probably true,” Cassie said. “But right now, when you haven’t been on your own for long and have gone through so much drama, we want to be here to support you.”
They indeed had piles of invitations. Beth wanted them all to come to her house on Christmas Day. Beau was hosting dinner on Christmas Eve and he’d told Lauren to please invite her daughters and Beth’s family. His boys, maybe their girlfriends and Tim would join them for ham and scalloped potatoes. Then Tim was going to attend midnight mass and anyone who wanted to go along was welcome. Although Lauren hadn’t asked yet, she wondered if Cassie and Lacey had invitations from their father; she didn’t know if Beau’s boys had invitations from their mother.
“Can we have dinner together tonight?” Cassie asked. “Can you invite your new friend, Beau?”
“He’s already on standby and I’ve included his sons and their girlfriends. I’ve already made a very large chicken parm and am ready to throw a spinach salad and baguette at that. I haven’t figured out dessert.”
“What about Lacey?” Cassie asked. “Will you invite her?”
“I’m going to leave that with you,” Lauren said. “I haven’t talked to her about Beau and she hasn’t met him yet. If you decide you want to include Lacey tonight, please tell her she’ll be meeting my... Oh dear God, what should he be called? A gentleman friend?”
Cassie laughed. “You should relax. He’s the man you’ve been seeing the last couple of months. Am I right about that—couple of months?”
Lauren just nodded. “I don’t feel like a scene. It’s Christmas. Tell her to please come over if she’d like to meet my friend. If she’s pissy, I’m not in the mood.”
After a lovely dinner of chicken parmesan, Lauren reminded herself that every situation would be touch and go for a while. Everyone had come. Lacey looked like she’d been invited to the gallows. She was stiff and uncomfortable and somewhat grim. But Beau expressed how happy he was to meet her, Cassie and Jeremy welcomed her with hugs and Beau’s sons made her laugh. Then there was a fair amount of teasing from Drew and Michael about the new couple, Lauren and Beau.
Lacey seemed a little rigid in the beginning, trying not to like them, but in spite of herself she fell for them all. Beau and his sons were funny, charming and sweet. Not to mention attractive.
From that point on, the days were magical. Lauren spent every bit of time with Beau while Cassie split her time with Jeremy’s family and Lacey split her time with her father. Cassie did not receive an invitation from Brad and didn’t care. In fact she was relieved; she hadn’t heard from her father since August when she confronted him in his office. Nor had he offered her any help with law school.
On Christmas Eve everyone except Lacey went to midnight mass in Mill Valley where Father Tim assisted Father Damien for the last time. By now the word had gotten out and he was seen hugging parishioners, and telling them that he’d be taking calls and visiting with anyone who wanted to see him for another two weeks. He encouraged anyone with questions to call his cell phone.
In the wee hours of Christmas morning, after midnight mass, Lauren and Beau were alone in Lauren’s living room. Cassie and Jeremy had gone to bed. Michael was staying overnight at Beau’s house and Beau had gamely told them not to wait up. In this little bit of time alone at Lauren’s, they exchanged gifts. Beau had a wrapped gift for her and she opened it to find a most beautiful diamond pendant on a platinum chain. “I can’t put a ring on your finger but I can show you how I feel with this.”
“Beau... It’s so beautiful!”
“Let me,” he said, pulling it out of the box to fasten it around her neck. He looked at it for a moment, then treated her to one of his best kisses. “I wish you could wear this to bed,” he whispered against her lips. “This and nothing else.”
She laughed softly. “We might have to wait until company is gone...”
“I don’t know if I can last that long,” he said.
“I don’t know if I could have made it through this holiday without you,” she said. “You and the boys—they were terrific, softening up Lacey.”
“Tim was good, too,” he said. “I hope he’s okay. I told him to call or text if he wanted to