Chapter 34
34
T he sky was a riot of dark gray and soft salmon as Ford and Tessa made their way to Emelia and Titus’s house just outside town.
Neither of them had been to the house and were looking forward to seeing Emelia’s new studio, where she would be giving cooking classes and making YouTube videos.
They followed a pretty tree-lined street past houses and farms until they arrived.
Pulling into the driveway, they saw a few people had already arrived. Ford killed the engine and reached for the bottle of wine they brought.
“What a charming house!” Tessa exclaimed. It was an older home painted a warm yellow with white trim. Light spilled from the windows, giving it a welcoming glow. Flowering bushes lined the walkway.
They knocked, but the door was open, so they followed the faint hum of voices and laughter to a massive wooden deck at the back of the house. They passed the living room with its brick fireplace dominating one wall and through a kitchen that Tessa imagined Emelia loved. Lots of room to move around. Polished stainless appliances and white cabinets stood in contrast to the dark granite countertops. Tessa could easily imagine Emelia bustling around in it. Tonight both green and pasta salads, potatoes, baked beans, and trays of appetizers filled the counters.
Ford placed a hand on her back, urging her forward. They stepped onto a huge wooden deck with twinkling string lights and a massive stone firepit surrounded by a half dozen Adirondack chairs. It was a warm night, but Tessa could just imagine all the friends sitting around it, talking and laughing. The smoky scent of grilled food mingled with the smell of … Tessa could only hope for some of Emelia’s cinnamon buns. Dex was unpacking bottles of beer into an enormous cooler.
Before Tessa could take another step, a rush of warmth and a blur of fur collided with her. A wet tongue slathered her hand. Tessa laughed, startled.
“Leo!” shouted Emelia. “Sit.”
The pup stopped and plopped onto his haunches in front of Tessa, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth. He cocked his head as if asking if he was a good boy.
Emelia hurried over, leash in hand.
“Sorry about that,” Emelia said as she leaned over and secured a leash onto Leo’s collar. “He doesn’t get much company.”
Tessa scooched down to ruffle his ears. “It’s okay. He actually listens to you. The dogs I had when I was young were wild.”
Emelia laughed. “Titus has been working with him, teaches him like a drill sergeant, plus I bring him to Paws for Caring sometimes.”
“Looks like you have a new best friend.” Ford’s deep voice came up behind her, startling Tessa.
Tessa stood and turned, brushing her hands on her pants. “He’s a cutie, all right.”
“Should I be jealous?” Ford teased.
“Ha ha.” She rolled her eyes.
Ford handed the bottle of wine to Emelia. “Whatever is on the grill smells amazing and is making me hungry.”
“Oh, Titus has something for everyone,” Emelia gushed, taking the bottle of wine from Ford. “Let’s see.” She tapped her finger on her chin. “We have chicken, sausage, hamburgers and, for the vegetarians, of which I am not, veggie burgers.” She looked at Ford. “Why don’t you go over and see if he needs any help?”
“Good idea,” Ford replied, heading over to where the guys were hanging out.
Tessa watched him walk over and back-clap the guys. “Smart, Emelia,” Tessa said, smirking.
Emelia shrugged. “These guys hate small talk and like to feel macho. I guess grilling checks both boxes.”
Tessa nodded. Her gaze drifted to the corner, and she saw Isabelle, Felicia, and Naomi with their heads together, laughing.
“Dani and Joy will be here soon, and then we can eat,” said Emelia, taking Tessa’s hand and heading over.
“I can’t wait to see your work barn,” Tessa said. “Have you finished it?”
“Almost,” Emelia replied. “There’ll be a tour after dinner.”
The patio was designed with comfort in mind. Inviting brown rattan chairs with cream-colored cushions were thoughtfully arranged for intimate conversations. Two facing sectional sofas were in one corner, and a long wooden table flanked by twelve rattan chairs and glowing candles was in another.
There was an outdoor kitchen next to the grill. Tessa was almost jealous. Not of Emelia and Titus and what they had but because she always hoped that she’d marry, have a house and a couple of rug rats running around.
While she and Ford had something special, Tessa wasn’t sure either of them was ready to marry. Ford was slowly opening up after chasing his demons, and she had bad guys from her past chasing her.
When they reached the group, Tessa was greeted with hugs and kisses while Emelia poured herself and Tessa a glass of wine.
“We’ll wait until the rest arrive before making a toast,” Emelia said.
They didn’t have to wait long. Dani and Ryker arrived first, with Joy and Liam right behind them. After some good-natured ribbing from the guys about why it took them so long, Dani and Joy joined the women while the guys chatted around the grill.
“To good friends and gatherings,” said Emelia as she raised her glass high.
“Hear! Hear!” The women clinked glasses.
Emelia leaped to her feet. “I almost forgot about the appetizers. I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared into the house. It didn’t take her long to return. Emelia passed a tray to the guys and brought over another. Tessa looked at the assortment, and her mouth watered.
“So what we have here,” said Emelia, gesturing to each appetizer, “are smoked jalapeno poppers, cranberry brie bites, and bacon-wrapped dates.”
“Yum,” exclaimed the women as they eagerly placed some on the small plates that were on the table. Tessa grabbed a popper. The heat from the smoked jalapeno filled with creamy cheese melted on her tongue.
“Emelia, I love what you’ve done with the patio,” Joy exclaimed as she glanced around at the twinkling lights. “The outdoor kitchen is new, right?”
“Yes. It was a gift from me to Titus, who loves to grill. This way, he doesn’t mess up my kitchen.” Emelia winked.
“Hmmm, I wonder if Will would like that for our farm-to-table dinners?” Isabelle mused.
“Probably,” replied Emelia. “Talk to Titus and find out what he likes and dislikes about it.”
Turning her attention to Tessa, Emelia asked, “I hear you and Mia got together and she’s doing the catering for the animal shelter event. Have you had a chance to taste her food?”
Tessa smiled. “Oh yes indeed! It’s fabulous. We still need to get together to finalize the menu.”
“It’s rather short notice, isn’t it?” asked Felicia, raising a brow.
Tessa blew out her breath. Dare she voice a concern about it? Why not? These women wouldn’t judge her for being worried.
“Well,” she began hesitantly. “Apparently, the original venue burned to the ground and the event planner and caterer bowed out. Scheduling problems.”
“Fire? Burned to the ground,” Joy repeated her words.
“Yeah,” Tessa said, trying to sound casual. She had googled it while waiting for Ford to come home. The headlines made her a little nervous. “Historic venue goes up in flames: Investigator suspects faulty electrical.” Then another, “Questions remain on fire.” And let’s not forget: “Chairman of shelter’s event makes no comment.”
Each article was vague, but together they painted an unsettling picture.
“Boy, that’s an omen,” Joy said. “Although I’m glad this new venue worked out. The animal shelter needs all the money they can raise. So many animals are being brought there.”
“Fire?”
Ford’s deep voice behind Tessa startled her. She hadn’t wanted to mention it to him because he’d worry—too late now.
She turned to find him just a foot away. “Um, yeah?”
His brows knitted together, but he didn’t press her further. Not yet anyway. Tessa sensed a serious conversation about this when they got home.
“Food’s on!” yelled Titus. Tessa was thankful for the interruption.
Tessa blew a sigh of relief and joined the others as they filled their plates. The rest of the evening was all laughter and fun, but the fire lingered in her mind.
No matter how hard she tried to relax, a gray cloud loomed over the event as she anticipated the upcoming conversation with Ford about the fire, hoping it wouldn’t spoil the event for her.