Taste: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens Page A

figure out. Makenna thought it had something to do with when she was very little and their father would carry her around on his back and say he was a donkey.
    “Good morning, gorgeous. Why are we whispering?” Logan touched the top of her little head.
    “Because Momma gave me the look.”
    They both looked at Kenna who was now searching her bag for something.
    “It’s the look Momma gets when she’s tired in the morning and needs a drink.” Paige was still whispering, but the whole table, even Makenna, erupted in laughter as Logan tickled her.
    “Sweetie, you should probably add that Momma needs a drink of Coke when you tell people that. Otherwise, I sound like a lush.”
    Paige nodded as if she knew exactly what her mother was saying and then rested both arms on the table. Garrett recognized his cue and rested his arms on the table in the same way on the opposite side of the table.
    “One, two, three, go,” Paige counted out on her tiny pink-tipped fingers and then locked eyes with her Uncle Garrett. The staring contest had begun. Garrett came out strong, puffing his cheeks up and trying to get Paige to break, but she was not budging. How she managed to stare for so long without blinking, Logan would never understand. It almost seemed painful. As had happened dozens of times before, Garrett sneezed, Paige declared herself the winner, and Garrett pretended to argue with her until she climbed under the table and into his lap.
    “How’d you get so good at that?” he asked her, kissing her button nose.
    “My handsome and . . . what was the other word again?”
    “Virile.”
    “Right, my incredibly handsome, virile, and favoritest uncle taught me,” Paige announced and again the table, including Libby who had come over to bring Kenna a Coke, laughed. Paige giggled and disappeared under the table.
    “Gentlemen.” Kenna nodded with some flair as Paige appeared at her side and climbed into her arms.
    “Ladies,” they all replied together, raising their coffee cups and smiling at their baby sister and her daughter. It was a greeting that went back to when Kenna was little and used to come to the breakfast table in her nightgown, Bear in the Big Blue House slippers, and morning hair.
    “Bless you, Libby.” Kenna took the first sip of her morning Coke.
    “You’re welcome, honey.” Libby put her hand on Paige’s shoulder. “Miss Paige, we are shorthanded behind the counter this mornin’. Would you mind helping me out while Momma has her meeting?”
    Paige jumped down from Kenna’s arms and put her hands on her hips.
    “Sorry guys, Libby needs me. Carry on.” Without even a backward glance, she took the order book Libby handed her.
    Makenna mouthed, “Thank you!” to Libby, and Paige walked away.
    Kenna didn’t miss a beat. Knowing Paige was in good hands, she handed each of them a stapled packet of papers and slid in next to Garrett. Logan got two packets. Somehow he didn’t think that meant he was lucky. Just looking at it made him tired. He’d never been a numbers guy and definitely not at six in the morning.
    “Okay, if you look at the second page, you’ll see that the farm did well this month and that’s before we add in the Fall Festival revenue for next month. Our first weekend of the pumpkin patch was a huge success and brought us back in the black, even with the tractor and blade maintenance expense from September.”
    She glanced up and all three of them were staring into their papers in a sort of trance. They said nothing.
    “Well?”
    “So, we’re making money?” their father asked.
    Before Makenna had a chance to answer, Libby’s oldest daughter came over to refill their coffee and take their order. Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, and chocolate-chip pancakes with whipped cream for Kenna. Logan was surprised the poor girl even wrote their order down the way she was ogling Garrett.
    “How can you eat that crap?” Garrett asked Kenna.
    “What? I’m only adding some chips to mine.