"Oh man, what a shot that would've been." Mac sighed. "Regrets."
"Carter, Jack." Parker lifted her bottle of water. "You were a huge help. If I'd known the MOG was a wailer, I'd have taken steps beforehand, but she was fine at rehearsal. Even bubbly."
"I bet someone slipped her drugs," Laurel said.
"What sort of steps?" Jack wondered.
"Oh, there are all sorts of tricks of the trade." Parker's smile hinted at secrets. "I may not have been able to keep her from blubbering all during the ceremony, but I'd have kept her from upsetting the bride and groom during dressing. If Pete and Maggie hadn't kept their heads, we'd have had a disaster on our hands. Keeping the overly emotional types busy, giving them little assignments usually works."
"I know that's what kept me from crying," Jack told her.
"We'll have to muddle through without the reserve troops tomorrow." Mac gave Carter a friendly kick from her chair. "They're deserting us for the Yankees."
"And speaking of tomorrow, I'm going up to fall flat so I can get up for it." Laurel rose. " 'Night, kids."
"There's our cue. Let's pack it in, Professor. God, my feet are killing me."
Carter turned his back, gestured to it. With a laugh, Mac boosted herself on. "Now this is love," she said, planting a noisy kiss on the top of his head. "Him for the offer, and me for trusting Professor Grace not to trip and drop me. See you tomorrow. Giddyup!"
"God, they're cute." Emma smiled after them. "Even Scary Linda can't dull their shine."
"She called Mac this morning," Parker told her.
"Hell."
"Told Mac she'd changed her mind, and expected Mac and Carter to be at her wedding, in Italy, next week. The usual drama and guilt trip when Mac told her it wasn't possible for her to fly to Italy on such short notice."
"Mac didn't say anything about it to me."
"She didn't want to get into it with the event. Linda, of course, called just as Mac was getting her gear packed for the morning wedding. But the point is, you're right, she can't dull the shine. Before Carter, a call like that would've sent Mac into the blue. It wasn't pleasant, but she got through it, set it aside."
"The Power of Carter defeats the Power of Linda. I owe him a big kiss."
"I'll see him tomorrow if you want to give it to me," Jack suggested.
She leaned over, gave him a prim peck.
"Kinda stingy."
"He belongs to a friend. Okay, getting up, going home."
"Eight o'clock briefing," Parker reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah." She smothered a yawn. "How do you feel about piggybacks?" she asked Jack.
"I like this way better." In a deliberately dramatic move, he swept her up.
"Wow. Me, too. 'Night, Parker."
"Good night." And just a little wistfully, Parker watched Jack Rhett Butler Emma out of the parlor.
"Great exit." Delighted, Emma pressed her lips to Jack's cheek. "You don't have to carry me all the way back."
"You think I'm going to let Carter show me up? You know nothing about true competition. It's good to see Mac look so happy," he added. "I've been around a few times when Linda did a number on her. Tough to watch."
"I know." Idly, Emma fluttered her fingers through Jack's sun-streaked hair. "She's the only person I actually and actively dislike. I used to try to find excuses for her, then I realized there just aren't any."
"She hit on me once."
Emma's head jerked up. "What? Mac's mother hit on you?"
"Long time ago. Actually there was another time not all that long ago. So that makes two hits. First time I was still in college, spending a couple of weeks here during the summer break. We were all going to a party, and I said I'd swing by and pick up Mac. She didn't have a car back then. So her mother came to the door, and gave me the kind of once-over you don't generally get from mothers, then sort of backed me into a corner until Mac got down. It was . . . interesting, and yeah, scary. Scary Linda. Good name."
"What were you, twenty? She should be ashamed. Arrested. Something. Now I dislike her more. I didn't think it was possible."
"I survived. But if she tries it again, I'm counting on you to protect me. And a lot better than you did with Scary Kellye."
"One of these days I'm going to tell her what I think of her. Linda, not Kellye. And if she actually shows up at Mac's wedding and tries to pull something, I might get violent."