Christmas at the Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant #2)(24)

“Thanks, and they’re not mittens. Men don’t wear mittens.”

“Whatever! Have fun, you guys.”

“If you catch some fish, we’ll cook it up for dinner tonight,” Mandy added.

Soon after Billy left, Mandy and Jill left as well for the Hodges’ holiday open house. It was Cory’s weekend with the kids, so it was just Jill and Mandy.

“I feel bad that Emma can’t join us,” Jill said as Mandy pulled up to the Beach Plum Cove Inn.

“I don’t think she minds. She and Paul like working a double together on Sunday and then having Monday off.”

It was a few minutes past noon and there was already a good crowd gathered. Cars were parked all up and down the street. They found a spot and Mandy grabbed the bottle of wine she’d wrapped in gold foil and red ribbon to give to Lisa from the two of them as a hostess gift. The house was decorated beautifully with twinkling white lights outside and in, red velvet bows on the bushes and a gorgeous wreath on the front door made of driftwood that had been painted a pale blue with pretty seashells wired onto it and a crinkly silver ribbon.

“I bet Lisa made that,” Mandy said. “Kate told me her mother always makes a holiday wreath.”

Jill knocked on the front door and a moment later it was opened by Lisa’s husband, Rhett, who was wearing a big smile and a shimmering red holiday vest over a hunter green button-down shirt.

“Welcome! Come in.” He opened the door wide and they stepped inside. Mandy handed him the bottle of wine as Lisa saw them and came over to say hello.

“You look festive, I love the vest,” Jill said.

“Thank you. It’s a tradition. I’ve worn this every holiday for years.”

“We call it his ‘Festivus’ vest,” Lisa said.

Mandy and Jill laughed. “That was one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes,” Mandy said.

“A ‘Festivus for the rest of us’,” Jill said and they all laughed.

“Exactly. Come on in and help yourself to the food. It’s in the dining room and the kitchen,” Lisa said.

“And there’s tons, so eat up,” Rhett added.

“Kate told me that you’re back for the whole month of December, Jill. That’s wonderful,” Lisa said. “Have you seen Natalie yet? She’s getting so big.”

“No, not yet. Just Abby and Kate so far.”

“You made it!” Kate walked over and gave them both a hug. “Let me make you both a mimosa. I can’t have one, but you both might as well.”

Mandy raised her eyebrows. “You always have a mimosa. Are you…?”

Kate grinned. “Yes, three months along as of today, so Jack gave me the green light to tell everyone. In another month or so, we’ll find out what we’re having.”

Mandy hugged her again. “Kate, I’m so happy for you.”

“Me, too. That’s great news,” Jill added. She noticed that Kate was positively glowing. Her hair was shinier than usual, and she had a new, rosy tone to her cheeks. And she was still as slim as ever. She expected Kate would be one of the people who didn’t show until month five and was all baby, slim everywhere else but with a basketball in her belly. She smiled at the image.

“Have you had any cravings, yet?” Mandy asked her.

Kate laughed. “Yes, and it’s the strangest thing. I used to love coffee, now I can’t stand the smell of it and instead I’m drinking tea with milk. I never put milk in anything before. And potato chips. I can’t get enough of them and I know they are awful for you. But, they keep finding their way into every sandwich I make, an actual layer of chips on top of whatever else—turkey, ham, even peanut butter. I know that’s super weird, but it’s so good.”

“It’s not weird. I had my share of strange cravings too,” Mandy assured her. “Some of them stayed with me too. I still crave fried clams every now and then.”

“Well, I crave those and I’ve never been pregnant. They’re just really good,” Jill said.

“Speaking of really good, here’s your mimosas.” Kate handed them each a tall champagne flute filled with champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice. “And grab a plate and eat. My mother went overboard, as usual. She’s always afraid that she won’t have enough food.”

Mandy and Jill both reached for a plump shrimp, dunked it in cocktail sauce and followed Kate into the dining room where platters of food were everywhere. They made their way around the room adding stuffed mushrooms, various dips and chips, a small wedge of Lisa’s famous lobster quiche and a bite-sized chunk of lobster tail. The lobster pieces had toothpicks in them and a small pot of melted butter set over a candle to keep it warm. They dipped the lobster in the butter before taking a bite.

“I think this may be my favorite appetizer of all time,” Mandy said.

“It’s so simple too,” Kate said. “Jack brought the lobster tails home from work and we just chopped them up and melted some butter.”

“I’ll have to remember that for when Billy and I have people over when we’re back in Manhattan. It’s an impressive dish.”

They saved room for the cinnamon walnut coffee cake that Lisa always made. It had sour cream in it and was the moistest, most decadent coffee cake. And it went really well with the mimosas.