Then he vaulted out of bed. Laurel saw the moment when he realised he was not only stark naked, but there was no handy robe to head downstairs in. She laughed.
“You’ll just have to wear yesterday’s clothes,” she told him.
“For one day only,” he promised, reaching for his boxers. “Today we sort everything. The rest of our lives.”
She smiled. A smile as warm as the brightness of the day—the shining, brand new, golden and wondrous very first day of the rest of their lives.
“Sounds very good,” she said.
“It does indeed,” he said, crossing back to the bed to drop a kiss upon her, and in his answering smile she saw all the love his heart held for her and always would.
And how could she possibly, possibly argue with that?
Chapter Thirteen
“OH,DARLING, YOUlook so smart!”
Xander could hear the catch in Laurel’s voice as she beheld their son dressed in his new school uniform. He did look smart, and Xander confirmed Laurel’s proud exclamation.
It was the first day of term, and Xander had just returned from Greece. He’d made it back there just in time for the Orthodox celebrations and was glad that he had. The conversation with his father he needed to have was overdue. He’d left it till just before setting off again for London. It hadn’t been an easy conversation, and Xander had kept it as simple and as short as possible. His father had said nothing, but his expression had been troubled. Xander could understand why. He would need time to come to some kind of terms with it—deeply shocking though the news must have been to him.
For himself, though, now there was nothing to think about. He and Laurel had agreed on everything—and so had Dan.
Especially about getting married.
Xander had taken Dan aside right after the pancake breakfast and talked to him while Laurel went back upstairs in her dressing gown to shower.
“Dan, remember when you asked me, the day of the jamboree, whether I was going to be your mum’s boyfriend again? Well, how about—” he took a breath “—I go one better? How about,” he said, “if your mum and I got married? You,” he said, “could be my best man at the wedding.”
Dan’s face lit up. “When?” he said excitedly.
“Well, as soon as we can fix it,” Xander promised.
Relief filled him. Dan had no objections to make. But he double-checked all the same.
“Is that okay with you?” he asked carefully. “Me marrying your mum?”
Dan looked at him sapiently. “Well, you are my dad,” he pointed out.
Xander laughed a carefree laugh this time. Out of the mouths of babes…
“I am indeed,” he said. “And now we’ll be Mum, Dad and Dan. A proper family. Living together.”
“Here?” asked Dan.
“If we like,” Xander said. “Or we could be somewhere nearby, but bigger maybe. We’ll all spend time in Greece too, in the holidays. Let’s talk it over with your mum.”
They had, and it was agreed that for the time being, they’d keep the cottage. They had the wedding to book, Dan’s place at the new school to confirm, with term starting imminently, and his uniform to buy.
Now it was his very first day. They’d both taken him to see the school. It met strongly with Dan’s approbation, as Xander had been sure it would, and they’d met the headmaster and his future form teacher.
They drove him over now to start the new term. The other boys were streaming in, but Dan’s form teacher was waiting for him. She would take him in, introduce him to his classmates. Dan went off with her happily.
“He’ll be fine,” Xander said, reassuring Laurel.
He helped her back into the car, headed home. It was a good word—home. It would be their main base, for Dan’s sake, though they would probably move to a larger house in the autumn. He and Laurel were already scouting local properties. He’d need somewhere with a dedicated study, not just working out of the dining room as he was currently doing. He would also, he acknowledged, need to make regular trips back to Greece on Xenakis business. His expression clouded a moment. It would be a balancing act, and not just in respect of business affairs, but family as well. His father had gone very quiet since Xander had told him about Dan.
Will he accept what happened?
