Bed of Roses Page 0,24

girl." Del toasted her with his coffee.

"Anyway, speaking of Jack, have you seen him? I mean, will you be seeing him?"

"Tomorrow, actually. We're heading into the city to catch the Yankees."

"Maybe you could take him his jacket. He left his jacket. Or I forgot to give it back. Anyway, I have his jacket, and he probably wants it. I can go get it. It's in my office. I can just go get it."

"I'll go by and get it on my way out."

"Good. That'd be great. Since you're seeing him anyway."

"No problem. I'd better get going." He picked up the bag, shook it lightly at Laurel. "Thanks for the cookies."

"A baker's dozen, including the one you ate, will be deducted from your fee."

He shot Laurel a grin, and sauntered out.

Laurel waited a few beats then pointed at Emma. "Jack."

"What?"

"Jack."

"No," Emma said slowly, laying her hand between her breasts. "Emma. Em-ma."

"Don't be funny, I can see right through you. You said 'any way' three times in under a minute."

"No, I didn't." Maybe she had. "And so what?"

"So, what's going on with you and Jack?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Don't be ridiculous." She felt the lie burning her tongue. "You can't say anything to anyone."

"If I can't say anything, it's not nothing."

"It is nothing. It's probably nothing. I'm overreacting. Damn it." Emma popped the half a cookie she had left in her mouth all at once.

"You're eating like a normal person. Something is wrong in the Emma-verse. Spill."

"Swear first. You won't say anything to Parker or Mac."

"You drive a hard bargain." Laurel swiped a fingertip diagonally across her breasts, then pointed it to the ceiling. "Sworn."

"He kissed me. Or we kissed each other. But he started it, and I don't know what would've happened next because Parker beeped me. I had to go, then he left. So, that's it."

"Wait, I lost the sense of hearing right after you said Jack kissed you."

"Cut it out. This is serious." She bit her lip. "Or it's not. Is it?"

"This isn't like you, Em. You are the goddess of handling men and romantic or sexual situations."

"I know . It's just this is Jack. It's not supposed to be . . ." She waved her arms in the air. "Something to handle. I'm making too much of it. It was just a moment, just the circumstances. Just a thing. Now it's done, so it's not a thing."

"Emma, you tend to romanticize men, potential relationships, but you never get flustered over them. You're flustered."

"Because it's Jack! What if you were standing around, minding your own business, baking, and Jack came in and kissed you stupid. Or Del did. You'd be flustered."

"The only reason either of them come in here is to mooch baked goods. As Del just demonstrated. When did this happen? The night you broke down?"

"No. It almost did. There was a second there . . . I think because there was a second there, it just led into it happening. During the reception Saturday."

"Right, right, you said Parker beeped you. Well, how was it? How did it rank on the patented Emmaline Grant spark-o-meter?"

Emma let out a breath, pointed her thumb up, then swiped a hand through an imaginary line. "Slapped the top of the red zone before it broke the meter."

With her lips pursed, Laurel nodded. "I always suspected that about Jack. He has that red zone vibe about him. What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know. I haven't decided. It's thrown me off. I need to get my balance back, then figure out what to do. Or not do."

"Then you have to tell me, and also let me know when the gag order is lifted."

"All right, but meanwhile, not a word." Emma picked up the cheese tray. "Let's go be businesswomen."

Vows housed its conference room in what had been the library. The books remained, framing the room and giving way in spaces for photos and mementos. The room maintained its warmth, its elegance, even as it served for business.

Parker sat at the big inlaid table, laptop and BlackBerry at the ready. As the morning client meetings and tours were complete for the day, she'd hung her suit jacket on the back of the chair. Mac sat across from her, long legs stretched out, wearing the jeans and sweater that served her for her workday. When Emma set the tray on the table, Mac levered herself up to snag a cluster of grapes. "You guys are late."

"Del stopped by the kitchen. Before we start business,