Read Online On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander - Free Book Online

meals be served family style in order to match his cabin theme and encourage the board members to get to know each other. That was great with me. It was much easier to serve the meal in large dishes, rather than individually plating each serving.
    I ran the gravy through a sieve and poured it into a silver gravy boat. Carlos sprinkled the smashed potatoes with sea salt, pepper, and a little fresh rosemary. Sterling tossed the dressing on the salad and took it out to the dining room. I followed behind him with the potatoes, as Carlos expertly carved the juicy roasts.
    Lance jumped to his feet as I entered the dining room. “May I introduce the lovely Juliet, our chef for the weekend.” He dinged on his wine glass with his salad fork. “We’re a bit shorter in numbers than expected thanks to Mother Nature. I’ve counted twenty-five of us which means that we’ll have a majority for any voting, and it also means that you brave souls who have ventured out in the storm will have more of Juliet’s divine cooking all to yourselves.”
    I could feel my cheeks warm as I balanced a piping-hot ceramic bowl of potatoes. It’s an annoying habit that I can’t control.
    Dean and Whitney sat next to one another on the opposite side of the table. Dean had changed out of his wine-stained clothes. Whitney smiled at me as Lance gushed about my talent.
    “Juliet’s baking is to die for, isn’t it, darling?” His playful eyes shimmered with delight. “You are all in for a treat this weekend.” He waved at the food Sterling and I delivered. “Don’t be shy, dig in, everyone, dig in.”
    I made my escape to the kitchen before Lance could embarrass me more. I needed to get the bread pudding in the oven to give it enough time to bake before the guests finished dinner. Knowing Lance, I had a feeling we didn’t need to rush. He had a tendency toward long speeches and making sure wine was constantly flowing.
    “The puddings are already in,” Carlos said, as I returned to the kitchen.
    “Thanks.” I tried to silence my head as I rinsed blackberries and raspberries. Had I really changed this much since I’d been home? I knew I was different, but having Carlos here made me feel like an entirely different person and the same all at once.
    Before I had time to dwell on it, a commotion broke out in the dining hall. I knew immediately who was to blame—Tony.

 
    Chapter Seven
    Carlos grabbed a wooden spoon and sprinted to the dining room before I could even react. Sterling removed warm caramel sauce from the stove. “What is that guy’s problem?” he asked over the sound of Tony’s bellowing voice.
    “I don’t know, but I better go check.”
    “It seems like Carlos is on it.”
    “Yeah.” I sighed and wiped my hands on my apron. “He is.”
    Sterling looked puzzled. “Isn’t that a good thing? He’s great. And he’s obviously in love with you, Jules.”
    Tony’s voice was getting louder. “Anyone else want a piece of me?”
    I shook my head and hurried out of the kitchen. “How about you, old man?” Tony bellowed at Dean Barnes. “You wanna stop following me around? What? Are you so desperate for a drink, you gotta follow me?”
    “No. I want you to reimburse me for ruining my hunting boots and best trousers.” Dean held his full wine glass in a challenging toast, egging Tony on. Not a wise move. Tony was clearly drunk. His ruddy cheeks and nose were bright red. He rocked from side to side.
    Mercury jumped to her feet. “Tony! Enough—get outside.” She waved frantically to Gavin Allen, who was tinkering with the thermostat.
    Gavin shoved his screwdriver in his tool belt and stomped toward Tony.
    Tony swayed in a circular motion. He tried to raise his arm and point at Mercury, but it danced with the motion of his body. “I know things. Important things.”
    “What this chap doesn’t seem to know is how to pour a glass of wine or control his liquor,” Dean said to Mercury. “I’ll have you know that he ruined