“You do?”

“It’s just a guess, but I’ll bet it’s so he doesn’t have to bother remembering their names.”

Chapter

Chapter

Eight

“Just wait until you see what’s on the dessert cart,” Hannah said, watching as Jordan High senior, Amber Coombs, pushed the lusciously laden serving cart their way. Even from this distance, Hannah could see Sally’s towering Neopolitan cake, a six-layer concoction with alternating layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry cake, each layer affixed to its neighboring layer with a matching frosting.

Ross gave a theatrical whimper as he eyed the contents of the cart, and Hannah knew exactly how he felt. It was close to impossible to choose one dessert when they all promised to enchant the taste buds.

“I want one of each,” Ross said.

“Me, too. But if we do that, Amber’s going to have to roll us out of the dining room.”

“We should have skipped the entrée and come straight here,” Ross remarked, pulling his gaze away from the decadent delights to smile at her. “I can still remember your motto in college. Always

”

“Eat dessert first,” Hannah joined in as he recited it.

“How about if we get two desserts and split?”

“That sounds perfect to me. It’s almost as good as getting two desserts apiece.” Hannah smiled up at Amber Coombs, who was trying not to laugh at their antics. “I’ll have a piece of Sally’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. With two forks.”

Ross had drawn a bead on the bowl of Apricot Bread Pudding, and he spoke without lifting his gaze. “And I’ll have the bread pudding. I’ve been dreaming about Hannah’s bread pudding ever since she packed up her recipes and left college. This looks a lot like one you used to make, Hannah.”

“That’s because it is,” Amber spoke up. “Mrs. Laughlin uses Miss Swensen’s recipe.”

“Well

that changes everything!” Ross said with a smile. “If it’s Hannah’s bread pudding, I’ll have a double helping.”

“Would you like that warmed?”

“Oh, yes.”

“With heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream?”

“Oh, yes.”

Amber cracked up, but she quickly sobered. “Would that be with all three of them, sir?”

“No, I’ll have the heavy cream. That’s the way Hannah used to serve it.” Ross glanced at Amber, who looked very pretty and trim in her flattering waitress uniform. “I wish you’d been at the auditions this afternoon, Amber. I would have cast you as one of the waitresses in the cocktail party scene.”

Amber, who up to this point had been the quintessential waitress, dropped her newfound maturity right along with her jaw. “Really, Mr. Barton?” she squeaked.

“Absolutely. Of course waiting on us tonight was just like an audition, wasn’t it?”

“If you say so, Mr. Barton,” Amber said, barely managing to hide her excitement.