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“I do. It was nice having someone to talk to all the time. I love my mom, but talking to her can get a bit repetitive. I bet you don’t have that problem seeing as you have a brother.”
“Are you kidding? Dustin, he’s… how do I explain it? He loves rumors. He lives on them, but he’s also the most caring, accepting person I’ve ever known. He teases me sometimes, but that’s what siblings are for. He’s kept me sane and checks on me when I’m not feeling well.”
“Sounds like a good brother to me.”
“He can be, but he can also be a pain in the butt.”
“I had a friend like that once. I swore up and down that we’d eventually move in with each other. We swore off boys and had made plans and everything. But then she met this guy and, well, that put an end to that.”
“How old were you?”
“Ten? It was around that time when boys were becoming a thing but not enough to feel serious about them.”
“And now?”
Kate didn’t say anything for a long moment. At first, I thought I might’ve overstepped, but when she looked at me again, she smiled. “Still hate ‘em.”
I laughed. “Any particular reason as to why?”
“They’re a different beast. Loud too.”
“Not all of them.”
“No,” she agreed, “but that doesn’t matter.”
“I wasn’t into boys, either. I did try, though. Once.”
“And?” There was a playful lilt in her voice.
“Let’s just say we didn’t go well together and leave it at that.”
Kate let out a huff but her smile gave her away. “Okay, enough talk about boys, towns, and wanting things we can’t have. Are you still up for some baking?”
“Is it okay if I’m nervous? Cooking isn’t really my thing.”
“Do you like science?”
“Uh…” I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
“Science is a lot like baking,” Kate explained. “You can’t just throw things together and hope everything will turn out. You need exact amounts, otherwise, what you’re working on might explode.”
“Explode?”
“Or go wrong. Here, I’ll show you.” Kate pushed out her chair, then offered me her hand.
I took her hand in mine and focused on the softness of her skin as she guided me toward the back.
Don’t screw up. Don’t screw up. Don’t screw–
“I’ve already started the dough since it has to rest for half an hour,” Kate said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Have you ever done any baking before?” She let go of my hand, leaving it to drop to my side.
“Maybe when I was five?” I honestly couldn’t remember. “It was a cake for Dustin’s birthday. Mom pulled up a chair and had me stand on it by the kitchen counter.”
“Sounds like we started the same way, except Nora was my teacher.”
“Your mom didn’t bake with you?”
“You know how some folks make good mechanics and others don’t?”
