Once inside Billy’s office, she sat down at his computer and logged on with the information he’d given her. She’d just started working when her phone buzzed.
Even after only a few calls, Lindy recognized the number. Peggy.
“Hey,” Peggy said, when Lindy answered. “Do you have plans tonight?”
“What’s up?”
“A group of us are going on a food scavenger hunt. Want to join us?”
“A what?” Lindy had never heard of such a thing.
“I’ll explain it later. Meet me at my apartment at six.”
“Do I need to bring anything?”
“Other than yourself, a bottle of wine, and a white-elephant gift, not a darn thing.”
Lindy grinned. She had no idea what a food scavenger hunt was, but it sounded like fun, and she was up for that. “I’ll be there.”
“See you then.”
Lindy disconnected just as Billy entered his office. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I was talking with my sister. You remember Dede, don’t you?”
Lindy vaguely remembered her. They’d been in the same school. Dede was a couple of years older than Billy.
“She was a bit older. I remember you had sister, but I don’t think we ever spoke,” she said, smiling up at him.
“I’m grateful to my sister. I faced some challenges when I decided to open the Wine Press. I couldn’t have done it without Dede and her husband, especially after…” He let the rest drop.
Lindy was about to ask him what he meant. Before she could, Billy asked,“Were you able to clear tomorrow afternoon with your mom?” he asked.
“We’re good.”
“Great.”
That smile of his was enough to light up a million-kilowatt dam. It took an exaggerated moment before she found the wherewithal to look away. It surprised her how quickly she found him occupying her mind. She’d fallen asleep with thoughts of him, and he was the first thing she thought about when she woke, eager to spend time with him.
* * *
—
When Lindy arrived at Peggy’s, Chloe and Jayne were already there, and the party was about to begin. Peggy was the one with the idea: It seemed as if both of the other women were as much in the dark as Lindy was.
Lindy added her wrapped white elephant gift to the stack with the others and handed Peggy the bottle of white wine, one her father had recommended.
Peggy had a sly grin, and Lindy had to wonder what her clever friend was up to now. Even when they were children, Peggy was the one who’d had the wild imagination. Lindy had followed gleefully along. Her childhood had been happy, and a lot of that delight had been the times she’d spent with Peggy. This latest adventure told her Peggy hadn’t changed. She was fun, creative, and up for anything.
“Okay, is everyone ready?” Peggy asked. She rubbed her palms together, as if she could hardly wait for this fun evening she had planned.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Lindy said, sharing a look with the other two women.
Peggy passed out a folded sheet of paper to each one. “Okay, read your clue. You have thirty minutes to solve the riddle, and then find and supply the course of the meal described to you. Remember, you have only a half-hour to complete your task. The first one back gets a prize, and the last one back…well, let me put it like this: You don’t want to be last.”
Lindy waited until Peggy’s two other friends each had their sheet before she unfolded hers and read the riddle.
Roses are red. Violets are blue.
Dessert, my friend, is on you. Make it sweet and easy to eat.
Not Gouda. Not cheddar. This tastes so much better.
It’s a cake most don’t bake. Thirty minutes is all it should take.
It wasn’t hard for Lindy to figure out that Peggy was looking for her to deliver a cheesecake. She could only imagine what the others had been asked to contribute to the meal. What a fun and different idea. Leave it to Peggy.
“The main course is in the Crock-Pot, and I’ll have the wine open and the table set by the time you return. The first one back gets the honor of being the last to choose the white-elephant gift and unable to have anyone take it away.”
“And the last?” Jayne asked.
“The last gets to clean the kitchen.”
All three groaned as they surveyed the area. It seemed Peggy had deliberately used every pan in the house.
Lindy was excited for what was sure to be a fun evening.
Out the door the three of them flew.
Lindy went to her favorite bakery and found that it was far too busy. Seeing the line inside, she automatically drove past. Naturally, the bakery was her first choice. She’d consider herself lucky if they even had a cheesecake left this late in the day. Keeping a close eye on the time, she saw that she’d wasted five minutes.