in shiny silver paper and
ribbon. She turned and handed it to Baxter. “This is for you.”
I returned to the booth in time to watch Baxter, wearing a greedy grin, rip the paper
off to reveal the lush red leather cushion-inlaid box. A beautiful design, if I did
say so myself.
He turned it every which way and then shook it. “Okay, yeah, it’s a box.”
I wanted to run over and slap him, but Derek clutched my arm. He knew me too well.
“Open it,” Savannah urged.
He rolled his eyes at the crowd, then set it down on the nearest guest table, unlatched
the cover and lifted it. Pulled out the suede-and-leather-lined pouch and stared at
it. “What the hell is this?”
I struggled to pull away from Derek, but he held on to me. Didn’t he understand that
Baxter Cromwell needed to be beaten with a bat? If only I’d had one in my bag.
“You’ll see,” Savannah said gaily, her voice rising with anticipation. “Look inside
the pouch.”
“This is ridiculous.” He gritted his teeth. Was he angry?Why? Was it because the crowd’s attention was focused more on the gift than on him?
Probably.
He loosened the ties, held out his hand, and turned the pouch upside down. The venerable
cookbook slid out onto his palm. He bobbled it before catching and holding it with
both hands.
He stared at the book. His hands began to shake and his lips thinned. In fear? Or
fury? Or what?
I thought for a second that he would lash out at Savannah, but he quickly recovered.
Smiling too brightly, he shoved the book back into the pouch, grabbed the box, and
tucked everything under his arm.
I wanted to run over and rescue poor Obedience and her cookbook, but my attention
was abruptly diverted by Kevin’s expression. She stared at Baxter in outrage, her
face turning redder by the second. She looked angry enough to slay someone, preferably
Baxter.
Then all of a sudden, she spun around and glared at Savannah with so much raw anger
that I flinched.
Holy crap. What was that all about?
“What is it?” somebody called from the audience.
“Never mind, folks,” Baxter said with a calculated chuckle. “Just an old inside joke.
Eh, Savannah?”
It wasn’t my imagination; Baxter was visibly shaken by the gift. And so was Kevin.
The other diners didn’t seem concerned as they chattered and drank the last of their
beverages.
I traded glances with Derek and could tell he was as worried about Savannah as I was.
But she was flush with happiness and didn’t seem to notice, while Baxter did everything
he could to ignore her and the old book.
He waved and tried to be jovial, but his nerves were still showing. Finally he shouted,
“G’night, folks,” turned, and rushed back to the kitchen. A few of the chefs followed
him out.
Savannah was all smiles as she shook hands with some of thecustomers. After a moment, she started to follow the other chefs, but stopped to pick
up the wrapping paper Baxter had abandoned on the table.
I was about to jump up and help her when Peter moved over to assist. He handed the
crumpled paper to one of the busboys, then wound his arm around her shoulder and walked
her out of the room.
I was stymied by everyone’s reactions, but Kevin’s troubled me the most. I thought
her head was going to explode when she saw that cookbook. Why? Had Baxter promised
to give it to her instead? Or maybe it had nothing to do with the cookbook. Maybe
it was all about Baxter and Savannah. Was she jealous?
Thinking perhaps I’d imagined or exaggerated the whole thing, I turned to Derek for
confirmation. “Did you catch Kevin’s expression?”
“Yes, I saw it,” he said, his jaw tight. “That was not the same sweet girl you introduced
me to earlier this evening.”
“No. She looked ready to kill someone.”
“Not someone,” he said. “Baxter. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see her smash a
bottle of wine over his head.”
“She didn’t look too happy
ribbon. She turned and handed it to Baxter. “This is for you.”
I returned to the booth in time to watch Baxter, wearing a greedy grin, rip the paper
off to reveal the lush red leather cushion-inlaid box. A beautiful design, if I did
say so myself.
He turned it every which way and then shook it. “Okay, yeah, it’s a box.”
I wanted to run over and slap him, but Derek clutched my arm. He knew me too well.
“Open it,” Savannah urged.
He rolled his eyes at the crowd, then set it down on the nearest guest table, unlatched
the cover and lifted it. Pulled out the suede-and-leather-lined pouch and stared at
it. “What the hell is this?”
I struggled to pull away from Derek, but he held on to me. Didn’t he understand that
Baxter Cromwell needed to be beaten with a bat? If only I’d had one in my bag.
“You’ll see,” Savannah said gaily, her voice rising with anticipation. “Look inside
the pouch.”
“This is ridiculous.” He gritted his teeth. Was he angry?Why? Was it because the crowd’s attention was focused more on the gift than on him?
Probably.
He loosened the ties, held out his hand, and turned the pouch upside down. The venerable
cookbook slid out onto his palm. He bobbled it before catching and holding it with
both hands.
He stared at the book. His hands began to shake and his lips thinned. In fear? Or
fury? Or what?
I thought for a second that he would lash out at Savannah, but he quickly recovered.
Smiling too brightly, he shoved the book back into the pouch, grabbed the box, and
tucked everything under his arm.
I wanted to run over and rescue poor Obedience and her cookbook, but my attention
was abruptly diverted by Kevin’s expression. She stared at Baxter in outrage, her
face turning redder by the second. She looked angry enough to slay someone, preferably
Baxter.
Then all of a sudden, she spun around and glared at Savannah with so much raw anger
that I flinched.
Holy crap. What was that all about?
“What is it?” somebody called from the audience.
“Never mind, folks,” Baxter said with a calculated chuckle. “Just an old inside joke.
Eh, Savannah?”
It wasn’t my imagination; Baxter was visibly shaken by the gift. And so was Kevin.
The other diners didn’t seem concerned as they chattered and drank the last of their
beverages.
I traded glances with Derek and could tell he was as worried about Savannah as I was.
But she was flush with happiness and didn’t seem to notice, while Baxter did everything
he could to ignore her and the old book.
He waved and tried to be jovial, but his nerves were still showing. Finally he shouted,
“G’night, folks,” turned, and rushed back to the kitchen. A few of the chefs followed
him out.
Savannah was all smiles as she shook hands with some of thecustomers. After a moment, she started to follow the other chefs, but stopped to pick
up the wrapping paper Baxter had abandoned on the table.
I was about to jump up and help her when Peter moved over to assist. He handed the
crumpled paper to one of the busboys, then wound his arm around her shoulder and walked
her out of the room.
I was stymied by everyone’s reactions, but Kevin’s troubled me the most. I thought
her head was going to explode when she saw that cookbook. Why? Had Baxter promised
to give it to her instead? Or maybe it had nothing to do with the cookbook. Maybe
it was all about Baxter and Savannah. Was she jealous?
Thinking perhaps I’d imagined or exaggerated the whole thing, I turned to Derek for
confirmation. “Did you catch Kevin’s expression?”
“Yes, I saw it,” he said, his jaw tight. “That was not the same sweet girl you introduced
me to earlier this evening.”
“No. She looked ready to kill someone.”
“Not someone,” he said. “Baxter. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see her smash a
bottle of wine over his head.”
“She didn’t look too happy
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