Katie grinned. “They’ll love anything you bake.” She studied the plates before lifting her eyes to Andrea. “They all look so good. I don’t know what to try first.”
“Start with the beef and caramelized onion canapés.” She pointed to the closest one. “Because you’re having a special barbecue dinner for your guests, I wanted to include food that taste great without being too fancy.”
Penny chose one of the canapés. “It smells divine.”
“I add red wine to the onions as I’m cooking them. It gives them a rich, oaky flavor that compliments the thinly sliced beef.”
She waited to see what her friends thought. When Katie asked if she could provide the catering for her wedding, Andrea didn’t think she could do it. Organizing dinner for fifty guests when she didn’t even have an oven in her café was hopeless.
Thankfully, Katie suggested using the commercial kitchen at The Lakeside Inn. It made even more sense when the barn Katie had originally booked was no longer available. With the entire wedding moving to the inn, it made the food so much easier to organize.
With a lot of forward planning, Andrea was positive she could help make her friend’s dream wedding come true.
Katie sighed. “Yum, yum, and triple yum. That’s a definite yes. What’s next?”
“Try the vegan taco cups. The tortilla bases are filled with refried beans, a special vegan ground beef mixture, and vegan cheddar cheese.”
As soon as Katie bit into the canapé, she groaned. “This is delicious. Everyone will like it—especially the guests who don’t eat meat.”
Andrea watched the sisters’ reaction to the other ten options. They enjoyed them them so much she wasn’t sure which ones they’d choose.
When they were finished, Penny turned to her sister. “We need five canapés for the wedding. Which ones will Peter like?”
“That’s easy. All of them.” Katie studied the scoring sheet she’d filled out. “There are only two points between my top and bottom selections.”
Penny showed her sister her sheet of paper. “I have three points. Let’s compare notes and see if that makes the choice any easier.”
After a few more taste tests, Katie and Penny chose the canapés they liked the best. In record time, they locked in their salad selections and desserts. If Katie’s blissful expression was anything to go by, the tiramisu cups were her favorite.
“That would have to be the most productive hour we’ve spent together,” Katie told her sister.
Penny laughed. “You’ve forgotten how much time we spent remodeling the inn.”
“I’ll never forget. They were some of the most exhausting days of my life.”
Andrea was living in Sapphire Bay when The Lakeside Inn opened. Everyone was excited to see inside the beautiful building, especially when news broke that the Terry sisters had found a letter written by Abraham Lincoln in an old dresser.
“You won’t have to worry about the food for your wedding now that I know what you want.”
“I can’t believe it was that easy,” Katie said. “Thank you for making all the samples. It must have taken a long time.”
“It was worth it to see how much you enjoyed them.” She looked around the kitchen. Sunlight bounced off the white stone counter. Floor-to-ceiling cupboards surrounded top-of-the line appliances, and a tray of freshly baked croissants sat at the opposite end of the table. Cooking in here would be incredible, especially first thing in the morning when the house was quiet.
Penny refilled her coffee cup. “Diana made the croissants. Would you like one?”
Andrea couldn’t resist. “Yes, please. They look amazing.”
“They are,” Penny smiled when Andrea bit into the crisp outer shell. “Our sister makes awesome pastries. If you ever need someone to help at your café, you should ask her.”
Andrea picked the flaky pieces of the outer shell off her lap. “I will. This is yummy.”
“Talking about things that are yummy,” Katie said with a mischievous smile. “Peter’s clinical director asked about you. David said he saw you outside your café the other morning.”
“We have a habit of bumping into each other. What did he want to know?”
“Just the usual things when you’re interested in someone.”
Andrea choked on a flaky piece of the croissant. “He isn’t interested in me.”
