Pinky Promise (Riverbend Romance 2) by Valerie Comer

did.”
    She peered into one of the bags. Organic, whole-grain pancake mix. Of course he didn’t cook from scratch. What had she been thinking? It did look a step up from generic, though. “I’ll get out my electric frying pan and set it up here at the end of the counter. That way the girls can flip pancakes.” Kelly had cleaned everything off the counters to make room. She pointed to the other side of the sink. “That’s a good spot for mixing. There are bowls in the cupboard below. And, oh.” She opened the drawer under the stove and pulled out a cast iron skillet. “This is good for bacon. Anything else?”
    “Uh, no. I think I’m good.”
    The girls clasped hands. “Do you know how to flip pancakes?” Sophie whispered.
    “Yeah, don’t you?” Elena whispered back.
    Sophie shook her head.
    “Today’s a great day to learn,” announced Kelly. She opened the under-stair storage space off the hallway, the perfect place for bulky things like electric frying pans. She brought it back, set it on the counter, and plugged it in.
    Ian measured pancake mix into one of her stainless steel mixing bowls. The girls stood in the middle of the floor and watched the kitchen invasion.  
    Kelly shifted from one foot to the other. Shouldn’t someone start the bacon? She set the one remaining grocery bag in the sink. “Here, girls. I’ll get the plates down and you can set the table. By the time you’re done, it will be time to start cooking the pancakes. Okay?”
    They nodded. A few minutes later the table was set and the frying pan hot. Elena dragged a kitchen chair to the counter and pulled a flipper from the jar at the back. “I’m ready, Mr. Ian.”
    Sophie copied Elena with a second chair.
    Ian shot Kelly an indiscernible look before handing her the mixing bowl. “I was planning on doing everything.”
    “And spoil their fun?” she replied lightly. Had he always been this controlling and she only now realized it? Kelly got a third-cup measure out of a drawer and handed it to Sophie, being as Elena had the flipper. “Here’s what you do. You put four scoops in this pan, okay? One close to each corner. Be careful not to touch the pan. It’s hot.”
    Sophie pulled back a little and shook her head.
    “Do you want Elena to do this part?”
    The little girl nodded.
    Elena took the scoop and plopped batter off to one side. A few drops dribbled along the way. She frowned and reached for the flipper. “I wanted it in the corner.”
    “You can’t move it now, baby girl. Not until it’s brown on the bottom, remember?”
    “But I can’t fit four.”
    “Three is fine this time. Don’t worry.” Behind her, the bacon began to sizzle on the stove.
    Elena bit her lip and dropped another load of batter, then another.
    “That doesn’t look like pancakes.” Sophie peered from a safe distance.
    Kelly braced her foot on the chair and leaned closer, encasing Sophie. “They will. Give it a minute. Do you remember how to tell when they need to be turned over?”
    Elena frowned. “Bubbles?”
    “Right. Bubbles all over.” They waited a minute, while the aroma of cooking bacon wafted over the kitchen. She glanced at Ian, but his back was to her as he stood at the stove. “Smells good, Ian.”
    He glanced at her with a little grin, but it didn’t seem to reach his eyes. Was he really so perturbed she and the girls were helping? That didn’t seem right.
    “Can I turn them over now, Mommy? Look at the bubbles.”
    Kelly nodded. “You can do two of them. Then Sophie can do one if she wants. Remember the pan is hot.”
    Sophie shook her head and backed closer to Kelly. “You do it.”
    Elena’s face scrunched in concentration as she got the flipper under the first misshapen pancake. It landed partly on top of one of the others. “Oh, no.”
    “It’s okay. Flip the other one. Then we can scoot this guy over and turn his buddy.” Kelly became aware of Ian close behind her. She glanced up as he watched Elena, a