Serenity laughed at her friend’s exuberance. “I made a couple of each a few minutes ago to test.” She took a saucer out of the refrigerator, offered one to Natasha and took the other one. Trying new recipes and flavors had always been one of Serenity’s favorite things, and the kicked-up chocolate-dipped berries fell perfectly into that category. She’d dipped the champagne-infused ones in milk chocolate and the whiskey-infused ones in dark chocolate, but she planned to do the full batch using a variety of milk, white, and dark chocolate. “Okay. The taste test. Champagne first.” She bit into it and chewed slowly.

“Oh my goodness,” Natasha said around a mouthful. “This. Is. So. Freakin’. Good!” Her eyes slid closed as she moaned and took another bite. “Girl, I think I’m going to have to pay you to make a few of these as gifts for my clients when they close on a property.” She reached for the second one. “You really should think about selling these, especially around Valentine’s Day or for bridal showers.”

She smiled. “They are good, and they came out better than I expected. That whiskey is a little potent, though.”

“This is a grown folks’ dessert. What’s for dinner?”

“Pan-seared lamb rib chops, roasted potatoes, and sautéed green beans with bacon.”

“Yum. And bacon really does make everything much better,” Natasha said with a laugh.

Her comment brought to mind Gabriel saying the same thing. Automatically, Serenity’s mind went back to what had happened on Wednesday, when he’d accused her of being uptight and irritating. She felt really bad about hitting him with the container, though, especially since she’d never been one to resort to violence for any reason. But how was she going to get through dinner pretending she wasn’t still bothered by what she had overheard? And did he really see her that way? She told herself she didn’t care, but deep down she knew she was lying. Shaking off thoughts of her neighbor, she said, “The potatoes are already in the oven, and I’ll put the rolls in once everybody arrives. What do you think about neutrals for the table setting today?”

Natasha angled her head thoughtfully. “I like it. I brought greenery and a couple of glass candleholders to use with ivory floating candles. Your dark-tan table runner and ivory china with the gold rim would work perfectly—simple and elegant.” She pushed off the counter where she had been leaning and walked toward the cabinet where Serenity kept her table linens.

Serenity went about preparing the rest of the meal and dipping the berries. She made sure to keep them separate just in case someone had a preference for a specific alcohol.

Dana and Terri arrived a short while later, and the kitchen became filled with conversation, laughter, and stories from the week.