In her body, he found ecstasy.
Over the next few days, he couldn’t be away from her much. He tried to move slowly but it was agonizing. They’d spent months carefully discovering each other and after making love, they found there were more discoveries awaiting them, the kind that forged a new and intimate relationship. One that felt immediately secure and deeply fulfilling. “I was content with my life,” he whispered to her. “I wasn’t aching for something more, something or someone to make me happier. But you’ve filled up an empty place inside me that I didn’t even know was there. You’re everything to me.”
“Oh, I definitely wasn’t looking for anyone,” Lauren said. “I didn’t trust myself. I was afraid I wouldn’t know the real thing if it knocked me over. But this feels right. Please be careful with my heart, Beau. It’s so fragile.”
“Your heart is safe with me,” he promised. “All of you is safe with me.”
They began seeing each other almost daily. Whether it was for lunch or dinner or a drive up the freeway to the foothills where the last of the leaves were turning color, they spent quality time together. Beau cooked for her and Drew, but she wouldn’t stay late. Then there would be a knock at her door and he’d wrap his arms around her.
“Oh Beau, what about Drew?”
“It’s all right,” Beau said. “He’s not thinking about what we’re doing because he’s busy doing it himself.”
“That’s different,” she said. “We’re not eighteen.”
“Yeah, you know how you can tell? At eighteen they’re doing it all the time.”
“It kind of feels like we’re doing it all the time,” she said.
“I haven’t hit the saturation point yet,” he said. “Have you?”
An emotional hiccup escaped her. “You have to understand, I didn’t think I’d ever have this in my life.”
* * *
Lauren had a long talk with Cassie about Beau. “The very one you thought was so handsome,” she said. “He’s a lovely man. You’ll love him. He’s the single father of grown sons, we live in the same neighborhood and I’ve started seeing him. Given what we’ve been going through with our spouses, we’re taking it slow. But I wanted you to know we’re dating. I think this weekend we’re driving up to Napa to have a nice lunch and get some wine.”
“Oh Mama, that makes me so happy. But promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t want you to go through another bad relationship experience.”
Lauren laughed. “When did you become the mother?”
Two weeks before Thanksgiving, she spoke with Lacey. “I don’t know how you want to spend Thanksgiving. Cassie will come home for Christmas, but not Thanksgiving. It turns out I have a lot of invitations. My boss, Bea, invited me to join her family. Sylvie Emerson wanted to include me in her holiday meal with her family. Beth is having most of the Shaughnessy tribe and of course invited us.”
“And Daddy?” she asked.
“I have no idea how he’s spending the holiday,” she said.
“Aren’t the Emersons including him?” Lacey asked.
“No, Lacey. Sylvie is my friend, knows this divorce has been contentious and wouldn’t set me up like that. I think the best thing for me is to go to Beth’s house. Would you like to come?”
“I want to make sure Daddy’s not alone,” she said. “I’ll let you know.”
Poor Daddy, Lauren thought. It probably never occurred to him there might be consequences for kicking his wife in the face.
“Are you ever going to forgive him?” she asked.
“Lacey, he hasn’t asked for forgiveness.” She took a deep breath. “Just let me know if you want to join me.” She decided not to tell Lacey about Beau. The timing just didn’t feel right. Lacey was still so bitter about the divorce, still expecting Lauren to endure anything to put it all back together for her.
Another invitation was to Beau’s house. If it worked into her schedule for that day, she would stop by his house for dessert. There were people to meet.
Beau’s brother lived near Alameda, one of his sisters lived in Redding and the other in San Diego. Their mother had recently moved in with their Redding sister and they rarely got together as a whole group.
Lauren did tell Beth all about Beau. Beth, like Cassie, was delighted and nervous.
“They’re afraid I’ll get sucked into some terrible relationship, like the last one,” she explained to Beau. “It won’t do any good to tell them how different this is. Instead, I’m just going to throw you out