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"Your legacy, huh?" Laughing now, Laura set Kayla down and watched her older daughter come more cautiously, less happily into the room. "Well, Ali, what do you think?"
"It looks different than it did before." She walked unerringly to the jewelry case.
"A girl after my own heart," Margo declared and wrapped an arm around All's shoulder.
"They're so beautiful. It's like a treasure chest."
"It is. Not Seraphina's dowry this time, but mine."
"We got pizza," Kayla called out. "Uncle Josh bought lots and lots of pizza so we can eat here instead of in a restaurant. Can we, Mama?"
"If you like. Do you want to, Ali?"
Ali shrugged, continued to stare at the bracelets and pins. "It doesn't matter."
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"And here's the man of the hour." Margo crossed the room as Josh elbowed the door open, his arms loaded with pizza boxes. She leaned over them and gave him a smacking kiss on the mouth.
"Just for pizza? Hell, I could've gone for the bucket of chicken."
"Actually, that was a reward for your tennis prowess."
She kept her voice low, and at the answering gleam in his eyes, she took the boxes from him. "Still sleeping alone, darling?"
"Don't remind me." He arched a brow. "You?"
She grinned and trailed a finger down his cheek. "I've been much too busy for sports of any kind. Ali, I think there's a bottle of Pepsi in the refrigerator upstairs."
"Got that covered, too," he said, torturing himself with the scent of her perfume. "Can you handle getting the drinks out of the car, Ali Cat?"
"Me, too." Kayla bulleted for the door. "I can help. Come on, Ali."
"Well, well." Josh tucked his hands in his pockets and scanned the room as his nieces slammed the door. "You have been busy." He wandered toward the adjoining room, had to smile. It looked very much like Margo's closet back in Milan, except that all the clothes were now discreetly tagged.
"Lingerie and nightclothes are upstairs," Margo told him. "In the boudoir."
"Naturally." Idly, he picked up a gray suede pump, turned it over. The sole was barely scraped and the price was ninety-two fifty.
"How are you pricing?"
"Oh, we have our little system."
He set the shoe back, glanced at his sister. "I didn't think you'd mind if I brought the girls by."
"No, not at all. What I do mind is you taking it upon yourself to fight with Peter."
He didn't bother to look contrite. "Heard about that, did you?"
"Of course I heard about it. Everyone from Big Sur to Monterey's heard about it by now." She refused to warm when he walked over and kissed her. "I can deal with my marital problems myself."
"Sure you can. That ball just got away from me."
"Like hell," Margo muttered.
"Actually, I was aiming for his caps. Listen, Laura," he continued when she bristled under his hands, "we'll talk about it later, okay?"
She had little choice, since at that moment her daughters came back, carrying bags from the car.
