Lakeside Hero (Men Of Millbrook Lake Book 1) by Lenora Worth Page B

have on that cute sundress and you’re wearing that glorious smile. You’ll fit right in.” Hattie leaned close and giggled. “I invited your mother, too.”
    Marla drew back. “You what?”
    “I like your mother. Haven’t seen her since they retired and moved to that quaint village out on the other end of the lake. Do you know, I used to buy fresh produce from your parents at the Millbrook Market just about every Saturday during the summer? Their booth always had the freshest vegetables. Delton always speaks of them kindly and he sure misses doing business with them.”
    Marla didn’t want to spoil Miss Hattie’s memories by telling her that her parents had worked so hard in those days that they’d come home, collapse in their recliners, go to bed and then get up at dawn and start all over again. Or that she’d been in the back of the farmer’s market, washing and sorting those vegetables on most summer days.
    From picking the vegetables and carting them to the market to making sure they had help both in the fields and at their produce booth, her parents had loved their chaotic life. But it was a hardworking, common-people kind of life. Not a let’s-have-tea-in-the-garden kind of life.
    But Hattie Marshall meant well and she had always been sincere and straightforward. Plus, she was a loyal customer to Marla now. “Thank you, Miss Hattie. My mom doesn’t get to enjoy such fancy occasions, but they have fun with their friends at the retirement village. I’m so glad you invited her today. She’s always wanted to see Caldwell House up close.”
    “I’ll give you both the tour once our other guests leave.”
    They were at the back of the house now. Marla had tried not to drool over the big, sunny kitchen with the industrial-size appliances, or the breakfast room with white wicker tables and chairs and a bay window overlooking the huge colorful garden.
    She and her helpers had gone about their business, setting out the finger sandwiches, tea cakes and round creamy truffles on tables on the deep porch that wrapped around the back of the house.
    Miss Hattie had covered two long tables with lacy white tableclothes and her kitchen staff had set out fine china—delicate teacups etched with yellow roses, matching luncheon plates and yellow-tinted goblets for the sweet mint-and-lemon iced tea. There was an urn for coffee and hot water for hot tea. Huge glass containers of water with lemon slices and strawberries floating in ice also graced one of the tables.
    “Not too shabby,” Brandy had whispered earlier while they were setting up. “We’re uptown now for sure.”
    “Beautiful,” Marla had replied. Then she’d shooed Brandy back into the kitchen to bring out the food while she directed the hired staff on how she wanted things to look for the best presentation.
    Miss Hattie had thought of everything. She had several mesh oval and round food covers decorated with tiny flowers on their rims to cover the food. This was standard in the South, where bugs loved outdoor events as much as humans did and where no polite hostess would dare leave food out uncovered.
    “Everything is ready,” Marla said, her back to the open doors. “It’s a great day for this. Sunny but not too hot.”
    “Perfect,” Miss Hattie said, her eyes brightening at someone behind Marla.
    Marla turned and stood face-to-face with Alec Caldwell.
    Not sure what to say, she smiled and tugged at her ponytail. “Uh...hi.” She’d managed to avoid him up until now but she’d heard some of the ladies commenting on how he’d escorted them to their tables. The man was certainly full of surprises—at first, a tough, buff soldier but then seeming to morph into a gentlemanly usher and escort.
    “Hello,” he said, his hand automatically raking across his scar. “That dainty food out there looks so good. I think we owe that to you, Marla.”
    His eyes moved over her face with each word, causing Marla to overheat in spite of the gentle breezes