give her hand a squeeze. “It’s nice they get used. They close out the outside world just perfectly and should be easy enough to take down and put back up at will. Same with the tablecloths and linens. I’m leaving the lights for a while. I think they add something.”
She’d done it because it had made his sister feel better. He knew her so well. She’d come over there early, when he’d spoken to her before. Just exactly to be there for Mary when she got freaked.
He hoped Gideon realized how amazing Jules was. Sort of.
It was crowded, but not overly so. He was so proud of Mary, who’d taken her love of cooking and had made it into this. Into this little supper club idea everyone had laughed at until she had a nearly two-year wait list for people who wanted to join just to see what the fuss was about. She was a genius in the kitchen, his sister.
“This is amazing. I haven’t eaten this well in forever. Jules has been talking you up, and she wasn’t exaggerating.” Gideon winked at Mary, who blushed as she oversaw the delivery of the next course.
Jules put her head on Gideon’s shoulder with a smile. “I’m telling you, she’s magic.”
“Did Jules tell you guys we finally chose a cake flavor for the wedding?” Adrian sipped his wine and then his sister made an oooh sound from the end of the table.
Erin leaned over to look down to their end of the table. “You did? You didn’t say. You bogarted cake details from me? Where’s the love, Blue?” Blue was Erin’s nickname for Miles, and the boy blushed in response.
“Mum swore me to secrecy.”
Erin looked to Gillian as both women laughed.
“Shall we tell, Jules?” Gillian looked across the table to her friend.
Jules lit, all for Gillian. “Oh, all right. Go on. It’s your cake. And your day.”
Gideon put an arm around her shoulder and she leaned in to him. They were, Cal had to admit, beautiful together. Jules had an easy way with people she trusted. An open, bold personality, and she was that way with Gideon. It made sense; he was part of their extended group of friends from childhood. Gideon used to spend hours at Cal’s house in his room listening to music and talking about cars and girls.
He’d make her happy.
But would he make her as happy as Cal could? And did Cal want to know? Did he want this to be the new reality of Cal and Jules? This third person he had to mediate past?
Gillian nodded thoughtfully. “I think I’m going to keep it a surprise then. Just trust me that it’s going to be the best cake you ever had.”
“You’re a tease.” Erin laughed. “Once someone gets to know you, they get past that careful reserve and underneath you’re a vicious tease.”
Gillian laughed. “I have to be to keep up with you all.”
The food was delicious. His sister had outdone herself and he got up to tell her so. And also to leave behind the image of Gideon kissing Jules’s temple.
“I told you.” Mary said this as he snuck back into her kitchen.
“You didn’t bark at me to get out.”
“That’s because I wanted to say I told you so. Hello, that trumps everything else. Now that we know I was right, what are you going to do about it?”
“I can’t talk to you about this right now. I wanted to say you did an amazing job tonight.” He hugged his sister and she hugged him back.
“Fine, fine. Thank you. It’s going quite well. I tried some of these new local-sourced ingredients and that worked well, I thought. The space is really perfect. It’s so much easier for me to work in this kitchen than at home.”
“Relieved not to work the truck anymore?”
“I miss the truck and this summer I have a few jobs I think I can cater from it. It’ll be fun. But I don’t miss trying to find a place to park or dealing with all the city regulations and rules. The catering business is more stable for me. And more lucrative. That part is really nice.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Do you need help?”
“My staff is just
She’d done it because it had made his sister feel better. He knew her so well. She’d come over there early, when he’d spoken to her before. Just exactly to be there for Mary when she got freaked.
He hoped Gideon realized how amazing Jules was. Sort of.
It was crowded, but not overly so. He was so proud of Mary, who’d taken her love of cooking and had made it into this. Into this little supper club idea everyone had laughed at until she had a nearly two-year wait list for people who wanted to join just to see what the fuss was about. She was a genius in the kitchen, his sister.
“This is amazing. I haven’t eaten this well in forever. Jules has been talking you up, and she wasn’t exaggerating.” Gideon winked at Mary, who blushed as she oversaw the delivery of the next course.
Jules put her head on Gideon’s shoulder with a smile. “I’m telling you, she’s magic.”
“Did Jules tell you guys we finally chose a cake flavor for the wedding?” Adrian sipped his wine and then his sister made an oooh sound from the end of the table.
Erin leaned over to look down to their end of the table. “You did? You didn’t say. You bogarted cake details from me? Where’s the love, Blue?” Blue was Erin’s nickname for Miles, and the boy blushed in response.
“Mum swore me to secrecy.”
Erin looked to Gillian as both women laughed.
“Shall we tell, Jules?” Gillian looked across the table to her friend.
Jules lit, all for Gillian. “Oh, all right. Go on. It’s your cake. And your day.”
Gideon put an arm around her shoulder and she leaned in to him. They were, Cal had to admit, beautiful together. Jules had an easy way with people she trusted. An open, bold personality, and she was that way with Gideon. It made sense; he was part of their extended group of friends from childhood. Gideon used to spend hours at Cal’s house in his room listening to music and talking about cars and girls.
He’d make her happy.
But would he make her as happy as Cal could? And did Cal want to know? Did he want this to be the new reality of Cal and Jules? This third person he had to mediate past?
Gillian nodded thoughtfully. “I think I’m going to keep it a surprise then. Just trust me that it’s going to be the best cake you ever had.”
“You’re a tease.” Erin laughed. “Once someone gets to know you, they get past that careful reserve and underneath you’re a vicious tease.”
Gillian laughed. “I have to be to keep up with you all.”
The food was delicious. His sister had outdone herself and he got up to tell her so. And also to leave behind the image of Gideon kissing Jules’s temple.
“I told you.” Mary said this as he snuck back into her kitchen.
“You didn’t bark at me to get out.”
“That’s because I wanted to say I told you so. Hello, that trumps everything else. Now that we know I was right, what are you going to do about it?”
“I can’t talk to you about this right now. I wanted to say you did an amazing job tonight.” He hugged his sister and she hugged him back.
“Fine, fine. Thank you. It’s going quite well. I tried some of these new local-sourced ingredients and that worked well, I thought. The space is really perfect. It’s so much easier for me to work in this kitchen than at home.”
“Relieved not to work the truck anymore?”
“I miss the truck and this summer I have a few jobs I think I can cater from it. It’ll be fun. But I don’t miss trying to find a place to park or dealing with all the city regulations and rules. The catering business is more stable for me. And more lucrative. That part is really nice.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Do you need help?”
“My staff is just
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