“I don’t know. I can try.”
“Oh, I forgot, I’m supposed to ask you if you want any fresh eggs or goat milk?”
“What?” That was not a question Reena expected.
“Doug and Shirley insisted I call mycooking friend. They got a few more chickens, and of course Belle and Ariel are way too productive and—”
“What are you talking about, Amira?”
“Doug and Shirley. Duncan’s parents.”
Reena chuckled. “Are they still treating you like their little Muslim pet?”
Amira snorted. “Yup. Shirley even eats beef bacon when I’m not there. Anyway, they have an abundance of eggs, since they can’t seem to say no when their granddaughter wants a new chicken.”
“And Belle and Ariel…”
“Their goats. Who produce way too much milk.” Amira said it like it was the most normal thing in the world to have goats named after princesses. “They asked me to ask you if you wanted any. They said you’re welcome to come to the farm anytime. They also have a bunch of fresh vegetables. I told them it wasn’t likely you’d drive over an hour for some free eggs and milk, but I said I’d ask.”
Actually, Reena probably would drive that long for farm-fresh ingredients. “How fresh are we talking here?” Unpasteurized goat milk was in high demand. She could get good money for it on the food blogger black market.
“I need to get into work. Call me later and let me know what to tell them. And sorry for nagging on you earlier. I just want you to be happy, but you know that. Love ya, babe.”
“Bye, Meer.” She disconnected the call.
Reena closed her eyes. Amira didn’t understand Reena’s new relationship. She didn’t get that this thing with Nadim meant a hell of a lot more than convenient and spectacular sex. Reena needed him right now. And she didn’t want to think about how needing someone so much after such a short time was the very definition of a bad idea.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
After recovering from the call with Amira, Reena finally rolled out of bed and grabbed a quick shower before setting up on her dining table with a latte and toast to look at the job boards. But the moment she logged on, a knock on her door interrupted her.
“Saira. I wasn’t expecting you,” she said as she opened the door.
Saira rolled her eyes in the most Saira-specific expression that Reena nearly laughed.
“You asked me to dig up dirt for you, and then you’re surprised when I show up?” Saira strolled past Reena and began unloading tote bags on the breakfast bar.
Had Reena asked Saira to dig up dirt? Crap. Nadim. She had asked Saira for more info about that blasted yacht picture. Reena wrinkled her nose. She shouldn’t have done that. Especially after telling Dad so empathetically that she trusted Nadim. So much for letting their pasts unfold organically.
Reena snapped out of her crisis of conscience when she noticed her sister had taken out a series of identical plastic food containers from her tote and was lining them up on the breakfast bar. “What is all that?”
Saira wrinkled her nose as she pointed. “Green pea dip, masala hummus, and lemongrass white bean dip. And these”—she pulled some large Ziploc bags from the second tote—“are spelt cumin seed crackers, and semolina mustard seed. I’m not sure about the crackers, the mustard seed flavor didn’t really come out. But I don’t know how to fix them.” She opened a bag and shoved it under Reena’s nose. The crackers smelled good, with a nice toasty fresh smell, but not much mustard seed aroma.
Saira opened the other bag and moved it toward Reena’s nose when Reena put her hand out to stop her. “Where’d all this come from?”
“Oh my God, Reena, I told you about the cookbook thing! Do you even listen?” She opened one of the plastic containers, revealing a muddy green paste.
“You made all these?”
Saira rolled her eyes again. “No, Dad did. Of course I made them! But you need to tell me what’s missing here.” She thrust the container under Reena’s nose.
Reena’s hand reflexively shot up to prevent her nose from being caked in army-green gruel. “Saira, chill! I’m trying to understand what you’re doing!”
“I’m trying to get help with these recipes! You wouldn’t give me the eggplant dip, so I had to develop other ones. You’re still the best cook I know. How can I get the mustard seed flavor stronger? I tried—”
Reena put her hand out again, stopping her sister from continuing. “Did you just compliment me?” Was this the twilight zone?
“Reena!” Saira sat heavily on the barstool. “I don’t see why we can’t be, like,normalsisters.”
