as sure the person who’d just stepped into the kitchen was Jesse as I was sure the air in the kitchen had gotten a little thin

"First one to breakfast," Lily said in a teasing voice "Big surprise"

"It’s not uys like to sleep in ‘til the last possiblethe new calves, and I’ boy" I willed myself to stare at the pancakes I willed et to me I willed myself to be unaffected by his presence

I wasn’t very willful

My body twisted around of its own accord, and my eyes locked on his at the same time his locked on e of the counter to keep fro his hat on one of the pegs sticking out of the wall I guessed they were for hanging hats Lots of hats He headedClementine’s hair as he walked by her Toward ainst a countertop to keep froood on you, Rowen" Jesse ran his eyes down lanced down at her He was in his standard blood-cutting-off jeans, boots, and hat, but he had on a tan Carhartt jacket over yet another clean white tee How h in a day?

"And silence ave it a try," I threw back, right before I realized four other people were in the roo to watch the two of us with rapt interest

Catching Rose’s stare, I shrugged "Your son likes to talk He really likes to talk," I added, res he’d said in the past few days The frequency of his words wasn’t really the issue; it was the power behind them

Rose studied the two of us for another er on sos into a skillet "Breakfast in five, girls Get movin’"

Just like that, Jesse’s sisters’ attention moved fro?" Jesse asked, leaning closer to inspect the skillet

"Swi them No bubbles yet

He moved a little closer So close, I could tell he’d recently taken a shower He still smelled like soap and shampoo "You really do look nice, you know," he said, his voice quieter

I huffed "Really? Because you see fan of that outfit I wore yesterday" Myhiht" His eyes toldthe memory of me on all fours "But this look appeals to me in a different way"

I did a quick check of the kitchen tous any attention "In ay?"