it?” When Kenji nodded, smiling, she turned to her mother. “Mom, could I? Please?”
Faith looked from Amber to Kenji, her forehead furrowed. “That’s a huge honor, Amber, Kenji asking you to help, but I don’t know. It’s a big commitment. School’s starting soon. You’ll have homework.”
“I can do it! I know I can! Please, mom!”
Kenji turned to Faith. “Amber would be a perfect partner. She already has a lot of background from the farm. She’s an adventurous eater. And she’s got good instincts. She’d be cute on the cover. We could do the testing at your house, if that’s easier.”
“I could be on the cover?” And when Kenji nodded again, Amber turned pleading eyes to her mother. “Mom, did you hear that? I have instincts. I could be on the cover. Please say yes. Please, please, please.”
“It will be a lot of work, I won’t mislead you about that,” Kenji said. “But I think we’d have fun. And of course she’ll get half the advance and royalties.”
“I don’t care about that,” Amber said, and the others grinned. “Please, mom.”
“Well, okay, sweetie, if Kenji’s sure,” Faith said, “but it can’t interfere with homework.”
“It won’t. I promise.” Amber threw her arms around Kenji, giving him a hug. Her smile was so bright and so wide, so rapturous with pleasure, Hope thought it would split her face.
Was I ever that happy about anything? Hope thought about it. Not in a long time, if ever. Not that she could remember.
“Here’s to collaborations,” Marty said and raised his glass.
Tanner leaned into Hope as she raised hers with the others.
“Collaborating on potato salad, that’s the ticket,” he said softly.
Hope rolled her eyes at him.
“To collaborations,” she said firmly with the others, avoiding Tanner’s eyes, and drank.
When the lunch was done and the table cleared, Amber opened her presents. Her first present was a set of knives from Kenji.
“They’re too small for me,” he said. “I hope they’re not too heavy for you. If you use them, Amber, you have to be very careful. They’re sharp.”
“Oh, I will!” Amber said reverently, holding one of the knives. “I can’t wait to try them! For the cookbook! Thank you.”
Tanner gave her a hand-carved chess set. All the pieces were from Alice in Wonderland.
“It’s fantastic,” Amber breathed, stroking the White Rabbit.
“Do you play?” Tanner asked.
“No,” Amber said. “Not yet. Will you teach me?”
“Sure,” Tanner said. “Whenever you’re ready.”
The uncles had chipped in to give her a helicopter ride over Hoover Dam.
“Wow.” Amber blinked at the uncles. “I’ve never been in a helicopter.” Suddenly she turned shy. “Maybe you could come with me?”
“We would love to, Bright Amber,” said Sharp Eddie, and all the uncles nodded. “If we can all fit,” he added.
“If not, we’ll play a quick round of seven-card stud 8 or better, high-low split to see who goes,” Marty said.
“Okay,” Amber said, looking confused. But when she opened Hope’s gift, she became speculative.
“It looks like a food dish,” she said. “And a collar. And leash. For a dog.”
“Yes,” Hope said.
“I guess it’s time for you to get my present,” said Faith. “But you have to come with me.”
“Mom?” Amber asked with mounting excitement as she scrambled out of her chair to follow her mother. “Is it a dog? You got me a dog?”
Everyone stood up as Faith and Kenji led Amber out of the dining room, through the kitchen, and out the back door to the restaurant’s loading dock. There, tied up in the shade of an overhang, lying on a thick mat with a bowl of water and another of kibble, sat a largish brown and white dog that wriggled and whined, almost dancing in eagerness and anxiety, as they came out the door.
Amber dropped to her knees on the hard concrete loading dock next to the mutt, and the dog flung itself into her arms, licking her face and almost knocking her over. She hugged the animal, laughing while it wriggled against her. Kenji leaned over, trying to get a grip on the squirming dog to put the new collar on it.
Amber looked up at her mother as everyone smiled. “What’s her name?”
Faith reached down to scratch the dog’s ears. “That’s up to you.”
The dog nuzzled Amber, licking her from her chin almost to her hairline, and then turned to Faith, who pushed it away, laughing.
Amber didn’t hesitate. “Squeegee,” she announced. “My dog’s name is Squeegee! Because she licks everybody in sight. Thank you, mom!”
Squeegee lunged at Amber again, trying to lick her face, while Amber