“I suppose a lot of women come to you when they’ve been abandoned by their spouse,” Korby said.

“That’s who mostly comes to me. Some of them are left in impossible situations—no job, no money, kids to take care of. There’s so much to overcome. I get to watch them gain their independence and blossom. Meredith and I did all right; our exes paid some child support.”

Getting a master’s in counseling was one of the gifts Janette gave herself after divorce. Kaylee remembered her struggle, with a couple of kids in high school and Janette working and going to school. She also remembered when Janette completed her program and took a job as an associate in the counseling office that got regular contracts from the county. Meredith had just started her own business, also a struggle. “I remember you and my mom sat on the phone late at night, talking...”

“Talking each other off the ledge, mostly,” Janette said with a laugh.

For the next couple of hours the women talked about their relationships with each other, with Meredith, with their families, jobs and other friends. They had all staked out their sleeping spots, and one by one they drifted off to bed. When Kaylee closed her eyes on the day, she was smiling. It wasn’t just because she was with her tribe, she was with her mother’s tribe. It was a wonderful reunion.

* * *

Thanksgiving Day dawned bright and sunny with a light dusting of snow on the ground. A couple of women were busy in the kitchen putting out a breakfast. A couple had bundled up and were sitting on the porch, taking in the view of the snowy mountains. Kaylee made sure to take her morning walk.

Then they began to get their meal ready. King crab legs, mussels and oysters were the main course, but Janette brought a brisket as well. The red meat was in a marinade and she flipped it regularly. They made twice-baked potatoes smothered in cheese and sour cream and sprinkled with bacon. They had corn casserole, broccoli mixed up with onions, peppers and mushrooms, and a giant loaf of soft French bread. They prepared dishes of butter for dipping and Korby made her specialty of pot stickers. Janette prepared an appetizer of snails; she brought the shells and special plates from home. There was enough food to feed an army and dinner was scheduled for four o’clock.

Michelle put on a movie—An Affair to Remember followed by Sleepless in Seattle. Two favorites guaranteed to give them all an excuse to cry.

“Like a purge,” Michelle said. “Some good old tears will clean out the pipes.”

By the time Landry showed up late in the afternoon, they were all dabbing the tears from their eyes but were ready to eat. Kaylee had to explain what they’d done—prepared food all day, watched a couple of tearjerkers and set the table.

They had already started the brisket on the grill, but Landry was more than happy to take over. The mussels were cooked indoors, the crab was thrown on the grill, scattered around the brisket, the oysters were served chilled, the potatoes, casserole and vegetables all warmed for the table. Dinner was scheduled for four but it was promptly at five that they all gathered around the big dining room table and lifted their glasses in a toast.

“To Meredith,” Michelle said.

“And to Kaylee,” Janette added.

Then, except for regular comments about the food being out of this world, there was very little talking. In fact, Landry did most of the talking when he said, “Oh my God,” and “Are you kidding me right now?” There was very little additional comment from him. He was too busy chewing.

“Landry, you don’t seem to be uncomfortable partying with a bunch of women,” Michelle said.

“Are you kidding me?” he said. “I haven’t eaten like this in at least a hundred years. This is amazing.” He lifted his glass and added, “And never have I had such beautiful and brilliant company for a holiday dinner.”

“Very slick, Landry,” Terri said. “You seem to know who to flatter. We like having you, too.”

“I would travel far for another day like this!” he said.

“Unfortunately, we leave in the morning,” Janette said.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Landry said. “The day after Thanksgiving is a big day in Virgin River.”

“What’s going on?” Kaylee asked. “We’ve already handed out all the food baskets. They’re having Thanksgiving dinner at Jack’s.”

“The tree, Kaylee!” Landry said. “The tree is going up in town. A huge tree between the bar and the church. Appropriate, wouldn’t you say? And it’s not just that it’s incredibly big, it’s that the men from town have to make it happen while the women from town are giving advice and directions and bossing them a lot. Hardly anyone misses the tree raising and trimming. It’s not like you have to stay all day but if you stay into the afternoon, you’ll see some of it. And... Well, if you’re interested in meeting Kaylee’s rescue dog and her pups, it would be great to have you all come out and see where she lives. Kaylee brought that dog out of the woods, saved her life, and now Lady lives for a smile from Kaylee.”

“I would like to see where you are living for now,” Korby said.

In the end Michelle and Janette decided to head back to their homes first thing in the morning while Korby, Terri and Maggie stayed on until afternoon. And the day did not disappoint.

They raved about Landry’s pots and sculptures and other art; they loved the little house he had rented to Kaylee. Lady completely charmed them and Landry had to nearly arm wrestle them to keep them from absconding with the puppies. Otis and Tux got a fair bit of attention as well.

Then their trip into town paid off. They got there at about noon, just as the big flatbed was pulling in with the tree, and they were all stunned by the size of it. The raising of the tree was exciting and great fun. People were already lingering around what could almost be called a town square, waiting for the tree, and when it arrived, cheers roared. Then people kept coming as the tree was lifted with pulleys and positioned to be raised.

Kaylee was so glad that her friends had decided to stay a while longer; she wouldn’t have missed this for the world. She introduced Korby, Terri and Maggie to Mel and a few of the other women she knew, and they all admired the collection of ornaments and lights that would adorn the tree.

In the early afternoon the cars kept coming, people gathering around the tree to watch the complicated process of raising it. By midafternoon the tree was standing and Jack claimed possession of the cherry picker.

“We have to be going,” Korby said. “It’s going to be a very long day of driving. But I feel so good about you being here. This place—it’s a little magical.”

“Not what I was expecting at all,” Kaylee said. “I expected to be hiding out here, not having the time of my life.”

“Not having a new boyfriend...”

“That was the last thing I expected.”

“Well, I like him. I hope it works out for the two of you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to let you know how things go.”

“Kaylee, you must be crazy about him. I see the way you look at him.”

“I might have fallen for him,” she said. “At least a little. And now I’m going to fall for that book, finish it and see what comes next. Please text me when you’re home safe.”

Her friends left with hugs and thanks, but Kaylee and Landry stayed for the afternoon, watching the decorating of the tree. They were in no hurry to leave, didn’t want to miss anything, and had a light dinner at Jack’s. When they realized the decorating wasn’t going to be finished in a day, they decided to head home to their dogs, planning to come back the next afternoon to see the tree lights come on.

“It’s like a circus,” Landry said. “I’m not very social, but I always drop by to watch the tree go up.”

They checked on the dogs, made sure Lady had a break from the pups and Tux got a bowl of food, and then fell into each other’s arms like lovers who had been apart for years. Their mouths were glued together, their arms clutching, their hands roving. “Damn, I missed you,” he said. “I’m glad your friends came, but I missed sleeping with you.”

“Seeing them again, especially on this particular holiday, I think it was just what I needed. But I missed you, too.”

“They’re fantastic,” he said, kissing her cheeks, her lips, her neck. “And now I’m glad they’re gone and I have you to myself again.”

“Aw, that’s very selfish.”

“Kaylee, I’ve found that when it comes to you, I am selfish. Thank you for including me. It was like meeting your family.”

“They are my family. The only other family I have is my aunt Beth, my mother’s sister. I talked to her yesterday. She lives in Seattle and was very busy, having a ton of people for Thanksgiving. I love Beth but I’m closer to Janette and the girls.”

“That’s kind of how things go,” he said. “Our close connections aren’t always planned. They grow. Sometimes they surprise you. Look at us. You rented my house and now—I’m closer to you than anyone I know.”

“Did you talk to Laura?” she asked. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s entirely your business and you don’t have to apologize. She called me yesterday and asked me what I was doing for the holiday and I told her I was spending it with you and some of your friends.”

“How’d she take it?”

“She asked me if I loved you.”

“Ew, that was direct. You don’t have to tell me. Okay, what did you tell her?”

He chuckled. “I told her the truth, Kaylee. Maybe not quite as much truth as she really deserves. I told her we were the best of friends and that I hoped it worked into something more for us. I also told her we didn’t have any future plans and no matter where things go from here, I’m ready to be unmarried. A decade is long enough to test the waters, to think about it. I said I hadn’t changed my mind. And yes, she was emotional. She asked if she was too late.”