“Don’t worry about it, dear,” Augusta replied warmly.“I was only making small talk.”
“She asked what you do,” Ezra prompted softly.
“Oh.”I straightened up, offering a polite smile.“I own a little shop in Garden Cove.I make soaps, lotions, and other homemade beauty products.”I gestured to my right.“Pippa’s my right hand.Honestly, she’s my right, my left, and both feet.I couldn’t run the shop without her.”
“Nora was the top regional sales manager for one of the biggest beauty companies in the country before taking on this venture,” Pippa chimed in with a playful cluck of her tongue.“Believe me when I say she doesn’t need me.”
I rolled my eyes.“Pippa was my executive assistant back then.Trust me, without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did.She’s a great partner.”
“Well, it sounds like a mutual admiration society,” Carl said with a chuckle.His thick, gray eyebrows were neatly trimmed, and his manicured nails were smooth and clean.Hands that looked like they’d never seen a day of hard labor.
Just then, the servers appeared, weaving between tables.An elegant, slender black woman approached us, her face lit up with a radiant smile.
“Welcome to theLady Voyagefine dining experience.My name is Charise,” she said, her voice smooth and melodic.“I’ll be your steward all week in the main dining room.It’s my pleasure to serve you.Can I get your drink and food orders?”
“I’ll take the chef’s recommendation,” I said when she pointed at me.“And a glass of your Riesling.”
“Sounds good to me, too.”Ezra nodded.“But I’ll take the Pinot Grigio.”
I made a face.Pinot probably paired better with seafood than the German Riesling, but it was too dry a wine for my taste.I had the palette of a seventeen-year-old knocking back Boone Farm’s Tickle Pink.In other words, I liked my wine sweet.
Pippa ordered the Ceasar salad, herb-crusted pork medallion, and cheesecake.Jordy ordered similarly but swapped the pork for a petite filet.They both asked for iced tea to drink.
Charise nodded to Callie and Sebastian next.She practically sang her question, “And what can I get for you?”She had a lovely voice, but Sebastian didn’t even look up when he ordered.
“I’ll take the scallops, the medium rare steak, and the tiramisu.”He held up his menu for Charise to take.“And a glass of your Cabernet Sauvignon.”
“Very good, sir,” Charise replied, taking the menu.Her cheerful expression had turned into a scowl.As if realizing her face was speaking volumes, she quickly replaced the sour expression with a wide smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Callie gave the steward an apologetic nod.“I’ll take the house salad, the grouper, and the lava cake.”
“And to drink?”
“The Moscato.”Callie flashed me a smile.“I like my wine like I like my men, cheap and sweet.”
She giggled.Sebastian rolled his eyes.
After our steward left, Pippa’s eyes narrowed.“Why does she look familiar?”
“Maybe she has one of those faces,” Augusta mused.
Pippa tapped her cheek as she worked to access the memory connection.“Maybe, but I should know who she is.”
I look to my left at Augusta and Carl.“I told you what I do.It’s your turn.”
“I was a pediatrician,” Carl responded.
“He’s being modest.Carl was one of the best pediatric surgeons in the country,” Augusta added with a hint of pride.“We both retired five years ago, and doctors worldwide still reach out to him for consultations.”
Carl, his wire-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose, chuckled.“She means I’m retired.Auggie still runs the household like a drill sergeant.”His eyes twinkled, earning a playful swat from his wife.
Ezra laughed.“Sounds like a good balance.”
“I think performing surgery on children might get you a sainthood.”Pippa grinned.“What was your specialty?”
Carl’s smile matched hers.“Gastroenterology.”
“A stomach doctor,” I translated.“That must’ve been so interesting.”I wondered if Scott had heard of him.“We have a doctor in our group.”I gestured at the two empty seats at the table.“He’s back in the cabin with his wife.They were supposed to be at dinner tonight, but she’s got a bad case of motion sickness.”
