Page 17 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

“He was?”

“But Nick didn’t seem to know who he was when he introduced himself.”

“Oh, yeah.” Holly shook her head. “No, we haven’t met him. We’ve always worked with Susan for everything.”

“I see. That explains it, then.” Now Viola felt even worse for ruining Jonas’s coat.

The door swung open, and Viola’s suspicions were confirmed. Jonas was typing something into his phone. The silver-gray suit he wore appeared to be freshly pressed. Viola’s memory of how handsome he was hadn’t lived up to the reality. Her heart skipped a beat. Was it because she was nervous? Or was it something else? Before Jonas lifted his head, Viola twisted away to catch her breath.

Jonas approached Holly, holding out his hand and flashing a confident smile. “Hello, Ms. St. Ives. It’s great to meet you. Sorry it has to be under such unfavorable circumstances. And again, thank you for understanding the special situation we’re in. I don’t want to trouble you with the specifics of the lawsuit, but I’m glad to hear you could arrange for another caterer.”

The pleasant scent of his cologne hit her nose. Viola breathed it in deeply, wishing she didn’t enjoy it so much. Or at all. She turned to face him, forcing a polite expression.

Jonas’s brow furrowed. “You?”

Viola’s small smile disappeared. “Me.”

Holly tilted her head. “Viola said you were at my fiancé’s café the other day, but I get the feeling there’s more to the story.”

“Your fiancé’s café?” Jonas asked.

“The Gingerbread House.”

“Of course. Nick Mason. I didn’t even put that together until now.” Jonas scrubbed at his chin, his eyes fleetingly landing on Viola. “You’ll have to excuse me. So much paperwork flies across my desk every day. I hardly have time to match up names and places.”

An awkward silence hovered in the room.

Holly looked from Jonas to Viola. “Am I missing something?”

“No.” Viola shook her head. “Nothing at all.”

“I thought you were a waitress,” Jonas said to Viola.

“I graduated at the top of my class in culinary school.”

“But have you catered before?” He crossed his arms.

“I worked on a crew during my internship, yes.”

He tapped his fingers against his arm. “Working on a crew and managing one are two totally different things. Do you have experience managing an event like this?”

His accusatory tone caused Viola to set her jaw. “Is there going to be a problem here?” Viola asked.

“Mr. Brickman,” Holly said, interrupting. “My fiancé and I have complete faith that Viola can handle the job.”

Viola was unsure if Holly’s words boosted her confidence or heightened her anxiety. She really didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

Jonas’s focus went between Holly and Viola for a moment. Then he smiled. “I see. I’m sorry to have doubted your judgment, Ms. St. Ives. And as I’m sure Susan has informed you, we would like to offer you a ten percent discount—”

Viola tuned out the rest of the discussion as the acid in her stomach swirled.

You can do this. Don’t allow this guy to let you doubt yourself. You were top of your class.

Viola straightened her shoulders, aiming to be confident. If only she could convince herself that she could be.

Chapter Seven

Viola held her pen firmly, her phone pressed up against her ear. She was almost through her list of potential help for the catering event. So far, two of the twelve people she had called were available to work the wedding. All she needed now was at least one more person for the kitchen and a few waiters to serve. Her list included old friends from her school days in Silverwood, coworkers at The Gingerbread House, and people she knew who worked in the food service industry.The final handful of names at the bottom of her list were people who lived outside of Silverwood, and though she didn’t have high hopes that any of them would be available, she was holding out for a miracle before New Year’s Eve.

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