Page 44 of The Perils of Pretending
“Sadie?” Is she okay?
She keeps her arms around me, but pulls her face back to look at me. “Sorry. I really needed that.”
“It’s all good.”
“Are you hungry?”
My stomach answers for me by grumbling as loud as a blender trying to crush ice.
Sadie’s brows rise and her lips lift in a smile. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
I smile sheepishly. “I haven’t eaten much today.” I didn’t want to waste time with breakfast this morning so I ate the snacks Grandma packed for me, but they didn’t fill me.
Sadie drops her arms from around my waist. “Come on, let’s get you some lunch and I’ll introduce you to a few people. Like my great-aunts.”
I flick my gaze to Dorian. “And Dorian?” Even if Sadie and I aren’t really a couple, the dude needs to learn his place. Which isnotwith Sadie.
She leans her head to the right, indicating that the guy next to her is indeed the moron who doesn’t understand the word no. “Yep.”
I nod once.
Brody waves. “I’ll make room for you.”
“Thanks.”
Sadie takes my hand, dragging me to the buffet line. Fifteen silver serving chafers are on a table at the back of the room. I grab a plate and utensils rolled in a black fabric napkin.
“The fish and chicken are good. Get the potatoes, not the rice. The salad is good, but so are the roasted veggies. I haven’t had dessert yet so I can’t offer any suggestions there.”
I open every lid, checking what’s available. In the end, my plate looks exactly as Sadie recommended. We go back to the table. Brody makes room for me between Sadie and Dorian. Perfect.
I sit, turning to face Sadie, completely blocking Dorian’s ability to converse with us. He’s not welcome in our conversation.
“How was the drive down?” Brody asks.
I stab my fork into my pile of harvest salad. “Easy.”
Brody nods. “Good.”
“We’re going to pick berries this afternoon,” Sadie says. “Did you do that growing up?”
“You can’t live in Anchorage and not pick fruit and vegetables in the summer.” I swallow my bite of delicious flaky salmon. Utah’s seafood is absolute crap compared to fresh-caught Alaskan fish. “My fingers would be stained purple from picking berries as a kid.”
“Do you miss all the varieties of fruit?”
Brody points between him and Sadie. “Our dad used to talk about how much he loved the produce available here every summer. Especially something called fireweed jelly. Have you tried it?”
That’s like asking if they’d had fry sauce since they’re from Utah. “It’s a favorite for us locals. My grandma used to make a bunch of different kinds of jams and syrups every summer. In fact, I had my grandma’s blueberry syrup the other morning. It was delicious.”
Sadie licks her lips. “I wish I could find a way to ship some home. I’d love to make some pies or turnovers with them.”
Brody pats his stomach. “When you make us salmon, will you bring us some pie too?”
Sadie laughs. “Yes.”
If they can ship fish, there has to be a way to send berries. “Hey, how do I get in on this dinner?”
“Have a baby.” Brody chuckles.
