“None in the house,” John said. If he mentioned gin in front of this audience the whole town would be talking about Lucy Ogilvie’s problem with alcohol before the day was out.

“Well, then, we’ll just go down to the market and stock up—”

“Tell your mama we said hey,” Harriet said in a stage whisper that could be heard a hundred yards away.

“Who is that talking, John?”

“Caroline’s sisters are here,” John said. “Waiting for her to call. They send their regards.”

“Oh, I see.” There was a pause. “I swear, don’t you get yourself in the strangest situations? I was just saying to Angie this morning—”

“Okay, then, see you later, Mama, the other line is ringing.”

“Now hold on, sugar. Is your baby brother there?”

“Sure,” John said, shooting Rob a warning look. “He’ll pick up in the other office.”

Rob made a face and headed out. John would have liked to keep his brother close by, but there was no denying Lucy. The five women in front of him, all meticulously groomed and expensively dressed, were supposed to be his family, considered him family already, and thus were his responsibility. A ripple of irritation at them and Caroline ran down his spine, and he realized he had broken into a sweat, although the air-conditioning was on high.

Connie was saying, “We won’t take long, we just want to know—” when the phone rang again.

“John Grant.”

“Hey.” Caroline’s voice came over the line, clear and calm. He looked at her sisters and aunt and thought of an examination board, a judge’s circle, a firing squad.

“Hey to you, too,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Caroline, right off, I want you to know all your sisters are standing right here waiting to talk to you. I think Harriet is about to chew her own knuckle off, she’s in such a state.”

Caroline made a small, hard sound. “Patty-Cake called them.”

“You guessed it.”

“I should have known. Put me on speakerphone, will you? So I can take care of this.”

He pushed the button, put the handset down, and crossed his arms. The Rose sisters came forward, Harriet and Pearl dropping into chairs.

“Caroline, baby, where are you?” said Connie. “We’ve been worried out of our minds.”

“You are getting married tomorrow,” Harriet said. “There’s a rehearsal and a dinner tonight.”

“I’m on my way home right now,” Caroline said. “I’ll be there in a few hours.”

“But where have you been?” Harriet burst out. “I must have left fifty messages on your cell phone—”

“I needed to work through some things,” Caroline interrupted. “I’m fine now. I feel much better, really I do.”

Pearl said, “So the wedding is still on?”

Caroline said, “Did somebody tell you otherwise?”

“Well, no,” said Pearl, shooting her sisters a help-me look, “but—”