to the contest.” Skye tilted her head. There was something her mom was keeping from her. “So you used my name. What does that have to do with me not answering my phone?”
“Because the woman who called to tell me I was a finalist said that they were notifying you next, and I was afraid you’d tell them you hadn’t entered and ruin everything.”
“I’m a finalist?” Skye took another sip of milk to stop herself from slapping her mother. “Why did she tell you about my entry finaling?”
“While we were chatting she mentioned that more than one entrant with the same last name made the finals. She asked if we were related, and I said yes. I told her that the Chicken Supreme was my daughter.”
“Well, they won’t let us both compete, so I’ll decline when they call.” Skye blew out a breath, thankful for her narrow escape.
“No! That’s just it. We can both be in the contest. There aren’t any rules against it.”
“But I don’t want to be in it.”
“Please. For me?” May’s happy expression melted away. “We’ll have a great time. We can spend some quality time together.”
“I talk to you every day and see you at least twice a week. That’s enough quality time for any thirtysomething daughter to spend with her mother.” Skye wasn’t falling for that old line. The only way May would ever feel she and Skye spent enough time together would be if Skye moved back home. Heck, knowing May, she wouldn’t be satisfied unless Skye crawled back into the womb.
“I’ve been entering this recipe contest for twenty-five years, and I’ve never made the finals before. I never expected more than one of my recipes to make it this far.” May dabbed at a tear with her paper napkin. “This might be my only chance to win. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”
“You still have your cake entry.” Skye was determined not to let her mother talk her into this. Several of her friends had told her she needed to grow a backbone where her mother was concerned. Of course, they never had to face theheaping helping of guilt May was so good at dishing out to get her own way.
Tears seeped down May’s cheeks. “But I want the casserole to have a chance, too. There are four categories: Snacks, Healthy, One-Dish Meals, and Special-Occasion Baking. The winner of each category gets five thousand dollars, and the overall winner gets fifteen thousand. Between us we could win twenty-five thousand dollars. I could finally take your dad on that cruise we’ve been talking about, and have enough left over to buy him a new used truck. His is running on wire hangers and duct tape.”
Skye opened her mouth to say no, but instead asked, “Where and when is this contest? There’s no way I can take a lot of time off from work.”
“It’s at the Grandma Sal’s plant, right here in Scumble River.” May smiled like a poker player laying down a royal flush. “It starts the first Friday in April and goes through Sunday. Isn’t that during your spring break?”
Once again Skye tried to say no, but she couldn’t come up with an excuse. Too bad she couldn’t claim to be going away for the school vacation, but her mother knew she was spending all her spare cash fixing up the old house she had inherited that past summer.
May was looking at Skye like a puppy asking to be chosen from the animal shelter. How could Skye turn her down? She loved her mother and wanted her to be happy. If that made Skye a weenie, then so be it. There was a difference between having a backbone and being nice to your mom. Heck, there was even a commandment about it.
“I get to keep the cash if I win, right?” Skye teased, knowing her chances of producing a winning dish were slim to none.
“We’ll split it,” May bargained. “Fifty-fifty—my recipe, your cooking talent.”
Skye rolled her eyes. In that case the split should be ninety-ten, in favor of her mother.
After finishing her cake and milk, Skye was on her way out the door when
“Because the woman who called to tell me I was a finalist said that they were notifying you next, and I was afraid you’d tell them you hadn’t entered and ruin everything.”
“I’m a finalist?” Skye took another sip of milk to stop herself from slapping her mother. “Why did she tell you about my entry finaling?”
“While we were chatting she mentioned that more than one entrant with the same last name made the finals. She asked if we were related, and I said yes. I told her that the Chicken Supreme was my daughter.”
“Well, they won’t let us both compete, so I’ll decline when they call.” Skye blew out a breath, thankful for her narrow escape.
“No! That’s just it. We can both be in the contest. There aren’t any rules against it.”
“But I don’t want to be in it.”
“Please. For me?” May’s happy expression melted away. “We’ll have a great time. We can spend some quality time together.”
“I talk to you every day and see you at least twice a week. That’s enough quality time for any thirtysomething daughter to spend with her mother.” Skye wasn’t falling for that old line. The only way May would ever feel she and Skye spent enough time together would be if Skye moved back home. Heck, knowing May, she wouldn’t be satisfied unless Skye crawled back into the womb.
“I’ve been entering this recipe contest for twenty-five years, and I’ve never made the finals before. I never expected more than one of my recipes to make it this far.” May dabbed at a tear with her paper napkin. “This might be my only chance to win. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”
“You still have your cake entry.” Skye was determined not to let her mother talk her into this. Several of her friends had told her she needed to grow a backbone where her mother was concerned. Of course, they never had to face theheaping helping of guilt May was so good at dishing out to get her own way.
Tears seeped down May’s cheeks. “But I want the casserole to have a chance, too. There are four categories: Snacks, Healthy, One-Dish Meals, and Special-Occasion Baking. The winner of each category gets five thousand dollars, and the overall winner gets fifteen thousand. Between us we could win twenty-five thousand dollars. I could finally take your dad on that cruise we’ve been talking about, and have enough left over to buy him a new used truck. His is running on wire hangers and duct tape.”
Skye opened her mouth to say no, but instead asked, “Where and when is this contest? There’s no way I can take a lot of time off from work.”
“It’s at the Grandma Sal’s plant, right here in Scumble River.” May smiled like a poker player laying down a royal flush. “It starts the first Friday in April and goes through Sunday. Isn’t that during your spring break?”
Once again Skye tried to say no, but she couldn’t come up with an excuse. Too bad she couldn’t claim to be going away for the school vacation, but her mother knew she was spending all her spare cash fixing up the old house she had inherited that past summer.
May was looking at Skye like a puppy asking to be chosen from the animal shelter. How could Skye turn her down? She loved her mother and wanted her to be happy. If that made Skye a weenie, then so be it. There was a difference between having a backbone and being nice to your mom. Heck, there was even a commandment about it.
“I get to keep the cash if I win, right?” Skye teased, knowing her chances of producing a winning dish were slim to none.
“We’ll split it,” May bargained. “Fifty-fifty—my recipe, your cooking talent.”
Skye rolled her eyes. In that case the split should be ninety-ten, in favor of her mother.
After finishing her cake and milk, Skye was on her way out the door when
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