“I promise,” Diana agreed.

“If that concludes our old business, we’ll get on to the new,” Tootsie said. “New business, anyone?”

“Yes.” Diana raised her hand. “Since my birthday two weeks ago, I’ve been slipping out at night to be with Luke. And when we get to Lawton, we’re going to get y’all all settled—Joanie in the hotel with Brett, and Tootsie, you and Carmen in a trailer park with shuttle service. Then Luke and I are going to have a couple of days to ourselves in a hotel nearby. If you need us—”

Tootsie slapped her on the knee and butted in before she could finish. “Praise the Lord! Now we can talk about it. We knew you were out there with him from the first, but we didn’t want to get all up in y’all’s business and maybe even jinx it.”

“Do you know how hard it was not to say something the last two Sunday evenings?” Joanie laughed. “So tell us about it? Good? Bad?”

“Ugly?” Carmen teased.

“Wonderful. Amazing. And that’s all I’m saying. What goes on behind closed doors is our business. Now, does anyone else have any new business before I divide the rest of this wine into our glasses?” Diana asked.

“Whoa! I’m not finished,” Tootsie said. “Have you truly gotten over the age difference, and how are you going to tell Rebecca about it?”

“I’m going to introduce her to Luke and let them get to know each other. If and when she asks about his age, I’ll tell her then,” Diana answered. Hopefully, Rebecca wouldn’t even think about their ages, and if she did, she’d be like Joanie and think that Luke was about forty.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Joanie agreed.

“Now moving on.” Diana was eager to get the meeting over with so she could go on out to the motor home and snuggle up in Luke’s arms. “I make a motion we stop in Wichita Falls on the way home to do some shopping. I did a little checking, and there’s a Victoria’s Secret there. Joanie is going to need something other than sweat bottoms and tank tops the first night Brett is home. It’s been six months since she’s seen him. And we could all finish up our Christmas shopping. When we get home, it’s going to be two weeks until Christmas Day, and we’ll be busy helping Joanie pack.”

“I second that motion,” Tootsie said. “We’ll go from here to Wichita Falls on Tuesday. Shop on Wednesday, and go on up to Lawton the next morning. What time is Brett getting to the hotel room?”

“He said he’d be there by noon.” Joanie picked up a Danish wedding cookie and put the whole thing in her mouth.

“We’ll have you there in time for the two of you to spend the afternoon together,” Tootsie said. “Looks like it’s going to be me and you against the world for a couple of days, Carmen.”

“We’re strong enough to whip it with one hand tied behind our backs,” Carmen told her. “I don’t know how I’ll feel or act when I get home, but right now I feel like I could fight a forest fire with a cup of water.”

“You’re going to be just fine, and so am I,” Tootsie told her.

“Any more business?” Diana asked as she poured wine for all of them.

“Maybe just a little bit more.” Joanie took a drink and said, “Diana, I want to know how you really, really feel about Luke living next door. I’d just feel awful if things don’t work and things got all hinky between all y’all.”

“I’m going to be just fine with whatever happens,” Diana said. “But if that’s all the new business, and since y’all already know where I’m spending my nights, I’m going to the motor home.”

“Good for you.” Joanie gave her blessing.

“And don’t try to sneak in before daylight,” Tootsie said. “You wake me up every time you put your weight on that third step. It’s always squeaked, even when I was a teenager and trying to slip in after my curfew. Now let’s hold hands. Joanie, it’s your turn to read the words on the plaque.”

When that was done, Diana slid off the bed and left the room. She stopped long enough to pet Dolly and the kittens before she went outside and across the lawn to the motor home.

Luke flung open the door and opened his arms. She met his embrace and laid her head on his shoulder, their hearts seeming to beat in unison.

“So how did your empty nesters’ meeting go?” he asked.

“How’d you know about that?” She took a step back.

“I find out all kinds of things just by keeping my ears open.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “You taste like wine and sweet cookies.”

“You taste like beer and pretzels.” She leaned in for a long kiss. “I like it.”

“What do y’all talk about at these meetings?” He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom.

“That’s classified, but I can tell you this much: I’m not going to the house in the morning until you go. They know about us, and until we leave, I’m not waiting for them to go to bed before I come out here anymore, or rushing back before they get up in the morning. And I told them that we’re sharing our own hotel room in Lawton.” She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands over his broad chest. “Is that going to be weird for you?”

“Oh, hell no!” He kissed the side of her neck. “We are consenting adults, and we shouldn’t have to sneak around like high school kids.”

“At least I didn’t crawl out the window.” She undid his belt buckle.

“If that had been necessary, I would have had a ladder ready for you to climb down into my arms.” He slipped her jacket off her shoulders.

“And you said you weren’t romantic.” She switched off the lights and left the door wide open.

Chapter Twenty-Six

When it came time to leave on Tuesday morning, Carmen lingered a little and was the last one in the motor home. She stopped inside the door and laid a palm on the plaque that read:

MAY GOD GRANT YOU ALWAYS

A SUNBEAM TO WARM YOU

A MOONBEAM TO CHARM YOU

A SHELTERING ANGEL SO NOTHING CAN HARM YOU

LAUGHTER TO CHEER YOU

FAITHFUL FRIENDS NEAR YOU

AND WHENEVER YOU PRAY

HEAVEN TO HEAR YOU.