As Long As I Have You

~ Chapter Forty Three ~

"I thought you said you couldn't cook?" Kirsten said in her husband's direction as John sipped on his mimosa and Cynthia helped herself to the last piece of French toast.

"I said I prefer to make reservations," Evan clarified. "I have a friend who's also a Michelin-star chef — do you honestly think I wouldn't avail myself to learning a few tricks from him?"

Kirsten made a sour face in retaliation and threw her napkin directly at his head. He didn't duck, but instead took the hit squarely and allowed the white cloth to fall into his lap. He picked up the linen square, non-plussed at how it messed his hair, and held it up questioningly.

"Would you like me to show you how to fold this into a lotus?"

She glared for a second more, then burst into laughter, and the others followed suit. "Keep it up and I'll show you what you can do with that napkin," she retorted.

Her words caught John mid-sip and he coughed on his drink. Cynthia eyed him over another bite of French toast. Once she was sure he would recover she smiled in her own right and waved her fork at Kirsten.

"I knew I liked your wife."

Evan's smile crooked to one side. "So do I, just don't tell her I said so. She'll never let me live it down."

He gave the woman in question a quick wink as he folded and set aside her fabricated missile.

"I hate to eat and run, but since I did all the cooking I figured you ladies wouldn't mind clearing the table while I borrowed John and we wrapped up some business."

Cynthia turned an unhappy expression directly towards her brother-in-law. "Evan Beaumont, you kidnapped my husband for an entire week and you're going to talk more business on a Sunday? You're going to be making me eggs Benny for a month."

Evan's grin broadened. Taunting one another was clearly a pastime for the two.

"I promise we'll only be a few minutes. Unless you want me talking business over the lava cake I put in the oven just for you?"

"Hmph. You have until the next pot of coffee is made and that cake comes out of the oven."

The two men traded a humorous sideways look, then excused themselves and rose from the table before heading towards the hallway. Evan leaned forward and mumbled something about wives and whip-masters that caused both men to erupt in a hail of laughter, and they disappeared behind closed doors before either woman could inquire as to what was so funny.

Kirsten cleared off the table while Cynthia worked in tandem with her, and they loaded the dishwasher and cleaned off the countertop in short order. It only took a few minutes to set the kitchen back to normal and Kirsten urged Cynthia to get off her feet while she kept an eye on dessert and prepped another round of coffee.

"It's a good thing Evan is such a clean cook, otherwise I'd have his hide for putting us on kitchen duty," Cynthia remarked with a grin, and readily accepted Kirsten's offer of tea in place of coffee. She massaged her expanded mid-section and watched the woman twist a sachet of tea around a large mug, then fill it with hot water and carefully walk it over to her. She thanked her for the hot drink and began the small task of steeping the satchel, all the while watching her new sister-in-law with a keen eye.

"It's a bit of a shock to see 'Evan the Terrible' whipping up a batch of brioche French toast and dusting plates with icing sugar, isn't it?"

Kirsten smiled. "Shock isn't the word. You're talking to a woman who collects take-out menus, not cookbooks."

"Then dinner's at our house next time," she offered, and took a small sip of her drink before setting it aside to cool for another moment. "Hopefully with you around Evan will actually accept the invite instead of staying in hiding."