The Summer of Sunshine and Margot(35)

“I seriously doubt Edna said anything like that,” he told her.

She’d been so busy taking her imagination train to a nonexistent destination, she had to figure out what he meant.

“Not in so many words,” she admitted. “But the meaning was clear. Edna doubts my cooking ability.”

“Is there reason to?”

She laughed. “I have a few skills, but they are nothing when compared to my sister, who can cook anything and make it delicious. Regardless, tonight I will assemble with the best. Oh, and she mentioned you would be acting as bartender. I hope that’s all right.”

“Of course. It’s only the four of us and my mother raised me to be the kind of gentleman who makes an excellent martini.”

“Good to know.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I detect a lack of enthusiasm. Not a martini drinker?”

“I am, I confess, more of a margarita girl.”

His dark gaze met hers. “Excellent. When our guest of honor arrives, I will impress you with my bartending skills.”

“I look forward to being impressed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to tend to the bruschetta.”

Alec nodded, then surprised her by taking off his jacket and literally rolling up his shirtsleeves before walking to the sink and washing his hands.

“What are you doing?”

“Preparing to help.”

“But I can do it.”

“It will go faster this way.”

She told herself not to read anything into his actions. He was just being polite. Still, she was more than a little fluttery, which was unexpected and made her nervous, which was probably why she accidently blurted, “I feel as if this is the least I can do. Helping out with the party, I mean. Your mother is doing so well with her lessons and practice sessions. I’m not totally sure why she hired me.”

Alec wiped his hands on a towel, then looked at her. “You mean that?”

“Of course. She’s a little eccentric and I worry about her wardrobe choices, but otherwise, she’s been attentive and interested in learning about the history of Wesley’s country and everything else we’ve talked about.”

As she spoke she got out the toasted bread slices and the toppings.

“Let’s give it a couple of weeks before you make any judgments,” he told her. “There are still a few things to be worked out.”

“If you say so.” Margot wondered if Bianca had mellowed more than he’d realized. Sometimes it was hard for adult children to see their parents as people with separate lives.

They went to work on the rest of the appetizers. Margot stirred fresh chopped chives into softened cream cheese, then spread it on the bread and topped it with the mushroom mixture. Alec prepared the more traditional bruschetta, topping the bread with diced fresh tomatoes and feta. They both finished as the oven dinged.

“I’ll take care of that and set everything up if you want to take care of the drinks,” she said.

“One excellent margarita coming up.”

“Now I’m curious.”

She pulled the cookie sheets from the ovens and slid the various appetizers onto serving plates, then carried them into the living room. Bianca was already there, waiting while Alec poured her a martini.

“Isn’t this lovely,” she said, her gaze darting around the room. “Stifling monastery meets munchies. Whatever will people say?”

Bianca’s sharp tone surprised Margot. As far she knew, Bianca loved the house so what was up with the “stifling” comment?

Rather than respond, she took in Bianca’s appearance. She’d pinned up her hair, had put on dangling diamond earrings and strappy high-heeled sandals. Her makeup was subtle while still bringing attention to her beautiful face.

“You look like a model for Vogue,” Margot said honestly. “Seriously, Bianca, you take my breath away.”

“The dress is frumpy,” Bianca grumbled.

“It’s classy,” Alec corrected, handing her the martini.

“I feel old.” Bianca swallowed half her drink in a single gulp. “This was a ridiculous idea. I should text Wesley and tell him to forget it. We’ll go get burgers or something. What was I thinking?”

Bianca’s tension was palpable and surprising. Margot lightly touched her arm. “We’ve been working on some breathing exercises. They always make me feel better. Make sure you’re inhaling to your stomach. Short shallow breaths increase anxiety.”

Bianca finished her drink, then held out her glass to Alec. “One more, please. There’s a good boy.” She swung her gaze back to Margot. “Anxious? You couldn’t be more wrong. I’m fine and you might want to put on some shoes.”

Margot had totally forgotten she was still barefoot and wearing an apron. Not exactly the example she wanted to set. She returned to the kitchen and reappeared a few seconds later. Alec was pouring her margarita over ice. When he turned and saw her, his eyes widened slightly, as if taken aback by her appearance.

She felt herself flush. “Yes, well, your mother and I had a deal. I got to pick out her dress and she got to pick out mine. Not that this is something I own because, while it’s lovely, it’s a designer dress and I’ve never owned anything... I mean, it’s your mother’s. But it’s really pretty and I should stop talking now.”