As I’m opening the back door, I hear Alex in the kitchen demand, “Where’s Finley?” He sounds slightly panicked.
I hurriedly unbutton my coat in the mudroom alcove, about to call out to him but Mallory beats me to it, and she sounds outraged.
“What? You think we left her there?”
“She’s right behind me,” Valerie says cheerfully, but I hear the exhaustion in her voice.
“I’m here,” I say, stepping into the doorway as I unwrap the scarf from my neck. “I’m just slow.”
Alex has changed into sweatpants and a long-sleeve T-shirt, a new look I’ve never seen him in. But I don’t have time to dwell on it. It’s the wild look in his eyes that settles when he sees me. He walks over to me and takes over unwrapping my scarf. What in the world? I can’t help looking up at him in confusion.
“I can unwrap my scarf, Alex,” I say with a forced chuckle.
“I know, but I was worried about you.”
I’m still confused, but I keep it to myself since it would probably cause more friction between him and his family.
“Why would you be worried about her?” Mallory asks defensively.
“She’s not used to the cold, Mal,” Alex says in a short tone. “And she’s so nice I suspect she wouldn’t tell you if she was ready to go home.”
His concern only adds to my confusion, but I don’t want them to argue over me, so I say, “Alex, I’m fine. And if I got too cold, I would have texted you to come get me. Okay?”
Something softens on his face as he studies me, then he nods. “Okay. Good to know.”
“We’re not monsters,” Mallory says in disgust.
He turns to face her. “Did you ever ask her if she was too cold?”
A sheepish look washes over her face.
“Y’all,” I say, holding up my hands. “I’m fine and I’m not five years old. I’m twenty-five and perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’ve done it for the past six years and I’m not only alive but thriving.”
We need a change of topic, and fast. I see Valerie pulling a pot out of the cabinet and jump on it. “Valerie, can I help you make the hot chocolate?”
She gives me a grateful look but shakes her head. “I’m fine. I’ll have this whipped up in no time. Mal, why don’t you get out the cookies Mrs. Baxter brought over.”
Mallory still seems to be holding a grudge against her brother. “I thought you came home to make the hot chocolate.”
Alex wraps an arm around my back and leads me to the island. “Sorry, Mal. I realized I don’t have Mom’s secret recipe.”
“Secret recipe?” Valerie asks with a laugh as she pulls a container of cocoa powder out of a cabinet. “It’s time all of you learn my secret family recipe for hot chocolate.” She points to the text on the back of the container. “This is it. Right here.” She sounds like she’s at her wit’s end.
I expect Mallory and Alex to pick at each other again, but to my surprise, they both burst into laughter.
I glance between them, knowing I’ve missed something but have no idea what.
“You said that recipe was handed down from grandma,” Mallory says.
“It was,” her mother says as she measures out the cocoa and dumps it into the pot. “And she got it off the cocoa container.”
“You always told us it was a special recipe,” Alex says, sounding bewildered.
“It was,” she says, glancing up at him. “The secret ingredient was love.” She nods to the cocoa container she’s setting on the counter. “You don’t see that in the recipe.”
“You know that that’s a cop out, Mom,” Mallory says with a huge grin.
“You kids believed it, so…?” she shrugs.
