Page 18 of Revenge Honeymoon

“Tell him about your business, babe.” Ruby freed her hand so she could take another bite of her mystery chicken dish.

Emily blushed. “Oh, you’ll think it’s ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous?” Max set down his fork. “Why would I think it’s ridiculous?”

Max glanced from one woman to the next. “Wait, you aren’t one of those people who grooms poodles to look like dinosaurs?” He made a scissoring motion with his fingers.

Emily laughed at his guess. “No.”

“Or maybe you’re an underwater sex therapist for the elderly?” He winked.

Both Ruby and Emily chortled. A real, true chortle with definite snorts. Text book chortling.

Emily wiped her eyes and prayed her mascara hadn’t run. Once she caught her breath, she answered, “I own a gourmet picnic company.”

“Gourmet picnics?” He tilted his head to one side. “Explain.”

“Well, I used to work as an event planner at one of the big hotels in Roanoke, but the schedule was draining. My social life was a zero.” Little did he know her social life had been barely above zero for most of her adult life. “I love to cook, but wanted something less stressful, more fun, and straight catering seemed too, well, boring, to be honest. Weddings, bar mitzvahs, graduations, baby showers. All the same stuff over and over. Chicken or beef? Cake pops or sheet cake? Ugh.”

“But picnics?” Max gave a slight shake of his head. He stabbed another bite of steak and continued his meal.

Exactly the same reaction her parents had given her when she told them the news. Her brother had feigned shock, even though she’d bounced the idea off of him weeks earlier. So much for sibling support. Her mother had suggested she see a therapist. Her father had walked out of the room and headed to his man cave in the basement with a worried expression.

“I guess I’ve loved picnics since I was a kid. My parents would take my brother and me up into the Blue Ridge Mountains for the day. We’d hike and climb and play in the woods and on the rocks until noon, and then my mother would have this huge lunch spread for us.” The memory warmed her inside. So many wonderful memories from that stage of her life. “And not PB and J and a bag of chips. No, she’d make Hummingbird Cake, pigs-in-a-blanket, fried chicken, and the best potato salad you’ll ever have.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true,” Ruby said. “I could hardly wait for the Smalls’ Fourth of July barbecue. Delicious. Plus, her lemon bars were to die for.”

“Picnics seemed more like me.” Emily shrugged and ate her lasagna. If she had a little pinch of fresh basil, that would be just the thing to bring her meal to the next level.

Max considered her explanation. “So who is scheduling gourmet picnics exactly?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised.” Her muscles relaxed as she explained more about her business. Her baby. The thing besides her friendship with Ruby that gave her the most joy. “Lots of engagements.”

He nodded. “Okay, that makes sense.”

“Church events on the lawn, family barbecues at the park, book clubs.” Emily ticked off her list on her fingers. “You’d be surprised how many people were dying for a gourmet picnic. There’s something fun about it. The baskets, the blankets, the whole set up.”

“She goes all out, too.” Ruby’s eyes lit up. “No paper plates or plasticware...all nice stuff. Champagne flutes. Cloth napkins. Decorations. The works. All themed for the customer.”

“I suppose I never thought about it.” He gave Emily a direct gaze. “That’s a pretty unique idea.”

Her cheeks heated at his praise. “Thanks.” She thought back to when she’d left the hotel and her last serious boyfriend who worked at the front desk. He’d been the least supportive person in her circle of family and friends. Kyle had undermined her confidence so much that she’d almost abandoned the idea. “My boyfriend back then thought I was crazy.”

Ruby gasped.

Max’s eyes widened. “Boyfriend? I thought—?”

Oh. Holy. Crap.

What did she just do?

Chapter6

Trivia Night

Emily gagged on a bite of lasagna.

Ruby gasped mid-grimace.

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