She and Maddie shared a glance, and Maddie looked a little lost. She tried to think back to the last event she’d thrown with hors d’oeuvres, but that had been a lavish, over-the-top affair, and it hadn’t been a dinner, which meant the appetizers had been the only real food besides the charcuterie and crudité table. With a wedding, these were usually served during the cocktail hour before dinner while the wedding party took pictures.

“Shall we choose four?” she suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Maddie said.

Giorgio made a note and moved the first tray directly in front of them. He handed each a plastic fork. “Feta watermelon,” he explained.

“Mmmm,” Maddie said, after she swallowed. “That’s nice.”

“It’s fresh and light,” she said.

Next they tried fruit skewers, lamb meatballs, bacon dates, seared scallops, mozzarella-and tomato skewers, vegan mushroom pastries, mini lobster rolls, duck summer rolls, and vegan spring-pea spread on vegan bruschetta. By the last one of these, Ryann was so full, she was almost struggling to choke it down. How on earth would they get through the mains and the sides?

“Wow,” Maddie said, finally done with her last bite. Her expression was slightly disgusted, her lips peeled back, and she was leaning away from the table.

“That good, huh?” Ryann said.

Maddie grimaced. “Not a fan of peas. And I’m really, really full.”

“Any ideas which ones we should choose?”

Maddie shook her head and took a glass of water from Giorgio, sipping with a content sigh. “No idea. I liked all of them but that last one.”

They both looked at him for help.

“How many vegetarians do you think you’ll have?” he asked.

Maddie paused. “I can think of at least ten or so off the top of my head, but that probably means there’s more of them. I know a lot of people are pescatarian, and there’s at least a couple of vegans.”

“You’re probably right,” he said. “I usually suggest half and half for most weddings—that is half vegetarian—one vegan, one cheese—and half meat or fish. Meat eaters will eat the vegetarian ones, too, after all.”

Maddie opened her palms toward Ryann. “You choose, oh wise one.”

She laughed. “Okay, but you can veto anything, all right? And you have to choose the next thing.”

Maddie grimaced again, probably dreading more food and more choices, but she nodded.

She thought and said, “Feta watermelon, vegan mushroom pastries, lamb meatballs, and the seared scallops.”

Maddie grinned. “I was hoping you would pick those.”

Giorgio chuckled. “Oh, you two are cute!”

They exchanged an amused glance, and Maddie grabbed her hand again, squeezing it. She squeezed back, a warm, quiet peace rising from within. She liked holding Maddie’s hand. In fact, the longer they did it, the more it seemed like they should keep doing it.

“We like to think we’re cute,” she said.