“You’re kidding.”

“No, only slightly exaggerating.” She sat to pull off her thick, walk-around-the-house socks, then, cradling the phone on her shoulder, wiggled out of her flannel pants. “We’ll do a conference call rehearsal if necessary, or a virtual one if the client has the computer capability. We’ll shovel, plow, and clear. We’ve done it before. Barring genuine blizzard conditions, we’ll have a wedding tomorrow. Maybe you could be my date. And bring the cat. That way the two of you could stay through the weekend.”

“We’ll be there. I’d rather be with you tonight than here grading papers.”

She yanked up her cords. “I’d rather be with you than dealing with an hysterical, anal-retentive bride.”

“I think you win. Try to stay warm. Maybe you could call me later, after you’re done with everything. You can tell me how it went.”

“I will. Oh, wait. Are any of those papers you’ll be grading Garrett’s?”

“As a matter of fact.”

“Hope he gets an A. See you tomorrow.”

She hung up the phone, then pulled off her sweatshirt, pulled on the sweater. She grabbed her makeup bag and a pair of dress boots should the bride insist on braving the elements.

Five minutes later, she hunched against the frigid blast of wind to trudge through the snow. It would take a miracle, she thought, if the storm didn’t abate in the next few hours. Even with a miracle, the guest attrition rate would soar. It would take all her skill to pull any glowing bride shots of the client.

Or possibly liquor.

She dumped everything in the mudroom, stomped and shook away snow. She checked Laurel’s kitchen.

Her friend stood, coating the second of three tiers with pale pink fondant.

“Wait. I have down the marquetry cake, white icing, pink and lavender flowers, traditional B and G topper.”

“Changed to pleated, pale pink with nosegay of English violets topper. I guess you didn’t get the memo—or honestly by the time we got to this, I probably didn’t send one.”

“No problem. I’ll put it in my notes.” Mac dragged them out to do just that. “How many guys do you figure she changed her mind about before she stuck with the one she’s marrying tomorrow?”

“One shudders to think. Forecast is for twelve to eighteen.”

“We can handle twelve to eighteen.”

“We can. I’m not sure about the bride.” She moved on to the last tier. “Parker’s been dealing with her almost since the first flake fell. Emma’s in her shop, dealing with the flowers.”

“Is it still a pomander for the flower girl?”

“As of now. My mission was to match the fondant to the color of the roses.” Laurel paused to pick up the bud Emma had given her, held it by the fondant. “I think mission accomplished. Now scram. I still have a couple acres of pink and white sugar paste to deal with before I even assemble this baby.”

“I’ll go help Parker.”

In her office, Parker lay on the floor, eyes closed, talking in calm, soothing tones into her headset. “I know, Whitney. It’s just so unfair. But . . . No, I don’t blame you a bit. I’d feel the same way. I do feel the same way.” She opened her eyes, looked up at Mac. Closed them again.

“I’m here for you. We all are. And we have a few ideas that may . . . Whitney! I want you to stop. Listen to me now. Stop and breathe. Breathe. Now, just listen. The weather is out of our control. Some things in life just are. It’s what we do about them that counts, and one of the things you’re going to do is marry the man you love and start a wonderful life together. The weather can’t change that.”

Listening with half an ear, Mac opened Parker’s cabinet and got her friend a fresh bottle of water.

“Don’t cry, honey. Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to worry about today. At five, we’re going to do a conference call with you and Vince and the wedding party, and your parents. We’re going to go over every step of what’s going to happen tomorrow. Wait, just wait. Today first. We’re going to go over every step, as long as it takes. I know how much you were looking forward to the rehearsal dinner tonight.”

With her eyes closed, she listened for several moments. “Yes, Whitney, but I agree with your mother, and with Vince. It’s not worth risking the roads to try to get everyone here, or to the restaurant. But I’ve arranged, if you agree, for one of the caterers I know to deliver a wonderful meal to you. She only lives a couple of blocks away. She’ll deliver it, and she’ll set it all up. You can make this a party, Whitney, or a tragedy. I’ve talked to your mother, and she’s thrilled with the idea.”

Bending down, Mac tapped the bottle against Parker’s hand. Parker took it, just held it.

“She’ll have a houseful, and host a party with her daughter. You’ll have dinner, wine, family, friends, a sleepover, a fire in the hearth. You’ll have a rehearsal dinner that’s unique and yours, and that makes something lovely and fun out of an inconvenience.”

“Damn you’re good,” Mac whispered.

Parker reopened her eyes, rolled them. “That’s right. Let me worry about tomorrow. I promise you, one way or the other, we’re going to give you a beautiful day. And the most important thing, you’re marrying Vince. Now I want you to relax, to enjoy yourself. We’re going to have fun with this. I’ll call you back. Yes. I promise. Go help your mother.”

Parker pulled off the headset. “God!”

“I bet she’s not worrying about pomanders now.”

“No, she’s too busy cursing the gods.” As she sat up, Parker twisted the top off the bottle, took a long, long drink. “I don’t blame her for being upset. Who wouldn’t be? But a winter wedding means the possibility of snow. It’s March in Connecticut, clue in. But in her mind, the snow is a personal insult aimed at ruining her life. Twelve to eighteen.”

“I got the bulletin.”

“We’ll need the drive and parking plowed, the paths, porches, and terraces cleared.” She drank again, and did what she’d advised Whitney to do. She breathed. “The road crews are out, so we’ll have to trust them to do their part.”

“Four-wheel drives?”

“The limo company can switch to the Hummer. The groom’s willing to forgo the limo and load up his SUV with his party. I’ve talked to all the subs. We shouldn’t have a problem.”

“Then I guess I’d better get a shovel.”

BY EIGHT, WITH THE SNOW SLOWED TO A FITFUL TRICKLE, MAC sat in the kitchen with her friends devouring a bowl of Mrs. G’s beef stew.

“When is she coming home?” Mac demanded. “We’re nearly out of provisions.”

“First of April,” Parker said, “as usual. We can make it. We’ll make tomorrow, too. I just talked to a very happy, slightly drunk bride. They’re having a wonderful time. They have a karaoke machine.”

“We’re plowed, forecast is for clear skies tomorrow, with a high of thirty-eight. The wind’s already easing off. Cake’s in the cooler and is a thing of beauty.”

Emma nodded at Laurel. “Flowers are the same.”

“The kids will be here first thing in the morning to shovel the path, clear the portico and terraces,” Parker put in. “So that’s cleared off our list.”

“Thank God,” Emma said with feeling.

“I’ve got the FOB taking pictures tonight at the rehearsal party with his pocket digital. I’ll play with them, put something fun together in one of the small albums. We’ll gift it to the bride. And now.” Mac pushed up. “I’m going home, ease my aching body into a hot bath.”

She walked home in the thinning snow, the path lights sparkling. It made her think of Carter, how he’d talked her into walking in the snow instead of wallowing.

She’d call him. Sink into that hot bath with a glass of wine, some candles glowing—and Carter on the line. She wondered how he’d react to phone sex, and heard herself laugh. He was always surprising her. She’d bet he’d be a phone sex champ.

She let herself in, listened to the silence. She liked the quiet, liked her space. Funny how he didn’t disturb either by being there. He just seemed to make it more theirs. Their quiet, their space.

Weird thought.

She glanced at the photo on her workstation as she stripped off her coat. Maybe not so weird. They framed up together nicely.

It was good, this phase they were in, she thought as she started upstairs. Not a holding pattern, not exactly, just staying in that nice, comfortable space. A kind of order and ease.

She walked into the bedroom, tossed the dress boots she hadn’t needed after all toward the closet. She took off her earrings, dropped them on the dresser.

Then stopped, hissing out a breath as she looked around. She hadn’t made the bed that morning. She’d tossed clothes on the chair. She’d dropped socks there, too. Her beautiful closet . . . It wasn’t a disaster, she thought, but why had she put the gray shirt with the white ones? And the black skirt belonged in the skirt section, not in the jacket section. And that was Carter’s jacket.

She’d fallen back into old habits, she thought in disgust. She had a place for everything now, so why couldn’t she

put it there. Control her own space, her own things, her own . . .

Life, she thought.

Because she was messy, she admitted. Because life was. Because Carter’s jacket was hanging with hers, and what did it matter? Socks got lost, beds got rumpled. Your mother was a selfish woman, your father was careless.

And sometimes it snowed on your wedding rehearsal.

What had Parker said?

Some things in life are out of your control. You can make it a party or a tragedy.

Or, Mac thought, you could refuse to take the next step. You could refuse to take what you wanted most because you’re afraid some day you might lose it.