“Not only good, but confident. Rosa! I have to get back to work. I’ll be in touch.”

The bathroom door opened a crack. “Do you have to? I wish you could stay just a little longer.”

“I wish I could, too. But you’re in good hands with Mac. If I don’t see you before, have a happy, beautiful, healthy, miraculous baby.”

Emma grabbed her coat on the fly, then mouthed “good luck” to Mac as she dashed out.

AT JUST AFTER FIVE, MAC LET HERSELF INTO THE MAIN HOUSE. She wanted real food, the kind Mrs. G stashed in the freezer. She carted her laptop into the kitchen, and found Parker sitting at the counter, staring into a glass of wine.

“Hey. Early for you to be sitting down, and/or drinking wine.”

“I just finished with Naomi and Brent. I so earned this wine.”

“Did you fix it?”

“Of course I fixed it, but it wasn’t a snap. The bride and groom are now united in their love, commitment, and determination to have their wedding. Slut Business Partner is out. Groom will have a serious chat with Cheating Bastard Best Man, and remind him the wedding isn’t about him and this woman, but if he feels unable to stand as best man if SBP is excluded, that’s his choice. Bride will have a talk with MOH, supportive, understanding, but again firm on just whose wedding it is, and though her anger with Cheating Bastard knows no bounds, he remains her husband’s brother. Plus, she will add the incentive of a hot guy who will now attend the wedding as MOH’s date—and make the CBBM look like the idiot he is.”

Parker stopped, took a breath. “I earned this wine,” she repeated.

“Who’s the hot guy?”

“I bribed Jack.” Parker lifted her glass and drank. “It’s costing me a case of Pinot Noir but it’s worth it.”

“He is hot,” Mac agreed. “Well done, master.”

“I’m exhausted. How did your shoot go?”

“Funny you should ask. How about I show you?” She opened her laptop, and while it booted up, began to explore the freezer. “What are you having for dinner?”

“I don’t know. It’s only five.”

“I’m hungry. I missed lunch. Chicken pot pie. Mmmmm, chicken pot pie.” She pulled out the casserole. “Let’s have that.”

“Fine. I want a long, hot bath first. I want to eat in my pajamas.”

“That sounds so good. Why didn’t I think of that? Okay, check these out.”

Working the computer, Mac brought up the photos of the first pose.

“God, she’s really big!” Parker laughed, leaned in. “And looks so happy and staggered by it. Sweet. They’re nice, Mac.”

“Yeah, they’re nice.” She scrolled to the second pose.

“Okay, these are great. Sexy, female, powerful, fun. I love them. This one, especially, where she’s got her head down and her eyes on the camera? Just a hint of witchy. The lighting really adds to it.”

“I’m going to finesse that even more. We did one more setup.”

Once again, Mac scrolled down, then eased back.

Parker straightened in her chair. “My God, Mac, these are amazing. They’re . . . She looks like a Roman goddess.”

She studied each shot as the slide show projected them. The white drapery spread from the waist, under that turgid belly, and pooling like a river scattered with deep red rose petals. And the woman, her hair tumbled over her shoulders with an arm crossed over her br**sts, a hand at the peak of that pregnant mound.

And the eyes, straight at the camera.

“I love the curves, the folds, the lines. The light—the way it brings out her eyes. The knowledge and power in them. Did you show her any?”

“All. She was so nervous about them I had to show her the lot, so she’d be sure I’d delete any she didn’t like.”

“What did she think?”

“She cried. In a good way. Must be a hormone thing. Tears just started rolling down her cheeks and scared the shit out of me. Then she said the best thing.” Mac paused, letting the memory glow inside her. “She said she was never going to think of herself as big and clumsy because she was magnificent.”

“Oh.”

“I know. I got teary myself. She wanted to order right then and there. I had to put her off until I tweak a little, and I want her to wait until she’s not so emotional before she picks.”

“It’s rewarding, isn’t it, to make someone so happy, to bring that into their life by what you do? Here we are, tired and hungry, but we did damn good work today.”

“In that case, how about lending me a pair of pajamas?”

“Why don’t you put that in the oven on low, and we’ll both get some pajamas.”

“Deal. I feel like a chick flick. Do you feel like a chick flick? Dinner and a movie?”

“Sounds really good actually.”

“Speaking of dinner and a movie, I’m doing at least the first with Carter Saturday night.”

“I knew it.” Parker wagged a finger.

“I’m going to keep it low-key. Sex will, potentially, be involved at some point. But low-key.”

“Establishing limitations to the relationship prior to embarking thereon. Wise.”

“Subtle underlayments of sarcasm can’t hide from me.” Mac shut the oven door, leaned back against it. “Yesterday was just an anomaly, a spurt of panic brought on by the lack of interesting dateage in my life recently.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Parker got up, draped her arm around Mac’s shoulders as they walked out of the kitchen. “Interesting dateage is in short supply around here, unless you’re Emma.”

“You don’t make time to date.”

“I know. It’s a conundrum. What kind of movie? Weepy or happy-ever-after?”

“Gotta go with the HEA, especially with chicken pot pie.”

“Good call. Why don’t we see if the others want in?”

They started the climb to the third floor. “Hey, Parks, what’re you going to do when you’re really old and can’t trudge up all these stairs?”

“I guess I’ll put in an elevator. I’m not giving this place up. Ever.”

“The house or the business?”

“Either.”

Before they could start up the last flight, the cell phone hooked to Parker’s waistband jingled.