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  “We would love for you to come here for dinner,” Toni said. “We’re having lots of people over and there’s tons of food.”

  “That’s awful nice of you, ma’am. But I couldn’t impose.”

  “It’s no imposition, really. It’s just going to be a bunch of folks and football. We plan to start eating at two, but you can come over at noon. Of course that will mean that we’ll put you to work.”

  Boggs had finished the paperwork and obviously overheard. “And we don’t plan on finishing eating until dark,” she added with a smile. “It will be fun.”

  “Are you sure?” Laurel asked.

  “Positive,” Toni said. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Can I bring anything?”

  “Nope, not a thing. We have everything we need.”

  “Especially since we now have tables and chairs,” Boggs said.

  Laurel’s face lit up. “Okay. I will. Thank you very much.” She left with the young man.

  “You will invite anyone,” Boggs said after kissing Toni. “I love that about you.”

  “She is one of the kids at the clinic,”Toni said.“I’ve only talked to her a few times, but she seems really smart.” She noticed that Boggs had one hand behind her back. “What are you hiding?”

  “Just something,” Boggs teased. “How bad do you want to see?”

  Toni grinned and winked. “I’m not in the best of shape, but pretty bad.”

  Boggs presented Toni with a box.

  She opened it quickly. “My shoes! New red shoes. Hey, I told you to cancel.”

  “But I couldn’t resist,” Boggs said. “I figured a girl can never have too many red shoes.”

  Toni pulled Boggs down on the couch and kissed her. “No wonder I love you so much. Not for the shoes, but for just being you.”

  “I know. Me, too. Here, try them on.”

  Toni slipped on her new red shoes and grinned. “They’re perfect. Just like you and me. Perfect.”

  Chapter 21

  Toni woke up before the sun rose on Thanksgiving morning. Boggs and both the boys were still sleeping. She closed her eyes and thanked God for everything that she had, especially the love of the woman lying next to her. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Boggs, and pulled on her sweats. Mr. Rupert opened his eyes, and she motioned for him to follow. She put on her slippers and headed down to the kitchen with her furry companion on her heels.

  She started a full pot of coffee, then got out a few bites of the turkey they’d fixed yesterday for Mr. Rupert. Her head was pounding, but she didn’t care. She was alive and happy.

  While the coffee brewed, she got out the twenty-two pound turkey and got it ready for the roaster. She wanted to make sure it was in the oven a little before eight. Once it was ready, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the island with her list. Boggs appeared, looking like she’d only slept a couple hours.

  “Hon, go back to sleep. I’ve got the turkey ready,” Toni insisted.

  Boggs shook her head and wrapped her arms around Toni. “I don’t want to miss one minute with you,” Boggs said. “I can sleep anytime.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and added Kahluá and some half-and-half. “Do you want some in your coffee?”

  “No, not right now,” Toni said. “I took a couple pain pills. Maybe later.”

  Boggs stirred her coffee and looked at the end of the island near where Mr. Rupert was washing his face. “Hey! Is that turkey?”

  Toni grinned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “If Mr. Rupert gets to sample turkey, then so do I,” Boggs said as she opened the refrigerator. She turned to look at Toni. “Is it okay?”

  “As long as you don’t tell my mother,” Toni whispered. “Give me a piece.”

  They drank their coffee and nibbled on turkey while going over their lists, trying to figure out what time the different casseroles should go in the oven.

  “Let’s go ahead and take showers now,” Boggs said. “People might show up earlier than we think.” She winked. “And I’m offering my services to help you. Since you’re not supposed to get your head wet.”

  “That is so generous of you,” Toni said. “Really going above and beyond the call of duty.”

  Boggs gave her a sharp salute. “At your service, ma’am.”

  Toni rolled her eyes. “But I’ll take you up on that.”

  As they started up the stairs, Boggs said, “Speaking of ma’am, why did you ask that law student to dinner? Not that I mind at all. I was just curious.”

  “Aside from the fact that I thought she might be alone,” Toni said, “Cathy told me that she saw me mentoring a young law student. And that this woman would go into politics. I think Laurel might be that woman.”

  “Interesting,” Boggs said. “Come on, I’ll mentor you in the shower.”

  Toni and Boggs were preparing their casseroles at about eleven o’clock when the doorbell rang. Toni glanced at the monitor. “Wow. That’s early for Vicky and Claire.” Boggs wiped off her hands and went to the door.

  Vicky was carrying a large apple pie and Claire was lugging a large tote bag. They put their things on the island. “I hope you don’t mind us coming early,” Vicky said.

  Toni hugged both of them. “Not at all. Happy Thanksgiving, and congratulations!”

  Vicky was grinning from ear to ear, as was Claire.

  “I’ve never been happier,” Claire said. She kissed Vicky on the cheek. “Now let me look at your head.”

  After Claire announced that it was doing well, Toni got them each a cup of coffee. “You guys can either sit in here and watch us finish the casseroles, or you can make yourself comfy in the living room.”

  Vicky sat at the island. “Here is good.” She sipped at her heavily spiked coffee. “We searched Charlie’s office yesterday after I left here,” she began. “He had a case of the Bibles there. They used them at the shelter.”

  “It’s still hard to believe that it was Charlie,” Toni said. “After all the times I talked to him.”

  “You said he gave you the creeps, though,” Boggs said.

  “Yeah, but I thought it was because he was such a bigot, not that he was our maniac,” Toni said.

  “None of us knew, Toni. Don’t beat yourself up,” Vicky said. “And I talked to Johnnie this morning. She found Irene Levitch.”

  Toni had finished the casserole and sat next to Claire at the kitchen island. “No kidding? Where?”

  “She changed her life and her name,” Vicky said. “She lives in St. Louis now and is working part-time and going to school. Johnnie said that after her assault, she knew she had to do something with her life.”

  “But why change her name?” Boggs asked.

  “That was my question,” Vicky said. “Apparently her parents were not the nicest or the most compassionate to her growing up, so she thought a name change would mark a new beginning for her.”

  “And it probably saved her life,”Toni added.“I’m sure Charlie would have found her if she hadn’t done that.”

  “Crazy son of a bitch,” Vicky hissed.

  “Okay, let’s try to put all of this behind us and just be thankful we’re all here together,” Toni said.

  They all agreed and after deciding there wasn’t anything else they could do in preparation for dinner, they discussed Vicky and Claire’s new home and what projects needed to be done.

  The doorbell rang at ten minutes to twelve. “It’s your folks,” Boggs said.

  Toni touched her head. “Crap. I’ll run upstairs and get a hat. Boggs, you answer the door.”

  “Vicky, you better come with me,” Boggs said. “It will take us several trips to bring everything in.”

  Toni ran out of the kitchen. She came back down wearing a Kansas City Chiefs baseball cap, just in time to help carry the second load of food from her parents’ car. From that moment on, Toni was either fixing something in the kitchen or answering the door.

  By one thirty that afternoon
, all the guests had arrived and the tables had been put up in the living room. Football was playing on the television and there was a hum of happy conversations peppered with occasional laughter. Toni stopped what she was doing and took a moment to take in the whole scene. Her mom was in the kitchen next to Boggs, each one preparing something. Her dad was sitting in the living room, teasing Vicky about her football team. All of her friends were gathered together, and the smell of wonderful food mixed with the burning logs on the fire. She caught Boggs’s eye and motioned for her to come into the mudroom.

  “Are you okay, babe? Are you in pain?” Boggs looked a little worried.

  “No, hon. I’m fine.” She kissed her. “I just wanted to have thirty seconds alone with you before we eat. I wanted to tell you how much I love you and how thankful I am to have you in my life. And to thank you.”

  “Thank me for what?”

  “For loving me,” Toni whispered. She touched Boggs’s cheek and kissed her.

  Boggs hugged her. “This is our first annual Thanksgiving dinner,” she whispered back. “I hope we have fifty more.”

  They went back to the kitchen, arm in arm.

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  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Other Titles by Terri Breneman

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Publications from Bella Books, Inc.