had an internal alarm clock that beeped every time we discussed their Christmas gifts—for all I know, there probably is an Apple app to do that these days—all four of our kids suddenly joined us. Alex gave me a head nod, which I took as a sign of progress.
Getting everyone in the same place had never been an easy task with the Collins clan, much less the same room. It was a nice moment … until Franny exclaimed, “Look, Daddy—I got a candy cane.” She proudly held up her striped sugar stick up for me to see, as did Zooey.
Just as she said it, as if orchestrated, Celine-Lite began singing with gusto, “O Come, all ye Faithful.”
A few of the guests actually had the nerve to send a dirty look in my direction. In this room, I was squarely in the top percentile of faithfulness, having had just one affair, albeit, a very public one.
“I’m sorry about that,” I whispered to Libby.
“It was bound to come up. Especially this time of year.”
I meant I was sorry about everything, but now was hardly the time for such mea culpas, especially ones that were already understood, and frankly, were too late.
When my public beating concluded, the kids dispersed to prepare for the Nativity play—a requirement for all Wainwright children each year. I jokingly gave Taylor the “Get out of Jail Free” Monopoly card that she’d given me during one of her prison visits, and that I’d carried in my wallet since being released. She’d always hated performing in these plays.
But she surprised me with her enthusiasm. “I’m playing the lead this year—the Virgin Mary—it can’t go on without me!” she exclaimed, before heading off to Wardrobe.
I’d given up on trying to figure out teenagers, so I didn’t give the change of heart much thought, and my mind wandered to my return trip to the city. Libby caught me glancing at my watch. “Not going to stick around for the play?”
“I’d like to—I hear it’s up for a Tony. But I have a train to catch.”
“Say hello to Zee for me,” she said, showing off her prognostication skills.
“I will.”
Before I left, she reached into her purse one more time and took out a folder. “Can you give this to Alyson when you go home tonight? It’s for the Morzetti case. We have a meeting next week, and she’s off tomorrow, so she wanted to do some prep work.”
I looked at the folder, but didn’t say anything.
“You are going home tonight, aren’t you?” she asked with a suspicious look.
She always knew when I was up to something. And I was. But that wasn’t the reason for my silence. It was the realization that while I might be living with Alyson, home was a place that I’d probably never have again. So, no, I wouldn’t be going home tonight.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Book Jacket
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from Kristmas Collins
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Table of Contents
Title Page
Book Jacket
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from Kristmas Collins
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Table of Contents
Title Page
Book Jacket
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from Kristmas Collins
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4