Laurel gave Mac a cool stare, then rose and walked inside. “What? What? I was kidding. Mostly.”

“She’s not mad. If she was mad she’d have snapped your head off.” Parker glanced toward the house. “She’ll be back.”

“True.You’re not mad, right?” Mac wagged her fork at Del. “If she’s mad you’d be mad on her behalf since you’re hooked up.”

“If that’s a rule, it’s a girl rule.”

“It’s not a girl rule. It’s a couple rule.” Mac looked to Emma for verification.

“Yes, it is. If you know what’s good for you.”

“I’m not mad, so if she’s mad she’s going to have to get over it.”

“You really don’t get how this works,” Mac decided. “Parker, you should write some of this stuff down for him. Rules are the thread that knits the fabric. He’s got holes in his fabric.”

“Are these girl rules, couple rules, or Quartet rules?”

“It’s really all the same,” Parker told him. “I’ll get you a memo.” She glanced over as Laurel came back out with her sketchbook. “But the point’s moot at the moment.”

“What’s the point?” Laurel asked.

“Anger and insult rule.”

“Oh. I’m not angry or insulted, I’m just ignoring her.” She walked around the table to Carter. “This is for you, not for her. Just for you.”

“Okay.” He glanced at Mac. “Is that allowed?”

“Depends.”

“She has nothing to say about it. For you, if you like it. The groom’s cake.” Laurel angled the pad so Mac’s view was blocked, and opened it for Carter.

She watched his face and saw exactly what she’d hoped to see. The quicksilver flash of pure delight. “It’s amazing. It couldn’t be more perfect, and I’d never have thought of it.”

“What is it?”

Even as Mac asked, shifted, Laurel snapped the book shut.

That brought a few hoots of laughter from around the table as Mac cursed. Then she shifted tactics with a sad, pitiful expression.

“Please? Pretty, pretty please?”

Laurel opened the book a fraction. “I’m only showing you for Carter. Not for you.”

“Okay.”

Laurel opened the book, heard Mac’s breath catch before she managed a shaky, “Oh.”

Jack craned his head to get a look. “It’s a book. It’s nice. Fits.” “It’s not just a book. It’s As You Like It. It’s kind of our book, isn’t it, Carter?”

“I was teaching it when we started seeing each other. It’s even open to Rosalind’s speech. See down here.” He ran his finger down the open page. “‘No sooner looked but they loved.’”

“Oh, big awww.” Emma leaned over for a better look. “I love the bookmark ribbon with their names on it.”

“I think I’m taking Mac’s off. I’ll just have Carter’s.” Laurel considered. “Yeah, just his. Carter Maguire, PhD.”

“You won’t take me off the cake.You love me.”

Laurel made a pfft sound.

“You love me,” Mac said again, scooting up. “You designed the perfect cake for my guy. You love me.” She grabbed Laurel in a hug, did a little dance.

“Maybe I love Carter.”

“Of course you do. Who wouldn’t? Thank you, thank you,” she whispered in Laurel’s ear. “It’s the best.”

“You almost deserve it,” she whispered back, then laughed and hugged hard.

“I’ll have a look at that while the lot of you deal with the dishes.” Mrs. Grady curled a finger. “Food’s ready to be packed up for the park when you are. You’ll need to get the hampers out.”

“Packing, family kitchen at three thirty,” Parker announced. “I’ll hand out specific assignments after kitchen duty. Loading up the van at four, which includes food, folding chairs, blankets, any sports equipment, and people. I have your assigned seats for transportation,” she added and only inclined her head at the groans. “It’ll save arguing. I’m driving.” This time she held up a hand.“I alone among us am dateless, and as such am to be pitied, indulged, and obeyed.”

“You could’ve had a date,” Emma objected. “I can get you a date in five seconds.”

“That’s really sweet, but no. Big no.” Parker rose and began to stack dishes. “Let’s get this done because I have some relaxing and satisfying file purging to do.”

“That’s just really sad.”With a shake of her head, Mac grabbed a tray.

“Who could you get in five seconds?” Jack wondered. Emma shot him a laughing look over her shoulder as she carried in dishes.

“I’ll be right in,” Del told Laurel. “I just need to take care of something first.”

“If you’re more than five minutes, I’m sticking you with the pans.

When Del pulled out his phone, Mrs. Grady looked up from Laurel’s sketchbook. “What are you up to?”

“Just looking out for my sister.” He wandered off to make a call.

IT WASN’T EXACTLY LIKE HERDING CATS, LAUREL SUPPOSED, BUT IT was pretty damn close. Here were people who successfully ran their own businesses, who taught the youth of the country, who represented citizens in the court of law—and none of them could get to one place at one time.

A dozen essential items were remembered at the last minute, then retrieved. Debates broke out on the system of loading the van, then on Parker’s seat assignments.

Laurel dug a soft drink out of one of the coolers and, popping it open, walked over to sit on one of the low garden walls while chaos reigned.

“Why aren’t you over there fixing this?” she asked Parker when her friend sat down beside her.

“They’re having fun.” She held out a hand for the drink. “And I built an extra twenty minutes into the load time.”

“Naturally. Did you really purge files all afternoon?”

“Some people do crossword puzzles.”

“How many calls did you get?”

“Five.”

“Some holiday.”

“It works for me. Things seem to be working for you, too.”