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"Do you think Bob had so to do with his death?" she asked next She didn’t want to believe it, didn’t want to consider what that would y

Roy walked back to the other side of his desk and sat down "I don’t know, but I’ it out"

Olivia’s Christmas was all planned Justine, Seth and Leif, as well as her mother, would be at her house for dinner by midafternoon Olivia had invited Jack, too, but unfortunately he’d already ements to join Eric and Shelly and the twins in Reno

"Next year we’ll be together," Jack pro, before he left for the airport She gave hiifts for her under the tree

"Promise for next year?" she asked, when he’d kissed her farewell

"Proain

Olivia felt the warmth of that kiss all the way to her toes, and when he’d finished, her head was spinning They were only now recovering their ease and coe, afraid of toppling the delicate balance

For her part, Olivia was careful Neither of theh her ex-husband still called her often--always for what appeared to be legitimate reasons

Stan was smart He wanted back in her life and he was a patientnothing overt Olivia knew her ex-husband, though At soht, Stan would swoop in

"Will you be here for New Year’s Eve?" she asked, looking up at Jack The thought of spending the night playing Scrabble with her h it’d been their tradition for almost a decade If Jack could join the truly entertaining Charlotte loved Jack as much as Olivia did

"I’m sorry," he said, "but I already made other plans"

Her smile faded, and her heart thudded to an abrupt halt "Not with another woman, I hope?"

He chuckled and appeared to be amused by her small display of jealousy "It’s not what you think I volunteered to be part of a retreat for Alcoholics Anonyht about it, I would’ve cleared it with you first"

She had no right to make that kind of demand on him "It’s not a probleoing to miss you, too"

Olivia walked him to his car and waved as he drove off She wouldn’t see hiain until after the first of the year Sadness settled over her And so did a ret The difficulties in their relationship had coht up in Stan’s sudden need for her and the nostalgia she’d felt for their past A past that couldn’t be retrieved…

Olivia shook off her somber mood, and Christmas onderful With her olden-brown and succulent Although he was still too young to appreciate Christhly spoiled by Olivia Stan had dropped off his gifts earlier in the week

They opened their presents after brunch, and it was an hour full of laughter and exclaifts to her and Stan’s seeht her a shthouse, one of Jon Bowiven her a new Cross pen, to replace the old one she’d used for years Stan had bought her a diaift It seeh Justine immediately made her put it on

At three o’clock, the shteen-month-old Isabella chattered away Unfortunately, little of what her granddaughter said was decipherable to Olivia What did cohter understood that she had two grandifts: a talking doll with its own baby carriage

"I wish you’d invited Dad," Justine told Olivia privately in the kitchen while scraping the dinner dishes

"I thought about it," Olivia confessed She had, but she was afraid it would encourage Stan, which was the last thing she wanted to do

"I hate it that he spent the day alone"

Olivia sed down a sense of guilt, but later she reminded herself that if Stan was alone on Christmas Day, it was the result of choices he’d o He was the one who’d walked out on their fa children Despite her syet too involved in co her ex-husband, even if he was in the throes of a second divorce Knowing Stan, that would lead to willfully mistaken impressions; besides, she had other priorities now

"Seth and I are hoping to spend New Year’s Eve at the restaurant," Justine said casually, without looking at Olivia

If that was a hint that her daughter needed someone to watch Leif, Olivia was more than ready to volunteer Jack had plans, so the only person she worried about upsetting was her randmother, but if she doesn’t mind, I’ll stay with Leif"

"Really, Moht leaving him with a sitter yet"

Olivia didn’t blame her "I’ll be back in a minute"

Her mother sat with her feet up in front of the fireplace, knitting what seeh she hadn’t said who it was for Possibly Seth, but that didn’t seem likely If it was, Olivia assumed herdown next to Charlotte, Olivia took in the scene around her A fire flickered in the fireplace and the Christ on the mantel were do, empty and spread across the coffee table Seth held his sleeping son cradled in his arms; he, too, had dozed off Christhts on the tree sparkled It was about as perfect a Christmas as she could remember

"Mom," Olivia said, "would you mind terribly if I didn’t join you this New Year’s Eve?"