Andrea. Let’s go say hello to Sally. I think Doc Knight is wrong about her due date. She looks like she’s almost ready to pop.”
Andrea looked as if she might object to that turn of phrase, but once she caught sight of Sally, she forgot to tell Hannah to be more tactful. “I hope having all these guests isn’t too much for her. She doesn’t look very comfortable.”
“Hi there.” Sally’s face lit up in a smile as they approached her barstool. “I’m just taking a break. What are you girls doing way out here?”
“We came for the Chicken Mole,” Hannah answered, before Andrea could say anything.
“Then go fill your plates and come back here. You can tell me all the local gossip.”
“And you can tell us all the gossip about your guests.” Andrea seized the opportunity and jumped into the conversation. “I live hearing about people from out of town.”
Hannah waited until they’d walked over to the buffet table and then she turned to Andrea. “That was good, Andrea.”
“What was good?” Andrea picked up a plate and dished out a helping of spinach salad.
“That bit about how you love to hear about people from out of town.”
“Oh, that.”
Andrea dismissed it with a wave of the salad tongs. “I just thought Sally would be more likely to talk to us if we said we were interested. I just wish you hadn’t said we came for the Chicken Mole.”
“Why not?”
“Because now I’ll have to take some, and since we’ll be sitting at the bar with Sally, I’ll have to eat it.”
“Relax, you’ll like it.” Hannah patted her on the shoulder. “And think of how much fun you’ll have telling Tracey about it.”
“That’s what you always used to say when you made supper and it didn’t turn out right. This is really exotic. Andrea. Try some so you can tell all your friends about it.”
Hannah winced. Andrea was wise to her, and whatever she said would only make matters worse. She watched her sister take a small helping of the mole and a large helping of macaroni and cheese in silence. She wasn’t about to make the mistake of telling Andrea that Sally’s macaroni and cheese didn’t come out of a blue box.
Once their plates were filled, Hannah led the way back to the bar and they climbed up on stools next to Sally. Hannah was amused when Andrea tried her Chicken Mole first. When she’d been a kid, she’d done the same thing with her vegetables.
Andrea chewed thoughtfully and then she smiled at Sally. “This is wonderful, Sally. I wasn’t sure I’d like chicken and chocolate, but I do.”
“Thanks. The guests all raved about it, too. Buffet food is pretty standard, but I try to do one unusual dish every day to keep them interested.”
“Are they a pretty good crowd?” Hannah asked, forging the way for discussion about the guests.
“Super. Of course, some of the contestants are a little nervous. It’s a pretty big deal, you know.”
“How about the three ladies who were eliminated last night?” Hannah asked. “I know I probably shouldn’t say it under the circumstances, but I bet they weren’t exactly happy with what Boyd Watson said on television.”
“That’s an understatement!” Sally laughed. “They were hopping mad when they got back here, but the lady who won was so nice about it, they calmed down and had a good time at the party.”
“Then all three ladies were at the party?” Andrea asked, catching Hannah’s line of questioning perfectly.
“They were here and so were their families, so you ca forget about them.”
“Forget about them?” Hannah tried for a perfectly innocent look.
“Come on, Hannah.” Sally reached out to squeeze her arm. “I know why you’re asking, and I wondered how long it would take you. I figured you’d make small talk for at least five minutes, but I was wrong.”
Hannah was impressed. Sally was quick. “I’m no good at small talk. I’m better off just jumping right in with both feet.”
“How is Boyd’s wife? It
Andrea looked as if she might object to that turn of phrase, but once she caught sight of Sally, she forgot to tell Hannah to be more tactful. “I hope having all these guests isn’t too much for her. She doesn’t look very comfortable.”
“Hi there.” Sally’s face lit up in a smile as they approached her barstool. “I’m just taking a break. What are you girls doing way out here?”
“We came for the Chicken Mole,” Hannah answered, before Andrea could say anything.
“Then go fill your plates and come back here. You can tell me all the local gossip.”
“And you can tell us all the gossip about your guests.” Andrea seized the opportunity and jumped into the conversation. “I live hearing about people from out of town.”
Hannah waited until they’d walked over to the buffet table and then she turned to Andrea. “That was good, Andrea.”
“What was good?” Andrea picked up a plate and dished out a helping of spinach salad.
“That bit about how you love to hear about people from out of town.”
“Oh, that.”
Andrea dismissed it with a wave of the salad tongs. “I just thought Sally would be more likely to talk to us if we said we were interested. I just wish you hadn’t said we came for the Chicken Mole.”
“Why not?”
“Because now I’ll have to take some, and since we’ll be sitting at the bar with Sally, I’ll have to eat it.”
“Relax, you’ll like it.” Hannah patted her on the shoulder. “And think of how much fun you’ll have telling Tracey about it.”
“That’s what you always used to say when you made supper and it didn’t turn out right. This is really exotic. Andrea. Try some so you can tell all your friends about it.”
Hannah winced. Andrea was wise to her, and whatever she said would only make matters worse. She watched her sister take a small helping of the mole and a large helping of macaroni and cheese in silence. She wasn’t about to make the mistake of telling Andrea that Sally’s macaroni and cheese didn’t come out of a blue box.
Once their plates were filled, Hannah led the way back to the bar and they climbed up on stools next to Sally. Hannah was amused when Andrea tried her Chicken Mole first. When she’d been a kid, she’d done the same thing with her vegetables.
Andrea chewed thoughtfully and then she smiled at Sally. “This is wonderful, Sally. I wasn’t sure I’d like chicken and chocolate, but I do.”
“Thanks. The guests all raved about it, too. Buffet food is pretty standard, but I try to do one unusual dish every day to keep them interested.”
“Are they a pretty good crowd?” Hannah asked, forging the way for discussion about the guests.
“Super. Of course, some of the contestants are a little nervous. It’s a pretty big deal, you know.”
“How about the three ladies who were eliminated last night?” Hannah asked. “I know I probably shouldn’t say it under the circumstances, but I bet they weren’t exactly happy with what Boyd Watson said on television.”
“That’s an understatement!” Sally laughed. “They were hopping mad when they got back here, but the lady who won was so nice about it, they calmed down and had a good time at the party.”
“Then all three ladies were at the party?” Andrea asked, catching Hannah’s line of questioning perfectly.
“They were here and so were their families, so you ca forget about them.”
“Forget about them?” Hannah tried for a perfectly innocent look.
“Come on, Hannah.” Sally reached out to squeeze her arm. “I know why you’re asking, and I wondered how long it would take you. I figured you’d make small talk for at least five minutes, but I was wrong.”
Hannah was impressed. Sally was quick. “I’m no good at small talk. I’m better off just jumping right in with both feet.”
“How is Boyd’s wife? It
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