Redemption Lake by Monique Miller

Author:Monique Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Urban Books
Published: 2012-04-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Xavier Knight

Tuesday: 6:10 P.M.

At dinner, Xavier felt like he’d traded places with where Travis had been the night before. This time it was he who was unable to finish eating his supper, while Travis ate just fine. Even though the spaghetti tasted fantastic, he just didn’t have an appetite.

Charlotte, on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed by their earlier conversation. She was eating her second helping of spaghetti and garlic bread. And unlike the previous day, she was talking with everyone like she didn’t have a care in the world. Talking to everyone except him, that is.

“Don’t you want to go ahead and share your fabulous recipes with us now?” George asked Shelby. He also was on his second helping of spaghetti.

“Can’t do that just yet,” Shelby replied.

“I have to give it to you, Shelby,” Nina said. “This spaghetti is almost as good as my mother’s, God rest her soul. She used to make the best spaghetti in the world. I’ve never tasted anything that has ever come remotely close.”

“Thanks. Do you have your mom’s recipe?” Shelby asked.

“No, she died when I was seven. And at the time, I took my mom’s cooking for granted and I thought everyone’s cooking was as good as hers.” Nina’s eyes turned downcast and her tone saddened. “But I found out the hard way that everyone wasn’t like my mom.”

It was the first time Xavier had witnessed Nina’s lack of arrogance. She actually seemed human as she spoke about her mother. He watched as George started rubbing his wife’s back.

“Sorry to hear that,” Shelby said. “I’ll make sure to give you my secret for the spaghetti, and maybe you can make a few modifications to get it to taste even more like your mom’s.”

“Thanks, I’d really like that,” Nina said. She actually looked grateful for Shelby’s offer.

“My baby can make some of the best Italian food in the world. You name it: spaghetti, lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parmesan. Just name something, and Beryl can whip it up,” Travis said. He patted his wife’s back. “She can tell you some of her cooking secrets also.”

Halfheartedly, Nina nodded her head.

Xavier didn’t know why, but Travis was really getting on his nerves. It was like he was trying to impress somebody and like he didn’t want to feel left out of their conversations. The guy was always thinking of any and everything he could to add to what was being said.

He was surprised the guy hadn’t said anything about something on television or a movie yet.

“My wife can cook so good that one day I gave her a recipe from a movie I was watching, and she made it look just like it did on the TV. I don’t know how it tasted to those actors, but it sure was good to me,” Travis said.

Xavier’s head was starting to hurt, and the ramblings of Travis were only making it hurt worse. He wanted the guy to be quiet and knew that if he didn’t tune him out quickly, he might just tell him to shut up.

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