Free Her Very Own Family by Trish Milburn Page A

been working so much, a little cake isn’t going to hurt your figure. Let’s just hope it’s edible. Brady made it.”
    Audrey eyed Brady with mischief glinting in her blue eyes. “Was there an Easy-Bake Oven in your past?”
    Nelson snorted, nearly choking on his cup of coffee.
    “Oh, sorry.” Audrey reached to aid his dad.
    Nelson waved her away. “No, no, I’m fine. I only wish Sophie was here.”
    “Dad,” Brady said in a warning voice.
    Audrey looked between the two of them. “What am I missing? I’m sensing a good story here.”
    “It’s nothing.”
    Nelson started laughing.
    “That doesn’t sound like nothing,” Audrey said. “Come on, spill.”
    “Just that Brady does have a bit of Easy-Bake experience. Seems I remember him helping Sophie make about a dozen little cakes for the family one Christmas.”
    “She was sick!” Brady rolled his eyes. “This is the story that won’t go away.” He directed his attention to Audrey. “Sophie got the oven for her birthday, and she was determined to make everyone in the family a little cake for Christmas. But she got sick.”
    “And you offered to help her?” She said it in that tone that said there was an “awwww” behind her words.
    “She asked me to, and I said I would only help if she swore not to tell anyone I’d been anywhere near that oven.”
    “Obviously, that didn’t work out.” Audrey pressed her lips together, like she was trying to keep from smiling.
    “No, the little blabbermouth told anyone who’d listen.”
    Audrey snickered. “That’s cute. Did you wear an apron?”
    Brady sat back in his chair. “Ha-ha, very funny.”
    Nelson slid thick slices of cake in front of Audrey and Brady. “There’s nothing wrong with a man knowing how to cook. I should have paid more attention the past forty years.”
    Audrey patted Nelson’s hand. “You did a great job with dinner. It’s much better than anything I could have pulled out of my cooler.” She pulled her hand back and sliced off a bite of cake with her fork. “I’m looking forward to having a refrigerator and stove again.”
    Brady pictured her standing in the kitchen he and his father were building. He figured it’d be full of light and flowers, maybe a touch of mischief, just like Audrey’s personality.
    “This is good, too,” she said after swallowing the first bite of cake. “I’d say the Easy-Bake lessons paid off.”
    “Okay, that’s it.” Brady balled up his napkin and pitched it at her.
    She squealed, then laughed as she picked up the napkin and hurled it back at him. “Maybe I should pay you in aprons and Betty Crocker cake mixes, eh?”
    He was searching for a suitable retort when the back door opened and in walked Craig.
    “Hey, why didn’t I get invited to the party?” He walked in and play-punched Nelson’s shoulder as he had countless times before.
    When his eyes lit on Audrey, appreciation and an I’m-so-available smile spread across his face. Brady’s jaw clenched.
    “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Craig Williams.”
    Audrey shook his hand and glanced at Brady. “Ah, Brady’s partner.” She put the slightest inflection on partner again, then actually had the audacity to wink at Brady. She was enjoying this way too much. This called for retribution, if only he could think of some way to get her back that didn’t involve trapping her against a wall and kissing her senseless.
    She returned her attention to Craig. “You don’t bake by any chance, do you?”
    Nelson barked out a laugh, which caused Audrey tolose her composure. Brady even had to smother a chuckle when he noticed Craig looking really confused.
    Brady survived another recounting of the Easy-Bake Christmas tale by threatening to spread the story of Craig’s blind date on his twenty-first birthday if he ever breathed a word to anyone.
    “Oh, I sense another embarrassing story. Do tell.” Audrey rubbed her palms together in anticipation.
    “No, sirree,” Craig said.