“Yep. I think it should be fun. I’m looking forward to meeting Erin. Miles loves his aunt. Maybe as much as me. A girl’s gotta keep an eye on the competition.”

Gillian barked a laugh. “The two of them are very close. They clicked right away, and as you’ll see on Sunday, it’s rather impossible not to like her anyway. Still, never fear, Miles’s affections are not fickle. He still loves you to pieces.” Gillian took a bite of the pakora and sighed happily. “This is so good.”

“I bet Erin Brown can’t make pakoras.” Mary sniffed and then grinned. “Try them with the hari chutney. It’s a new recipe and I don’t know which I prefer.”

“She thinks we’d hesitate in this. I find that hilarious.” Cal shook his head and reached past Jules to dip the pakora in the vibrant green chutney.

Gillian didn’t miss the way Jules leaned into him, just a brief touch. They had something and Gillian hoped it didn’t take them forever to figure it out.

“I’m going to Miami with Adrian and Miles week after next.”

“You need some clothes shopping for that trip.” Jules’s grin was infectious.

“I’m fine.”

“Where are you staying?”

Food began to appear on the table. Mary didn’t like anyone other than her designated assistant to be in her workspace, so Gillian sat and ate more pakoras than was proper but was helpless to stop.

“He’s got a friend who’s in Europe on tour, apparently. I didn’t ask for names but it’s probably someone Miles would get all stuttery over. Anyway, the guy has a house on the water, complete with boat dock and swimming pool. Adrian wants to head up to Orlando to do theme parks the last three days. We’ll be back by Christmas, which he’s asked quite nicely if we’d spend with his family in Whistler at his house. Of course he has a house in a ski town.”

“Honey, you don’t have the clothes for it. I promise to take you to some great places. We’ll find good deals. Let part of it be my holiday present to you.” Jules dished some chicken onto her plate and hummed before passing it to Daisy.

“I have perfectly good clothes, thank you very much.”

“You need several bathing suits if you’re going to be staying in a place with a pool. I know you don’t have one and you’ll need three.”

“Three? Why would I need three?”

Jules and Mary exchanged a look and Daisy just laughed. “Y’all lighten up on our Gillian. She’ll come shopping with us tomorrow before Miles comes back home. Won’t you? I promise we know all the best places for bargains.”

“It’s ridiculous to spend all that money on new clothes.”

“I bet you already set about buying Miles new things.” Mary said this knowing the truth of it.

“Well, the boy outgrows his clothing at an alarming rate. He’s going to be meeting with Adrian’s professional team. He needs to look nice. And he needs a real winter coat if we’re to be in the snow.”

“And so do you. You do for him easily; do for yourself every one in a while too. Come on. Let’s go shopping. You need to look nice too.”

It was useless to resist them. When any of the three ganged up on the fourth it was a lost cause.

“All right. But I don’t need three bathing suits.”

Daisy grinned. “I know of some great secondhand places. I think you need some pretty dresses and some of those après-ski things.”

As her friends took over the planning, she set about eating again, happy to be there with her lovely drink and the fabulous food as her friends spoke all around her.

Her phone rang, the silly ringtone Adrian had somehow put on his number sang out. Worried, she excused herself and picked up.

“Is everything all right?”

Adrian’s laugh assured her it was. “Of course it is, English. I was just calling to discuss a little something with you.”

“Mm-hmm. And what would that be?”

“I’d like to buy Miles some clothes. We’re out with Brody and Rennie right now and it occurs to me he’ll need clothes for the upcoming trip. So in the spirit of not making you mad and living up to my promise, can I, please, huh?”

Incorrigible. But he was right. And, she was making an effort to let him do for Miles. It made Adrian feel better and it didn’t hurt the boy to have new clothes either.

“I was just discussing this with friends. Yes, yes. Go on. Thank you, and do not let yourself get gulled. It’s okay to tell him no sometimes.”

“I already told him no when he wanted to buy a shirt with a naked woman on it. Great shirt, but you’d kick my ass. I know how to protect myself.”

She smiled. Thank heavens he couldn’t see her or the way he turned her to mush.

“I planned to get him a parka, you know, for Whistler. And . . . a snowboard.”

She must have made a disapproving sound because he interrupted the denial she planned to make.

“Look, we’ve all got them up there. He won’t. I go up there several times every winter. He needs one and it’s stupid to rent one at the slopes or a ski shop.”

Jules had really worked hard on Gillian and the issue of money between her and Adrian. Her friend had made very good, albeit totally blunt points, and Gillian was trying very hard.

He was asking her, which he’d also been working on. And he had the money and it was for something useful.