“Why are you lot here?” She put her old brown briefcase on the desk.
Archie cocked his head at Betty. “You left her answering the phones. We’re damage control.”
“Who’s manning the barricades?” There was a sentence Caroline never thought she’d say.
“The Knit Or Die women.”
Caroline wasn’t sure if that was good news or bad. She rubbed her temples.
“They took that life-sized cutout of Lake Benson with them so they would be more intimidating,” Brian said.
Bad, Caroline decided. Definitely bad news.
“Never mind all that.” Betty waved her arms for attention. “What’s going on with Josh? Why aren’t you talking to him?”
Caroline suddenly had the complete attention of everyone in the room. “Time for you lot to get back to the blue room. I need my office.”
“Answer the question, lass,” Archie said.
She stared him down. “It’s none of your business.”
“Same way keeping photographers away from your wedding is none of our business and acting like your secretary is none of our business?”
Caroline scowled at him. The man fought dirty. “You were the ones that blackmailed your way into helping with the wedding. Congratulations. You’re helping with the wedding.”
“What’s going on with you and Josh?” Archie wasn’t to be dissuaded.
“Fine.” Caroline shooed Betty out of her chair. “If you must know, Josh and I are having some relationship dynamic difficulties and I’m making a few things clear.”
The men looked blank. Betty gave Caroline an evil smile. “She means he isn’t doing what he’s told,” Betty translated.
Caroline gave them her most haughty glare. “He’s bossing me around. And I don’t like it.”
Suddenly all the faces had grins. Knowing grins.
“It was bound to happen,” Malcolm said. “I just never thought it’d be in my lifetime.”
Caroline ignored them as she sorted the mess Betty had made of her desk.
“It bodes well for the rest of us to know there’s one who can do it,” Brian said with a nod.
Caroline frowned at them. “Do what?”
They started to laugh.
“What?” Caroline was really getting annoyed.
“Caroline, love,” Archie said. “Stand up to you. That’s what. You’ve met someone you can’t order around. It’s priceless.”
“That’s it.” She pointed at the door. “Thank you for helping, but now it’s time to leave.”
The men left, still laughing as they went.
“And for your information,” she told them as they walked to the blue room, “this isn’t about who’s in charge, it’s about making it clear to Josh that he can’t tell me what to do. And if he tries, there will be consequences.”
“Yep,” Archie said on a grin. “I’m betting there will be consequences, all right.”
Caroline shut the door on his delighted face. Men. No matter the age, they were all annoying. Including the vicar. She’d just spent an hour going over what she wanted for the wedding because he wouldn’t deal with the wedding planner. She looked at the clock. An hour until she was through for the day, and first thing on her list was placing an ad for a new assistant.