Page 40 of Clara Knows Best

“Hey, where’s Dad?”

“He and Jesse are out back.”

“It’s freezing out there. What are you doing, making pizza?”

“Ah, no, there’s a lasagna and some garlic bread in the oven. This is…more of a side project.”

Clara eyed the cheese thoughtfully.

“I just wanted to get these blocks shredded and into smaller bags. You know, for freezing.”

“Oh, my gosh, you are so bored! This is rock bottom, isn’t it?”

Her mother smiled ruefully. “I hope so.”

“What would you say to a little birthday trip this weekend? Mini vacay?”

Dr. Wilder looked surprised. “But the boys will be here.”

“We’ll take them with us, silly.”

“What about Jesse?”

The back door opened and the two men came in together on a stiff gust of wind, their arms laden with firewood. “Jesse? The whole thing was practically his idea.”

Jesse gave her a dark look but didn’t bother arguing. He followed the Colonel to the hearth and began to stack the logs in neat rows, one at a time.

“We’re going to the Del Amo cabin,” Clara explained, watching him. “It’s supposed to snow six inches Saturday night.”

Her mother’s body language underwent a sea change, her shoulders squared and her face seemed to light up. “Really? Oh, I would love that.”

“It’s settled, then. We’re having lunch at Aunt Liesl’s on Friday, and we can drive up to the mountains after.”

“That sounds great. Will the boys be here in time?”

“They said they would be.”

“And you and Jesse? Taking a half-day?”

“I didn’t schedule any appointments on that day. If Jesse okays it, we’re not opening at all.”

“Okay,” Jesse said briefly.

Dr. Wilder sighed in contentment. “Good.”

“Your birthday’ll have pretty good attendance this year,” the Colonel observed, entering the kitchen just as the timer began to beep. He shut it off and opened the oven.

“Best in a long time,” his wife answered, and everyone looked surreptitiously at the prodigal.

Jesse was washing his hands at the sink; Clara waited until he finished and then pointed to the hand lotion dispenser beside the soft soap.

He gave her much the same look he had given her a minute ago about the cabin, but he got some lotion.

“Gotta take care of those surgeon hands,” she reminded him.

“Thanks for not calling them money-makers,” he grumbled.

She laughed. “By the way, did you ever call Hart?”

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