Weddings and Wasabi (15 page)

“But my uncle is willing to give you free rein in the kitchen, so it would almost be like having your own restaurant.”

Her own restaurant. “I can make anything?”

“Anything.”

“I can bring my own staff?” They’d be ecstatic to work with her in a restaurant.

“Sure.”

Her joy zapped out of her arms like electricity and she flung them around Edward’s neck. “Oh, yes! Thank you thank you thank you!”

“Did he propose?” came a shocked whisper from behind her. It sounded like Mrs. Matsumoto.

“No!” Jenn and Edward both yelled for the benefit of their eavesdroppers.

“I wish he’d kiss her,” came from the house. That sounded like Grandma.

And so he did.

His mouth moved over hers with the freshness of spring, the promise of new beginnings, not just for her restaurant, but also for them. His scent of verbena and thyme swirled around her, and his hands tightened at the base of her spine, drawing her closer to him.

She leaned into his body, tightening her arms around his neck, and he deepened the kiss. Her skin felt alive and vibrant, because this was Edward, and he wasn’t just her
friend.

He drew his head back, looking down at her with dark eyes a little glazed, like the glossy shell of a chocolate truffle.

“I liked that,” she breathed. “I’d like some more.”

But as his head descended again, his face suddenly lurched forward, knocking her in the nose. “What—?” He twisted around to look behind him.

Pookie stood there staring up at them.

“Pookie! You poked him! Bad Pookie!” Jenn said.

Edward turned back to her, his arms wrapping around her again as he murmured in her ear, “I really think you need to rename that goat.”

Author’s Note
 

For most of my books, I have a particular album that I listen to that inspires me. For this book, when I wrote it back in 2010, it was
Every Time I Breathe
by Big Daddy Weave
.

I hope the song
“Let It Rise”
(that Trish and Jenn listened to in the car) inspires you to worship with abandon the way it does for Trish and for me.

The song Trish sings in the park is
“Every Time I Breathe.”
The lyrics always speak to my heart and help me focus on Jesus and feel His presence.

Jenn and Trish’s cellphone ringtones are also songs that inspire me:

“Fool For You” by Nichole Nordeman
(Trish’s ringtone) reminds me to give my all for Jesus without worrying about what other people think of me, which is pretty accurate for Trish’s personality after what she went through in
Only Uni
.

“Not Gonna Let You Down” by Building 429
(Jenn’s ringtone) reminds me how passionately God loves me—no matter what I’ve done, no matter where I’ve been, He will never leave me and I am not alone.

The Malaysian basil is completely fictional, although some of you will recognize it—and the dermatologist researcher—from my romantic suspense novel,
Formula for Danger
.

Camy

P.S. If any errors got past me and my proofreaders, please do email me through my
website
or
Facebook page
to let me know.

Sushi series contemporary romance:

#1:
Sushi for One?

#2:
Only Uni

#3:
Single Sashimi

#4:
Weddings and Wasabi (novella)

#4.1:
White Soup (short story in the anthology,
Recipe for Romance
)