The Hundred Gifts by Jennifer Scott

Author:Jennifer Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-09-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Happy holidays, Bren,” Tod exclaimed as she walked into the Hole Shebang the next Tuesday on her way home from her very important errand running.

“They certainly are, aren’t they? What very merry concoctions do you have awaiting me today?”

Tod raised his eyebrows. “My, you’re in a jolly mood. Things going well next door?”

“Not even a little bit,” she said, but he was right—she couldn’t pry the smile off her face with a crowbar. Her plan had been set into motion beautifully. To her surprise, and excitement, all of the students seemed to be on board. Tonight was the potluck. They were going to learn how to make tamales and root beer cake, and as a bonus they were going to do something nice for someone who honestly didn’t really deserve it. Bren felt like Oprah Winfrey. “But it’s all good. ’Tis the season for giving.” She practically giggle-squealed the last and had to talk herself down, reminding herself that maybe—just maybe—she was the wee-est bit too excited.

“Indeed,” he said. “Well, we have here a mint jelly cruller. And this is a sweet potato fritter. Delicious. Better than apple by a landslide. Flying off the shelves. Oh, and if you want to really eat outside the doughnut box, you can try my breakfast special.” He pointed at a lumpy monstrosity on the shelf behind him. “It’s got scrambled eggs, sausage gravy, and hash browns inside a glazed exterior.” It sounded horrific, and Bren had begun to think that there just might be something seriously wrong with a man who could create something like that.

“I’ll just take a chocolate long john,” she said. “Two, actually. I’ll take one home to Gary for a change.” It was a lie and she knew it. Gary didn’t like doughnuts. She would eat it in the car on the way home and then would need to spend an hour laid out flat in the recliner while her stomach tried to make sense of what she’d just done to it. She knew this from experience.

But she didn’t care, because today was going to be a good day, no matter what Gary liked, or what it did to her stomach.

After Tod had given her the doughnuts and she’d left the shop, she went directly over to the Kitchen Classroom, where Paula was standing at the head station, paperwork spread out before her.

“Oh, hey,” Paula said when Bren came in. “I was just going over our new schedule. How do you feel about a class in January? Maybe Healthy Eating for the New Year?” She eyed Bren’s doughnut bag—Bren tried not to see judgment in her look—as she said this, but her smile never wavered.

“Oh, I don’t know if I’m the person for that one,” Bren said. “Maybe a Break Your Resolution in Record Time cooking class would be more my speed. Or How to Cheat on Your New Year’s Diet in the Privacy of Your Car. We’d be eating marshmallow Peeps before Valentine’s Day even rolled around.”

Paula tapped her pen on her chin, her necklace bouncing softly against her turtleneck with the movement.

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