AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Of course, he was lying, but he certainly wasn’t going to do or say anything to spoil Logan and Jenna’s picture-perfect wedding.
Marcus was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Logan had stopped and was staring up at the sky. The air was quiet and still, hazy clouds shadowing the sun. Not even a sparrow swooped across the garden pond.
“Maybe it’s because I’m sweating after the run, but does it feel like the temperature suddenly dropped?” his friend asked.
Marcus snapped out of his reverie and stared at the sky. “Yeah, I think you’re right. It’s getting cooler, but the days are shortening. It’s November, after all.”
Logan shrugged. “I checked the weather for Jenna, and it’s supposed to stay clear for another few days. At least until after the wedding, and we’re long gone to our honeymoon.”
“Where isthatanticipated event taking place?” Marcus ribbed him.
“I booked us a suite on a private island in the Caribbean. Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Not telling where,” he added with a sly grin. “No phones, no internet. Just sand, sun, catered meals brought in by boat, and Jenna in a bikini for an entire week.”
Marcus wanted to groan. He was incredibly happy for Logan and Jenna, but this entire wedding week reminded him of his own loss—the week fromHades four years ago.
He pushed aside the sudden flare of anger and grief, and his thoughts immediately turned to Caitey while he tried to imagine her in a bikini on a secluded beach with a cabana of their own.
Okay, enough of that. Time to take a cold shower.
CHAPTER 11
CAITEY
After breakfast, Caitey met Jenna in the dining room to discuss food, cake, decorations, and the timing of the wedding day.
As soon as they were seated, Caitey heard a male voice through the doors leading into the kitchen.
“Who isthat?” Caitey whispered. She didn’t recognize the deep voice with a folksy accent.
Jenna glanced up. “Oh, I forgot to introduce you to Gus. He’s the cook I told you about. He’ll be here for the rest of the week because of the wedding and all the house guests.”
“Gus made all that fabulous food last night for dinner?”
“Oh, yes, he was a chef and ran his own restaurant in Los Angeles. I think he was trained in Europe, but you’d never know it. I think he actually grew up in the Bronx, dirt poor.”
The kitchen door swung open, and a short, stout manpeeked his head into the dining room. “Hey, ladies, I think someone’s walking over my grave. Someone’s callin’ my name.”
“Yes, we’re talking about you,” Jenna admitted. “Please meet my cousin, Caitey Belgrave.”
“Pleased to meet you, young lady,” Gus said with a slight bow and a wide smile. “I hear you’re our famous wedding planner. Miss Jenna didn’t wantmeto do her wedding, only you. But that’s fine with me because I’ve got my plate full already—if you know what I mean,” he added with a wink. “Fullplateand all.”
The cook was grinning from ear to ear. A jovial man in his early 60s with a rotund figure and bright red cheeks was wearing baggy jeans, a pullover shirt along with his splattered apron and holding a long spatula.
“Gus has a talent for transforming the simplest ingredients into culinary masterpieces,” Jenna said with a dramatic wave of her hand. “His kitchen is always filled with the tantalizing aromas of his latest creations.”
“I’m just a homeboy, Miss Jenna,” the man said in a self-deprecating manner, but he was beaming from ear to ear as if every day was the best day ever. “Miss Caity, if I can make something for you or whip up goodies or treats for your room, just let me know. I’m always prepared to please the taste buds of the Hearst family home.”
“Thank you,” Caitey told him. “Do you happen to have any cocoa mixes in the pantry?”
“DoIhave cocoa mixes?” Gus asked, widening his eyes. “No need to ask twice. I am always prepared! The very finest of cocoa, with all the toppings and sprinkles and whipped cream to go with it. None of that artificial Cool Whip, either. Real, homemade whipped topping from the best cream lies right there in my refrigerator.”
“That sounds heavenly. Whenever it gets a little cool, I think about drinking cocoa. Of course, where I live in San Diego, that’s pretty much never. When I went camping with my family, it was always a treat, and my mother would pull it out to drink around the campfire.”
“So far, we’re having a mild fall, but if that changes, we’ll bring out the finest flavors from the back of my pantry. Happy wedding planning, ladies!”
Gus swiveled on his sneakers and disappeared back into the kitchen.
“Okay, back to our lists,” Caitey said.
