Page 191 of The Seven Rings
Still marveling they’d actually grown them, she plucked two fat red tomatoes, snipped basil. Sniffing both, she took them inside.
She put the basil in water. “Next?”
“You’re relieved of duty.”
“If you’re sure, I’m going down to start poking in the basement.”
Carefully pouring batter into the pan, Cleo paused and looked up. “Really?”
“I said I was in a good place, workwise. I’m going to take an hour or so to get started down there.”
“Let me put the cake in, and I’ll go down with you.”
“Cleo, you’ve got bread, sauce, cake. Your current mode is kitchen goddess. And I’ll be fine.”
To prove it, Sonya squared her shoulders.
“She’s got one room. I’m not giving her any more. Plus, she’s up there sulking or brooding or whatever she does. And I have my phone.”
“Clover’s going with you. Right, Clover?”
She instantly answered with Bruno Mars and “Count on Me.”
“See? Not alone. I’m taking a sketch pad.” Sonya pulled open a drawer for one, took a pencil. “I’m going to take a good look at the area where we want that game room. Sketch out a basic layout.”
To placate a little more, Sonya went to the back door. Yoda romped across the yard and into the house, and Pye followed at her leisure.
“I’ll take them with me, too.”
“All right. When the bread’s done, I’m coming down to check. I might have some ideas about the game room.”
“Fair enough.”
When the oven timer dinged, Sonya walked over. “Take them out, right?”
“And set the temp to 450.”
She set the baking sheet on the counter, set the oven.
“I have to peek.” Then lifted the cloth. “They puffed up!”
Now Cleo had to look. “They really did! Before I put them in to bake, I score them three times diagonally across the top. I don’t know why.”
“They look fat and fantastic. I’m loving this celebration dinner. Just text if you need any more help.”
“Everything is under control. I’ll be there in about a half hour.”
She waited until Sonya had walked out. “You tell me, Clover, if I need to go before that.”
Sonya checked herself at the door before going down.
Not afraid, she decided. Really just not afraid.
Downstairs, she made herself go into the gym, walk around. She wouldn’t give up the room, wouldn’t let Dobbs ruin it for her.
Studying the line of exercise bands, she stepped closer, reached out.
Pulled back.
