Page 16 of Sunsets at the Beach House

Willie sat back and drank a little more of her gin and tonic. “I have no doubt it’s going to be the best trip of my life. But it probably would help me to learn a little Spanish. I wonder if I should take some classes.”

Trina laughed. “Mimi, you’re about to marry a man who already speaks Spanish. Why don’t you just ask him to teach you?”

Roxie nodded. “I’m sure he would.”

Willie nodded. “You both make good points. It’s just one more reason for us to spend more time together, too. I’ll text him in the morning about it.”

“There are apps that can help you learn, you know,” Trina said. “I can help you download one on your phone if you want.”

Willie, warmed by the gin, shook her head. “Thank you but that’s too fiddly for me. Apps and all that nonsense. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.” She smiled. “Miguel is the only app I need.”

Claire stepped out of the shower and smelled coffee. When she and Kat had gotten back from their beach walk, Kat had promised to get it going while her mom showered and got ready for the day.

There was nothing as good as that first cup, but it was even better knowing that her exercise for the day was already done.

She dressed in her new floral Bermuda shorts and a cute T-shirt. Easy, comfortable clothes for the day ahead of her. Most of the day would be spent in the kitchen, but first she had to take a trip to Michael’s, a big arts and crafts store that had a good baking supply section. There she could get the pans she needed for the wedding cake. After that, she’d be off to Publix for a few groceries and some other important ingredients, both for the wedding cake and for another recipe she wanted to work on first.

She was glad they had one more day before the trip back to Landry. Once she got back, she’d have to focus on icing, layering, and decorating the wedding cake. But today, she wanted to try out an old recipe. One of her own, but old in the sense that it had been around a long time.

Sour orange pie.

She’d called around to a few bakeries in the area and no one made them. That surprised her, but then again, the sour orange pie had long ago been supplanted as the Floridian favorite by the now traditional key lime. She wasn’t sure why.

Key lime pies probably had a better public relations department.

Sour oranges had been brought to Florida by Spanish settlers in the 16th century, something she knew from her research. Those oranges, also known as Seville, were still used to make marmalade and marinades. One marinade in particular was popular with both the Cuban and Puerto Rican communities, the mojo marinade. That fact alone made her think that Danny might appreciate reviving such an old, and once very much beloved, recipe.

It was also the kind of dish that could help the bakery stand out. She hadn’t made it in a long time, however. She’d gotten the recipe from her mother, who had gotten the recipe from her mother. That’s how Claire had first experienced it, in her grandmother’s kitchen. She wondered when the last time was that her mother had made it.

She went out to the kitchen. No one else was out there yet. “Mom,” she called out. “Are you still here?”

Margo came out of the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel. “Shh. Your sister’s still sleeping.”

“Sorry,” Claire whispered.

Margo walked over to her. “That coffee smells wonderful. Is this about the storage unit?”

“No, but thanks for the reminder. Listen, I’m not sure we should get one yet. I’m going to try to bring as little back as possible.”

“All right, but I still need to rent one, so it’s not a problem either way.”

“Okay.” Claire got three cups down, knowing Kat would be out soon, too. “What I was going to ask was, when was the last time you made sour orange pie?”

Margo blinked. “I haven’t made that in years. It was your father’s favorite, you know.”

“Was it? I had no idea. Is that why you used to make it all the time?”

Margo nodded. “And the reason I stopped making it.”

“I’m thinking it might be a good choice for the bakery’s signature pie. I’m going to make a few today.” Claire filled two of the cups with coffee and handed one to her mom.

“You are?” Margo smiled as she added cream and a little sweetener to her cup. “That’s lovely. About making it the bakery’s signature, I mean. It’s such a good pie that’s basically been forgotten.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I’ll make three and you can take one to Conrad. If you think he’d like one.”

“I bet he’d love it. I know he likes key lime and, frankly, the sour orange is better, in my opinion. That’s very nice of you.”

“I’m happy to do it. I’m going to be baking all day anyway.” Claire fixed her coffee, then eagerly took a sip. It tasted even better than she’d anticipated.

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