“Amen!” Serenity said. The four women touched glasses, and she thought about how blessed she was to have these beautiful women in her life. She and Natasha had been college roommates, and Serenity had visited the small town a couple of times during their summer breaks and been introduced to Natasha’s childhood friend, Dana. The two women had been the ones to encourage Serenity to relocate after a bad breakup, and it had been the best decision she’d ever made. Adding Terri and Andrea to the mix had been icing on an already decadent cake. The doorbell rang again. “That’s probably our guests.” Her heart started pounding, and she didn’t know why she felt so nervous about meeting a man. She placed her glass on the bar and headed to the front. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and opened the door. Her smile faded. “I don’t believe it.”

He had the nerve to smile. “We meet again. I’m Gabriel, and you must be Serenity.” He stuck out his hand.

Serenity glared at him until she remembered that Ms. Della was standing there and pasted her smile back on. “Yes, I’m Serenity Wheeler. It’s nice to meet you, Gabriel.” His large hand engulfed hers and held on slightly longer than politeness dictated. She gently but firmly pulled away. “Hi, Ms. Della.” She engulfed the older woman in a brief hug. “Please, come in.” She stepped back so they could enter.

“Hey, baby,” Ms. Della said. “It sure smells good in here. Gabriel, I told you.”

Gabriel stared intently at Serenity. “Whatever you’re cooking does smell good.”

She shook herself and tore her gaze away, irritated that he could affect her this way. “Thank you. We’re eating on the deck tonight, so come on back.” In the kitchen, everyone greeted Ms. Della and Serenity introduced Gabriel.

He nodded toward each woman. “Nice to meet you, ladies. Andrea spoke highly of you all.”

“We miss our girl, but we’re happy for her,” Natasha said. “Can I get you two a glass of wine?”

“Please,” Ms. Della said.

“Sure.” He handed Serenity a gift bag. “Here’s a little something to add to your ice bucket. I asked, and Andrea told me these were your favorites.”

Serenity peeked inside and found a bottle of her favorite chardonnay and a Moscato. Okay, he gets a point for this one, but it still doesn’t make up for that smart-aleck comment. “She was right. Thank you.” She placed them in the ice bucket and ignored the knowing smile on Natasha’s face. She pointed to the snack tray. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. In the meantime, help yourselves.”

Dana picked up the tray and her glass. “We can take this outside and get out of Serenity’s way.”