Kernel of Truth Read Online Free PDF Page B

but not bad, and almost interchangeable except for that whole pregnancy thing.
    I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and asked, “When’s dinner?”
    Haley glanced at her watch. “About seven. I’m going to feed my little superhero there first and see if I can get him to fall asleep while the grown-ups eat.”
    â€œI don’t mind eating with Evan; you know that.” Three-year-olds were not the world’s best dining companions, and Evanwas no exception. I also happened to know that he hated peas, so there was likely to be a Battle Royale if he was eating what we were eating tonight. Still, he was cute as a bug and while I liked the Friday-night dinner tradition my sister had started when I moved back to town, it would be more than okay with me if it wasn’t formal.
    â€œI know you don’t mind, but Dan called a few minutes ago and said he was bringing Garrett. I don’t think Garrett’s recovered from the green bean episode yet.” Haley giggled.
    Evan hated green beans more than peas and the last time Garrett was over, Evan had tried so hard to spit out the somewhat mushy green bean my sister insisted he try that he managed somehow to suck it up and blow it out through his nose. I think we would all always remember it, but Garrett had turned greener than the bean in question and had to go lie down.
    â€œHe’s not really used to kids,” I observed. Garrett was Dan’s best friend from college. He’d moved to Grand Lake a few months before I had. He’d gotten tired of big-city life and wanted a change, according to him. Dan had talked about Grand Lake as if it were Nirvana on Lake Erie when they were both at school. Garrett didn’t really have any family of his own, which left him free to live wherever he chose, but also left him without nieces or nephews to spew spit-up down his back or blow snot onto his shirt or any of the other things that Evan had done to toughen me up.
    Haley snorted. “Neither are you, but you handled it. I think you handled it better than Dan.”
    â€œWell, I didn’t think a phone call to the urgent care nurse was necessary, although it did put all our minds to rest. Besides, Evan’s my nephew. I’m programmed to think all his bodily fluids are cute.”
    â€œHold on to that thought.” She handed me the bowl ofpeas and stood up using the banister of the porch to lever herself up. “You can give him a bath.”
    I glanced at my watch. “I’d love to, but I need to run to the store first. Can I do it after that?”
    â€œWhy do you need to go to the store?” she asked a little more sharply than seemed necessary.
    â€œI’m out of half-and-half for my coffee in the morning.” There was a possibility that we were living too close to each other if Haley had to know why I was going to the store.
    Haley rubbed her lower back. “We have half-and-half. Take ours.”
    â€œThen what will you and Dan put in your coffee?” Something was not right here.
    â€œMilk. Or nothing. I don’t need the extra calories anyway. I’m huge as it is,” Haley said.
    Something strange was definitely going on. “You’re pregnant, not fat, and I don’t want your used half-and-half. I want my own.”
    She pressed her lips together. “Fine. I’ll ask Dan to pick some up for you on the way home.”
    I leaned back on my hands and looked up at her. “Lee, how come you don’t want me to go to the store?”
    She sighed and leaned against the post. “They have a new display up.”
    It took me a second to get what she meant. “Antoine’s new line launched today, didn’t it?” No wonder he had texted me so many times. He was trying to find out if I’d seen it without actually asking me.
    She nodded. “There’s a life-size Antoine cardboard cutout at the end of the pasta aisle. In fact, it might be more than life-size.