Andrea breathed a sigh of relief when David arrived at The Lakeside Inn. “Is everything okay? It took you a long time to collect the cake.”
“Something unexpected happened.”
“Don’t worry about that now.” She took the box out of his hands and carefully opened the lid. “Thank goodness the cake’s okay.” After lifting it out of the box, she made sure the top layer was perfectly centered before lowering it into place. With a critical eye, she turned the cake around, looking for any frosting that had to be repaired. “It looks great. Thanks for collecting it.”
“You’re welcome.”
Vanessa hurried into the kitchen. “Everyone’s enjoying the canapés. The grills are full of cooked meat and the salads and fancy bread are on the tables.”
Andrea checked the time. “Tell the servers to get ready for dinner. If you can find Katie’s Aunt Rosa, tell her the food’s ready. She’ll tell the other guests to find their tables.”
“Is she the lady who was helping us earlier?”
“That’s her. She changed into a red, sparkly dress.”
She looked over David’s shoulder and frowned. Andy and Charlie had just walked into the kitchen. “Hi, guys. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with Mr. Jessop.”
“David picked us up,” Andy said. “Mr. Jessop’s here too. He’s talking to Mr. and Mrs. Terry.”
Her gaze shot to David.
“I called Mabel and asked if it was okay to bring them.” David didn’t seem concerned that they were here, but she was. “Does this have anything to do with your ‘something unexpected’ happening?”
“It does. I’ll tell you about it later.”
With a pounding heart, she studied his face, searching for any sign he’d seen Scotty.
“Don’t worry,” he told her quietly. “Everyone’s safe.”
That only made her feel worse. Forcing a smile, she looked at her boys. “I can’t stay with you at the moment, but find Mr. Jessop. He’ll look after you until I’ve finished in the kitchen.”
David placed his hand on the boys’ shoulders. “We already have a plan. Pastor John will look after Andy and Charlie with Mr. Jessop. We even have a table organized for them.”
Andrea frowned. Before becoming a pastor, John was in the military. He might have a heart of gold, but he knew how to protect the people he cared about. Whatever had happened must be worse than she thought.
David looked at the boys. “We’d better find Pastor John. He’ll know where you’re sitting.”
“He was beside the big bunch of balloons when we arrived,” Charlie told him. “Do you think we can take a balloon home with us?”
“You’ll have to ask Katie if it’s okay,” David said. “Let’s go before we get in your mom’s way.”
Without a backward glance, Andy and Charlie followed David through the kitchen door.
“What was all that about?” Rosalie asked.
Andrea took a deep breath, reminding herself that everyone was safe. “I don’t know, but it will have to wait. We need to take the last of the food into the tent before Pastor John says grace.”
With Rosalie and the other hospitality students helping, everything was ready in time for dinner. All they had to do was keep an eye on the food and replace the dishes as necessary.
And, after everyone had finished dessert, Andrea would find David and ask him why he’d brought Andy and Charlie here. If Scotty was in Sapphire Bay, she’d have to come up with her own plan. Because there was no way she’d let him get close to the boys.
David stood at the back of the tent, watching what was happening around him. With Scotty in Sapphire Bay, he wasn’t taking any chances with Andrea or her sons’ safety.
Ethan joined him. “Have you seen him?”
“Not since he left the café. I called Tanner. He emailed me all the information they have about Scotty. He doesn’t think he’ll do anything to hurt Andrea or the boys.”
“I guess that’s something. Have you spoken to Andrea?”
