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She ate her lunch with a renewed sense of purpose. She was going ahead and booking rooms for a Christmas visit to the hotel. Hopefully, this time her daughters would be with her.

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Emmie entered the house to hear the baby crying. He soon stopped, and Rick appeared in the kitchen, holding Clark.

“He just ate, and Lauren is taking a shower. What should I do?” asked Rick.

“Have you tried burping him?” Emmie said. “Rub circles on his back and pat him gently. If that doesn’t work, I’ll rock him. Did the nurse come in earlier?”

“Yes, she checked both Clark and Lauren, and then she and Lauren gave Clark a bath.” Rick smiled as the baby let out a burp. “There. That helps.”

Emmie put away her coat, placed her dirty lunch dishes from work in the sink, and washed her hands. “Okay, give Clark to me. I’ll rock him. Rick, please pull what you want for dinner out of the refrigerator and let it warm a bit before we bake it.”

He handed Clark to her, and she headed to the rocking chair. These moments with him were precious to her.

Lauren appeared and smiled when she saw Emmie. “Thanks for doing that.”

“How did the day go?” Emmie asked.

“Fine. The nurse is my age and knows all about this stage in life for both the baby and me. She suggested I get my hair cut into a simple style and begin routines that give me some alone time.”

“That sounds excellent. I love my hairdresser. Shall I call her?” Emmie said.

“No, I’m going to go to the salon that the nurse suggested. Her sister runs it and will give me a discount for the first visit.”

“That sounds like a deal for both you and her sister.” Emmie was delighted with the change in Lauren. “The nurse said I don’t have to stay indoors with the baby. As long as the weather is fine, we should be able to get out. That’s a big relief for me.”

Rick approached them. “I’ve promised to see that Lauren has some free time and a chance to get out of the house. Even if it’s to walk down to the mailbox.”

“How was your first day back at the office?” Lauren asked her.

“Busy,” said Emmie, already wishfully thinking of when she might go to bed.

Her life was changing so quickly that she couldn’t imagine the future.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Over the next few days, things settled into a more comfortable routine. The evenings that Emmie had the chance to hold or rock Clark were precious to her. Helping to bathe Clark or to change his diaper brought back memories of when she was a new mother. Back then, her own mother had helped her. It seemed only right that Emmie do the same for Lauren.

Friday morning, Kate called her. “Emmie, I know this is late notice, but Brad invited Tanner to dinner tonight after an all-day conference. Would you be willing to join us? It would be an easy way to introduce you to him without a lot of fanfare.”

Emmie gasped in surprise and then told herself to calm down. She and Kate had discussed her desire to meet new people, and this man was someone Kate already liked. “Okay. What time?”

“Let’s say six thirty,” said Kate. “The men will want to have cocktails and a fairly early dinner. Does that sound okay?”

“Yes. I’ll walk over to your house at that time. It’s going to be really casual. Right?”

“Just a bunch of friends, that’s all,” said Kate. “Thanks for doing this. I think you’re going to like Tanner and maybe have a grown-up evening.”

Emmie laughed at Kate’s attempt at humor. She really would like a different kind of evening from the one she’d had all week.

Before she left for work, she told Lauren and Rick about her plans and suggested they do something fun for themselves.

“So, this will be your first date?” asked Lauren.

“I’ve gone out a couple of times and decided not to bother until I went to The Beach House Hotel and realized how much I might be missing. I think your dad would approve. In fact, I think that’s one reason he gave me the surprise trip to the hotel, as a signal to heal and embrace life.”

Lauren gave her a thoughtful look. “I understand. It’s been more than two years since Dad died, and you must be lonely at times.”