One Bright Christmas by Katherine Spencer

Author:Katherine Spencer [Spencer, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2020-11-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Cole stood up and rubbed his hands together. “Who’s hungry? I’m thinking of pancakes.”

Phoebe’s face lit up. She looked delighted but turned to Lauren. “Do you like pancakes? Because we have to eat something that you like. You’re the guest.”

Lauren laughed. “I am? I didn’t know that,” she said honestly. She really hadn’t expected to stay this long, and certainly not for dinner, too.

“I hope you can stay,” Cole added quickly. “Please do. I don’t have to make pancakes. You are the guest. I should have asked you first.”

“I love breakfast for dinner. Though my pancakes stink. They come out all lumpy and burnt.”

“My dad makes the best,” Phoebe promised.

The questions seemed decided, and the treat seemed to distract Phoebe from Wilbur’s troubles, at least for a while. Cole asked Phoebe to help him cook, and even let her crack the eggs.

Good ploy, Lauren wanted to tell him. While they cooked, Lauren set the table. The kitchen smelled delicious, and Lauren realized that she had skipped lunch and was very hungry.

Cole was an efficient and able cook. They were soon enjoying a feast of pancakes, with all the trimmings.

“I like sliced bananas and cinnamon on top,” Phoebe explained as she sprinkled the spice over her dish.

Lauren stared at her wide-eyed. “You’re kidding, right? I love bananas and cinnamon on my pancakes, too. My sisters always made fun of me for that.”

Phoebe giggled and handed her the cinnamon shaker. “How many sisters are there? A lot?”

Cole cast her a curious and playful look. “Yes, Lauren, how many sisters do you have?”

“Three. Amanda, who’s six months younger. Jillian is two years younger. And Betty is eleven.”

“So you’re the biggest sister,” Phoebe said.

She was, in fact, literally and figuratively. “That’s right,” she said. “I’m the totally big sister.”

Cole had made coffee, the perfect fit with the pancakes. He took a sip. “That explains a lot.”

She gave him a look, guessing he meant it explained why she was so assertive—“bossy,” some might say.

Phoebe sighed and stuck her fork in an apple chunk. “I wish I had a sister. Or a brother. I’d like a sister better, though.”

She slid a glance at her father, who, for once, was at a loss for a clever reply.

“That’s funny, because when I was your age, I used to wish I was an only child,” Lauren replied. “I love them all to pieces, but there are good things and bad things about having so many siblings.”

Cole looked grateful to her for picking up the slack. “And you have some very nice friends at school, Phoebe,” he reminded her. “And cousins.”

Lauren knew that friends and cousins were not quite the same as siblings, but it was a touchy subject. Cole could get married again, to a woman with children, or a new baby could arrive in that new family. He could remarry very easily, she thought, peering at him as she poured a dash of milk in her coffee.

“How’s Wilbur?” Lauren asked, to change the subject. “Maybe he wants more water?”

Phoebe was done with her meal and slipped off her chair to check the pig.

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