“I’ve got to put groceries away and then I’ll be right over.” Yep, something is up. He sounds way too relieved about me coming.
They disconnected and Sophie returned to taking care of the food. For some reason the huge turkey didn’t seem as heavy as it had a few minutes earlier. She made quick work of putting away the groceries. Mitch and Angie needed her, and she had no intention of letting them down.
~~~~
Mitch met Sophie at the door. He pulled her into the mudroom and leaned toward her. Sophie’s heart began to race, but then she noted his bloodshot eyes and the disheveled state of his hair and clothes. He spoke in a low voice, and she listened intently.
“Listen, Sophie, I want you to know something before you talk to Angie. I got a call from the school secretary yesterday. Some strange man came and tried to take Angie out of school.”
Sophie’s hand went to her mouth and she stifled her gasp. “Oh, no. Who would do something like that?”
“Some lowlife who’s working for someone else. Fortunately the school has a policy that they won’t release a child to anyone unless the parents have signed permission for that person to take them. The secretary didn’t recognize the man so she asked him for his name and said she’d have to check Angie’s permission forms. When she went to look them up, he left. But she saw his car pulling out of the parking lot and reported his license number to the police. Then she called me.”
Sophie’s mind spun. If anything happened to Angie, she didn’t think she could bear it. “Kathy Sikkema is a sharp lady. She’s Pastor Sikkema’s wife. Thank goodness she prevented him from taking her! Have they found the man yet?”
“They have, since Kathy got a good look at the car and got the license number. But he hasn’t said anything yet about why he tried to take her or who he’s working for. Whoever paid him might try again. I’m going to keep a close eye on her until we find out. I’d like to keep her home from school, but that would only scare her. The principal has assigned an extra teacher’s aide to her classroom and she and the teacher will keep a close eye on her at all times.”
“Maybe it would be better if I don’t take her shopping,” Sophie suggested.
“I’d feel better if you both stayed here, but she’s getting pretty antsy. I haven’t let her out of my sight since yesterday. I even had a campout with her in my office last night just so I’d have an excuse to keep her with me all night.” He sighed. “I don’t want Angie to know what’s going on, but I think she’s starting to suspect something’s wrong. If you go anywhere, could you stick to the local shops instead of going to the mall?”
Not for the first time, Sophie’s heart warmed at Mitch’s obvious love for his daughter. “Of course. And I can text you every once in awhile to let you know where we are and that everything’s okay.”
“Thanks. And maybe—”
“Miss Sophie! I’m so glad you can help me. Daddy said you might be too busy, but I knew you’d come. Look what I found.” Angie stood at the entrance of the mudroom. Sophie and Mitch glanced at each other, wondering how much the girl had heard, but her sunny chatter continued as she turned and raced to her room. Sophie removed her boots and followed the unusually animated little girl. She remembered being that excited about company when she was younger.
“Daddy had all these pictures in a box, and he said I could have them. I thought you could help me hang them up. Do you think they’ll look nice on my walls?”
Sophie looked at the piles of photos fanned out on the white bedspread. There were several pictures of Angie with her father, and some of Angie with an older couple she assumed to be her grandparents. They were in a canoe, Grandma in the front, Grandpa in the back, and Angie, wearing a bright orange life vest. The rugged man in the picture reminded her of Mitch.
Angie confirmed her suspicions. “That’s me with Grandma and Grandpa Carson. They took me camping last summer.” She gestured to the next pile, which had formal studio portraits. In one, Angie sat in a tailored dress with a well-dressed couple. “This is me with Grandma and Grandpa — I mean Nana and Poppy.” A third pile contained publicity shots of Sarah Lester, the television personality. Why would Angie have so many pictures of a television news anchor?
The answer hit her like a punch to the gut. Sarah Lester was Angie’s mother.
The resemblance was there, now that she thought about it. Sarah definitely resembled the woman in the studio portrait. And Angie had the same blonde hair and blue eyes shining with intelligence. Mitch was married to a television news anchor. What on earth would he see in a plain country girl like me? Good thing I’ve got plans to leave. But somehow, those plans didn’t seem so exciting right now.
“These are great pictures, sweetie. We should get some frames for them so we can hang them on your walls.”
“Can we get white frames so they match my room?”
“Sure, we can do that. What else would you like? Sophie looked around the girl’s room and spotted her dolls sitting on the floor in a neat row against the wall. “Maybe we could get a special shelf for some of your dolls? And a little rocking chair?” When Angie nodded in agreement she pulled her notebook out of her pocket and started scribbling down their ideas.
She didn’t notice the voices in the next room until one rose to a screech.
“You can’t be serious about raising my granddaughter in this — this hovel!”
Sophie looked up to see Angie’s excitement had disappeared, replaced by a look of wariness.
“Nana’s here. And she’s mad at Daddy again.”
Sophie wasn’t sure what to do. Angie certainly didn’t sound happy at the prospect of seeing the person. Should she leave? Or should she and Angie hide in the bedroom and hope the woman went away?
“Nana? Is that your grandma?” Angie nodded. Not one ounce of pleasure lit the girl’s face. “Were you expecting her to come?”
“I don’t think so. Daddy woulda told me. And I woulda dressed up, ‘cause Nana doesn’t like me to wear jeans. She says girls should always dress like girls.”
Mitch’s voice responded at a much lower volume. She had to give him credit — if someone had come into her house unexpectedly and begun screaming insults, she probably wouldn’t have remained so calm.
“Do you want to change now? I’ll help you.”
“I guess so.” Angie tightened her lips and slid off the bed. She chose a navy wool dress with a white collar that reminded Sophie of a school uniform. Together, they got Angie into the dress and completed the outfit with tights and patent leather shoes. Sophie arranged Angie’s hair in a French plait with a pretty bow she’d found in a drawer. The little girl took a deep breath before stepping out into the kitchen. Sophie followed, keeping her hand on Angie’s shoulder in a show of support.
The two people in the kitchen were silent, but the animosity between them burned like a furnace. Sophie tightened her hold on Angie’s shoulder. The woman Sophie had seen in the studio portrait in Angie’s room stood near the back door, dressed and coiffed as if she was about to head to a board meeting. Mitch leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed. Whatever their argument had been about, neither opponent looked ready to give an inch.
The woman broke eye contact first, and her gaze went to Angie. “Good afternoon, Angela. You’re looking lovely today.”
Sophie thought she caught an attempt at a smile, but the shape of the perfectly painted lips looked more like a grimace.
“Good afternoon, Nana,” Angie answered politely.
“I trust you are doing well,” the woman continued.
“Yes, Nana.”
Sophie couldn’t believe her eyes. Nana never made a move to hug or kiss Angie. She tried to imagine her own mother having that kind of stilted conversation with Joey or her brother’s children. No, Joyce Gardner never left any doubt about her feelings for any of her grandchildren.
“Your father and I are discussing plans for the holidays. He has informed me your plans don’t include a visit to our ho
me.”
Angie glanced at her dad, but she remained silent.
“I’ve decided since you can’t be bothered to come to Chicago, we’ll just have to come and spend the holiday with you. Geoffrey and I will stay in Grand Rapids. I’m assuming that’s the closest place with decent hotels. I shall be back.” She swept out the door without another word.
Sophie, Mitch, and Angie stood frozen for several moments until Angie broke the silence. “Daddy, does that mean Nana and Poppy are coming while Grandma and Grandpa are here?”
Mitch held his head in his hands. “Dear Lord, help me,” he murmured.
Chapter Fifteen
Sophie chewed her lip as she walked toward Mitch’s house. Unfamiliar cars lined his driveway, so she’d had to park on the street. She’d planned to come earlier in the day, before Mitch’s mother arrived, but Joanie had needed her help all day, preparing for the Gardner family Thanksgiving. Maybe she should have waited until later in the evening, after the Carsons left. No, Angie would be home from school by now, and she’d been looking forward to putting the shelf up. She’d just drop the shelf off and leave.
Shopping with Angie for her bedroom furnishings had been so much fun. Once Mitch’s mother-in-law had left, Sophie had helped Angie change back into play clothes and they’d made a list of things to look for. Then they’d spent a fun afternoon planning how to arrange her room and shopping in the small shops in Zutphen.
She went around the house to the back door and knocked. Hopefully most of the company would be in the living room at the front. On the other hand, if everyone was in the front room, nobody would hear her knock. She’d just raised her hand to knock again when the storm door opened and a gorgeous brunette peered out.
“Oh, hi. You must be Sophie. Come on in.” She opened the screen door and then stepped back to let Sophie in. “I’m Deana, Mitch’s sister-in-law. Hey, why don’t I hold that for you while you take your boots off?” She took the long shelf and angled it in through the kitchen doorway.
“Mom Carson recruited all of us to come down for the day to help get his house in shape for the holidays. By the way, Angie’s room looks great. I love how you added just a little bit more color by painting the drawer pulls and curtain sashes with those little flowers. And I see you’ve got the same flowers on this shelf. You’re very talented.”
“Thanks.” Sophie didn’t know what else to say.
A woman with Mitch’s eyes came into the kitchen. “Hi there, Sophie. We’ve heard so much about you. I’m Rita Carson. You’re Joyce’s youngest daughter, aren’t you?” At Sophie’s gasp of surprise she explained, “I grew up in this house, but I’d married and moved to Muskegon before you were born. Eric Hager is my older brother, and your mother and I went to high school together. We lost touch after graduation. You take after her, don’t you?”
Sophie agreed. “I look more like Mom, but she says I act like my dad — always the dreamer.”
Rita laughed. “Well, dreamers make the best designers. I love what you’ve done with Angie’s room.” She gestured toward the shelf Sophie had painted. “This must be the shelf for her dolls, right?” At Sophie’s nod, she waved toward the bedrooms. “Cute. I’ll let you get to it, then. Mitch is in his office working on the photos for his mini-session customers. Thanks for giving him the idea, by the way. It’s really getting his name out in the community.”
“I’m glad he got such a great response,” Sophie replied. “Do you need some help in here?”
“I’ve got my daughter and daughter-in-law helping to put the living room and dining room together. Angie’s in her room, playing dress-up with her dolls, so I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you’ve got her shelf done. I’m not sure there will be enough time to do anything about this kitchen.” She sighed. “You’d think a photographer would want to have a home with a little color, and maybe some pictures or something on the walls!” She picked up a roller pan and went back into the living room.
Sophie took the shelf to Angie’s room and found the six-year-old sitting on her bed, dressing one of her fashion dolls. She hopped up to give Sophie a hug.
“Miss Sophie! I knew you’d get my shelf done. Grandma Carson and Aunt Becky and Aunt Deana really like my room. They said you were like a-a ‘teerior decorator.”
The compliment warmed Sophie’s heart. She didn’t want to dwell on her pleasure at getting the approval of the women in Mitch’s family. “That was very nice of them to say, Angie. Now I need you to help me figure out how high to hang this shelf. We want it high enough to keep your dolls out of the way, but low enough so you can get them down when you want to play with them.”
They worked together choosing a height just right for Angie then placing her dolls neatly on the newly installed shelf. On the pegs under the shelf they hung some of Angie’s doll clothes on small wire hangers Sophie had made.
She’d just put the finishing touches on the room when she noticed the house had gone eerily quiet. Coldness crept up her spine. The voices coming from the kitchen weren’t loud, but the tone was definitely unfriendly. Angie stood frozen in her spot, her face bent in a frown. “Nana’s here again.”
“Do you want me to help you change your clothes again?”
Angie shook her head. “No. Grandma Carson and Aunt Becky and Aunt Deana are here, and they’re all wearing jeans too. Nana won’t yell at me while they’re here.”
Sophie wondered briefly if the woman with the eternally glacial expression actually yelled or whether she simply threw insults until Angie felt she’d been yelled at. But she nodded.
They tiptoed down the hallway toward the kitchen to hear what the two grandmothers had to say to each other. Melinda Billingsworth stood in the middle of the kitchen, her fur-trimmed coat and designer boots a stark contrast to Rita Carson’s comfortable jeans and plaid cotton shirt.
“Where is Angela?” Melinda demanded. “I understand Mitchell needs to work to support them, but he should make arrangements for her to be supervised. Surely you don’t expect her to do this manual labor with you. I’m surprised you allow her to stay in the house when these awful paint fumes are everywhere.”
“Are you telling me I don’t know how to care for my grandchild?” Rita crossed her arms and glared. A younger version of Rita stood slightly behind her, along with Deana. Sophie knew she wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that trio’s ire. But Melinda Billingsworth wasn’t intimidated. She simply shrugged.
“I’m telling you that if my home was full of painters I would have taken care to keep small children away. And since you’re doing the painting, I fail to see how you could adequately supervise Angela. Perhaps I should take her to our hotel, where the air is breathable.”
“Melinda, if you had said one word about wanting to take Angie because you missed her, or if I believed you really wanted to spend time with her, I might be inclined to let her go. But I know your only purpose in taking her is to get her away from me and my family.” Mitch’s sudden appearance startled them all. He stepped around Sophie and Angie to face his mother-in-law.
“I just had a phone call from a certain private investigator. It seems his client refused to pay for some of his expenses. Since he’s not getting his money he decided to warn me about your intentions.”
“You hired a PI to spy on my son?” Rita cried. “Why would you do that?”
“She’s trying to prove me an unfit parent. He said when he told her I hadn’t done anything she could use against me, she told him to try and kidnap Angie to prove I didn’t watch her carefully.” His eyes widened suddenly and he pointed at her. “You’re behind the incident at school last week! The school secretary called me because some man came into the office and said he needed to pick Angie up and take her to the hospital because I’d been in an accident. Instead of getting Angie, the secretary told him she needed to check her records to find out if he was authorized to take her, and the guy ran away. Since then, the school has assigned extra aides to keep an eye on her on the playgroun
d, and I’ve been personally taking her to her classroom and picking her up there every day.”
At this, Angie dashed to her father and clung to his legs. He reached down and picked her up, holding her tight while he reassured the child, who’d started to sob. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, nobody is going to take you away from me.”
“Indeed, they’re not,” boomed another voice from behind Melinda. Geoffrey Billingsworth stepped forward. Unlike his wife, he’d left his snow-covered loafers in the mudroom, and in his stocking feet he’d entered the room unnoticed. He walked toward Mitch and Angie and reached out to wipe a tear off his granddaughter’s face. “Pumpkin, I am so sorry about all this. Your daddy is a fine man, and a good father. I’ve always been proud to call him my son-in-law.”
He turned and glared at his wife. “Your attitude toward Mitch has always bothered me, but I never thought you would stoop to criminal acts to get what you want. If your idea of coping with Sarah’s death is to make our granddaughter into a copy of her mother, you are delusional.” He sighed as he looked at Angie again, sadness etching his face. “I came here thinking we were going to have some fun with our granddaughter this week. Nana told me you were expecting us and that you’d be coming back to the hotel. But it looks like Mitch has every reason to ban us from ever seeing you again. I’ve missed you, pumpkin. I miss your sunny smile, your big hugs, and your sharp wit. Maybe someday you’ll forgive us and let us come to see you.”
“They can’t keep us from seeing our granddaughter,” Melinda argued.
“If Mitch decides to press charges for child endangerment, you’re going to have more to worry about than not seeing Angie,” Geoffrey retorted. “Get in the car, Melinda. We’re going home.” He waited until his wife left the room, and then spoke to Mitch.
“Send me the name of the private investigator. I’ll see that he’s fully compensated. It’s the least I can do after he stopped Melinda from continuing with her foolish plan. And if there’s ever anything I can do for you or Angie, please don’t hesitate to call me. I hope someday you can forgive us enough to come and see us, or let us see you.” He kissed Angie’s cheek and left without another word.
The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection Page 9