The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin Read Free Book Online Page B

fit in.” Unfortunately, before she could ask any questions, Phillipe came by their table to find out, “How’d you like your meal?”
    “It was one of the best I’ve ever had,” she replied.
    And not just because of the food. The company had been pretty nice, too.
    Surprisingly nice.
    Still, Julie realized after Phillipe hugged them both again and then hurried back to the stove, all good things had to come to an end. “Rose is going to be wondering where I’ve gone, especially considering I need to put a menu together by four o’clock.” She shook her head as she gestured at the busy kitchen. “Although, frankly, I’m starting to wonder why I bother when nothing I cook can possibly come up to this standard.”
    “You aren’t giving yourself enough credit,” Andrew said as he pushed his chair back and then, like a true gentleman, helped her with hers. “Will you promise me one thing before I take you back to the Rose Chalet?”
    “That depends on what it is.”
    “Still so cautious, aren’t you?”
    “Around you?” She raised an eyebrow. “Definitely.”
    His mouth curved into a grin at her sassy response. “Promise me that for this afternoon you won’t be cautious. You’ve got good instincts, Julie. I have a feeling if you follow them, you’ll do really, really well.”

Chapter Seven
     
    Rose was waiting for Julie when Andrew walked in with her.
    “Oh, Andrew, it’s nice to see you again.” Rose was clearly surprised to see the two of them together outside of the Chalet. “Have you and Julie had some time to work on revising your brother’s menu?”
    Andrew nodded. “We just finished conducting some research with a chef friend of mine. I hope you don’t mind me stealing her away for an hour?”
    What was it about him that made things go so easily, Julie wondered? In any case, she was glad when Rose smiled rather than immediately firing her for coming back so late from the grocery store.
    “No, it’s no problem,” Rose said. “I hope there isn’t any more research to do today, however. Julie has some other clients to cook for, and they’ll be arriving soon.”
    By way of an answer, Julie lifted her bags of groceries. “I have all the ingredients, so everything should go great.”
    It helped that she was starting to actually believe it. If she had been feeling inspired in the morning, after eating lunch at The Glass Square , Julie’s head was fairly bursting with ideas.
    Yesterday on set with Andrew, she’d seen what she could do if she only trusted her palate enough. Today, she was determined that Rose’s new customers would have a wedding menu the likes of which the world had never seen before.
    “I’ve got to get back to the studio, anyway,” he told them. “The producers loved the idea of local chefs cooking alongside me so much that they now want me to do that as a regular thing.”
    He made no direct mention of Julie, but even so she tensed, waiting for Rose to pick up on their connection. Maybe she should have mentioned her impromptu appearance on his show, but there hadn’t really been time to talk to Rose about it since then, had there?
    Fortunately, Rose replied, “That sounds like fun,” in a distracted way. “Sorry, I’ve got to run. There are so many things to get ready.” She actually broke into a bit of a jog in her heels as she headed back inside.
    Julie turned to Andrew. “Thank you for a really lovely lunch.”
    “It was my pleasure,” Andrew said, and her breath actually hitched when he stared into her eyes. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again. Very soon.”
    This time Julie’s breath simply stopped altogether. Finally, when Andrew had driven away and she remembered how to breathe again, she turned for the kitchen and saw Rose talking something over with RJ.
    Whatever the gardener said had her boss laughing out loud for a moment. Rose quickly recovered her composure, however, then hurried off to start making phone calls. The Rose Chalet’s