“Everybody thinks the world revolves around them,” she said to Parker. “Everybody’s the center of the freaking universe.”

Then she sighed, then she smiled—a singularly sweet smile. “You look real fresh and pretty.”

“Thank you. I’m meeting a client.”

“I got your bill right here. Got it together and printed it out after you called. I’m getting the hang of this damn computer.”

Parker remembered their first meeting and Mrs. Kavanaugh’s frustration. “They do save time once you figure out the program.”

“Well, it’s only taking me half again as long as it would to just write it out rather than three times that like it used to. Here you go.”

“Great.” Parker stepped up to look it over.

“I knew your ma a little.”

“Oh?”

“You got the look of her some, now that I put it together. She was a real lady. The kind that doesn’t have to act snooty to be one.”

“She’d have appreciated that exact description.” Satisfied with the bill, Parker took out her credit card. “I think you know Maureen Grady, too. She’s run the house, and us, as long as I remember.”

“Yeah, I know her some. I guess if you’re around Greenwich long enough, you know most everybody. My boy plays poker with your brother.”

“He does,” Parker agreed, and signed the credit slip. “In fact, Del dropped me off. He said to tell Malcolm he’d see him on poker night.”There, she thought, duty discharged.

“You can tell him yourself,” she said as Malcolm walked in from the side garage door, wiping his hands on a red bandanna.

“Ma, I need you to ...” He paused, slowly smiled. “Hey. Nice.”

“Ms. Brown here’s just picking up her car.” His mother took the keys, and to Parker’s dismay tossed them to Malcolm, who caught them one-handed. “Walk her on out there.”

“It’s not necessary. I just—”

“Part of the service.” Mal walked to the front door of the office, held it open.

“Thanks, Mrs. Kavanaugh. It was nice to see you again.”

“Come back anytime.”

“Really,” Parker began once they were outside, “I’m in kind of a hurry, so—”

“Got a date?”

“A meeting.”

“Shame to waste that dress on business, but we’ll get you there.”

He smelled of his work, which wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as she’d assumed it would be. His jeans had a hole in the knee and grease stains on the thigh. She wondered if he wore a black T-shirt because it wouldn’t show the stains.

His hair was nearly as dark and left to fall any way it chose around his sharply defined face. He hadn’t shaved, she noted, but the result made him look more dangerous than scruffy.

“You’ve got a nice ride.” He jingled her keys in his hand, his eyes on her face when they reached her car. “And you take care of it. We detailed it on us since it’s your first service, but I couldn’t’ve charged you anyway. You keep your baby clean and polished.”

“Tools work better when they’re taken care of.”

“Words to live by Most people don’t. So, what’s after the meeting?”

“Sorry? Oh ... errands, and work.”

“You ever not have meetings, errands, and work?”

“Rarely.” She knew when a man was hitting on her, but couldn’t remember the last time it had flustered her. “I really need those keys.The car won’t start without them.”

He dropped them into her open palm. “If you hit one of those rare times, give me a call. I’ll take you out in my ride.”

While she tried to think of a response, he jerked a thumb. She followed the direction to a big, burly, gleaming motorcycle.

“I don’t think so. I really don’t think so.”

He only smiled. “If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.” He waited a beat while she got into the car. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you with your hair down. It goes with the dress.”

“Um.” Jesus, Parker, she thought, what has tied your tongue into a knot? “Thanks for the work.”

“Back at you.”

She shut the door, turned the key, and with a genuine sense of relief drove away. The man, she decided, just threw her off balance.

IT WAS SILLY, LAUREL TOLD HERSELF, AND HAD TO BE HANDLED. Ignoring Del and his childish game had seemed like a good idea initially, but the more she chewed on it, the more it seemed ignoring it could be construed as avoidance.That gave him the upper hand, which would never do.

She kept her plan—such as it was—to herself. Since she wasn’t needed at rehearsal, it limited contact with her friends, and the temptation to share. She kept to her kitchen, making the cream filling and buttercream frosting for Saturday afternoon’s Summer Strawberry cake. She checked her board and her timing, and tried not to feel guilty about sneaking out of her own house.

She pulled off her apron, then cursed. She wasn’t going over to Del’s to face this situation all sweaty and mussed. Cleaning up didn’t equal fussing.

She took the back stairs, slipped into her own wing to shower off the day. Putting makeup on wasn’t fussing either. It was just basic grooming. And she liked wearing earrings. She was entitled to wear earrings and a nice top, wasn’t she? It wasn’t a crime to want to look her best, whatever the circumstances.

Refusing to argue with herself any longer, she took the back steps again with the idea of getting out without being seen. She’d be home, she assured herself, before anyone noticed she was gone.

“Where are you off to?”

Busted. “Ah.” She turned to see Mrs. Grady in the kitchen garden. “I just have something to do. A little something to do.”

“Well, I guess you’d better go do it. That’s a new shirt isn’t it?”

“No.Yes. Sort of.” She hated feeling the heat of guilt creeping up the back of her neck. “There’s no point in buying a shirt and not wearing it.”

“None at all,” Mrs. Grady said placidly. “Run along then, and have fun.”

“I’m not going to ... Never mind. I won’t be long.” She circled around the house toward her car. An hour, tops, then she’d—