His face was no longer swollen, and his black eye had faded. He greeted Christy at the door with a big hug and told her she was just in time for dinner. Apparently Uncle Bob had been showing Todd how to make chicken enchiladas. The four of them sat down to eat in the kitchen. Marti eagerly gave Christy a full report on how Todd had improved during the week under Marti’s careful attention. Christy and Todd exchanged warm glances and smiles while they ate. In the back of Christy’s mind, she continued to plan how her breakfast on the beach would be executed the next morning. Just before Christy went to bed, she told Todd, “I’d like to make breakfast for us in the morning.” “Sure,” he said. “I’ll help. Your uncle has been showing me some of his secrets in the kitchen. I think I’ve learned more about cooking this week than I ever have before.” “Actually, I wanted to make our breakfast on the beach—at the fire pit we used to go to.”
