Perfect Tales of the Were - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,24
little advice sometime. Barbara and Ed make really good breads, but they really don’t make many fancy sweets. Just cookies and the occasional cake, by special order.”
“Really?” Cassandra was truly surprised. “There’s no bake shop that makes pastries?”
Joe shook his head. “No. Not for a while now.” Joe’s eyes lit with amusement. “Maybe that’s something you could help us with.”
Cassandra was saved from having to make a reply when the hostess came over to take them to their table. They took their leave of the friendly mayor and followed the woman to the back of the restaurant, where there appeared to be several private rooms. Cassandra had seen the restaurant when she’d been in town, of course, but she’d never been inside and hadn’t realized that the casual-looking place was really very well equipped for almost any kind of gathering.
Her professional eye noted the order in the kitchen as they passed and the door swung open. The surfaces gleamed, and the scents issuing from inside were heavenly. She was looking forward to seeing the menu, and the meal.
Cody held Cassandra’s seat politely then did the same for his sister, who’d paused to say something to the hostess before she left them. His manners were impeccable, and Cassandra was seeing a whole new side to her adventurous lover that only intrigued her more.
“Cody mentioned that you’re still developing recipes,” Megan said as they all got comfortable. It was clearly a conversational gambit designed to get Cassandra to explain why.
“When I sold Cassandra’s Cakes, I retained an advisory position, and if I come up with commercially viable recipes, they get first crack at them. If they pass, I’m free to market them on my own.”
“Really? That sounds like a sweetheart of a deal. I’m assuming the creation of new recipes is where your passion really lies, right?” Megan asked.
“Exactly right. Growing my business was a means to financial security, but living out West was my dream, and now that I have the ranch, I’m free to follow my passion.” She sounded a bit wishy-washy, but Megan’s eyes glowed with approval.
“I want to be you when I grow up,” she said, then blushed, looking away. “I mean, I’m grateful for the job I have with Cody’s company. I enjoy the investing game a lot, but I’ve never really found any real passion for my work. I think that’s the ideal—when you do something you really love.”
“It is,” Cassandra agreed. “It took a lot of time for me to get to this point. You’re young. You have plenty of time to figure it out.”
The waiter arrived just then, greeting the siblings familiarly. It seemed like everybody knew Cody and Megan in this town, but considering they’d grown up here, that made sense. They ordered lots of food. The brother and sister each ordered appetizers, entrees and side dishes while Cassandra, hungry as she was, only felt up to ordering a salad and a main dish.
When it came to the table, the salad was small but perfectly proportioned as a first course. That, plus one of the rosemary bread rolls was perfect. Cody and Megan, on the other hand, shared the appetizers like they were going out of style, commenting on the quality and cooking styles of the shish kebabs and sliders they were consuming. They offered to share with Cassandra, but she declined.
The main courses were huge. Incredibly well-cooked and served on the largest plates Cassandra had ever seen in a restaurant, the amount of steak and ribs was generous, to say the least. Cassandra’s own filet mignon had been butterflied, at her request, because she liked it cooked very well done. The teenaged waiter had frowned a bit when she’d asked for it to be served that way, but at a nod from Cody, he said nothing and retreated.
Cassandra wondered what that had been about, but she couldn’t find a polite way to ask. Megan kept the conversation rolling along, talking about her schooling, which she’d completed a few months before. She’d gotten her MBA from one of the most prestigious schools in the country, paid for, she’d said, by her big brother.
Cassandra was getting a much clearer idea of what Cody was all about. Surprising as his revelations had been, she felt okay with the idea that he was telling her the truth before things went any further between them. They’d had amazing sex, but it felt like he wanted her to get to know the real him. That meant something significant,