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“Absolutely right. This part is adults only. Now, you should get ready for lunch.” And Ruth should get ready for the cheese room, given that she hadn’t done much in terms of goat cheese today.
Around five, the afternoon rush began to slack off as customers headed home with their packages of appetizers and desserts. Carol had run the slicer again, under Ruth’s careful supervision, and produced an acceptable package of salami for a long-time customer.
Peaches emerged from the kitchen with a stock pot and hot pads. “This is supper. It’s chicken and rice, with some fresh vegetables. Tasty but modest. Shouldn’t cause any talk at all.”
Ruth couldn’t imagine David talking about food, but she supposed he could have changed since she’d known him last. “Thanks, it smells great. Are you all done in the kitchen?”
Peaches nodded. “Muffin batter in the refrigerator and cinnamon roll dough all ready to go on the counter. I’m heading home. See you tomorrow.”
“See you.” Ruth positioned the stock pot in a cardboard box, surrounded by towels to keep the chicken warm until they got home.
Carol frowned. “Is that our supper?”
“It is. Now come on, we need to get moving. Your father’s going to get there around six.”
Carol sighed. “Great.”
Ruth had managed to straighten up the house before Liam had come over the night before, and Carol had spent part of the evening and a lot of the morning cleaning her room. She placed Peaches’s stockpot in the oven and pulled out a tray of cheese and crackers she’d put together that morning. Liam had left an extra bottle of Bec’s wheat beer, but she had a feeling David would be happier with wine. Fortunately she had a middle-of-the-road red that would probably be okay.
Carol bit her lip. “Do I look all right? Do I need to put on something different?”
Ruth took a quick survey. Jeans and a clean T-shirt. Pretty much what Carol wore every day. David should probably see what his daughter looked like under normal circumstances. “No, what you have on is fine. Run a brush through your hair, though.”
Carol hurried up the stairs, and Ruth took the time to do a quick check in the bathroom mirror. She undoubtedly didn’t measure up to the women in Malibu, but by Antero standards, she looked good. Or anyway, she looked passable.
And who the hell cared whether she looked good or not? It wasn’t like she was trying to attract David’s interest. This evening wasn’t her idea, after all.
The doorbell rang promptly at six. Please just let us get through this with only minor damages. Please let it be routine. It wouldn’t be, but she could hope.
She opened the door to find David on the front porch, one eyebrow raised as he gave the house a critical appraisal.
“Hi,” she said. “Come on in.”
He followed her into the hall, still glancing around. “How long have you had this place?”
“Around ten years. I rented it from my uncle Mark and then bought it when he didn’t want to be a landlord anymore.”
She waited for him to say something else, but he stayed quiet. She should probably be grateful for that, given the kind of snarky comments he used to make about Antero. But that had been when they were breaking up. Maybe he’d mellowed since then.
“You have any heating problems? Looks like you’ve got some chinks around the windows.”
Or not.
“We’re fine.” She gestured toward the kitchen table. “Have some cheese. You can open the wine. I’ll check on Carol.”
Carol was staring at herself in the mirror, pulling on one errant lock of hair. She glanced up when Ruth stepped inside her room. “I can’t make it lie down like it’s supposed to.” She bit her lip, her eyes widening.
Ruth’s throat tightened suddenly. “It’s all right. It’s fine. You look great.”
Carol swallowed. “He’s here, isn’t he? I heard the doorbell.”
Ruth smoothed her daughter’s hair, trying for a smile. “He’s here. Come on down and have some cheese. You can talk while I get dinner ready.”
Carol glanced toward the door, her eyes still wide. “Okay.”
Ruth put an arm around her shoulders. “Come on down with me. Let’s get this show on the road.”
