Sweet Dandelion

“Why was that a question?” Sage’s eyes narrow dangerously and I hold my breath, unsure whether I should laugh, or grab the back of Ansel’s shirt and drag him out of here.

“I-I don’t know? It shouldn’t have been.” Ansel straightens his shoulders, deciding not to cower beneath my brother’s deadly look.

My brother makes some sort of disbelieving growl.

“Where exactly are you taking my sister?”

Ansel’s expression silently asks me, “Didn’t you tell your brother?”

I did, but my psycho brother wants to make sure our ‘stories’ match up.

“We’re going to Bell Canyon. It’s over near the Wasatch Boulevard neighborhood,” Ansel replies, his throat bobbing from nerves.

Poor guy.

“I know where it is. Dani mentioned you were stopping for breakfast.”

“Uh, yeah. I was going to take her to Penny Ann’s Café.”

Sage looks over Ansel’s shoulder and points a finger at me. “Get the sour cream pancakes.” His stare returns to Ansel and poor Ansel inhales a shaky breath. “You paying?”

“Yeah, I was planning on it.”

Sage smiles and I hide behind my fingers. “D?” My hands drop. “Order the peanut butter pie, too.”

“Your brother is intense.” Ansel pours half a bottle of syrup on his pancakes. He passes me the bottle when he’s finished and I add a little to my own stack of hotcakes. They smell like heaven.

“He didn’t use to be so bad,” I admit, spearing the side of my fork into my breakfast. “But he’s my guardian now, so he’s extra cautious.” Wrapping my lips around the fork I stifle a moan. “Oh my God, these are fantastic.”

I let the pancake sit on my tongue, savoring the flavor. They’re light and fluffy, like what I imagine eating a cloud would be like.

“Who knew bringing you to Penny Ann’s would earn your brother’s approval. I’m surprised he hasn’t brought you here.”

“He’s busy.”

“Works a lot?”

I chew and swallow another bite, certain I’ll be coming back here soon because I’ve never had a breakfast this good before.

“He works for a tech company and kind of keeps everything running, so he leaves early and works pretty late.”

“That’s a bummer.”

“It’s okay. I like being by myself.”

“Don’t you get lonely?” He pauses, a piece of pancake dangling from his fork.

“Sometimes.”

He frowns, shoveling the food into his mouth. Around the mouthful he says, “Well, you’ve always got me, Meadows.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m serious. Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me.”

“Okay, Kim Possible.”

“You got the reference.” He claps. My eyes narrow when he forms his hands around his mouth. “Yo, she got the reference,” he shouts into the café, causing pretty much everyone to look at us.