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A Celebration Christmas

Page 30

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“Hi, I’m Lily Palmer.” She put her Secret Santa present on the hostess stand. “I’m meeting the James party of four tonight. I think I’m supposed to leave the gift here. Someone was going to deliver all the presents to the table once we’re all seated to protect the identities of the respective Secret Santas.”

The young woman smiled. “Of course. I’m happy to help you. That sounds like such a fun game.”

It was fun, and it was so wonderful that this group of strong, smart women had welcomed her into their ranks. They’d been lifelong friends and jointly owned the Celebrations Inc. Catering Company. Sometimes infiltrating the ranks of an established friendship was impossible. Yet they’d welcomed her as if she’d always been one of their best friends.

“Ms. James and another person in your party are already seated,” said the hostess. “Follow me and I’ll take you to your table.”

The restaurant was decorated beautifully with silver, gold and red decorations. Hundreds of gold fairy lights gave the place a festive feel. They were wrapped around wreaths of garland, swagged in doorways and wrapped around columns. Clusters of red ornaments were grouped with the miniature lights and displayed under glass domes as centerpieces. They’d transformed the already elegant restaurant into a festive place perfect for holiday gatherings such as this one.

Not only that, but the wood-burning oven made the place smell delectable. Lily’s stomach growled in appreciation and she realized that she’d been so busy today that she hadn’t eaten lunch.

Once she’d gotten George’s shoes and had delivered him to camp, the girls had wanted grilled-cheese sandwiches for lunch. Knowing that she’d be dining out tonight—and there would likely be champagne and dessert involved—Lily had forgone the cheese and butter. They’d gotten so busy baking that before she knew it, it was time to pick up George. The kids had a snack. Then Cullen had gotten home.

Cullen.

Lily’s stomach dipped at the thought of him.

He’d been prompt, getting home at exactly six as he’d promised when she’d told him about her night out. Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed as if he’d been a little relieved when he learned that her dinner was with girlfriends.

That it wasn’t a date.

She smiled to herself. Maybe she should’ve let him think it was a date.

There she went again. Living her own little fantasy rather than taking a good, hard, real look at what was really going on.

Sydney James and Pepper Macintyre waved from the corner table when they saw Lily enter the dining room.

“There they are,” Lily said.

“Enjoy your evening,” the hostess said, letting Lily walk the rest of the way to the table on her own.

Both women stood and hugged her.

“Merry Christmas,” said Sydney.

“Hey, darlin’,” Pepper said. “I was afraid we were going to have to drink this bottle of champagne all by our lonesome.”

Lily glanced at her watch as her friends scooted in toward the center of the large booth to make room for her.

“I hope I’m not late,” Lily said.

“Heavens no.” Pepper poured Lily a flute of bubbly. “Whenever there’s champagne, I’m always early. Besides, A.J. isn’t even here yet.”

“If she doesn’t hurry,” Sydney said, “all the champagne will be gone.”

“Or we’ll just order another bottle,” Pepper said as she slid the cut-glass flute toward Lily and returned the bottle to the ice bucket.

Lily loved a lot of things about these women, but high on her list was the contrast between Sydney’s proper British demeanor and Pepper’s bubbly Southern-belle style.

Though Sydney had been born and raised in England, she’d come to Celebration by way of the European principality of St. Michel. Pepper, on the other hand, was a Texas belle through and through. From one of the most prominent families in Texas, she had withstood scandal of the worst kind when her father was convicted of fraud. He had eventually died in prison, leaving Pepper to reconcile the father she loved with the man who had become one of the most loathed people in the United States. Even though Pepper was innocent of her father’s crimes, for a period of time she’d been a social pariah herself in the wake of the financial havoc her father’s schemes had wreaked on innocent people.



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