“I think it’s a great idea,” Noah said as he splashed milk into the bowl of pancake batter and stirred. “You’ve been talking about taking Asher for years. Besides, it would be good for you. You haven’t been back since before he was born.”
Laney stroked Lucky’s long fur and sighed. “I’d like to go,” she mused softly, “but with the wedding just around the corner, it would be crazy. We haven’t even started painting the house or picked out a new oven.” She looked up at her husband. “And if I go to Georgia, none of that will get done.”
“Yes, it will,” Noah countered. “The boys and I will take care of everything. You won’t even recognize this place when you get home,” he added.
Laney eyed him skeptically and laughed. “You don’t really expect me to believe that,” she said, knowing her husband’s lack of success at finishing projects.
“I know I don’t have a good track record,” Noah began slowly. Laney raised her eyebrows, waiting to hear how he would finish this admission. “But with the wedding coming, I know we’ll get it done. Besides, if you go, you can bring home a whole crate of fresh peaches for the cobbler.”
Laney sighed, considering his words and feeling her heartstrings tugging south. “Okay,” she said finally, “I’ll go.”
Noah beamed. “Great!” Then he paused. “We better go look at ovens today.”
Just then Asher appeared at the bottom of the stairs with Halle behind him. “We’re getting a new oven?” he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
“We are,” Laney said, pulling him onto her lap as he walked by.
He snuggled against her and gently patted Lucky’s back too. “Is breakfast ready?” he asked, looking up.
“It is,” Noah answered, “and your mom has some news for you.”
Asher pushed his glasses up on his nose, his eyes wide. “She does?”
“Yup.”
Laney frowned. Although she’d said she’d go, it would’ve been nice to have a little wiggle room in case she changed her mind—and once Asher knew, there’d be no backing out.
Her young son peered at her expectantly, and Noah looked up from pouring pancake batter on the griddle and eyed her questioningly. “Well?”
“What?” Asher asked in an excited voice.
“You could’ve waited,” Laney admonished.
“Why?” he asked, crinkling his brow. “You just said yes . . . and it will give him something to look forward to.”
Laney sighed and shook her head.
“Tell me, Mom,” Asher begged.
“Well, your dad thinks we should take a trip . . . to the farm.”
“Are we going to?” Asher asked, hopping off her lap.
“Do you want to?”
“Yes!”
“It’s a really long ride,” she warned.
“I don’t care.”
“It’s just going to be me and you.”
“Woo-hoo!” he shouted, jumping up and down. “Wait,” he said, stopping in mid-jump. “Can Halle come?”
“Oh, I don’t know, hon, it’s so far.”
“She loves car rides,” Asher said hopefully.
“She might be better off at home, Ash,” Noah said, turning the pancakes.
“Please . . . it would be fun,” Asher pressed.
“We’ll see,” Laney conceded. “But if she stays home, does that mean you want to stay home too?”
“No,” he said softly, kneeling down next to Halle. “I’d just miss her.”
Laney sighed.
“Okay, who’s ready for pancakes?” Noah asked, slipping his spatula under the golden orbs and flipping them onto a plate.
“Me,” Asher said, raising his hand and sliding into a chair.
“I’ll get the boys,” Laney said, pouring a cup of coffee and heading for the stairs.
“Gabe and E are out running,” Noah called and she nodded.
After the breakfast dishes were stacked into the dishwasher and the dogs had been fed and treated to small pancakes drizzled with syrup, Laney packed lunches for Gabe and E and headed up to take a quick shower. Meanwhile, Asher settled onto the couch to watch cartoons with Halle curled up next to him while Seth and Ben vied for use of the family computer.
“Dad,” Seth whined. “Can Ben use your laptop?”
“Not right now, pal. I need to start my sermon.”
“I need my own computer,” Seth complained bitterly.
“Get a job and you can buy your own computer,” Ben said matter-of-factly.
“How ’bout you get a job,” Seth retorted angrily. “You’re sixteen.”
“I have a job—mowing lawns. Remember?”
“Then you should buy your own computer.”
“I can’t. I’m saving for an iPhone.”
“Well, I need the computer too.”
“For what? So you can play that stupid game?”
“It’s not stupid!” Seth shouted, trying to push his brother out of his chair.
“Hey,” Noah said, looking up. “That’s enough. Do we need to set the timer like we did when you were little?”
“No,” Seth growled, stomping from the room. “But I get the computer in fifteen minutes!”
Laney came down the stairs, towel drying her hair. “What is the problem down here?”
“Seth’s a baby. That’s the problem,” Ben said.
“I’m not a baby!” shouted an angry voice from the next room.
Laney raised her eyebrows and looked at her husband. “Can one of them use your laptop?”
Noah stared at her. “I have to start my sermon, dear . . . unless you want me to ad-lib.”
“You’re good at that. Besides, I thought we were going to look at ovens.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“It’s Saturday. Traffic will be a nightmare.”
“I know what day it is,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm, “but if you want me to go on this trip, we need to find an oven.”
“What trip?” Ben said, looking up from his Facebook page.
“Mom’s going to Georgia,” Noah said, “and, no, you’re not going.”
“Can I go?” a pained voice called from the next room.
“If I can’t go, you can’t go,” Ben called back before his parents could answer. “No one wants to travel with a baby.”
“I’M NOT A BABY!”
Just then, Gabe and E came down the stairs. “Holy cow! You two are the biggest whiners,” E said, reaching for his cooler.
Gabe laughed. “We were never this bad,” he said, kissing his mom’s cheek. “Bye.”
“Thanks for lunch,” E added, kissing her other cheek and heading for the door.
Laney rolled her eyes. “No, you were worse.”
As the door swung closed behind them, Noah shook his head. “I don’t think we can leave these two alone. They might end up killing each other.”
“Not if you let one of them use your laptop.”
“Seth,” he called to the next room. “Do you want to use my laptop?”
“No,” a sulky voice mumbled.
Noah frowned. “Why not?”
And when he didn’t answer, Ben answered for him. “Because his game’s not on it.”
“Well, then . . . you use it,” Noah said.
“Fine,” Ben said, purposely shutting down the computer and shoving the chair back so that it toppled over.
“Why did you shut the computer down?” Noah asked, his voice rising.
“Because,” Ben answered insolently.
“Well, then, on second thought,” Noah said, trying to control his voice. “You can forget about using my laptop. In fact, you’re off the computer for the rest of the weekend.”
Ben shrugged defiantly. “Fine,” he said, pretending not to care and turning to the stairs.
“Honestly, Ben,” Laney said. “What is the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” he mumbled, looking crestfallen.
“Is it the trip?”
“No,” he answered, looking away.
“Asher’s never been to the farm,” she explained.
“Asher’s going?” he asked in surprise.
“How come he gets to go?” a sullen voice called from the next room.
“Because he’s never been,” Noah said in an exasperated voice. “And there’s no way your mother is going to put up with you two on a long car ride.” He turned to Laney. “If you want to look at ovens, we need to go. I have work to do.”
“Does anyone want to go with us?”
“Nooo,” answered a chorus of voices.