Menu for Romance

She’d barely pushed the door open when the nearest person yelled, “Civilian in the kitchen.”

Though on a smaller scale, the frenetic pace of the kitchen was very much like what it had been on Valentine’s Day.

“May I help—oh, it’s you.” Major wiped his hands on a towel and draped it over his shoulder. “You look beautiful, Meredith.”

She was pretty sure even her shoulders were blushing. “Thanks. How’s everything going in here?”

“Is it my imagination, or are you supposed to be not working tonight?” The dimple appeared in his left cheek, though he tried to keep his expression stern.

“I just...” She shrugged. “Busted.”

“Since you are a guest and not part of the staff tonight, I have to order you out of the kitchen.” He pressed his fingertips to his earpiece. “Especially since I just got the five-minute warning until salad service. So,” he reached behind her and pushed the door open, “please vacate the service area of the premises.”

She caught the tip of her tongue between her teeth—he was so close to her. All she had to do was raise up on her toes and she’d be within a millimeter of kissing him.

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “Yes, Chef.” Her voice squeaked, and she turned and fled the kitchen.

She was halfway through her Chateaubriand before her heart returned to a normal rate and she stopped imagining what would have happened if she hadn’t backed away and practically run from the kitchen. Major would have been mortified if she’d kissed him in front of his staff, and possibly offended.

Mrs. McCord’s words had wrecked Meredith’s ability to ignore her romantic thoughts about Major. And even if Major did feel something for her, she couldn’t do anything until she had a conversation with Ward to tell him the truth about her feelings toward him.

“And now, the bride and groom will share their first dance.”

George led Anne out to the open space in the middle of the room to the guests’ soft applause. Out of the three songs Anne had narrowed the choices to, “True Love” had been Meredith’s favorite. And she was really glad that Anne had been able to find the recording of Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly singing it, because it was a little slower, more romantic, than the Dean Martin version Anne had played for her a few weeks ago.

As soon as that song ended, the DJ invited Errol, Maggie, and the attendants to join Anne and George on the dance floor. When the first notes of “That’s Amore” started playing, Meredith giggled, nerves pressing at her throat. Even though Anne had taught her several different steps, Meredith was by no means comfortable with the task of dancing, especially since Henry was so graceful it made her feel like an elephant trying to balance on a tightrope.

Thankfully, it was a short song. Meredith was just about to escape when Ward stopped her.

“May I?” He extended his hand.

She shook her head. “I’m not really a dancer.”

“You looked wonderful out there.” He took her hand and led her back onto the dance floor. “If you’re truly awful, we’ll stop, I promise.”

Not only was Ward good, but he also softly sang along with “It Had to Be You” as he whisked Meredith around the floor. But two dances were enough for Meredith. She went and sat down with Forbes while Ward partnered up with Jenn.

“Do you think Jenn’s seriously interested in Henry, or is it just because he’s new and different?” Forbes asked.

“New and different. She’s got her eye on Ward now, too.” And from the way Ward was looking at Jenn while they slow-danced to a song Meredith had never heard before, he might not mind spending some time with Jenn.

“You don’t think she’d try to steal him away from you?” Forbes leaned forward, concern evident in his slate blue eyes.

“It won’t be stealing.” She leaned across the table to retrieve her glass of tea.

“I see.” Forbes resumed his more relaxed posture. “You’ve already told Jenn that?”

“Yeah. But I need to tell Ward.”

“Best do it now.” Forbes nodded at the two of them coming toward the table together.

She’d hoped to put it off as long as possible, but she could see the struggle in Ward’s eyes when he sat down beside her.

Forbes sighed and stood. “Come on, Jenn. Dance with your decrepit old brother.”

Ward reached over and took Meredith’s hand. “You don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Ward ... there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Sounds serious.” He rubbed his thumb against the palm of her hand.

“It is.” She pulled her hand out of his and rested it on her lap. “It’s something I should have told you awhile back, but I’ve been putting it off, hoping things would change.”

He leaned forward and braced his hands on his knees. “Hoping things would change—as in the way you feel about me?”

“Yeah.” She drew the word out. “I have had so much fun going out with you, and I have never felt more cherished and admired than I have since I met you.”

“But you aren’t falling in love with me.” Kindness permeated his voice and soft smile. “Would it surprise you to learn that I’m not in love with you either?”

Breathing came a little easier. “A little. Why keep asking me out if...?”

“Because I wanted to fall in love with you. On paper, Meredith Guidry is the perfect woman for me.”

“But I’m not the same person in real life that I am on paper?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean that every quality that I’ve ever dreamed of finding in a woman, I found in you.”

“But the spark isn’t there.” She began to relax, understanding that he really did feel the same way she did.

“Exactly.”

“I was seeing definite sparks between you and Jenn.” She grinned at his surprise. “Henry leaves day after tomorrow, and while she’s having fun flirting with him, when I told her I was going to break up with you, she wanted to know if that meant you were fair game. So I’m giving you the same blessing I gave her: go for it.”

And he did. As soon as Jenn came off the dance floor with Forbes, Ward took her right back out and relinquished her to Henry only twice.

“I’m proud of you, Mere.”

“Hmm?” Meredith hadn’t caught all of what Forbes said. She was too caught up in watching Major make his way around the room. It must be almost time for the cake cutting, since he’d said he was going to make an appearance for that.

A sudden welling of emotion took Meredith by surprise. She’d wished, wanted, hoped, desired, prayed for so long that what Mrs. McCord had said would come true—that she would marry Major O’Hara. The desire to melt into a heap of tears, in private, drew her to her feet, but before she could disappear and give into the temptation, Anne waved her over to the table where the enormous cake Aunt Maggie had created stood.

As soon as Anne and George had finished feeding cake to each other and the servers had taken over cutting the masterpiece into pieces for the guests, Meredith slipped out the front door and followed the wraparound porch to the place overlooking the lake that lay between Lafitte’s and the university campus.

She immediately wished she’d stopped to get her wrap as the cool, damp air prickled her arms and cheeks. But she didn’t feel like going back inside to get it. She’d come out here to feel miserable, and being cold only added to her self-pity.

Leaning against one of the pillars, she wrapped her arms around her middle and gave into the tears that had been building for weeks, months, years. Tonight she’d lost Anne and Ward. Though Anne would never cease being her cousin and friend, their relationship would never be the same again—she’d seen the hints of that over the past six months since Anne and George met. And even though she hadn’t been in love with Ward, at least she’d had the appearance and comfort of having a boyfriend for a couple of months.