Page 45 of Cozy Girl Fall
“Ah, I just wondered. It’s been vacant for a couple months now, it used to be a Thai place.”
At the mention of Thai food, Penny’s stomach growled and she glanced at Tasha with warm cheeks. “Lunch?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” Tasha bought the two tops she’d been eyeing and then they thanked the clerk on their way out.
A wind had kicked up, whipping their hair around them with enough ferocity that Penny knew her hair would be knotted by the time they got inside. The vacant storefront the girl had mentioned was indeed right next door; a wide window with a faded white frame offered a glimpse inside to reveal a fairly large floor space.
Penny looked away, letting Tasha lead her away in search of food, even as Penny wondered what kind of restaurant might move in there and how they might decorate. New eateries were never a bad thing, especially in Magnolia Springs where cafes and food trucks were more prevalent—though there was a semi-fancy restaurant in the new town, last time Penny had checked anyway.
“Hello? Earth to Penny?”
She shook her head and focused on Tasha. “Sorry, what?”
“I asked if cake was an acceptable lunch.”
She snorted. “Are you looking for permission or a partner-in-lunch-crime?”
Tasha grinned and held open the door to the bakery for Penny to enter first. “Both.”
17
In hindsight, Penny might have gone a little overboard with her dinner plans. But, in her defense, she was really, really, nervous.
Ethan had reassured her a dozen times that his parents weren’t going to give her a hard time over mistakes that were ten years old, but Penny couldn’t help feeling like the other shoe was about to drop—on her head, no doubt.
She tugged at the hem of her rust-colored dress and then at the crossover neckline, regretting her outfit choice more with every passing second. Was it too dressy? Too short? Had she sweated through the silky material?
The soup she’d made the night before was ready to go at a moment’s notice, a fall blend of butternut squash with zucchini and peppers that only needed to be heated up. She’d picked up some crusty bread topped with pumpkin seeds that morning from the bakery that should accompany it nicely.
She’d stayed at Ethan’s last night so she could prep as much of the food in advance as possible, but despitethe warm comfort of his bed and arms she couldn’t say she’d slept that well at all.
A knock at the door had her heart leaping into her throat and she stood frozen in the doorway of the kitchen, watching as Ethan walked to the door with a confidence she envied. He knew her parents loved him, so what did he have to worry about?
The door swung open and Tasha smiled, holding up a bottle of wine as she stepped over the threshold. Penny’s breath of relief caught and choked in her throat when Ethan’s parents and her own filed in after Tasha.
“You look like you could use this,” Tasha murmured, pressing the wine into Penny’s chest and snickering.
“And you could take a little less pleasure from all this,” Penny hissed and then pasted a smile on her face as she accepted a hug and kiss on the cheek from Terri and Keith. “So glad you could all make it.”
Bowing out of the huddle of people with the excuse of checking on the food, Penny took the chance to claim a steadying breath as she opened the oven to check the chicken. She’d opted for two different mains, one a classic roast chicken with lemon and herbs, and the other a veggie option of hollowed and roasted peppers filled with couscous, tofu, and lentils. The chicken would be ready in a half hour, which meant it was time for the peppers to go in the oven.
“Do you need any help?”
The sudden voice made Penny jump, one of thepeppers nearly falling off the tray as she turned to see Terri standing in the doorway.
“Oh, no. I’m fine, but thank you.” She smiled and then hesitated. “Actually, could you get everyone around the dining table? The appetizers will be ready in a minute.”
“Of course.”
Penny turned back to the stove, stirring the soup in the pan before grabbing a clean spoon to dip in and taste. She nearly burned her tongue, which was good because it meant the soup was ready but annoying in the sense that it hurt like a bitch.
Turning off the heat, she lined up the bowls and grabbed a ladle to spoon a healthy portion into each dish before calling out to Ethan to help her carry them into the other room. The bread was already sliced and ready to go on a large serving platter that she brought in as Ethan set down the bowls.
“This smells wonderful, Penny. Ethan tells me you’re a chef?”
Penny smiled, nodding at Ethan’s dad. “Yeah, I am. I’m just home helping out Mom and Dad with the orchard for now, but I’ll be back to cooking as soon as I can.”
Keith nodded in approval. “Which culinary school did you attend?”
