were soothed. Holly didn't believe Maggie for a minute.
The woman was up to something and she intended to find out what. Her opportunity arrived when Grace wanted to call Ben and ask his opinion about the number of guests they might expect.
"Okay, so spill it."
"Spill what?"
"You are not going to get cheap prices because you're a Junior Leaguer and your husband's corporation does a lot of entertaining."
"Well, maybe not, but I do think it will help."
"What are you up to, Maggie Prescott?"
Maggie told Holly how she'd contacted the Pink Sisterhood Foundation and arranged to pay for Grace's wish herself. She explained about the surprise "wedding" and touched on a few of her ideas.
"Sounds like an event more suited for royalty than the Hardemans."
Maggie drew herself up, affronted. "You doubt my taste?"
"No. I doubt the intelligence of going behind a friend's back."
"It's not going behind her back. It's a surprise party."
Holly pursed her lips. Maggie had a point there. Still, something about the entire enterprise troubled her. "Are you sure Grace will like it? Look how she worries about spending the foundation's money. Aren't you afraid she'll have a fit about spending yours?"
Maggie folded her arms. "Well, if so, she can just get glad in the same pair of panties she gets mad in. It's my money and if I want to spend it on my friends, I will."
"But Maggie, this is such a special occasion. Are you certain you want to do anything that could spoil the day for her?"
"Holly, trust me. I won't spoil anything. I want to make it the best day of her life."
"Why? You hardly know her. Why does it matter so much to you?"
"Mike and I have money, Holly. What I spend on Grace's golden anniversary won't be a drop in our bucket. I can't do anything about her cancer, but I can make this wish of hers more than she dares to dream. I need to do this. Not just for her, but for me, too. I've taken care of other people nearly all my life. Right now, those other people don't seem to want to have anything to do with me. I need somebody to help."
"You need somebody to mother," Holly said, her eyes going soft with understanding.
"Yes. Yes, I do." Maggie flashed her a crooked grin. "Watch out or you'll be next."
"Hmm... in that case, I like my cars red and my vacations at a beach."
Maggie looped her arm through Holly's. Grace ambled across the lobby toward them. "So, will you tell on me or will you help me? I want you to help, Holly. I'll let you choose the flowers for the sanctuary."
"I'll help. And I'll keep your secret." Holly just hoped they were not making a really big mistake. "But I want to test the Ashford's chocolate torte before we go any further."
They finished their meeting and dawdled on the way to the garage where, it turned out, both Maggie and Holly were parked. Holly bought a beautiful wooden whirligig from a California artist. Grace found a leather wallet for Ben.
"Why don't I take you home instead of Maggie," Holly suggested to Grace. "I'm going by my dad's place and it's right on the way."
With travel arrangements settled, they returned to the garage. They exited the elevator on the second level, then made their way toward Holly's car. Grace and Maggie were in the middle of a heated debate on the best Cary Grant movie, so Holly didn't hurry them along upon reaching her Mustang. A couple minutes later, she wished she had.
A little girl's squeal echoed through the parking garage, a man's laughter on its heels. Maggie obviously noticed, too. She straightened and dropped her purse when the child giggled. "Uncle Mike, you're so silly."
"Uncle Mike?" Maggie muttered.
Holly felt as if she were watching a traffic accident in the process of happening. The man walking toward them was Mike Prescott. He carried a preschool girl on his shoulders and a pretty, petite woman in her late twenties or early thirties walked beside him. Smiled up at him. Clearly besotted.
The trio didn't notice Holly, Grace, and Maggie, whose face
The woman was up to something and she intended to find out what. Her opportunity arrived when Grace wanted to call Ben and ask his opinion about the number of guests they might expect.
"Okay, so spill it."
"Spill what?"
"You are not going to get cheap prices because you're a Junior Leaguer and your husband's corporation does a lot of entertaining."
"Well, maybe not, but I do think it will help."
"What are you up to, Maggie Prescott?"
Maggie told Holly how she'd contacted the Pink Sisterhood Foundation and arranged to pay for Grace's wish herself. She explained about the surprise "wedding" and touched on a few of her ideas.
"Sounds like an event more suited for royalty than the Hardemans."
Maggie drew herself up, affronted. "You doubt my taste?"
"No. I doubt the intelligence of going behind a friend's back."
"It's not going behind her back. It's a surprise party."
Holly pursed her lips. Maggie had a point there. Still, something about the entire enterprise troubled her. "Are you sure Grace will like it? Look how she worries about spending the foundation's money. Aren't you afraid she'll have a fit about spending yours?"
Maggie folded her arms. "Well, if so, she can just get glad in the same pair of panties she gets mad in. It's my money and if I want to spend it on my friends, I will."
"But Maggie, this is such a special occasion. Are you certain you want to do anything that could spoil the day for her?"
"Holly, trust me. I won't spoil anything. I want to make it the best day of her life."
"Why? You hardly know her. Why does it matter so much to you?"
"Mike and I have money, Holly. What I spend on Grace's golden anniversary won't be a drop in our bucket. I can't do anything about her cancer, but I can make this wish of hers more than she dares to dream. I need to do this. Not just for her, but for me, too. I've taken care of other people nearly all my life. Right now, those other people don't seem to want to have anything to do with me. I need somebody to help."
"You need somebody to mother," Holly said, her eyes going soft with understanding.
"Yes. Yes, I do." Maggie flashed her a crooked grin. "Watch out or you'll be next."
"Hmm... in that case, I like my cars red and my vacations at a beach."
Maggie looped her arm through Holly's. Grace ambled across the lobby toward them. "So, will you tell on me or will you help me? I want you to help, Holly. I'll let you choose the flowers for the sanctuary."
"I'll help. And I'll keep your secret." Holly just hoped they were not making a really big mistake. "But I want to test the Ashford's chocolate torte before we go any further."
They finished their meeting and dawdled on the way to the garage where, it turned out, both Maggie and Holly were parked. Holly bought a beautiful wooden whirligig from a California artist. Grace found a leather wallet for Ben.
"Why don't I take you home instead of Maggie," Holly suggested to Grace. "I'm going by my dad's place and it's right on the way."
With travel arrangements settled, they returned to the garage. They exited the elevator on the second level, then made their way toward Holly's car. Grace and Maggie were in the middle of a heated debate on the best Cary Grant movie, so Holly didn't hurry them along upon reaching her Mustang. A couple minutes later, she wished she had.
A little girl's squeal echoed through the parking garage, a man's laughter on its heels. Maggie obviously noticed, too. She straightened and dropped her purse when the child giggled. "Uncle Mike, you're so silly."
"Uncle Mike?" Maggie muttered.
Holly felt as if she were watching a traffic accident in the process of happening. The man walking toward them was Mike Prescott. He carried a preschool girl on his shoulders and a pretty, petite woman in her late twenties or early thirties walked beside him. Smiled up at him. Clearly besotted.
The trio didn't notice Holly, Grace, and Maggie, whose face
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