Page 6 of A Table for Two
“So do I. Having all these fresh vegetables and fruits makes living here worth it for me.”
Natasha shook her head. “Spoken like a true cook. Most people think of the small-town ambience or our beautiful lakes and mountains as a selling point, but not you.” She mixed the dressing in the salad.
Serenity shrugged and stirred the corn. “Hey, what can I say?”
“I’ll take this out and be back to slice the bread.”
She finished cooking, then placed everything on serving dishes and carried them outside. After going back to bring out the wine, she cued up her playlist and took her seat. Everyone filled their plates and, for the first few minutes, only the sounds of forks scraping against plates competed with the music playing through her outdoor speakers.
“Serenity, you’ve outdone yourself again,” Ms. Della said. “I haven’t had fried corn in so long.”
Smiling, she said, “I’m glad you like it. It’s not too dry, is it, Gabriel?” She probably should have taken the high road, but him smiling and acting like he hadn’t been rude to her earlier had started grating on her nerves. Yes, he brought wine, but he’d forgotten the apology.
Gabriel held up a forkful of corn. “Not at all. It’s really good. Everything’s great.” He chewed and angled his head thoughtfully. “Have you ever thought about adding bacon to the corn? They say bacon makes everything better.”
Everyone around the table laughed. Except for Serenity, who kept her gaze on her plate. When she finally looked up, he was studying her with a puzzled expression. Maybe he’d meant it as a joke, but the backhanded comment stirred up painful memories she thought she had lain to rest. She couldn’t wait for dinner to end.
Chapter 3
Monday morning, Gabriel had three hours to kill before his noon meeting with Darius and Brent, so he decided to tour the town to see what had changed over the years. His body hadn’t yet adjusted to the time, and he’d been up since six. Backing out of the driveway, he saw Serenity and waved. She hesitated briefly, then threw up a quick hand in reply before getting into her own car. He shook his head and sighed.So much for trying to be friendly.
He drove to Main Street—it seemed that every small town had one—parked his car, and started up the block. As he walked and took in his new environment, his thoughts went back to Serenity. To say he’d been surprised that the woman from the grocery store was his new neighbor would be an understatement. He was still confused by her attitude after he complimented her cooking and even more now with her reluctance to merely wave back. His sister and grandmother had raved about her being sweet and kind, but so far he hadn’t seen much of that. Was she still upset by his teasing comment about the corn and her cooking? Maybe he should apologize.
Putting her out of his mind, Gabriel checked out the stores lining the surrounding streets. An hour later, he had gone several blocks and was pleasantly surprised to see an auto shop, two clothing boutiques, a pharmacy, the doctor’s office—where he assumed Serenity worked—and an ice cream parlor. But what caught his attention was the bakery and family-style restaurant.
At the corner, he crossed the street and entered Ms. Ida’s Home Cooking. Gabriel had eaten breakfast earlier, but the amazing smells that engulfed him made his stomach sit up and take notice. Sort of like it had on Saturday with Serenity’s food. It had taken great effort not to moan out loud as he ate the flaky salmon covered in that sweet glaze. He had never been a fan of kale, but the addition of the dried cranberries and whatever dressing she’d used had him rethinking his position.
“Good morning. You want a table or booth, honey?” a cheerful older woman called out as she approached the hostess stand.
“Would it be possible to do takeout?”
“Of course. I’ll get you a menu.” She took the three short steps necessary to retrieve one and handed it to him. “You’re new around here.”
Gabriel raised a brow. With everyone that came and went, how could she possibly know how long he’d lived there? “Um…yes.”
She laughed knowingly. “It’s a small town. We pretty much know everyone who lives here. Take your time and let me know if you have any questions.”
“Thanks.” He guessed if he lived in a town with fewer than two thousand residents, he might get to know everyone after a few years, too. Taking a seat on a bench near the front door, he scanned the menu and found everything from French toast and waffles to sandwiches and comfort foods like pot roast and chicken and dumplings. The foodie in him wanted to sample just about every item, but his saner mind reminded him that at thirty-six he was closer to forty than not and his metabolism didn’t work quite as fast anymore. After serious debate, he settled on fried pork chops, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. He’d save the meal for dinner and wouldn’t have to worry about cooking.
“Would you like cornbread or a biscuit?” the woman asked as she input the order.
“Cornbread, please.”
“Okay. It should be up shortly.”
While waiting, Gabriel went back across the street to the bakery and purchased blueberry and apple-cinnamon muffins. Due to his impromptu food purchase, he elected to head back home instead of carrying the bags through town. He didn’t remember his family ever eating at the restaurant, probably because his grandmother and mother had prepared all the meals during their visits. This time he planned to sample all the food joints to his heart’s content, though Nana had already extended an invitation to dinner for later in the week. He looked forward to doing both.
When Gabriel returned home, he couldn’t resist one taste. He bit into the still warm pork chop and groaned. Samples of the other foods elicited the same reaction. Macaroni and cheese and candied yams were among his most favorite foods, and he’d thought no one could come close to preparing them as well as his mom and grandmother, but Ms. Ida’s wasn’t far off. He had to make a concerted effort to close the container and not devour the entire meal right then.
He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, then went to power up his computer for the meeting.
Darius logged on first. “What’s up, D? Did you manage to survive not being able to go anywhere after seven?”
“I see you’re starting already. It hasn’t been that bad.”
“What hasn’t been that bad?” Brent asked, coming online.
“Firefly Lake.”
