“That sounds good, but every time I consider the prospect of being lonely in my house, one of my adult children moves home for a while, usually with kids and dogs.” Janette said.

“You mean when they leave, they don’t stay gone?” Terri asked. “So, you’re saying counting the days till the empty nest is a waste of time?”

“Even I only lived with my mom when I was between apartments, or when she was sick. We liked our own space, yet we were very close,” Kaylee said.

The dinner conversation went that way for an hour until someone finally said, “What about you, Landry? Do you have family? Ex or otherwise? Kids?”

He cleared his throat as if he might be giving a speech. “I was an only child who was raised by my father and my parents are both deceased. No kids but a soon-to-be ex-wife.”

“Really?” Terri said.

“You’re going through a divorce?” Korby asked.

“Yes. But we haven’t lived together for years. I was just too busy or preoccupied to do the paperwork. Same for her, I guess.” He lifted his drink and peered at Kaylee. He hadn’t mentioned any of his plans to her. “It’s all just a formality now.”

“Tell us about your ex,” someone said.

“You don’t have to unless you want to,” Kaylee said reassuringly.

“I don’t mind. Laura is a very interesting person. She’s an actress who has been chasing the limelight for years.”

“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Kaylee said.

“You’ve actually met her?” Janette asked.

“I went to one of the town fairs where Landry was showing his work, and who should stop by but his wife!” Kaylee said.

“She was auditioning for a play in San Francisco,” he explained. “She came by because it was close. I hadn’t seen her in almost a year. We’ve managed to maintain a friendly relationship. We’ll see how that goes now that I’ve actually filed for divorce. I’m told that sometimes the most agreeable couples find a lot to fight about during a divorce.”

“That would seem logical,” Korby said.

That opened up the table conversation to divorces. Only two of the women were still married and two had never been married. Landry was much happier talking about someone else’s divorce.

There was more conversation around the table but they left Landry alone, except for the occasional question about his work or his dog training. When they started to clean up, they refused to let him help, but he hung out in the kitchen anyway.

This was not what he expected, this band of women who all knew each other so intimately, drawing him in and making him feel almost like family. He liked each one of them and also liked them as a group. It was a great idea, doing this Thanksgiving almost like a tribute to Meredith.

When people started staking out their places in the great room after a big meal, he pulled Kaylee aside and said, “Time for me to go. Walk me out?”

She grabbed their coats. Landry thanked everyone for the meal and conversation and said good-night, and he and Kaylee stepped outside. Once they stood on the porch, he opened his jacket so she could step inside, pressed against him. He closed his jacket around her.

“That was the best surprise I’ve ever had. Did you plan it?”

He shook his head. “You should get the details from Janette. She called me, but it didn’t originate with her.”

“Really? This should be interesting.”

“Kiss me like you’re going to miss me tonight,” he said. “We hardly ever spend a night apart anymore.”

She accommodated him, stretching up onto her toes, arms around his neck. He didn’t wonder if she’d miss him for long. It was so good to see her happy.

When she was back on her heels, she looked up at him. “I didn’t know about the divorce.”

“I didn’t want to bother you with it,” he said. “It’s not really about you, not because of you or even my feelings for you, which are pretty hot, by the way. It is true that when I found myself with a woman like you in my house and in my bed, it begged the question, why the hell am I legally married?” He ran a knuckle along her cheek. “But no matter what happens with us, I’m ready to cut ties with Laura.”

“She still loves you, Landry.”

“No, she doesn’t,” he said. “She loves me when it’s convenient. That’s a pretty poor excuse to stay married.”

“But do you love her?”

“Sure,” he said immediately. “At least, I hold the memory of a love I had for her. But it’s way different from what I feel for you.” He kissed her softly. “Have fun tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

By the time Kaylee went back inside, the women had all changed into their pajamas or lounging night wear. A couple of logs had been added to the fire and a few of them had fresh drinks or mugs of tea. They were scattered about the room on couches and chairs.

“Well,” she said. “Did you like him?”

“He’s adorable,” Janette said.

“He seems very sweet,” Maggie said. “If you aren’t keeping him, I could get to know him better.”

“I haven’t made up my mind about that yet,” Kaylee said, plopping down on the couch. “He told me this reunion wasn’t his idea.”

“No, it wasn’t, but he was very cooperative,” Janette said. “Actually, it was Howard who set it up. He called me and asked if I could round up some of the girls. He talked to the Templetons and arranged to borrow the house for us. He offered to pay for everyone’s transportation and for the food for the holiday. In the end, no one wanted or needed his offer of money, but I think it’s worth acknowledging—he did this for you.”

“He came to visit me a couple of weeks ago,” Kaylee said. “He really wants us to work on having a father/daughter relationship. He’s pestering me to death. I just don’t know what to do with him.”

“He’s trying, Kaylee,” Michelle said. “Do you really want to be so angry with him?”

“Nah, not really,” she said. “But he’s let me down so often. I don’t want to trust him to be there for me and be let down again.”

“This is a whole new Howard,” Janette said. “In fact, he became a whole new Howard a long time ago. Remember, I’ve known him since he and your mother were engaged. He had a short attention span, thought only about himself, was fixated on making sure he was deliriously happy all the time, and was easily bored. And let’s be honest, doing nice things for others was never one of his gifts. But he’s changed. I guess I noticed the change about the time I was going through my divorce—for the first time since I’ve known him he became kind and caring. He was always charming, that’s how he racked up so many conquests. But he went beyond charm and began to act as though he actually cared about people. He was very supportive of me when Carl left me and I was in a bad way, at least briefly. I think it was all his failed marriages and relationships. It took its toll. I think he took stock of his losses.”

“He really started acting wounded when my mom got sick,” Kaylee said.

“We all noticed that,” Terri said.

“But it was about the time you graduated from college that he began to change. He was married for the third time and it wasn’t going well. You weren’t around that much. You were busy with your job, then Dixon, then your divorce—you know. Life. And he started visiting with Meredith more, talking to her more. They went out to dinner now and then. Not a lot, but a few times. She said he was a little lost. Don’t get me wrong, she didn’t feel sorry for him or anything. But she said that underneath it all he was a good man. She also said they would never be anything but friends and even that was a miracle.

“And she said he really cared about you,” Janette added. “But you were a stubborn girl, just like your mom. You said that was fine, that he cared. A little late, but what the hell.”

“Yeah, I was not impressed,” Kaylee said. “She asked me to be kind to him. She kept reminding me that he was my father, as if I needed reminding.”

“Can I tell you, cookie? People will hurt us. Disappoint us and let us down. Sometimes we just can’t forgive them. I’ll never forgive Carl, even though I am in a much better place since he left me. Of course, Carl never asked to be forgiven, either. But my son has let me down several times. He can be such an ignoramus, and I’ll give him as many chances as I have in me. There’s one thing—when they say they’re sorry and ask to be forgiven, that’s a big step. I may be a fool, but that’s a step worth acknowledging. I put on my body armor, remind myself of the truth of their character, stay cautious and alert, and give them a chance. An apology and an effort are both rare and valuable.”

“The queen has spoken,” Korby said.

“You can make fun of me if you want, but I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. I’ve been studying this for a long time. I see clients who are angry and unforgiving. I see them trying not to be when they’re certainly entitled. And sometimes I see them when they’re moving on, no longer fueled by the anger. I always hope I’ll see them by then so I can remind them to protect themselves by maintaining boundaries.

“If Kaylee asked my advice I would say, see Howard on your terms in your time. And if you think there’s a reason he might offer some comfort, take it.”

“How can Howard possibly offer me comfort now?” Kaylee asked.

“There are some ways. He went to a lot of trouble to set up this little party, thinking it would make you happy. Which it did. And you can probably share memories of your mother together. You might even learn some things about her that you weren’t aware of. There is no question in my mind, Howard loved your mother. He told her he regretted ending their marriage, and I can see why. I doubt she told him but she came to be grateful because she landed in a better place. She told me that was how she felt. It was the same with me. I was devastated when Carl left me, but a year later I saw how much better my life was as a single woman than the wife of a man who put himself first, who never worried about my happiness. Of course neither of us, your mom or me, felt inclined to thank the bums for cheating and abandoning us.”