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“Understood.”
“I’ll send you a schmaltzy, sloppy e-card. And I got you something. Major step for me, as it’s my first Valentine’s Day gift.”
She went to her desk, took a slim package out of the drawer. “I’ll give it to you now in case this thing runs longer than we plan, and you decide to go.”
“I’ll wait. You got me a present.” He took off his glasses, set them aside. “That’s the second gift you’ve given me. The cardinal,” he reminded her.
“That was more of a token. This is a gift. Open it.”
He untied the ribbon, opened the lid. “
As You Like It.”
“It caught my eye because it’s all battered and worn. It looks like it’s been read a couple of million times.”
“It does, and it’s perfect.” He cupped her cheek to draw her to him. “Thank you. Would you like yours?”
“Let me answer that with: duh.”
He reached into his briefcase and took out a small box wrapped in white paper with a glossy red ribbon. The size and shape of it had Mac’s heart dropping to her stomach then bouncing up to her throat.
“Carter.”
“You’re my valentine. Open it.”
That heart thudded like a fist as she unwrapped the box. She held her breath, lifted the lid. And let it out again at the sparkle of earrings.
Two tiny diamond hearts dangled from the stud of a third in a delicate, elegant trio. “My God, Carter, they’re gorgeous. They’re . . . wow.”
“I can’t take full credit. Sherry helped me pick them out.”
“They’re amazing. I love them. I—” The words tangled on her tongue. Unable to say them, she threw her arms around him instead. “Thank you. I am definitely your valentine. Oh, I have to try them on.”
She spun away to take the simple hoops out of her ears and replace them. She dashed to the mirror across from her workstation. “Oh, wow, sparkly!” Tipping her head from side to side, she watched them glint.
“Putting them on right away means you like them.”
“I’d be crazy not to. How do they look?”
“A little dim compared to your eyes, but they’ll do.”
“Carter, you leave me speechless. I never know what—wait.” Inspired, she ran over for a tripod. “I’m going to be late, but fabulous earrings for Valentine’s Day trump punctuality. Even Parker would give me a bye on this.”
“What are you doing?”
“It’ll take two minutes. Just stay right there,” she told him as she dug her camera out of her bag.
“You want to take my picture?” Watching her set up, he shifted on the stool. “I always feel so stiff in pictures.”
“I’ll fix that. Remember, I’m a professional.” She smiled over the camera as she fixed it to the tripod. “You look really cute.”
“Now you’re just making me self-conscious.”
She set the angle, framed it in. “Light’s good, I think. We’ll try it.” Palming the remote, she walked to him. “Now, happy Valentine’s Day.” She linked her arms around his neck, laid her lips on his.
She let herself sink in, let him draw her a little closer.
She captured the moment, and when she eased back, looked in his eyes, captured another.
“Now,” she murmured, turning so her cheek rested against his. “Smile.” She pressed the remote, then again as backup. “There.” She turned to him again, bumped noses. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“Maybe we should try that again.” He cupped the back of her neck with his hand. “I think I blinked.”
“I’ve got to go,” she said with a laugh. Pulling away, she went over, checked her shots before taking the camera off the tripod.
“Aren’t you going to let me see?”
“Not until I’m finished fussing with them. Then you can consider the print the second part of your present.”
“I was hoping I’d get that when you finished work.”
“Why, Dr. Maguire.” She repacked her camera. “All right, we’ll call it a three-parter.”
He rose to help her on with her coat. Mac hefted her equipment bag. “Now you have to wait.”
“I’m good at it,” he said and opened the door for her.
Apparently he was, she thought, and set off for the main house at a lope.
“I DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF IT, BUT THERE HAS TO BE A way.”
“Mac.” Parker held the champagne flute up to the light to check for spots before setting it on the table in the Bride’s Suite. “It’s just dinner.”
“It is not. You know it’s not just. It’s meet-the-parents dinner.
Family dinner.”
“You’ve been seeing Carter for about two months now. It’s time.”
“Where is that written down?” Mac demanded. “I want to see where that’s written down in a rule book.” She flopped the napkins down in a way that had Parker sighing, then arranging them properly. “You know what it means when a man takes you home to meet his mother.”
“Yes, I do. It means he wants two women who are an important part of his life to get to know each other. He wants to show both of them off.”
“I don’t want to be shown off. I’m not a poodle. Why can’t we just keep things the way they are? Him and me.”
“It’s called a relationship. Look it up.”
Laurel came in on the tail end with a plate of fruit and cheese. “If you’re going to be such an ass about it, Mac, why didn’t you just say no?”
“Hello, diamond earrings.” Mac lifted both hands, pointed her fingers at the dangling hearts. “I was blinded by the sparkle. Plus, he was sneaky, and he asked oh-so casually after I said we had an early event today and we should do something together after. He trapped me into it.”
“Ass,” Laurel said.
“I know. Do you think I don’t know that? Knowing it, even knowing the ass is rooted in mother phobia doesn’t make it less real.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Parker agreed. “You could have said the same to him.”
“It’s important to him. I could see it through the oh-so casual. He deserves someone who’d go to family dinner and meet his mother. I wish it was later, or that it had happened last week and was over—but they were in Spain last week, apparently. Not that it matters because if it had been last week, I’d wish it was the week before.”
“We know her too well,” Laurel decided. “Because I know both of us followed that.”
“Every time I think I have a handle on this, and one on myself, something new crops up. And you know they’re all going to be checking me out, talking about me.”
“Personally, I think it’s good to get it done in one big splash.” Laurel stepped back, studied the table. “Dive in all at once into the big family pool. Easier and quicker than going in inch by inch.”
“That’s actually a good point,” Mac said after a moment.
“You’re good with people,” Parker pointed out. “Getting them to talk about themselves, figuring them out. Do that.”
“Also a good point. And bright side, maybe this nice, intimate wedding will turn into an all-night drunken brawl.”
“The FOB looked like a troublemaker,” Laurel commented.
; Cheered, Mac draped her arms over her friends’ shoulders. “I’ll just think positive thoughts. I guess we should go down and help Emma finish. It’s almost showtime.”
THERE WAS NO DRUNKEN BRAWL, AND NO ESCAPE. MAC COULD be grateful she’d insisted on meeting Carter at his parents’ home, so she had the drive alone, a little time to calm down.
Diving into the pool, she reminded herself. And she was a strong swimmer. Generally. She followed the directions Carter had given her, complete with landmarks, into the pretty, settled neighborhood.
Exactly what she’d expected, she realized. Solid New England home, on the upper-middle-class side of things. Patches of melting snow over generous lawns, old trees full of character, tidy hedges, neat fences.
Dignified, but not stuffy. Well-to-do but not showy.
God, what was she doing here?
Swallowing hard, she pulled into the left of the double drive, parked behind Carter’s Volvo. A lot of cars, she thought. An awful lot of cars beside the sturdy, two-story house with its comfortable sitting porch.
She started to flip down the vanity mirror, check her makeup. But what if someone was looking out, she thought. Then she’d look vain and prissy. God, Mac, get over yourself.
She got out, walked around to get the basket of flowers. She’d second-guessed that simple gesture a half dozen times. Leftover wedding flowers as a hostess gift. Was it tacky?
The vote had been for sweet and thoughtful, but . . .
Too late now.
She climbed to the porch, wished fleetingly she’d checked her makeup after all, and knocked.
It took only seconds—she wasn’t prepared—but she felt a trickle of relief when she saw Sherry’s familiar face.
“Hi! Oh, wow, look at those! Mom’s going to flip. Welcome to Maguire madness.” She bustled Mac right in. “Wii,” she continued, gesturing toward the shouts. “The game? We got it for Dad for Christmas. Nick and Sam—my brother-in-law—are taking on the kids in baseball. Here, let me hold that while you get out of your coat. Most everybody’s back in the great room. Oh, you’re wearing the earrings! Aren’t they fabulous? Here, let me take your coat.”
Sherry pushed the basket back at Mac, took the coat. And realizing she’d yet to have to say a word, Mac smiled.
“Mom’s fussing with dinner. She’s nervous. Are you? When I first met Nick’s family, I was so nervous I hid in the bathroom for ten minutes. It never occurred
