Page 16 of A Table for Two
She thought for a minute, then shrugged. “I don’t know. Mommy, what kind of food are you supposed to eat at a tea party?”
“You can have little sandwiches, some fruit, and dessert.”
Brianna nodded. “Ooh, okay.”
Serenity stood. “I tell you what. I’ll bring the food. I know the perfect cookie to go with tea. They’re called vanilla crisps, and they taste so good.”
“Serenity, you don’t have to do that. This child will have you baking all kinds of things if you let her.”
“Pam, it’s no trouble at all. What time is the party?”
“I was thinking from noon until about one.”
Brianna bounced up and down. “And you have to wear a dress and a hat.”
“Oh, I have the perfect hat,” Serenity said. Or at least she would once she found one when she went shopping on the way home.
Pam took Brianna’s hand. “Come on, girl. Serenity, whatever you wear will be fine.” Shaking her head, she led her exuberant daughter out.
Still smiling, Serenity said her goodbyes.
Instead of going straight to the grocery store, she walked a block to Back Porch Boutique. It took only ten minutes to find a navy hat, complete with a bow to match her navy and white striped dress. She retraced her steps, hopped in her car, and drove over to Vineyard Foods.
Inside, Serenity got everything on her list, along with some extra lunch meat and bread for the sandwiches. It had been a long time since she’d gone to a tea party and she was almost as excited as Brianna. Maybe, for the next supper club, she’d do a tea party.Yep, a tea party.The wheels in her mind started turning, and she mentally debated on menu options. On her way to the register, she called out and returned greetings. Not for the first time, she realized how much she enjoyed living here.
She checked out, loaded the car, and headed home. The guy from the landscaping company was supposed to be coming to do the yard at five thirty, and she had just enough time to meet him. As soon as she pulled into her driveway, she saw Gabriel sweeping up grass and bobbing his head to what she assumed was music coming through the earbuds in his ears. He wore a tank top and shorts, and she sat watching the way the muscles in his arms bunched and flexed with every movement. As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned and smiled. Serenity felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment and quickly pulled into the garage and got out of the car.
The man must think I’m crazy, sitting in the car staring at him like I don’t have good sense.Except it made perfect sense because the man’s body was an absolute work of art. Not to mention, he had a smile that reminded her of pure sunshine, and whenever he looked at her with those beautiful eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She felt the heat between them but was determined to ignore it. Putting her mind back where it belonged, she popped the trunk and grabbed two bags.
Gabriel closed the distance between them, yanked out an earbud, then took out his phone and paused his music. “Hey, Serenity. Need some help?”
“Hi. I’d love some help. Thanks.” He grabbed the other five bags easily and followed her in through the garage entrance. She quickened her steps to the kitchen counter and dumped the bags to catch her ringing cell. “Hello.” Serenity listened to the excuse the landscaper gave and felt her anger rise. She disconnected and tossed the phone on the counter. “Ugh!Why can’t people just do what they say?”
“Um…where do you want these?”
She’d forgotten about Gabriel. “I’m sorry. You can just set them on the island.”
He carefully set them down, then came back to where she stood. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just the lawn care company canceling again. This is the second time this month. Pretty soon I’m going to need a hatchet to cut the grass.”
Gabriel rubbed her arm. “I’ll take care of it.”
Her surprised gaze met his. “Oh, I can’t ask you to do that, but thank you so much for offering.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered, and it’s no problem. My mower is still out, and it’ll only take about an hour or so.”
“Thanks, Gabriel. You’re a lifesaver. I can pay you.” First his concern for his grandmother and now his offer to help bring in her groceries and mow her lawn. She didn’t even have to think about the number of times her ex had offered to do either of those things. He hadn’t. Ever. Gabriel seemed to be of a different mind, and the more she got to know him, the more she found to like. A girl could easily fall for a man like him.
Gabriel raised a brow. “I’m not taking any money from you. While I’m here, you won’t have to worry about whether they cancel or not. I’ve got it. No charge. That’s what neighbors and friends do.”
He tossed her a wink and strolled out, leaving Serenity with her mouth hanging open. She laughed to herself and began putting her groceries away. He reminded her of the way her father treated her mother—jumping in to help without being asked. It had nothing to do with the fact that her mom couldn’t handle the task, because she could. As her mother had told her once, it was just nice that she didn’t have to all the time.
Serenity stacked the cans in the pantry and went still.While I’m here…Did that mean he didn’t plan to stay long? All the more reason to ignore the attraction that seemed to grow more intense each time she saw him. Besides, she already knew the score—one heartbreak was enough to last her a lifetime.
After she finished, she folded her reusable grocery bags and took them back to her car. She had a habit of forgetting them and, more than once, ended up having to buy more. She couldn’t resist a peek at Gabriel. He was more than halfway done. Because her house was on the corner, the yard extended around the side. The size of the front and back yards were selling points for her. But the large kitchen and master bedroom with its sitting area had sealed the deal. Watching him a moment longer, she had to admit that he’d done a far better job than the landscaping company. A thought came to her. He wouldn’t take money, but she’d bet he wouldn’t turn down food.
She had planned to make a teriyaki chicken stir-fry over rice and always cooked enough for leftovers. Tapping on the counter, she debated on a dessert, then remembered him saying how much he’d enjoyed the brownies. Serenity turned on her music, and as always, it didn’t take long for her to get lost in both. So much so that she was startled when she got a glimpse of him through her periphery.He’s doing the backyard, too?She refocused on cooking.That’s what friends and neighbors do.
