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“Maple bacon,” I announced.
“Maple…bacon?”
“They’re good, cousin.” I nudged him with my elbow. “It was Julia’s idea. She makes a maple bacon cupcake that’s out of this world. If it works as a cupcake, it will work as a pancake.”
He pinned Julia with a stare. “I’m going to trust you on this one.”
“Come on.” She pushed him toward the table, her petite body seeming even tinier next to Nikko’s size. “I’m certified in first aid and CPR, just in case.” She winked, gesturing to a chair as we all sat.
This entire scenario must have been a bit of a shock to Nikko. For the past several years, I’d paid a chef to prepare all my meals. Hell, before Julia, the only reason I stepped foot into my kitchen was to make coffee. Now here I was, making pancakes for my girlfriend and her teenage daughter.
“Here goes nothing.” Fork in hand, he sliced through the large stack and brought it up to his mouth. “If I die, tell Eme I love her.”
I rolled my eyes. “You can tell her yourself, you arse.”
I immediately reached into my pocket, then slapped a five dollar bill down on the table in front of Imogene.
Nikko furrowed his brows, lowering his fork. “What’s that for?”
“Swearing. You’ve got to watch your language around her. She’ll charge you for each swear.”
“Five dollars? That’s kind of steep.”
“It’s usually only a buck,” Imogene muttered around a mouthful of pancake.
“But because of who I am, the cheeky little thing charges me five. Complete bullshite if you ask me.” I placed another bill in front of her, winking.
“I’ll do my best to refrain from swearing then.” Nikko smiled. “Cops don’t make nearly as much as baseball players.”
All eyes were trained on Nikko as he brought the fork back to his mouth and hesitantly took a bite. He chewed, seeming to draw out the motion, then closed his eyes, his appreciation evident.
“I’ll tell you what, Pohili. If this baseball thing doesn’t work out, I can see about getting you a job as a line cook at the restaurant.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. For now, I might give this professional baseball thing a go. See how it pans out for me.”
The table erupted in laughter, a much-needed moment of levity as we enjoyed a normal breakfast, despite the fact there was nothing normal about what was going on outside these four walls.
