Chapter 20
Susan followed Kathleen into the Lakeside Grill. She was amazed at how busy it was for a Tuesday evening. Nearly every table was occupied, and everyone was chatting happily.
“We’re lucky we made a reservation,” Kathleen said as Jenny appeared with the menus.
“We’ve been swamped since the new dishes launched,” Jenny said, leading them to a corner booth. “Everyone wants to try the new menu.”
As they settled in, Susan watched an older couple nearby sharing the wild mushroom phyllo cups. The woman closed her eyes, and her husband reached across to steal another from their plate.
“Those look incredible,” Kathleen said. “Are they one of yours?”
“Mine and Paul’s.” Warmth spread through Susan’s chest. “Paul suggested adding another ingredient to the filling, and it’s sublime.”
Behind them, a man praised the seared duck breast. “Best thing I’ve had in months. Paul’s always been good, but this is more than I expected.”
Heat rose in Susan’s cheeks as she leaned forward. “I’m so proud of what we accomplished,” she told Kathleen. “Creating the new menu was challenging in all the best ways.”
Before Kathleen could respond, Paul emerged from the kitchen. His eyes found Susan, and something softened in his expression as he approached them.
“How are my two favorite customers?” he asked.
“Listening to everyone rave about your new menu,” Kathleen replied. “It sounds like a fantastic success.”
“It’s been overwhelming,” Paul admitted. “The appetizers are almost outselling everything else. We’ve had to prep additional batches twice this week.”
“What do you recommend today?” Kathleen asked.
Paul pointed to Kathleen’s menu. “Start with the butternut squash soup. We’ve added crispy sage for texture, and it’s delicious. Then I’d try the pan-seared trout with caramelized root vegetables. The fish melts in your mouth.”
Kathleen smiled. “That all sounds wonderful to me. What would you like, Susan?”
“I’ll have the same as Kathleen,” Susan said as she handed Paul her menu. “And congratulations. From what we’ve heard, everyone is enjoying their meals.”
Paul leaned down and kissed Susan lightly on the mouth. “That’s because the chef had help from the most incredible person he’s ever worked with. Harry thinks you deserve a pay rise, and Jenny wants you to join our team permanently.”
Susan grinned. “Tell Jenny that a certain chef is already filling every waking hour I have with menus for his Christmas events. I go to bed dreaming about Christmas trees and garlands decorated with huckleberry crumble pies.”
Paul laughed. “I’d sooner you dreamed about me, but there are worse things than huckleberry pies. I’ll send Jenny back with your soup.”
After Paul returned to the kitchen, Kathleen leaned forward. “That man is completely smitten with you.”
“I know,” Susan replied with a blush heating her cheeks. “And I think he’s pretty amazing, too.”
When their soup arrived, steaming and fragrant, Susan took her first spoonful and closed her eyes. The butternut squash was perfectly balanced—sweet but not cloying, with just enough sage for depth.
“Is it that good?” Kathleen asked with amusement.
“Better,” Susan admitted. “Paul’s got such a light hand with seasoning. I go too bold sometimes, but he knows exactly when to pull back.”
“And you push him to be more creative,” Kathleen observed. “You should work together more often.”
Susan laughed. “I’ll tell you if that’s a good idea after we’ve gotten through the BioTech Christmas events.”
They were halfway through their soup when Kathleen set down her spoon. “I need to ask you something. It’s about Tommy.”
Susan frowned. “Is he okay? Isabel didn’t say anything was wrong.”
Kathleen’s eyes widened. “Oh, it’s nothing life-threatening. Isabel wants to convert the smallest bedroom in their home into a study for Tommy. Frank and Patrick are building new furniture for him, and Isabel asked me to choose the paint colors. I don’t know why she asked me.”
“It’s because you have the best color sense of any of us,” Susan told her dear friend. “Your home is gorgeous.”
Kathleen sighed. “It’s easier to decorate when it’s your own house. I want Tommy’s study to feel special, but I don’t know whether to use warm or cool shades.” Kathleen pulled out her phone and showed Susan some images. “What do you think of these colors?”
Susan studied the soft blues and grays. “What does Tommy like?”
Kathleen sighed. “He’s happy with anything, and so is Frank. Isabel just wants Tommy to be happy.”
“Maybe you could match the colors to Tommy’s personality,” Susan suggested. “He’s thoughtful and likes to read for hours. He also has a great sense of humor and loves playing with his friends.”
“And he likes to go hiking with his granddad and Isabel.” Kathleen pulled a color chart out of her bag. “I brought this with me in case we needed to compare colors. What about this shade of green? It reminds me of the forest. Or we could try something like the blues or grays I first showed you.”
Susan studied the pale green color. “I like this one. It’s inviting without being overpowering. And you’re right. Green is the color of nature. I think it will look wonderful in Tommy’s study.”
Kathleen tilted her head to the side as she studied the color in a different light. “The warm wood furniture that Patrick and Frank are making will balance it beautifully. Thank you.”
“I’m glad I could help,” Susan said. “If you need another pair of hands to paint the room, just ask.”
“I might just do that,” Kathleen said with a smile.
After they’d finished their soup, Kathleen pushed her bowl aside and leaned forward. “We need to talk about Lynda’s bachelorette party.”
Susan groaned softly. “I was wondering when you’d bring that up. Isabel said we needed to do something.”
“She’s been texting me ideas non-stop for the past three days,” Kathleen said with a laugh. “You know how she gets when she’s planning something special. And this is Lynda we’re talking about—the woman who never thought she’d find love again.”
“I know.” Susan’s resistance melted at the reminder. “What did Isabel come up with?”
Kathleen pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messages. “She sent me a list. Option one: a spa day at that new place in Kalispell. Massages, facials, the works.”
“That sounds relaxing,” Susan admitted. “What else?”
“Option two: a wine tasting tour. There are several wineries within driving distance, or we could book a tour. Then no one has to worry about driving.”
Susan considered it. “Lynda would enjoy that. She’s been learning about Montana wines since she moved here.”
“Option three,” Kathleen continued, “is a cooking class. But not just any cooking class. Isabel wants us all to make a fancy dinner, something we’ve never attempted before. She suggested French cuisine.”
“That’s very Isabel,” Susan said with a smile. “Always thinking about food, books, and culture.”
“There’s more.” Kathleen scrolled further. “Option four: a hike followed by a picnic. Isabel found a trail that leads to a waterfall, and she thinks it would be beautiful this time of year.”
Susan frowned slightly. “In December? Won’t it be freezing?”
“That’s what I said,” Kathleen replied. “But Isabel insists the water will be flowing. She said the trail is sheltered and not too difficult. She even suggested we could do a shorter version if the weather’s bad.”
“What does Lynda want?” Susan asked.
Kathleen set down her phone. “You know Lynda. She says she’s happy with whatever we decide. She doesn’t want anyone going to any trouble.”
“Which means we need to make it special without making it feel like too much fuss,” Susan said. “Lynda’s never been comfortable being the center of attention.”
“Exactly.” Kathleen picked up her water glass. “So, what do you think? Should we do one big activity, or several smaller ones?”
Susan thought for a moment, remembering all the bachelorette parties she’d catered over the years. The ones that worked best weren’t necessarily the most elaborate.
“What if we combined a few things?” she suggested. “Start with something relaxing, like the spa, then do something more active or creative. That way, Lynda gets to unwind but also feel like we’re celebrating her properly.”
Kathleen’s face brightened. “That’s a great idea. We could do massages in the morning, then maybe the cooking class in the afternoon? That way we’re all together the whole time, but there’s variety.”
“Or the wine tasting,” Susan added. “That could be fun and educational without being too formal.”
“True.” Kathleen made a note on her phone. “What about a progressive dinner? We could make it a French theme.”
Susan nodded. “That sounds like fun. We could have the appetizers at my cottage, and the main course at your place. Isabel’s still doing some remodeling at her house, so she might be happy for us to have dessert at the bookstore.”
“I love that,” Kathleen said warmly. “The day will be special without being stuffy. Just the four of us, celebrating friendship and love.”
“Five of us, if we invite Amy,” Susan pointed out. “Lynda would want her daughter there.”
“That’s a good idea.” Kathleen added another note. “We could invite Matt’s daughter, too. So we’re thinking: spa morning, cooking class or wine tasting in the afternoon, and then a progressive dinner in the evening?”
“That sounds perfect,” Susan agreed. “But we should check with Isabel and make sure she’s okay with making the bachelorette party into a full day of activities.”
“Oh, she’ll love it,” Kathleen assured her. “She’s already mentioned wanting to have something at the bookstore. She has a vision of us sitting amongst the books with fairy lights and candles everywhere, eating cake, and sharing stories.”
Susan felt her throat tighten with unexpected emotion. “That sounds beautiful.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” Kathleen reached across the table and squeezed Susan’s hand. “We’re lucky, you know. To have found each other again after all these years. To have this second chance at building the lives we really want.”
“I think about that all the time,” Susan admitted. “Six months ago, I was in Georgia, alone in my too-big house, wondering if selling my business was a terrible mistake. And now—”
“Now you’re here,” Kathleen finished gently. “Creating beautiful food with a man who clearly adores you, surrounded by friends who love you, and planning celebrations instead of just catering them.”
Susan blinked back tears. “That sounds amazing to me, too.”
They both laughed, and the moment of intensity passed, but the warmth remained.
“What about the decorations?” Kathleen asked. “Apart from the lights and candles at the bookstore, should we do anything special?”
Susan considered it. “Nothing too over-the-top. Maybe some flowers at each location? Something simple but elegant, like Lynda.”
They spent the next fifteen minutes working out the details. By the time Jenny appeared with their main meals, they had a solid plan in place.
After they’d finished, Susan leaned back in the booth, feeling more settled than she had in weeks. Planning Lynda’s party reminded her that it was important to celebrate the special moments in your life.
“Thank you,” Susan said quietly to Kathleen.
“For what?”
“For making me feel like part of something again.” Susan gestured around the restaurant. “I spent so many years on the outside looking in. I catered everyone else’s celebrations, but I was never part of them. This is different. This matters.”
Kathleen’s expression softened. “You’ve always mattered to us, Susan. Even when you were in Georgia and we only saw you once or twice a year, you mattered. Coming back to Montana didn’t change that—it just gave us more opportunities to show you.”
Before Susan could respond, Paul emerged from the kitchen. He set a plate and two forks between them with a flourish. “If Susan is dreaming about huckleberry crumble, I had to make you one,” he announced. “With extra whipped cream, because Kathleen mentioned it was her weakness.”
“You’re spoiling us,” Kathleen protested, though she was already reaching for her fork.
“That’s the idea,” Paul said. “I baked an extra crumble for each of you to take home. If you stop by the kitchen when you’ve finished, I’ll have them wrapped and ready to go. ”
Kathleen’s eyes widened. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s the least I could do. Patrick’s helped with a few repairs around the restaurant and won’t accept any payment from me. This is my way of saying thank you.”
“In that case,” Kathleen said with a smile. “Your gift is very much appreciated.”
After Paul returned to the kitchen, Kathleen took a bite of crumble and made an appreciative sound. “This is delicious. I’ll have to walk an extra mile tomorrow.”
“It’s worth it,” Susan said, tasting her own portion. The berries were tart and sweet, the crumble topping perfectly buttery, and the whipped cream adding just enough richness without overwhelming the fruit.
“Everything here is worth it. Especially when the chef makes an extra crumble for me to take home,” Kathleen said with a smile.
They finished their dessert in comfortable silence, the kind that only comes from decades of friendship. Around them, the restaurant continued its Tuesday evening rhythm—conversations rising and falling, cutlery clinking against plates, and Jenny and the rest of the staff moving between tables.
When they were ready to leave, Susan took out her credit card to pay the bill.
“Put that away,” Kathleen said quickly, “It’s my turn to pay for dinner.”
“No, it’s not,” Susan protested. “It’s mine.”
“We’ll argue about it another day,” Kathleen said firmly. “I’ll pay the bill while you collect the crumbles.”
Susan sighed as she picked up her bag. Arguing with Kathleen would get her nowhere, so she might as well give in gracefully and go and see Paul.