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Ethan finished off his champagne. “Me, too.”
Before long, Sarah had them all chopping and grating while she rolled out dough to make what she called “something that would change their lives forever.” Luke made a pot of coffee and set the table. A mere forty minutes later, the four of them were sitting in the dining room, eating omelets filled with potatoes and Spanish chorizo and the best beignets Luke had tasted this side of Louisiana.
Julie bit into a beignet that left some powdered sugar on her chin right next to the chocolate smear from the donuts. “Oh my God. The Café Du Monde has nothing on this,” she said, referring to the famous New Orleans café.
“Sorry, Julie,” Ethan said to his wife before turning to Sarah. “Will you marry me?”
“Forget you,” Julie said, “Will Sarah marry me?”
They all laughed.
“Seriously, Sarah, these are fabulous,” Julie said. “Where did you learn to make these?”
“Actually, I learned how to make those at the Café Du Monde. I worked there one summer.”
“Really? What was that like?” Ethan asked, intrigued. Luke leaned forward in his chair. He wanted to know the answer to that, too.
“Hot,” she said and they all laughed again. “It was a busy summer, but I learned a lot.”
“Obviously,” Julie said. “If this is the kind of food you’re going to serve from your food truck then you’re going to make a fortune.”
The three of them began talking and laughing again, while Luke sat back in his seat and watched. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to participate in the conversation, but the last couple of hours had given him a lot to think about.
He’d have to make plans. Reach out to their contact in Alaska and see when they’d need to start work. He’d promised Mimi he’d stay in Whispering Bay long enough to attend Claire’s going-away party, which was coming up in just a few days, so, no problem there. But he had a lot to do. Arrange for a flight, a place to stay. Hire more engineers, look into office space in Seattle, maybe. He’d only been there a few times but it was a city he could see himself living in, at least for part of the year.
He wondered if Sarah had ever been to Seattle. She’d love the food scene, the Pike Place Market, the coffee. Maybe once he was settled, she could come out and visit him.
He watched her as she regaled his friends with a funny story about a tourist who tried to tell the head barista at the famous café how to make a better cup of café au lait.
I want to make good food that makes people feel good, too.
She didn’t need a food truck to do that. She made people feel good just by being herself.
After they’d eaten, they’d cleared the table and between the four of them had the kitchen cleaned up and the dishes all stacked in the dishwasher.
“You’re heading back down to Whispering Bay this afternoon?” Ethan asked.
Sarah nodded. “I need to be back at work bright and early in the morning.”
“How much longer are you planning to stay down there?” Ethan asked Luke.
Luke stole a glimpse at Sarah, curious if she had any reaction to the question, but she looked at him with the same blank expression on her face as Julie’s. “I should be back in Atlanta by this Friday.”
“Good. We can spend the weekend strategizing on the new project.” Ethan gave Luke a friendly goodbye thump on the shoulder. “Sarah,” he said, reaching out to hug her. “I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you. Thank you for the best food I’ve ever had the privilege to eat. Anytime you want to come to Atlanta, my home is open.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, looking flushed from Ethan’s warm words. “I don’t expect to be back in Atlanta anytime soon, but if I do ever get back here, I’ll definitely call you and Julie.” She gave Julie a tight hug. “And you, pretty lady! Best of luck with that baby.” Her words sounded choked with emotion.
They were almost out the door when Julie gave Luke a hug goodbye. “See you next weekend.” She leaned up to whisper in his ear. “If you let Sarah go, then you’re the dumbest man on the planet.”
“I love you, too, Jules,” he shot back.
He waited till they were gone a few minutes. “That was fun,” he said to Sarah.
“Oh my God, yes. They’re the best, Luke. You’re lucky to have such good friends. And, I know I said it before, but I’m so happy for you. This Alaskan contract is a big deal, huh?”
He nodded. He wanted to ask her about last night, but things seemed okay between them now, so why rock the boat? “What do you want to do today? We could go down to the park and—”
“I hate to be a killjoy, but do you think we can head back to Whispering Bay? It’s a long drive and I have a super early morning tomorrow.”
