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“My mind’s been on other things all day.” Then she deliberately changed the subject. “How’s your daughter doing? Is she happy being back at school? She’s at Clemson, right?”
    Usually asking about Rory Sue was enough to send Mary Vaughn off and running, and today was no exception, though Jeanette could sense an underlying tension in her client as she spoke about how well her daughter was doing at college.
    “You’re saying all the right words,” Jeanette said after a minute. “But something’s bothering you. Do you think she’s unhappy?”
    “Unhappy with me,” Mary Vaughn admitted. “I won’t let her go skiing in Aspen over Christmas.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because the holidays are meant to be spent with family,” Mary Vaughn said as if it were the law.
    “Not necessarily,” Jeanette said carefully. “I mean, sometimes it’s great, if everyone gets along really well, but half the families I know are totally dysfunctional. They’d all be much happier if they didn’t spend ten minutes together over the holidays.”
    “Is your family one of those?”
    “You have no idea,” Jeanette said, then clamped her mouth shut. She’d already revealed too much. She needed to get the focus back on Mary Vaughn and her daughter.
    “Maybe you could go to Aspen, too. Then you’d both get what you want. You and Rory Sue would be together and she’d be able to ski with her friends. What’s really keeping you in Serenity?”
    “Tradition,” Mary Vaughn insisted. “And it would break her daddy’s heart not to have her home for the holidays. When it comes to Christmas, Sonny is all about family. So is that daddy of his.”
    “You mean Mayor Lewis,” Jeanette said.
    Mary Vaughn nodded. “I swear that man spends the entire year thinking about playing Santa for all the kids. Serenity’s Christmas festival is his very favorite thing on earth. Now that I’m president of the chamber of commerce, I’m going to have to serve on the festival committee, and I’m here to tell you it is not something I’m looking forward to. Howard and I are like oil and water on a good day, and believe me, good days are few and far between.”
    Jeanette regarded her with genuine sympathy. “Ever thought of delegating?”
    “Send some underling and imply that the festival committee isn’t the absolutely most important thing in my life?
    Are you kidding me? I’d never hear the end of it from Howard.”
    “Maddie wants me to represent The Corner Spa on the committee,” Jeanette admitted. “I said no.”
    Mary Vaughn’s eyes lit up. “You didn’t!” she protested.
    “You have to do it. You’ll save my sanity. Please, Jeanette, promise me you’ll change your mind. If we’re on the committee together, it’ll be fun.”
    Jeanette couldn’t imagine how Mary Vaughn could say that, especially knowing she’d have to deal with her former father-in-law, who was one of the most pompous residents of Serenity.
    “Maddie might let you off the hook,” Mary Vaughn continued, “but I won’t let you say no to me. I want you to commit to doing this right this second. Please. We’ll have a ball. You and me trying to keep all those stuffy old men on their toes. I know you love a challenge as much as I do. Say yes.” She regarded Jeanette hopefully, then waited. Jeanette sighed. “Maybe,” she said at last. It was as much of a commitment as she was prepared to make. A flat-out no, sadly, was getting harder and harder to say.

3
    Tom had one more meeting on his calendar for Friday and then he intended to head to Charleston for a command appearance at one of his mother’s charity events. He’d promised to spend the night, but he intended to be back in Serenity first thing on Saturday so he could start looking for an apartment or a house. His phone buzzed. “Cal Maddox is here to see you,”
    Teresa chirped with her unflagging cheeriness.
    “Am I supposed to know who he is?”
    She sighed. “I’ll be right in.”
    “I