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seemed.
    “I’m happy to arrange for you to sit with some of the other guests,” he said. “I’m sure my mom and Zach will be down soon.”
    She shot him a brave smile. “I’ve never been afraid to go it alone.”
    “There’s something to be said for independence,” Paul agreed.
    “Something, indeed.” She took a sip of her wine. “Although there’s something to be said for partnerships too.”
    “Two heads can be better than one.”
    “Sometimes, so are two hearts.”
    Paul’s pulse picked up a notch. Surely I didn’t hear her right.
    “Paul,” she said softly. She extended a hand, laying it on his forearm. “I’m really sorry about Nancy. I only recently heard.”
    “Thanks, Beth. I appreciate that.”
    “How are you holding up? Doing okay?”
    He stared into stunning blue eyes lined with compassion.
    “It’s been several years. Time moves on.”
    She withdrew her hand but kept him in her gaze.
    “Yes. Yes, it does. I’m just sorry that we lost touch. If I had… I mean, if Jack and I had known—”
    “Naturally, you couldn’t have,” he said, backing away. Paul couldn’t bear extended sympathy. It was one thing to offer I’m sorry . Quite another to dwell on things until one pressed old hurts back up to the surface.
    Beth looked pained but forced a smile.
    “It’s good seeing you again, Paul.”
    “Yeah, you too,” he said, studying her eyes. It was hard to forget the way they’d been together all those years ago. Inseparable, and so in love, like crazy teenage kids can be in high school.
    “I’d really love a chance to talk sometime,” she said. “You know, hear about what you’ve been up to.”
    “I’d like that.”
     
    A little later, Carol polished off her delicious chocolate dessert, thinking what a nice evening it had been. Even her kids had been behaving, at least reasonably well. She’d noticed Paul lingering by the pretty blonde’s table for quite a while during dinner. While he, of course, might have just been checking on a guest, their exchange had seemed more personal. Especially the way the woman had appeared to admire him with affection each time he’d turned his handsome face her way.
    “I trust everything was to your liking?” Paul asked, startling Carol out of her reverie.
    She nearly choked on her wine, and she quickly set it down. “Oh yes, just fine. The dinner was delicious, thank you. My compliments to the chef.”
    He tilted his chin with a pleased smile. “I thank you very much.”
    “Wait a minute,” Carol said, surprised. “You mean, you’re the cook too?”
    “That’s weird,” Will said under his breath.
    “Not weird, you throwback,” Ashley quipped. “That’s modern.”
    Carol sent them both a silencing look as her cheeks flamed. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to Paul.
    He chuckled good-naturedly. “Quite all right. The Baker family would not be among the first I’ve surprised with my culinary skill.” He glanced across the way at the blonde who typed on her smart phone, then clapped his hands together, addressing Carol. “We here at the inn have a special tradition. Each evening after dinner, the guests are invited to convene by the fire with the drink of their choice. We have wine, more merlot if you’d like,” he said to Carol. “Cocoa…” he continued, looking at the kids.
    “With marshmallows?” Ashley asked.
    “As many as you’d like!”
    Will slunk down in his chair, obviously bored. There were likely a million things a young teenage boy would rather do than hang out with a bunch of old folks around a fire. And Paul, being the wise man he was, knew one of them. “Plus,” he said, addressing Will, “Daniel’s thrown down the challenge to take anyone on in a game.”
    Will scooted up in his chair at attention.
    Right on cue, Daniel appeared at Paul’s side. “Guitar Hero, anyone?” he asked with a grin.
    “You’re on!” Will said, seeming delighted.
    Across the room, the blonde stood and slipped from