Page 212 of The Woman Left Behind

Harry followed them.

“I get to do the angel,” Sherise declared.

Shane had bent over the food, but he shot straight at that.

“You do not. You did it last year. It’s my turn.”

“Actually, I did it last year,” Lillian put in.

“Then it’s still my turn,” Shane stated.

“It’s Harry’s turn,” Ronnie decreed. “And no lip. Eat. Unpack ornaments. Or we’ll be at this all night.”

Harry approached the coffee table and muttered to Shane, “You can put the angel on our tree when we get over there.”

“Thanks, man,” Shane muttered back.

“I heard that!” Sherise cried.

“Calm, darlin’,” Greg said. “You can put the star on our tree when we get to the dessert portion of this extravaganza.”

Sherise shot a sunny smile at his dad. “Thanks, Greg. You’re the best.”

And the extravaganza was: hors d’oeuvres at George and Ronetta’s, entrée at Harry and Lillian’s, dessert at Caro and Greg’s, tree trimming at all of them.

How he didn’t have a gut living with Lilly and next to Ronnie, he had no fucking clue.

Harry sidled up to Lillian and said low, “I thought Sherise was bringing her boyfriend this weekend.”

Lillian returned in an undertone, “She’s decided to spring him on them at Christmas. She thinks Ronnie will be more distracted then.”

Harry looked for Ronnie and found she’d ensconced herself in an armchair with her wine, catty corner to where Caroline was on the couch with her wine, and they were relaxed and chatting.

“Probably a good plan,” Harry replied.

Lillian’s eyes twinkled at him, more cheerful than any Christmas tree.

Then she dug into the sausage roll wreath, shoved her piece into the sauce, then shoved it into her mouth.

Harry did the same.

Ten minutes later, he was ass on the floor beside Shane, unwrapping carefully packed, fragile ornaments.

“We got the case of wine you sent, brother, thanks for that,” he told Shane.

“Wanna say it’s my largesse, my man,” Shane returned. “But I’m gonna be up here a lot this month and I’m not drinking shitty, five-dollar wine when I am.”

“You are such a wine snob,” Lillian accused as she took an ornament from Shane.

“And?” Shane asked. “It is kinda my job,” he pointed out.

Lillian rolled her eyes.

Sherise laughed.

Harry handed her an ornament when she was done laughing.

“Oh my goodness!” Caroline cried. “I can already see this is going to be a beautiful tree.”

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