Chapter 5
“S is, you’re way too distracted to be in the kitchen.” Seya switched off the mixer and cleaned the sides of the bowl with a spatula, still chiding Gina. “I asked you to pass me the flour, and you handed me the bread crumbs.”
“Give me a break.” Gina leaned against the island and spun the quart of white rum in circles on the marbled granite surface. Her attention shifted to the pine cabinets before she said, “I have issues. You know that.”
“Did you get more orders?” Seya frowned, narrowing her almond-shaped eyes, which always reminded Gina of their mother’s. At the same time, people often remarked how much Gina and Seya resembled each other.
Nodding, Gina said, “Actually, I got two more today, and another company wants me to cater for their Christmas party. Don’t ask me why they left it so late.”
“You didn’t have to say yes.” Seya’s curls bounced under the hairnet as she shook her head. “What about those boundaries you keep telling me to enforce?”
“They’re long-time clients. I didn’t have the heart to say no.”
“Sounds like when Christmas comes, you’ll be barely conscious to celebrate.” Seya started the mixer again and for a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Still fiddling with the bottle, Gina shrugged. “No matter how I feel, I have to make Christmas special for Luca.”
“Agreed.” Seya’s nod was vigorous. “Speaking of which, I still need to get his presents.”
Gina uncorked the white vanilla, only to have Seya block her from pouring it out. “You put that in already.”
With her brows arched, Gina set the bottle aside. “Really?”
“Yes. Really. It’s a good thing I made it over here today. Otherwise, you’d probably have to throw out whatever witch’s brew you mixed up in the name of fruitcake.”
“Har har. We were talking about your shopping.”
“Right.” Seya drew out the word and started the mixer. “I know what you’re doing, but anyhow ...”
Gina didn’t want to be reminded about her forgetfulness, so she continued where she’d left off. “Knowing how the run-up to Christmas Day will be with the madness on the roads, I got my shopping out of the way.”
“Wish I had done mine already.”
Gina gave Seya a side-eye. “Please. You say that every year.”
“I know.” Seya groaned and unleashed a dramatic sigh. “With everything you have to do, I don’t understand how you’re more organized than me.”
“With a six-year-old in my life, I have to be.”
“If you’re coping, why are you so out-of-sorts today?”
Sighing, Gina let her head fall back as she explained, “I still don’t have anyone to keep Luca, come Monday, and I’m working a function in the middle of the day. I’ll have to set up early and can’t have him running around their conference room getting in the way.”
“What about Wintertime?” Seya assumed an I-mean-business expression and folded her arms. “Did you even check them out?”
“I did, but it doesn’t suit me.”
“Why?”
Gina stopped the mixer and pointed to the wine, which Seya dribbled into the mixture.
“Everything was fine until I paid the fee, and then a dog walked into the front office.”
“Had to be someone’s pet, right?” Seya set the decanter down without taking her eyes off Gina.
“Well, he wore a collar, but still ...”
“Some people take their pets everywhere.” Seya shot her an incredulous look, and turned the mixer back on. “Don’t tell me you took your money back because of a dog?”
“If I’m spending my money , I want to know Luca won’t be at risk of being bitten.”
Seya’s hearty laughter threw Gina, and she cocked one eyebrow. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”
“I guarantee you that pooch wasn’t any old stray dog.”
“How would you know?”
After scraping the sides of the mixing bowl and pouring more flour into the mixture, Seya continued, “First, Wintertime has an excellent reputation. I went online and checked it out. They have great testimonials.”
“But that could be from ...”
Seya held up one hand and stepped away from the counter. Her gaze went to the window, where the breeze lifted the sheer curtains. “Second, no well-thinking business owner would have a stray roaming their property, and third, Sis, did you even ask why the dog was there?”
“I didn’t, but he had no business in the foyer. The worst part what that Luca was petting him. Ugh. And then, he had the nerve to poke Luca with one paw like he was asking him to continue scratching the back of his neck.”
Seya’s tinkle of laugher irritated Gina for no reason she could fathom. She pointed to the mixer to remind Seya to put in more wine and the last batch of flour. Her giggling continued and Gina eventually joined her, admitting that the image of the dog demanding to be petted was funny.
They worked together, adding a combination of currants, raisins, prunes, cherries, mixed peel, and chopped almonds, then stirring in wine. After they filled the lined pans with the dark batter and eased them into the oven, they stood at the sink washing bowls and utensils. Seya poked her in the side. “Please go back over there and re-register my nephew at that daycare.” She waited a few seconds before adding, “You don’t have a choice.”
“I’m sure I’ll be able to find another place.”
“That’s the best one I know, so the least you can do is try them again. We can find out why the dog was there when we go.”
“Wait, when did you get involved in this?”
“Never mind that. As soon as we take this batch out of the oven, we’ll visit them.”
Gina didn’t offer any resistance. She’d go to Wintertime and prove her point, plus satisfy Seya, who had the focus of a bloodhound when something mattered to her, and Luca was at the top of that care-and-concern list. He came a few steps ahead of their parents, Julian, and their other relatives who lived abroad. From the moment he was born, Luca stole Seya’s heart, and she was fiercely protective of him.
“Fine. We’ll go. Now give it a rest.”
After drying her hands, Seya pulled Gina into a side hug. “See how simple life can be when you’re not so stubborn?” She walked out of the kitchen and her voice floated to Gina. “It’s Christmas. If you weren’t so old, I’d tell you Santa will fix everything, but we’re halfway down the road to old age.”
Gina cracked a smile, then chuckled as her sexy Santa came to mind, but her humor faded when she remembered him trying to make excuses for the dog. Of course, she refused to listen to any of them.
Seconds later, Seya re-appeared in the doorway with a bottle of chocolate rum cream.
“Isn’t it too early in the day for that?”
Tipping it this way and that, Seya chuckled. “It’s Saturday. It’s also midday, and Luca is with the grandparents. I vote we reward ourselves with a teeny-tiny drink for the hard work we did this morning.”
“Since you insist on making this trip and I’m driving, I can’t have any of it ... but enjoy.”
“You know I will.” Seya searched the cupboards, got ice from the fridge, and poured herself a drink.
Gina moved to her bedroom to pick out something to wear and, after rejecting several pieces of clothing, she settled on a shirt and a pair of jeans. She hit the shower and then sat on the queen bed, oiling her skin, when Seya breezed in and sank on the loveseat in the corner. “I meant to ask you, what’s this I hear about Santa being on duty at Wintertime?”
“Where did you hear that?” Gina crossed to the dresser and replaced the moisturizer while looking at Seya in the mirror. Between Luca and her mother, they kept Gina updated on things that did and did not concern her.
“My brilliant little nephew told me. He said this guy wears identical glasses and has a beard.”
“That doesn’t make him the same person.”
Seya sipped from the glass and stared at Gina over the rim. “It doesn’t?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.” Seya lowered the glass and shook it, making the ice tinkle. “But I have a theory.”
Avoiding her sister’s gaze, Gina spritzed her skin with body mist. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
“I think you have something against Daycare Santa because of Champ.”
“You know the dog’s name?” Gina shook her head. “Is there anything Luca didn’t tell you? Or maybe I should ask if there’s anything he doesn’t share with you.”
Laughing, Seya tipped the glass toward Gina. “Only the part where you demanded your money back, but there’s a reason you didn’t tell Luca he’s not going to Wintertime on Monday.”
Returning to the bed, Gina scoffed. “You’re entitled to your opinion, of course.”
Seya rose from the seat and aimed for the doorway. “I think you changed your mind because you’re afraid of more than just the dog.”