BooksBarbecue
Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

He leans back in his chair, getting defensive. “I shouldn’t have brought that up. Why ruin a perfectly good coffee with bad memories?”

He lifts the cup to his mouth, taking a long sip to silence the subject.

“Sorry I asked...”

“No, it’s fine. I just think it’s pointless to talk about all that. I’m back, aren’t I? So...”

He takes another sip.

I hate to think how lost he must have felt when his grandfather kicked him out, all because he wants to go to culinary school. I could have lost him for good then, had he never come back. I worry that if we don’t win the contest, and Salt and Sugar close, I could still lose him.

When we’re done with our coffee date (of sorts), Pedro gives me a ride home and drops me off by the drugstore. He’s about to ride away when I put a hand on his arm to stop him.

I quickly pull the St. Anthony’s Day card I made for him out of my backpack—hearts and all—and press it into his hand. “Don’t read it now,” I say quickly at the first sign of a surprised smile on his face, my voice shaking with nerves. “Just listen to what I have to say.”

Pedro looks amused, trying to keep his smile contained. “I’m all ears.”

I take a deep breath to steady my heart rate. “I’ve been meaning to say... It feels like history repeating itself a bit, you know? How we’re making a cake together. And, well, I don’t want things to end badly like they did for our great-grandmothers.” He watches me with the cutest smile while I struggle to find the right words. But I don’t want to give away too much of all the feelings I don’t understand myself. “I—I don’t want to fight with you anymore. When the contest is over, you know? I don’t want to go back to how things were.”

He looks relieved. “Neither do I.”

We stare at each other for a while, soaking in our promise. I can’t believe this is happening, but if it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up.

I know it’s not just up to us, though. And I guess Pedro is worrying about the same thing, because his eyes flicker to Salt and Sugar down the street.

“When are we telling them?” he says.

“One day, hopefully.”

Pedro nods. “Deal.”