The guest list was intimate: just my family, the Fourniers, the families of a few Abelard employees and two families who were visiting the Fourniers for the holidays. I got chatting with one of the wives, a lovely woman with strawberry blonde hair and flawless porcelain skin, whose name was Erin. She told me she had grown up across the street from Mia Fournier, and they’d remained best friends. The third in their trio, a gorgeous brunette named Coco, was at the party as well. She spent almost the entire evening chasing around three young sons with dark eyes and mischievous grins.
“Coco was Mia’s roommate in college,” Erin said, taking a sip of her water. She was pregnant with her second child; her handsome husband Charlie, a cop, was walking around with their adorable blonde one-year-old daughter on his hip. “The three of us are really close, so this is so nice to spend time together up here.”
“How often do you get up to see her?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine moving away from my sisters.
She smiled. “Not as much as we’d like, but that might change. Coco’s husband, Nick, is opening a restaurant up here.” She gestured toward an attractive, dark-haired guy who was chatting with Natalie and Miles.
“Really? That’s great.”
“What about you? Are you married?”
For once, the question didn’t bother me at all. “Not yet. I’m dating someone,” I said shyly, looking into my wineglass, “but he couldn’t be here tonight.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“Yeah, he has an eight-year-old son, and they always go to Grandma’s on Christmas.”
“Totally get it,” Erin said. “Charlie has a daughter from a previous marriage too.”
“Really?” I stood up taller. “Was it…hard to make that work? When you got married, I mean?”
“Well, yes and no. His daughter Madison is wonderful, but we still had to go slow and make sure she was comfortable with everything. We’re lucky that Charlie has a good relationship with Madison’s mother. That made things easier.”
“I bet. I guess I’m lucky there, since there is no mother in the picture at all. Levi is a full-time single dad.”
“That might make it a little easier,” Erin said. “At least politically.” She grinned ruefully. “But I imagine it makes finding alone time difficult.”
I grinned back. “Uh, yeah. A bit.”
“But you know what? If he’s bringing you into his life, and his son’s life, that means he thinks you’re really special. He must be serious about you.”
I blushed, my eyes dropping again. “I hope so. I wish he was here tonight.”
“I can tell.”
And then the most amazing thing happened.
I looked up and saw him coming toward me over Erin’s shoulder. In his black suit. Tall and gorgeous, holding Scotty’s hand, a hint of a smile on his face. I saw him…was it real?
“Oh my God. He’s here. He’s here.”
Erin looked over her shoulder and then back at me. “In the black suit? With the beard and the broad shoulders?”
I blinked. “Yeah. This is crazy. But that’s him and his son.”
She touched my shoulder. “I love it. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” I said, meeting her eyes, still in a daze. What was he doing here?
I set my wineglass down on a nearby table and started walking toward him, and we met halfway. I grabbed his free hand and threw the other one around his neck, and he lifted me right off my feet. Against my chest, his rumbled with laughter. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi,” I said, tearing up. “Oh my God, what are you doing here?” I released him and stood back to greet the boy at his side. “Hey, Scotty. How are you?”
“How are you?” he asked, not quite meeting my eyes.
“We came to see you,” Levi said, squeezing my hand. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. You both look great too.” I took in father and son in matching black suits, white dress shirts, and dark ties, and grinned. “Quite a pair you make.”
“Thanks.”
“But what about your mom? What about your family?”
He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “You’re family to me, and this is where I want to be.”
I hugged him tight again. “I love you so much,” I whispered.
“I love you too,” he said. “This is everything I want.”
I was so happy I didn’t even know what to do with myself. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? You have to meet my parents! Is it too noisy?” I glanced at Scotty.
Just then the music faded, and a female voice rang out at the front of the room.
“May I have your attention, please.”
Levi and I turned toward the fireplace and saw Mia Fournier addressing the room. “We’re so glad you’re all here tonight. It means so much to be able to share the holidays with the people you love.”
“Hear, hear!” someone shouted, and I felt another tug on my hand.
“Tonight is extra special,” Mia went on, her eyes sparkling. “Something is about to take place, something that will remind us that aside from all the gifts and the lights and the snow and the food and the wine, this is a season about love.”
At first I thought she was going to make a toast, so I was surprised when she said, “Could Jillian Nixon and Skylar Pryce please come forward?”