She needed more pastry bags, cake boxes, pastry boxes, maybe some new transfer sheets. Liners, she thought, and paper doilies. After dealing with the necessities, she started to study tools and display items she really didn’t need—but might be fun to play with.

Icing at Vows’ budget could handle a few toys, she decided. Plus she could use some new crimpers, some new chocolate molds, and God, she really wanted that double guitar cutter.

Her practical side made her sit back, stew over the price. But when they finished with her new storage area, she’d have room for the bigger cutter. It would be practical, really. She’d be able to cut twice as many petit fours, chocolates, ganaches as she could now. And it had four frames.

She could put the one she had now, the one she’d bought used, on eBay.

Hell with it. She deserved it. But even as she clicked Add To Cart, she jumped in guilt when Mac said her name.

“God, don’t sneak up on me when I’m spending money I really don’t need to spend.”

“On what? Oh.” Mac shrugged when she saw the bakery supply site. “Tools, we all need them. Listen, Laurel ...”

“Emma told you.” Laurel heaved out a breath. “You’d better not be here to apologize for Linda.”

“I’m allowed to be sorry.” Mac stuffed her hands in her pockets. “My first reaction was to call her and ream her, but that only gives her attention. Which is what she wants most next to money. So I’m going to ignore it, and that way she gets nothing. Which will piss her off. A lot.”

“Good.”

“Yeah, but since I’m going to ignore it, I have to be sorry—and you have to let me.”

“Okay, be sorry.” Deliberately Laurel looked at her watch, counted to ten. “Now, be finished being sorry.”

“All right.You know what I wish? I wish I didn’t have to invite her to the wedding. But I do.”

“We’ll handle it.”

“I know. Maybe a miracle will happen and she’ll behave herself. I know,” Mac added with a half laugh when Laurel cast her eyes to the ceiling. “But as a bride I’m allowed the fantasy.”

“She’ll never understand you, or us. That’s her loss.”

“It really is.” Leaning down, Mac kissed the top of Laurel’s head. “I’ll see you later.”

Whatever crumbs of self-pity remained were swept away as Mac left.

All done with it, Laurel thought, and bought herself a brand-new double guitar cutter.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

LAUREL WASN’T SURE WHERE THE IMPULSE CAME FROM, BUT SHE followed it to Del’s law offices. Though she rarely visited there, for personal or legal reasons, she knew the setup.