be in touch with the details,” Maggie said, a faint hint of relief in her voice.
Once again Amanda was astounded by the trace of vulnerability in a woman whose strength and self-confidence she admired. Maggie had faced down a madman who’d trapped her in her art gallery not that long ago, but she seemed to be genuinely uneasy around Amanda.
“Maggie, can I ask you a question? Why is this so important to you?”
Maggie looked disconcerted by the direct question. “I told you. I know I misjudged you and I want to make amends. You’re important to Josh and to Nadine and other people I admire and respect, so I’d like us to be friends, too.”
“Then we will be,” Amanda said. “If I’ve learned nothing else since my husband died, it’s that friendship is important.” Impulsively, she reached out and gave Maggie a hug. “Besides, as far as I’m concerned we’ve been friends since the minute you showed up to help build my house. That was an act of kindness I’m never likely to forget.”
Maggie regarded her with surprise. “You really mean that, don’t you? Even after everything I did to keep you at arm’s length?”
“Believe me, I understood what that was all about. You were protecting your turf, even though you had nothing to fear from me. I knew in time you’d figure out that I wasn’t a threat to your relationship with Josh.”
“Well, I’m sorry just the same. We’re starting over right now, okay?”
“Okay,” Amanda agreed at once.
Maggie gave her a conspiratorial grin. “You know what that means, don’t you?”
“What?”
“I get to have free rein to meddle in your relationship with Caleb.”
Amanda gave her a horrified look. “I don’t have a relationship with Caleb.”
“You will when I’m through,” Maggie said cheerfully. “Enjoy your evening.”
She was gone before Amanda could formulate a reply. This wasn’t good. Not good at all. Maggie meddling all on her own would be bad enough, but if she brought the romantically irrepressible Nadine into it—and she very well might—who knew what mischief they could stir up for Amanda and Caleb?
Caleb took in Amanda’s flushed cheeks and too-bright eyes and tried to figure out what had brought on this sudden attack of nerves. It couldn’t be because he and Mary Louise were the first official guests at her new home. Amanda had grown up entertaining for Big Max. She’d been hosting dinner parties for Charleston’s power brokers by the time she was thirteen. So why was she fluttering around the living room, fussing over a plate of cheese and crackers and a couple of soft drinks?
He captured her hand as she was about to take off for the kitchen once again. “You okay?” he asked.
“Fine, just fine,” she said too cheerfully. She turned to beam at Mary Louise. “Just let me get some napkins and we can talk.”
“There are napkins on the table,” Caleb pointed out.
Her good cheer evaporated. “Oh, of course there are. What was I thinking?” She sat down on the edge of a chair. “Mary Louise, why don’t you tell me a little bit about you and Danny?”
Mary Louise, who’d been tense ever since Caleb had picked her up and hadn’t said a word on the ride over, launched into a dreamy description of their relationship. If it had been written down, it would have been punctuated by hearts and flowers.
Amanda grinned at the romantic picture the girl was painting. “Then you’ve been in love with him practically forever?” she summarized.
Mary Louise nodded. “That’s why I don’t understand what all the fuss is about us getting married a little sooner than we planned.”
Caleb was about to explain when Amanda asked, “What’s Danny studying at Clemson?”
“Architecture,” Mary Louise said.
“Is he excited about it?” Amanda asked.
“He loves it. Who could live around here and not care about all these historic old buildings? He really wants to find ways to preserve them.”
“I have a couple of friends who do historic preservation work,” Amanda told her. “It requires a real passion and understanding to do it right. How are you going to feel if Danny has to give that up?”
Mary Louise looked startled. “Why would he have to give it up?”
“Supporting a family means bringing in a paycheck and putting food on the table,” Amanda explained. “It means doctors for you and the baby. It means paying rent for someplace to live.”
“I can work,” Mary Louise said staunchly.
“For a while,” Amanda agreed. “What about once the baby comes?”
“We can manage,” Mary Louise insisted.
Just then Larry, Jimmy and Susie raced in from the backyard demanding Amanda’s immediate attention. In Caleb’s opinion, their timing couldn’t have been better.
“Mommy, they wouldn’t let me swing on the swing,” Susie said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She cast an accusing look at her big brothers. “They’re mean and I hate them!”
“Susie!” Amanda said. “You do not hate your brothers.”
“Do, too,” she said with a sniff.
“She’s just a big ole baby,” Jimmy countered.
“Am not,” Susie retorted.
Before the battle could escalate, Amanda scooped up Susie, then directed a forbidding look at the boys. “Come with me,” she said.
“I can take them,” Caleb offered.
“Not this time,” Amanda said tersely, heading to the back of the house.
“But it’s not fair,” Jimmy wailed just before one bedroom door slammed shut.
“They were being mean,” Susie repeated, her voice thick with tears. “How come I have to go to my room?”
Caleb couldn’t hear Amanda’s murmured reply, but then a second door closed. She came back, looking faintly harried.
“Sorry. Where were we?” she asked Mary Louise.
“I was telling you that Danny and I can figure all that out,” Mary Louise said, though her gaze seemed to be drawn in the direction of the unmistakable sobs coming from down the hall. She looked shaken.
“You’ll need to get used to that,” Amanda told her mildly. “Kids cry, especially babies. It’ll make it tough for Danny to study, at least at home. Next thing you know he’ll either have to drop out of school or spend all his free time in the library so he can keep up with his classes.”
Mary Louise reacted
