He sniffed toward the still-open doorway. “And something in there smells pretty good.”
“I’m sure everything is almost done. Why don’t you sit down?” She pointed to the farthest chair.
He picked up the bottle of white wine. “Should I open this?”
“Yes. If you think I chilled it enough.”
“Feels just right.”
“Great. I’ll be right back.” Brynna felt her heart fluttering as she went back inside, followed by Babe. She couldn’t ever remember having been so excited over serving a meal. And she’d never served one in such a beautiful location. Worried that Mike and Jan might arrive too early and disrupt everything, she’d even shot off a quick text asking them to wait until at least eight thirty before showing up.
“Need a hand in there?” he called out.
“No thanks. Babe is helping.” She tossed Babe a little piece of chicken, then, with a bowl of pasta in one hand and the small platter of chicken in the other, she went back out. “Like I warned you, it’s pretty simple.” She set the dishes down.
“Simply perfect.” His eyes lit up like he meant it. “I like simple food, Brynna. Fancy food doesn’t agree with me.”
She sat down with a smile. “I like simple food too. Simple but good.”
Leroy looked at her over the table. “Can I ask a blessing?”
“Yes.” She nodded eagerly. “Please do!”
After a sweet but short blessing, Brynna passed the chicken to him. “I hope it’s not tough. It was frozen.”
“Looks good to me.” He forked into the biggest piece with enthusiasm, setting it onto his plate.
“And the pasta sauce was made by your own Sophie, so I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Everything looks delicious.” He grinned. “I’m starved.”
“Well, dig in!”
As they started to eat, with Babe nestled beneath the table, Brynna realized she was quite hungry too. She’d hardly eaten anything all day—hadn’t wanted to—but now she felt relaxed and happy and hopeful. And to her relief, everything—even the chicken—was just fine.
“I’ve never been much of a wine drinker,” she said as she took a sip, “but this is really good. Sophie kept telling me I needed to try it. She said this year’s sauvignon blanc was one of the best you’ve ever had. I’m not sure what that means, but I do think it’s good.”
“Thank you.” He held up his glass, examining the clarity in the fading sunlight. “To be honest, I’m not much of a wine drinker myself. Not that you need to go public with that. Not exactly the image one expects of a vineyard owner.”
She chuckled. “Mum’s the word.”
It didn’t take long for Leroy to clean his plate. “Mind if I have seconds?”
“Of course not.” She eagerly passed the chicken platter to him.
“Everything tastes really good, Brynna. Thanks for doing this.”
“It was fun.” She looked out over the vineyard rows. “And it’s fun to eat out here. It was so warm and stuffy inside, I thought it’d be nice to get some fresh air.”
He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of his house. “And it’s nice that this porch can’t be seen from up there.”
“Meaning you don’t want them to know you’re down here?” she teased. “Eating in the servant’s quarters?”
“You’re not the servant.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“Well, you’re not,” he protested.
