311 Pelican Court - Debbie Macomber [68]
Zach liked this young Navy wife. Another good thing—she was married and from every indication the marriage was healthy. Although he’d never admit it, he didn’t want to work in close proximity to a single woman again. He hadn’t seen Janice for what she was until the damage was done.
“Can you start Monday morning?” he asked, making his decision. He was tired of doing interviews, and no other applicant had shown as much desire for the job as Cecilia Randall.
Her eyes grew huge. “You mean I’ve got the job?”
Zach smiled. “It’s all yours.” He told her the salary and her eyes grew even bigger. He was afraid it wasn’t enough when she blurted out, “How much?” Embarrassed, she laughed and covered her mouth. “This is just great! You won’t be sorry, Mr. Cox. I’ll work hard and do my very best.” “I know you will, Ms. Randall.”
After he left the office that evening, Zach stopped at the local grocery and picked up a whole cooked chicken. It had never been one of his favorite dinners, but it was quick and easy and he didn’t feel like fussing with meal preparation.
Eddie’s face fell when he saw it. “I wanted spaghetti,” he complained.
“Chicken again?” Allison said. “Mom brought home a chicken two nights ago. Doesn’t anyone in this family know how to cook?”
“Yes,” Zach said, losing his patience. “You do.”
“Me?” Allison snarled back at him. “What makes you think I can cook?”
“Didn’t you take home economics this trimester?”
“Yes, but we’re not—”
“You get home first in the afternoon—you can put on dinner for Eddie and me.”
“You want me to cook just because I’m a girl, don’t you?” Her eyes filled with fiery indignation.
Zach wasn’t about to get caught in the “My Dad is a Chauvinist” trap. “If Eddie was home from school before you, I’d put him in change of dinner, but as it happens, you’re the first one to walk in the door. Congratulations, you’re elected. Your brother and I will wash the dishes.”
“I’d rather cook,” Eddie piped up.
“I’m afraid you’re out of luck, sport. Allison’s going to come up with a dinner plan for us.”
“A dinner plan?” She looked aghast. “What’s that?”
He wondered if she’d been sleeping through her classes. “Make a list of what we’re going to eat for the next seven days and then compile a grocery list from that.”
“Oh.”
“You can cook spaghetti every night if you want to, Allison,” Eddie said enthusiastically.
“Here, write.” Zach set a notebook on the table in front of her.
“Can we have tacos one night?” Eddie begged. “Please, please?”
“I guess.” Allison reluctantly wrote tacos at the top of her list.
“What do we need for tacos?” Zach asked.
“Meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and taco shells,” she said.
“Great,” Zach said, pointing at her. “Write all that down on a separate shopping list.”
“We have cheese,” Eddie told him. “Mom bought it for macaroni and cheese on Monday night.”
“Fine, but we need taco shells, tomatoes and lettuce.” Allison dutifully listed the ingredients. They continued, with Eddie making dinner suggestions and Allison creating the list. Actually it was fun, and by the time they’d finished, the table was set and they were ready for dinner.
Eddie held a chicken leg with both hands. “Are you really going to cook for us, Allison?” he asked his sister.
Allison shrugged. “Only because Dad’s making me.”
In an effort to bring family discussions back to the dinner table, Zach asked his two children about their days.
In typical Allison fashion, she rolled her eyes. “All right, I guess.”
“I had a great day,” Eddie said, describing in detail every aspect of his fifth-grade life.
“What about you?” Allison asked when Eddie had finished.
“Me?” Zach replied, and then realized he didn’t have anything to hide. “I hired a new assistant this afternoon.”
“Is she pretty?” Eddie asked.
Before he could answer, the phone rang, and like a comicstrip hero in a mask and cape, Allison dove for the phone. Her enthusiasm died when she discovered it was her mother.
Although Zach could only hear one side of the conversation,