“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?”
“What on earth…” I muttered, glancing at Levi.
“Come on up here, ladies,” Mia called.
“Go on,” he said, his eyes sparkling, like he was in on a joke.
Confused, I made my way to the fireplace at the same time as Skylar, who looked equally perplexed.
Mia smiled at us before reaching into a box I hadn’t noticed at her feet. She pulled out two small bouquets of winter white flowers and evergreens and handed them to us.
We exchanged a frantic look and immediately searched the crowd for Natalie. She was nowhere to be found. “She wouldn’t,” Skylar said.
“She couldn’t,” I said.
“She did.” Mia grinned.
Skylar and I had another one of those conversations with our eyes.
OMG how dare she?
I know! How could she keep this a secret?
So mad at her.
SO mad. But yay!
Yay! We’ll kill her tomorrow. We’ll be happy right now.
SO happy.
Mia placed us where she wanted us, and a murmur ran through the crowd. Skylar and I, as vain as this sounds, quickly appraised each other’s outfits. When we’d dressed tonight, we’d thought it was just a Christmas party, but now it was our baby sister’s wedding.
Skylar looked amazing, of course—a black strapless cocktail dress, chunky gold necklace, and red patent pumps. I was wearing emerald green, pearls, and strappy black heels. We gave each other the nod of approval.
“OK,” Mia said loudly, addressing the room again. “Can we have Mr. and Mrs. Nixon up front as well?”
My bewildered parents appeared, and Mia placed them right in the front of the crowd. “Perfect.”
They looked at Skylar and me with quizzical faces, and both of us shrugged.