Page 74 of You Were Invited
Molly’s truth bomb stung.
Crap.
It made Annie’s decision to go that much riskier. But her plan was to enjoy Ellie’s cooking and whatever festivities she had planned. If he wasn’t there, then they weren’t meant to be...
If he saw her, but snubbed her, then that was also just as well. Big ouch, but she wouldn't push him.
Expelling a pent up breath, Annie tugged the zipper of her duffel bag closed. She went to inform Molly she was taking off.
Molly hugged her. “You look so grim! Nobody’s forcing you to go to Northgold, hun.”
“Pray I don’t embarrass myself.”
“You’ll be okay, no matter what happens.” Molly settled back against her heap of stacked pillows. “Miss you already. Call if you need us.”
“Miss ya already, too.” Annie did her best to twist her cynical smile into something more sweet and lighthearted.
When she drove away from the house, her heart sat in her stomach.
I have to know…
That I made the wise choice.
Julian, Teagan, and several other volunteers had been running and bussing dishes non-stop for hours while Ellie and two new kitchen assistants whipped out burgers, chops, breakfast platters, and homemade soups. Every plate was licked clean, or saved in a to-go box.
When Julian wasn’t cleaning up for the next set of guests, he helped the dishwasher. Sparkling plates and silverware disappeared to the dining room the second they were clean and dry.
“We don’t have enough places for everybody to sit,” Ellie lamented when Julian checked on her. She fried a pile of chopped potatoes, flipped a few patties, and watched a pot of boiling pasta. She wiped her forearm over her brow. “The line’s been out the door for hours.”
Julian smiled. “They’re too busy catching up on the town gossip to mind.”
She smiled back. “Thanks for being here. What do you want for supper?”
He shook his head. “You’re busy.”
Rolling her eyes, Ellie went to the fridge. She threw a beef patty on the grill. “It’ll be done in fifteen minutes.”
Sixteen minutes later, Julian leaned against the lunch counter, finishing his burger and side of steak fries. It had only taken him one bite to realize how starving he was, and how muddled his thoughts were.
Rich wandered over after finishing his meal, but only stayed long enough to say goodnight and good job, before leaving the party for the night. Mr. and Mrs. Jaminseon also came over to praise him for all the hard work he’d done and tell him how relieved they were that the tree he’d chopped down for them was gone before they left NWD as well.
“Where do you need me?” Julian went back to the kitchen to find Ellie again. The griddle was so full of food he could barely see the black surface underneath.
She yanked a plastic cup from the nearly empty stacking zone, filled it with ice, poured a dark caramel soda, and handed it to him. “No, you go sit.”
“I’m fine.”
She went to the industrial fridge and pulled out two fresh cream pies. She reached for a plastic slice divider. “Everyone’s entitled to a thirty-minute break. I’ll make you eat a whole one of these if you don’t go sit down.”
Slice of banana cream pie in one hand, cup of soda in the other, Julian went back to the dining room and took a spot standing at the end of the bar. He wasn’t sure if this much sugar was the best or the worst idea.
“All you’ve done is run around for the last hour.”
Julian frowned and turned at a woman’s voice.
Dee squeezed in between him and the middle-aged woman sitting on the nearest stool. Julian had been so focused on eating he hadn’t looked around the room.
“I never expected to see you working here?” The nurse’s eyes sparkled. She’d pulled her hair up at the temples with black barrettes, leaving the rest to flow over her shoulders in soft waves. She wore a soft pink knee-length dress that was tighter on top and looser on the bottom. Her abruptness caught Julian off guard, and he quickly swallowed his bite of pie.
