Baked Alaska Read Online Free PDF Page A

more information about her brother on their way to the dining room, but Pete’s advice kept cycling through her head. Togetherness. Respect his boundaries.
    She could do this.
    Deep breaths.
    It was an at-sea day as the ship made its way to the first port in Juneau, Alaska. Julie, the cruise director—just like on The Love Boat —had planned a full day of activities to keep the cruisers occupied and entertained. Sadie had offered to discuss the wedding with Breanna that morning, but Breanna said they would have plenty of time for that later if Sadie would rather enjoy the onboard activities. Sadie smiled; her daughter knew her too well.
    After breakfast, the three of them went to a program about the history of Alaska with an overview of the ports they’d be stopping at. She then dragged Pete and Breanna to another class highlighting the different amenities on the ship, and by the time they finished with that , it was lunchtime.
    Shawn wasn’t in his room when Sadie called to ask him to meet them at the Chinese restaurant for lunch, and she wondered if he was avoiding her. It hurt her heart to even think that, so she ordered wontons in the hopes that the deep-fried yumminess would distract her. Sadie had a good recipe of her own at home, but she didn’t make them very often. When she took the time and allowed the extra calories, however, she enjoyed every bite.
    After lunch, Sadie pulled out the onboard daily newspaper—it was more like a brochure, really—and started mapping out their afternoon activities, but after sharing a look, both Pete and Breanna admitted they had other things they wanted to do.
    Breanna wanted to check her e-mail, and Pete wanted to visit the on-ship casino. There was a blackjack tournament scheduled for later in the week, and he was thinking about signing up for one of the qualifying rounds. After hearing his plans, Breanna decided to go with him before she caught up on her e-mail. Sadie wasn’t a gambler, though her father had taught her to play twenty-one when she was young—with M&M’s instead of money—and while she didn’t like the idea of Breanna being in a casino, she did like the idea of Breanna spending time with Pete.
    Pete assured Sadie he’d see to it that Shawn joined them for dinner, and then they parted ways outside the restaurant.
    Sadie missed their company as soon as they were gone, but reminded herself they deserved to do what they wanted to do just as much as she did.
    She headed for the presentation about on-shore shopping, where she met some new friends. Mary Anne was celebrating her forty-fifth wedding anniversary with her husband, Glen, who preferred the casino to shopping—something Sadie could relate to a little too well at the moment. Jen was a young mother of three whose in-laws had treated the entire family to the cruise. She would likely have gone to a tractor pull if it meant she’d have some time alone. “Right now the grandparents think the kids are cute. I’m taking advantage of that for as long as it lasts. Chances are they’ll burn out by day three,” she confided to Sadie.
    After the shopping presentation, the three new friends attended a cooking class on how to make sushi—which convinced Sadie never to try to make it at home—and then enjoyed the afternoon movie, An Affair to Remember . Cary Grant was such a handsome man. Too bad he’d been a drug user. You never could tell by just looking at someone, could you?
    By the time Sadie made it to the Tiara Room on deck ten for dinner, Pete and Shawn were already there. She hugged them both before taking her seat. Sadie hated that they’d been on the ship for a full twenty-four hours and she’d barely seen her son, but he seemed to be in a good mood and she took that as a step in the right direction. Pete had already ordered the spinach salad for Sadie so she was able to dig right in. Sadly, the dressing was a tad too sweet.
    Sadie asked about the blackjack tournament, but Pete said he hadn’t