“I need a signature for the liquor delivery,” a voice called from the doorway.

Katie looked at the uniformed man. “Did anyone go over the inventory with you?”

“No. Were they supposed to?”

She had an overwhelming urge to start pulling out her hair. Instead she said, “Yes. Give me two minutes. I’ll be there to go over it with you.” Then she looked at her cell phone.

She was out of options and out of time. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t think twice. But she’d been disowned from the family, and to the best of her knowledge, no one was speaking to her.

Still, she punched the buttons on her cell phone and listened to the ringing.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Mom, it’s me. I’m in trouble and I really need help.”

Zach arrived at the hotel shortly after six the morning of the fund-raiser. He’d tried to get Katie several times the previous evening, but she hadn’t been home. By the time he’d realized she was staying at the hotel and that he should try her on her cell, it had been too late. If she was getting any sleep at all, he didn’t want to wake her.

He headed for the front desk and got directions to the kitchen. He half expected to find the place deserted, but even before he pushed open the door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY he heard the pounding of loud music and the sound of voices.

He wandered into organized madness. Several people were slicing vegetables. A tall Amazon-like woman in a chef’s hat dropped thousands of wooden skewers in a vat of water.

“Zach! Shouldn’t you still be asleep?”

He turned toward the voice and was amazed to see Grandma Tessa standing in front of a six-burner stove, stirring a giant pot.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I didn’t think anyone was speaking to Katie.”

She smiled and shrugged. “We were angry, now we’re not.”

Just like that? “What changed your mind?”

“Katie needed help. Now come say hello properly.”

Still considering what she had said, he crossed to her, bracing himself for the hug, kiss, and cheek-pinch greeting she’d turned into an art form. Grandma Tessa didn’t disappoint.

As he rubbed the welt she’d left on his skin, he leaned over to get a peek at what was in the pot.

“Ravioli,” she announced, then waved at the rest of the kitchen. “All of this is fine, but when Katie told me what had happened, I knew I had to bring pasta. First I cook it in the water, then later, I fry it.” She kissed the tips of her fingers. “Delicioso.”

He saw dozens of bags of frozen ravioli lined up on the counter behind her. “You didn’t just make this last night, did you?”

“No.” She laughed. “I keep it frozen, for company. There’s marinara sauce, too. Sometimes we have a party.”

There was probably enough ravioli to feed an army. “Some party,” he said. “Invite me next time.”

She grinned. “You’re family. You’re always invited.”

Family. Grandpa Lorenzo had been furious. The rest of them had stood with him. Was all that over because Katie had asked for help?

He continued to walk through the kitchen. The CD playing changed to an old Beatles album. After seeing Grandma Tessa, he wasn’t surprised to find Grammy M and Brenna cutting up chocolate.

“Like I need to be near something fattening,” Brenna grumbled when she saw him. “I wanted to work on the salad, but no.”

He smiled. “Everyone is speaking now?” he asked.

Grammy M nodded, but Brenna frowned.

“I was wrong,” she said. “I already apologized to Katie. Tricking Jeff was my own business. I shouldn’t have dragged Francesca into it. Or Katie.”

Zach thought about Katie’s pain and tears. “Did you tell her that? She was really upset.”

Brenna raised her eyebrows. “Yes, I did. I’ve apologized and we’re fine now. Sisters fight and then we make up. Oh.” She wiped her hands on a dishcloth, then pulled open several drawers until she found the one containing her purse. She dug around, then held up a small audiotape.

“Catch,” she said as she threw it to him. “I know, you can’t be party to anything illegal. So I’m not telling you what’s on that tape. Just keep it safe.”

He pocketed the small reel. “Did Francesca get what you needed?”

Brenna nodded. “The good news is Jeff isn’t coming after the winery anymore. That should make your job easier.”

“I don’t care about easy-I want to win.”

“My kind of guy.” Brenna nodded in the direction of several giant refrigerators. “The general is over there.”

Zach turned and saw Katie talking with some kitchen workers. Before he could get to her, he saw Colleen and Marco mixing up huge batches of marinade and Mia hovering over a jumbo container of rice.

He crossed to Mia. “You’re up early.”

The teenager yawned. “Actually I haven’t been to bed. Once I got Katie’s call, I couldn’t sleep, so I just came over here.” She stirred the pot. “Two thousand people eat a lot of rice.”

He watched her add a cup of some kind of spice.

“I didn’t know you could cook.”

She grinned. “I can’t, but how hard could rice be, right? And Madison is helping me, even though she’s a grill chef and thinks that cooking rice is way below her.” She lowered her voice. “She only works with meat stuff. She told me.”

“Okay.”

As Madison looked big enough and tough enough to take anyone in the room, Zach figured he wasn’t going to argue with her.

“So the whole family’s here,” he said.

“Yup. Well, except for Grandpa Lorenzo. He’s still crabby. And Francesca. Katie left a message for her, but she has yet to turn up.”

“Is David coming?”

Mia poured another cup of spices into the simmering rice. “I don’t know. I didn’t call him. He’s really busy with school and stuff.”

That didn’t sound right, Zach thought. But before he could pursue the matter, Katie saw him and came over.

She wore jeans and a tank top that had an assortment of interesting stains. A scarf covered her hair, and there wasn’t a speck of makeup on her face. She obviously hadn’t slept or showered.

Funny, he thought as a strange twang bumped up against his heart. She’d never looked more beautiful.

“What are you doing up so early?” she asked.

“I’m here to help.”

Her lips curved up in a weary smile. “I’m too desperate to turn you down. Do you want to cut up vegetables or get involved with the chocolate?”

“I’ll do veggies.”

He took his place in the kitchen. Madison gave him a mean-looking knife and a few minutes of instruction on the proper way to cut up vegetables. He hadn’t known there was a wrong way. While John Lennon serenaded them, he worked his way through enough onions to make a football team sob and then started in on eggplants. Amazingly, they were even more weird-looking on the inside.

Katie moved through the kitchen like a general inspecting troops. She stepped in when there was a problem and took continual calls on her cell phone. She never got frustrated, never snapped at anyone, never lost her cool. His admiration clicked up a couple of notches and his attraction…well, it had always been fairly high.

At eight-fifteen Dora arrived with breakfast for everyone. “Bagels, cream cheese, coffee, and fruit salad,” she called as she walked into the kitchen followed by two of the clerks from the law firm. “I figured you’d all be so busy that you’d forget to eat.”

Grateful sighs competed with the music. Zach headed toward his secretary, but Katie beat him to it.

“You’re a lifesaver,” she said, taking a bag of bagels and passing it around. “We’re surrounded by food and there’s nothing for breakfast.”

“We could have had ravioli,” Zach teased.

Katie swatted at him. “That’s for tonight. Don’t you know all the best parties have grilled delicacies and pasta?”

There was a faint edge of panic to her voice. Zach moved close and put his arm around her. “You’re doing great,” he breathed in her ear. “The party will go off without a hitch. Just keep telling yourself that by this time tomorrow, it will all be over.”

Before she could respond, the main kitchen doors opened again. A tall, overweight dark-haired woman entered. She carried a small paper bag, which she waved around.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “I didn’t check for messages. Sorry, Katie. But I brought my garnish knives. What do you want me to do?”

The CD player chose that moment to switch to a different disk, so the kitchen went silent. Everyone stared at the intruder.

The woman stared back.

“Katie!” she said impatiently. “It’s me. I was already dressed for an experiment when I played my messages.”

Katie gasped. “Francesca?”

Zach stared. Francesca? Katie’s sister? Katie’s pretty, skinny sister?

“It’s a fat suit,” Brenna said, coming up and grabbing a bagel. “She can unzip the extra fat. Doesn’t that just make you want to slap her?”

Francesca ignored her. “I’m here to do garnishes.”

Katie shook her head. “Okay. Great. I don’t care what you look like. You’re a lifesaver. We need as many garnishes as you can make. Let me get you a workstation.”

Zach watched them walk away. Francesca?

Brenna leaned close. “She took this garnish-making class. Frankly, I think she’s taken every craft class known to mankind. I mean, the woman can tat lace.”

Zach didn’t know what that was, but then, he didn’t want to. He stared at her unflattering slacks and shirt, and the brunette wig that should have been tossed a couple of years ago, then remembered Francesca showing up covered in tattoos. Why would a normal person do things like that?

“There’s something wrong with her,” Zach said before he could stop himself.

Brenna handed him a bagel. “You know-I’ve been thinking that same thing for years.”

The first guests arrived shortly before seven. Katie had already spent the previous hour touring the gardens and ballrooms and seeing to final preparations. The serving staff had shown up promptly at four, and the musicians had followed at five-thirty. Now several small combos played in different corners and alcoves, while uniformed servers offered champagne, appetizers, and explained the evening’s menu.

Despite her need to check everything one last time, Katie had abandoned her clipboard and briefcase. Instead she kept a mental list, ticking off twinkle lights, the floral arrangements, and individual grills being fired up.

Maybe, just maybe, this was all going to work out. For the first time since nine yesterday morning, she allowed herself to relax a little.

She heard a footstep on the stone path, but before she could turn, someone lightly cupped her bare upper arms and planted a kiss on the back of her neck.

Shivers danced down her spine. She smiled as Zach slipped an arm around her and drew her close.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” he said, giving her a quick once-over. “For someone who is supposed to be my date, you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Not at all. I told you I had to work.”

He smiled. “And I told you I like to watch.” He winked. “But that’s for later.”

He stepped back and looked her over. “You’re beautiful. Not that I’m surprised. You do the transition from ‘upwardly-mobile professional’ to ‘stunning’ very well.”

“Thank you.” She eyed his tailored black tux. “You look very nice yourself. Traditional, yet elegant.”

“I try.”

She allowed herself to lean against him for a couple of seconds. Weariness dogged her, but she refused to give in. Not until the party was over. Then she could collapse for a few days and attempt to figure out how she’d made it all come together. Assuming it did.

“I’ve just come from the front of the hotel,” he said, drawing her toward one of the bars set up under a large tree. “There are limos lined up around the block.”

She touched a hand to her stomach. “I know that’s really good, but it doesn’t help me not be nervous.”

“You’re doing great. No one ever needs to know there was any kind of a glitch.”

“Uh-huh.” She ordered a glass of club soda. “This is when I tell you that Grandma Tessa insisted on serving her fried ravioli. She didn’t want to trust it to anyone else. Even as we speak she’s holding court in one of the tents. Now, if that doesn’t make you quiver with fear, you’re far stronger than I am.”

“She’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

He led her toward the main ballroom. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Don’t ask,” she told him. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

They chatted for a few minutes before Zach saw some clients he needed to speak to. Katie excused herself so she could check on the details.

As she headed for the kitchen, she caught sight of herself in one of the ballroom mirrors. Her sleeveless black dress was dressy enough to allow her to fit in, yet not so fancy that she stood out. With the help of seventeen bobby pins and enough hairspray to lacquer a battle cruiser, she’d managed to secure her hair in an upswept style that looked elegant and stayed out of the way. She had applied two layers of concealer to hide the dark circles that came from not having slept in over thirty-six hours.