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“Oh, um, there was something I wanted to ask you about,” she said.

Margot looked at her warily.

“Go for it.”

Hmm, she’d possibly picked the wrong morning to make fun of her boss’s coffee. Doing it right before asking her if she could host a baby shower at the winery perhaps wasn’t the best idea. Why did she always have to be a smartass at exactly the wrong time? Classic Taylor.

“So, I’m hosting my best friend’s baby shower—yes, I see your face, it’s true—and I was wondering if I could do it here at the winery? Outside in the garden, if you think that would work? I understand if we’re too busy, or you think we’re not ready for events, though.”

“Oh.” Margot’s brow cleared. “I thought from that look on your face that you needed time off this weekend or something. Yeah, sure, of course. That’s perfect, actually; I’ve been wanting to have more events here, and that’ll be a good test run to do something smaller than the anniversary party. And with you in charge, I won’t be stressed about it.”

That had been exactly what Avery had said Margot would say. Not that it took mind reading to know that; if she’d been thinking straight, she would have thought of this herself.

“Fantastic, thank you,” she said to Margot. “That’ll make this whole thing much easier.”

Margot went over to her big wall calendar.

“When and what time?”

Taylor pulled out her phone.

“Great question. Let me ask Erica. I’m guessing sometime in September?”

Taylor

Margot said yes to having the shower at noble, what did you say were the best dates for you again?

She might as well slip some other news in, too.

Taylor

Fyi, avery’s going to help me with the shower, she’s great at this stuff. she’ll make sure I won’t just set a case of wine down with a congrats sign and call it a day. by the way, we’re dating now

Maybe she was being petty to ignore what Erica had said about Sloane helping out, but whatever.

Erica’s first text came in right after Taylor pressed send on her second.

Erica

Yay! tell margot I said thank you! I was targeting the last weekend of september! late afternoon? I know sloane was excited to host it at her house, so if it doesn’t work to do it at the winery, then we could still do it that weekend at sloane’s…

Over her dead body.

“Does the last weekend of September work?” she asked Margot. “Sometime in the afternoon? It’ll be hot then, but there’s shade over in that garden area.”

And then the second text arrived.

Erica

Excuse me what??? when did this happen? what happened to she’ll fall for me too hard and i’m not ready for anything and neither is she and on and on?

Taylor slid her phone back into her pocket.

Margot picked up a pencil as Taylor’s pocket buzzed. She ignored it.

“Works for me. Let’s say Sunday afternoon? Obviously, no charge for you; you’re doing me a favor. This will be a good dry run for events here.”

Taylor saluted Margot.