Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Hey, all!” Erin greeted everyone with a smile before bumping her hip against her brother’s, a bit too hard.
Mike flicked his fingers against her cheek in retaliation.
“Don’t start,” Ella warned, and both siblings tucked their hands into their jacket pockets like naughty children.
Cara grinned. She hadn’t seen Mike and his family together in a nonstressful situation in years, and she found herself mesmerized by the easygoing side of Mike Marsden that she never saw at work. Even when they were alone, he was always intense and focused, yet she liked this playful part of his nature and vowed to bring it out in him more often.
The entire family gathered in the den before dinner and everyone’s focus was on Simon, making certain he was comfortable and feeling well. It was just as obvious that he didn’t want to be the center of everyone’s attention and concern. Despite the fact that he looked frailer than he had before his treatment, his will to live and zest for life were as evident as his love for his family.
He grilled each child about what was going on in their lives even though Sam and Mike visited their father often. Sam had spent a lot of his recuperation time here the past week watching television and playing chess and just keeping Simon company. And Cara had no doubt that Erin had done the same, making Simon’s interrogation, as they all called it, unnecessary, just an expected part of their family day. No wonder Ella had fallen in love with him.
Cara wondered what it would have been like to grow up with such a warm, interested father but immediately pushed the thought aside. She couldn’t change the past, and dwelling on it only made her unhappy, a mood that had no place in this house with this family.
Dinner consisted of Ella Marsden’s apricot chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and Cara couldn’t believe how delicious the meal was. “This is amazing,” Cara said after finishing everything on her plate. “I’d love to have the recipe.” She might live alone, but Cara loved to cook.
Mike glanced at her, surprised.
“What? You think I live on takeout?” she asked with a grin.
“I do,” he muttered.
“That’s because you didn’t live in Serendipity,” Erin said. “Mom cooks extra for Sam and me. I freeze it and always have a home-cooked meal.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you to learn yourself,” Ella said, probably not for the first time, judging by her daughter’s roll of her eyes.
“No time,” Erin said. “But you have a willing cohort in Cara.” She waved her hand, clearly happy not to learn her mother’s cooking skills.
Ella refocused her attention, a happy smile on her face. “So I do. And I’d love to share. I’ve actually transferred all my recipes onto a website, so if you give me your email, I can send it to you,” Ella offered.
“Look at my mom, becoming all computer savvy,” Sam said. “I’m impressed.”
Erin leaned over and hugged Ella. “I’ve taught her everything I know.”
“Says the self-professed computer geek,” Mike teased his sister.
Erin shrugged. “I can’t help it. Someone in this family had to learn their way around computers and routers. You two had no interest, so it defaulted to me if we wanted to get online.”
“Things change,” Mike said. “I’ve been looking into ways to upgrade our system at work without it costing too much. We’re too antiquated even for a small town.”
Cara liked the way Mike referred to the station in such a personal way, and how the word we indicated he considered himself a part of the force.
“I don’t understand why we can’t leave things as is,” Simon muttered. “Paper, pencil, and an old-fashioned filing system worked fine for years.”
Sam gave Mike a knowing look. “The system’s so good that we have discrepancies and issues dating back years,” Mike said.
“Can you pass the green beans, Cara?” Simon asked her, obviously changing the subject.
Beside her, she felt Mike stiffen, obviously annoyed at his father’s stubborn, old-fashioned ways.
“Sure,” Cara said, lifting the serving dish and handing it to Simon.
They ate in silence for a few minutes until Erin chimed in. “Did you know Mom’s on Twitter?” she asked, obviously still thinking about their technology conversation. “And Facebook.”
Cara gripped her fork tighter.
Mike chuckled.
Sam burst out laughing. “Really? Mom, come on.”
“What? I think it’s good for her to learn computers and keep up with technology.” Erin defended her mother.
Cara didn’t dare sneak a glance at Ella, afraid Mike would catch her concern.
Forging on as if nothing was wrong seemed like the best bet, Cara decided. “I have a Facebook page. It’s fun.”
“I agree,” Erin said. “When you live in a small town, so many people stick around, you think you see them all the time. But sometimes you’ll hear from someone from your past and end up taking a trip down memory lane.” Her voice grew soft, making Cara wonder who Erin had heard from on the social network.