Zach grinned, delighted at the prospect of taking a dog for long country rambles. He could already picture the three of themâRosie, the puppy and himâsitting by the fireâ¦.
âActually, you gave me the idea, Dad. A while back you said you missed having a dog around the house. Iâma starving college student and I couldnât afford to buy you guys a big gift. When we went to get the Christmas tree I heard one of the workers say that Beth Morehouse had a houseful of puppies she needed to find good homes for. Soâ¦voilà .â
âNow, weâll need to come up with a name,â he said.
âIâve already named him, okay? I had to call him something. I know you like 1940s and â50s movies, soâ¦meet Bogart. Or Humphrey if you prefer.â
âBogie!â Allison said. âThatâs it.â
âBogie.â Rosie smiled. âThis is quite the Christmas,â she said, cradling the puppy in her arms. âNot only do we gain a son, but we add a dog to the family, as well.â
Chapter 7
âIâll start making the hot chocolate,â Beth said, turning away from her daughters. A few minutes in the kitchen would help her prepare to deal with her ex and hisâ¦friend. Kent kept insisting Danielle was âjust a friend,â but Beth felt there was more to it. Really, why would he bring âjust a friendâ to a traditional family occasion?
Although she had no idea what Kent was thinking, Beth couldnât imagine him actually spending the rest of his life with this woman. It was a mistake. Even her daughters could see that. Kent wouldnât appreciate hearing her opinion, so Beth was determined to keep it to herselfâalthough that was a struggle.
From inside the kitchen Beth heard Sophie greeting Kent and Danielle at the front door and ushering them into the family room. The Christmas tree was still bare, surrounded by the boxes theyâd carried down.
âMomâs in the kitchen.â
This came from Bailey. Kent must have asked where she was. A moment later, he joined her. âListen, Iâd appreciate it if weââ
âIs there anything I can do?â Danielle asked in the sweetest of voices.
âNo, thanks. Iâve got everything under control,â she told the other woman. Her eyes connected with Kentâs. She wanted to berate him for bringing Danielle to a family function; instead, she bit her tongue and tried to disguise her feelings, although she suspected sheâd failed.
She realized sheâd need to get used to the fact that Kent was his own man now and made his own decisions. Beth forced a smile and continued stirring the chocolate.
âDad,â Bailey called. âCome and help.â
Kent hesitated and it looked as if there was something else he wanted to say. With obvious reluctance, he returned to the family room, Danielle on his heels.
Beth took as long as she dared in the kitchen. Fortunately, Grace phoned while she was there, which kept her occupied for another five minutes. Beth peered intothe living room when sheâd hung up. From her vantage point, she could see that the girls had opened the boxes of old ornaments and were reminiscing with their father. Danielle sat on the sofa, her expression bored. Eventually she reached for her cell phone and started texting.
âMom!â Sophie shouted. âWhere are you?â
âComing!â Beth loaded the serving tray with pretty holiday mugs. Sheâd decorated the top of each mug of cocoa with whipped topping and chocolate sprinkles, which was how Kent and the girls had always liked it. âHere we go,â she said, hoping she sounded cheerful. Surely there was a reward in heaven for first wives who were nice to their exesâ new girlfriends.
âRemember this one?â Sophie said, and held up a snowman sheâd made with a wood-burning kit when she was around ten.
âWhat I remember is the