Harlequin Special Edition February 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Helen Lacey

Author:Helen Lacey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Rina put a stack of small paper plates imprinted with blue flowers on her new white distressed coffee table in front of the cream couch.

The couch, along with matching side chairs and other furnishings, melded well in the sunlit, modern, farmhouse-themed living room decorated in hues of bright white, earthy green, beige and gray. Artfully placed nooks and corner shelves held green plants, wood-framed photos and candles. A multipatterned rug delineated the seating area on the polished floors.

The cozy space was perfect for the Sunday girls’ afternoon surprise for Chloe. Everything looked great, including their coordinated outfits of dark leggings with a side pocket and blue T-shirts printed with “Bride Squad.”

Zurie stood beside Rina unwrapping blue napkins. She slipped them into the caddy with the silverware. “Are you sure there’s enough space for the food? Maybe we should set everything up on the dining room table.”

“Having the food here will make it easier for us to enjoy. It’s really not that much.” Rina counted the items off on her fingers. “Mini melon and berry mozzarella skewers with yogurt dip, a veggie platter with ranch dressing, tortilla chips with guac, salsa and queso, mini chicken potpie turnovers, chocolate fondue with berries and pound cake, and if we run out of anything, I have chicken wings as a backup.”

“I thought the theme was sip and dip? Drinks plus foods that you dip. What are we dipping potpie turnovers into?”

“Gravy.”

“It’s not gravy,” Philippa called out from the adjoining kitchen, separated by a breakfast bar pass-through.

“Right, I forgot.” Rina mocked a snooty voice. “It’s a velvety chicken velouté, otherwise known as fancy gravy.”

Philippa paused in stirring the contents of a pan on the stove. She looked back over her shoulder and stared at Rina. “A velouté is one of the five mother sauces in classic cuisine. It is not gravy.”

Rina laughed and gave Zurie a conspiratorial wink. “Whatever you say, Chef Hoity-Toity.”

Philippa pointed a spoon at Rina. “Where’s the queso dip you wanted me to heat up? Did you use the fresh chiles like I told you to?”

A new debate started between the two over the right way to make queso dip.

Zurie internally shook her head as she left Rina and went into the kitchen.

Rina and Philippa had been friends for so long, they bickered like an old married couple. She tuned them out, letting the conversation slide over the surface of her thoughts as she unwrapped heavy plastic tumblers with “Drink Up” printed on the side and stacked them on the beige marble pass-through counter. She had her own pressing problem. What was her answer to Mace about going away for a long weekend?

For the past five days, she’d gone back and forth between yes and no in her mind. And Mace hadn’t pressed her for an answer. Being understanding and not pressuring each other to talk about things was just one of the areas where they got along. What if going to the vineyard together actually ruined their chemistry or they

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