Hemlock for the Holidays

by Paula Darnell

  I rewarded Laddie's patience by playing catch with him in the backyard after I wrapped up the game with Mona Lisa. Like my persnickety calico kitty, Laddie never tired of playing, so I had to be the one to finally call a halt to fetching the ball.

  By this time, it was late afternoon, and the light in the sky was fading fast. I preferred to work on my oil paintings during the day, when I had natural as well as artificial light in my studio. I decided to defer my cookie baking until morning. Since the dough had to chill once I'd made it, I could paint for a while after I refrigerated it, before I turned on the oven and started baking.

  I was eager to finish my painting of Mr. Big, Belle's energetic little white dog and Laddie's pal. My Christmas gift to Belle and Dennis, the painting was nearing completion. Because I wanted it to be a surprise, I hid the canvas in a closet in my studio whenever I wasn't working on it. Belle often visited me, and I didn't want her to see it before we exchanged gifts.

  It would be my first Christmas in my little house, and I felt lucky that my daughter Emma, my son Dustin, and my parents would all be coming for the holidays. I didn't have a guest room or, indeed, much spare room at all, but Emma, who planned to spend most of the break between semesters with me, had dibs on the hide-a-bed in the living room. Dustin and my parents would be staying next door, although their hosts wouldn't be there. Belle and Dennis planned a quick trip to Michigan to visit their children and grandchildren. Mr. Big always went with them when they drove, but, since they were flying this time, he'd stay behind with Laddie and me. The two dogs spent so much time together that I knew Mr. Big would feel right at home, although I had no doubt he'd miss Belle and Dennis.

  I went to bed, thinking about my menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Soon, I was dreaming of sugarplums and, before I knew it, Mona Lisa was pouncing on my head and Laddie was tapping my arm with his paw, urgently requesting me to get up. I rolled out of bed, and we began our morning routine. Once we'd had breakfast and I'd downed a couple of cups of strong tea, I mixed the dough for my pinwheel cookies and separated it, adding chocolate to half. Then, I covered the mixing bowls and set them inside the refrigerator. While the dough chilled, I made good progress on my portrait of Mr. Big. I figured I should easily be able to finish it in the next few days. I moved the canvas back into its hiding place in the closet before I rolled out the dough, sliced it, and baked the cookies. I kept a close eye on their progress after I put them into the oven so I could pull them out when they were at just the right degree of doneness.

  I watched Mona Lisa's every move while I let the cookies cool, because she'd been known to jump up onto the counter, but she behaved herself, watching me from atop her kitty tree while Laddie stretched out at my feet. Once the cookies had cooled, I put the pinwheels into a red plastic container and set it in the back of my SUV. Rebecca's house was several blocks away, and, even though Belle and I could easily have walked, the thin-soled ballet flats she planned to wear weren't exactly walking shoes.

  Rebecca had said to dress casually, so I put on a burgundy tunic over black leggings and added a gold chain necklace with crystals interspersed for a bit of holiday sparkle.

  It seems as though every time I get ready to go out, I find another gray hair, which I always promptly pluck, and today proved no exception. Although my fiftieth birthday had passed a few months earlier, I still couldn't believe I'd logged five decades. It definitely was taking some getting used to.

  I didn't want to dwell on the past. I had a whole new life unfolding with a new career, one I'd chosen for myself, new friends, and possibly a new man in my life. Brian had moved into the vacant house next door in September, and we were getting to know each other. Since his work on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico took him away from home for four-week chunks of time, and I was a bit hesitant about committing to a new relationship, we were taking it slow. He was away at work right at the moment and wouldn't be back in Lonesome Valley until after Christmas, but I was looking forward to our New Year's Eve date.

  Laddie leaped up and bounded to the kitchen door, where he waited expectantly, his tail swishing back and forth rapidly. Belle's knock came a few seconds later. When he realized that Belle and I were about to depart, my golden retriever looked at me mournfully with his big brown eyes and whimpered softly.

  “It's OK, Laddie,” I assured him. “We'll be back later.”

  Reconciled to our departure, he lay down by the door, where he'd probably station himself until I returned. In the meantime, I knew he'd nap.

  Outside, at my SUV, I asked, “Would you like to put your cookies in the back, Belle?”

  “No need. I can hold them.”

  “OK, then; we're off.”

  It took only a few minutes to drive the short distance to Rebecca's home. We saw a couple other women at her door as I pulled into a spot by the little park across the street from the Winterses' house.

  Inside, our hostess greeted us, and we joined the group gathered in the living room. Except for Rebecca, Belle and I didn't know the other women, but Rebecca made introductions all around, and we were soon becoming acquainted with three of Rebecca's neighbors and two members of the Lonesome Valley Pioneers.

  “Ladies, we're going to save all our cookies for the exchange, so that everybody will have two dozen to take home. But that's no reason to deprive ourselves of holiday goodies, so I've set out a few snacks for us in the dining room.” Rebecca slid open the pocket door that separated her living room and dining room, revealing a lovely decorated table laden with food.

  “I have hot chocolate or coffee,” she announced. “If anyone would prefer tea or a cold drink, just let me know.”

  “This looks wonderful, Rebecca,” I said, and the other women chimed in.

  We all stood up, but before we could move into the dining room, Skippy and Tucker, the Winterses' two wiggly terriers, rushed in and bounced around our feet. Fearing we might step on one of the lively little fellows, we froze in our tracks.

  Chapter 3

  “Sorry, honey,” Greg said to Rebecca as he followed the dogs in. “They got away from me. We'll be out of your way in a minute. Come here, boys.” Greg stooped to gather up the pups. After he'd snapped on their leashes, he set them down and led them toward the front door. I was sure they were headed across the street to the park, where Belle and I had first met Greg when we were all walking our dogs.

  “They're so cute!” Mary, one of the choir members, said.

  “They keep us on our toes; that's for sure,” Rebecca commented.

  We drifted into the dining room and helped ourselves while Rebecca served the hot chocolate and coffee. A nice cup of hot chocolate sounded good to me. I sipped it and turned to Rebecca to tell her how much I liked it.

  “I'm glad Greg decided to take Skippy and Tucker to the park. Maybe some fresh air will cheer him up a bit. He's been in a terrible mood ever since he read the paper this morning.”

  “I must have missed something. I don't remember reading any distressing news in this morning's paper.”

  “Oh, it wasn't the Sunday paper. Greg sometimes doesn't read the news right away. The legal notice that upset him ran a few days ago. Someone he loaned quite a bit of money to has filed for bankruptcy.”

  “You don't mean Eric Thompson, by any chance?”

  “Yes, that's the guy. He's Greg's distant cousin.”

  “I just met him yesterday when he came into the gallery. My friend Susan told me Eric's wife was killed in a horrible helicopter crash a couple of years ago.”

  “Yes, it was awful. The pilot died, too. They were on one of those aerial tours of the Grand Canyon at the time, and Natalie was going to write a travel article about it. Greg told Eric not to worry about repaying the loan right away, but I know he expected to get our money back eventually. It doesn't look like that's going to happen now. Oh, well, what can you do?”

  “You don't seem too upset about it.”

  Rebecca shrugged. “It's not as though we're hurting for mo
ney. Greg says it's the principle of the thing, but, in this case, it just seems better to let it go. I kind of figured the loan was going to end up a gift, because Eric may be a nice guy, but he's never been much of a businessman. Then, when he lost Natalie, he pretty much fell apart.”

  “Rebecca,” one of the other women interrupted, “wherever did you find your cute Santa mugs? I'd love to get some. I know my grandkids would adore them.”

  “Oh, they're vintage, actually. I've had them forever, but you're welcome to borrow them for your holiday celebration if you like.”

  “You're sure you don't mind?”

  “Not at all. We won't be home for Christmas this year, anyway. We're going to spend the holidays with the kids in Houston. Well, I guess it's about time to get this show on the road.” She produced envelopes for us to put our recipes in and passed around the recipe cards that we'd all filled out.

  “You should have eight recipes, counting your own,” she told us. “We each brought two dozen cookies, so take three of each, and you'll have a nice variety. I set up everything on the kitchen counter. I have some extra plastic trays and wrap there, too, if you need them.”

  We all trooped into the kitchen and began putting our cookies into the containers we'd brought. Rebecca had placed little antique tongs beside each platter or tin of cookies, making it easy to transfer the cookies into our own containers. As I'd hoped, there were no duplicates. Besides the pinwheels I'd brought and Belle's bourbon balls, Rebecca and her other guests had all made enticing contributions.

  “I never met a cookie I didn't like,” Mary enthused.

  I felt the same way. If my cookie collection stayed within my reach, I wouldn't have any left to share when my family visited.

  “Uh, Belle, do you have room in your freezer for my cookies?” I asked. “I'm afraid they'll never make it to Christmas if I take them home with me.”

  “Sure, no problem. Since we're not going to be here for Christmas, I haven't stocked up.”

  “Oops, I almost forgot,” Rebecca said, grabbing a large basket from the counter opposite the cookie display. “Please help yourself to some fudge.” The basket was full of small red tins, each decorated with a felt snowman on top.

  “How cute!” one of Rebecca's neighbors exclaimed. “Did you make the snowman?”

  “Yes. I was in the craft store the other day, and the felt was calling my name, I guess.”

  “Are you going to decorate some of these for our booth at the craft fair Saturday?” Tammy, one of the choir members, asked. “We can charge more since the tin will be decorated.”

  “Well, I hadn't thought about it, but, sure, I can put some of the fudge in tins.”

  “Is that the Winter Craft Fair at the high school you're talking about?” Belle asked.

  “Yes. The choir always sells candy and baked goods. It's one of our best fundraisers.”

  “I'm going to be there, too,” Belle noted, “for the Library Auxiliary.”

  “Me, too,” I chimed in. “The Roadrunner has a booth reserved in the gym.”

  “I always go to the high school fair,” Carmen, one of Rebecca's neighbors, said. “I buy a lot of unique Christmas gifts there. I guess I'll see you all on Saturday. I should get going now. I promised to be home in time to help put the Christmas lights around our hedges.”

  For a moment, I felt a wave of painful emotion wash over me as I remembered Christmases past and decorating the house with Emma and Dustin. Ned, who hadn't normally taken much interest in family activities, would even climb a ladder to hang lights on the house. I let the memories fade and pulled myself back to reality. My family was different now, but they would be with me for Christmas, and I felt thankful we'd be together.

  “Amanda, are you OK?” Belle looked at me with concern.

  “Oh, sure. Just thinking. Every once in a while, the past comes back to haunt me.”

  Belle knew exactly what I meant. “Your first Christmas in Lonesome Valley is going to be wonderful, and I just know you'll have a happy new year, too!”

  Chapter 4

  Although we lingered for a while at Rebecca's, I had ample time before I needed to meet Susan and Eric for dinner. I took Laddie for his second walk of the day. Rebecca's neighbor wasn't alone in spending some time on a sunny weekend putting up Christmas decorations. Along our route, I saw several people hanging lights or setting up yard displays. Besides lights, the neighborhood was filled with Santas, reindeer, sleighs, snowmen, gingerbread houses, and nativity scenes.

  My own Christmas decorating was minimal so far, due to the fact that all the holiday decorations Ned and I had accumulated during our twenty-five-year marriage were still in the house where we'd lived back in Kansas City, the same house my ex-husband now occupied with Candy and their baby. I hadn't taken much with me when I'd moved to Lonesome Valley—my clothes, art supplies, and just enough furniture and household goods to get by on.

  Belle had made me a beautiful wreath studded with brightly colored Christmas tree ornaments, and I'd hung it on my front door immediately. Holiday decorations for inside proved more problematic since Mona Lisa showed far too much interest in anything bright or shiny she found on a tabletop, so, thus far, I'd hung some Christmas cards on ribbons on the living room walls, and she'd shown no interest in those. I purchased a small artificial tree to put in the studio, and I had to remember to keep the door closed so that Mona Lisa wouldn't sneak in because she wanted to bat at the little tree's lights and bulbs in the worst way.

  With a plaintive meow, Mona Lisa came running to me as soon as Laddie and I returned from our walk. I picked her up and held her, but she soon began to wiggle, and I set her down on the wide arm of my one-and-only living room chair. Dinnertime was fast approaching, and both my pets knew it. Their anticipation often started half an hour before the actual event. They kept a close eye on me while I checked my phone for messages. I'd missed a text from Susan, saying she'd see me soon, and another from Emma, with a picture of her dorm door, which she and her roommate had decorated for the holidays. She was busy studying for semester finals now, but as soon as she took her last exam, she'd be on a flight to Phoenix, and I'd pick her up at Sky Harbor Airport. I quickly responded to both texts before I put my cell phone in my bag. I left lights on in the living room and kitchen so that I wouldn't be coming home to a dark house.

  His tummy full, Laddie was ready for his evening nap, and he took my departure in stride this time.

  Susan and I had heard good things about the new restaurant on the outskirts of town, so I hadn't minded when she'd suggested it, instead of Miguel's. Although I couldn't remember the name of the place, I knew exactly where it was. When I arrived, it looked busy. A group of people were standing around outside the front door. I didn't see Susan among them, but I spotted her blue Honda in a corner of the parking lot and found a spot nearby. As I emerged from my car, I noticed Eric getting out of a small pickup truck that had a missing tailgate. I waved to him, but he didn't notice. As he walked toward the restaurant, a man standing near the restaurant went over to him.

  They both stopped in the middle of the parking lot, but I couldn't hear what they were saying until I came closer. What I did see, though, was that Eric stuck his hand out to shake with the other man, who ignored the gesture.

  By the time I'd come closer to the pair, their voices had risen considerably.

  “You should have given me a heads-up. I had to read about your bankruptcy in the paper.”

  “It won't be a problem, Kevin, I promise. It's a formality I have to go through, according to my lawyer, but I'm going to pay you back every cent.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes, that's right.”

  “Since when, Eric? You stopped making monthly payments even before Natalie died. I didn't press it after the crash, but it's been two years, and now you pull this stunt.”

  “You need to give me a little more time. My finances are going to improve in a big way very soon.”

  “Yeah, bec
ause all your debts will be forgiven. I want you to officially reaffirm the debt you owe me.”

  “Well, I'll have to talk to my lawyer about that.”

  “Always an excuse, huh, Eric? You just told me you were going to pay, so why not make it official?”

  “I'll have to see about it. My lawyer's handling everything.”

  “You can't palm this off on your lawyer, partner. You agreed to buy my share of the business. I was fool enough to let you do it over time. I did you a favor, and now you're backing out of the deal,” Kevin shouted.

  In the floodlights that illuminated the parking lot, the two men eyed each other warily. I noticed that Kevin had balled his hands into fists.

  “I intend to pay you,” Eric repeated, “but I already told you, I can't reaffirm any debts without consulting my lawyer.”

  “Can't or won't?” Kevin said belligerently.

  “All right. Won't. Is that clear enough for you?”

  “Crystal clear,” Kevin said, as he swung his right fist upwards, connecting solidly with Eric's jaw.

  Clutching his injury, Eric stepped back, dazed, before advancing. Flailing his arms wildly, he tried, without success, to land a punch.

  In the meantime, Kevin struck a couple more blows, throwing Eric off balance. He struggled to regain his footing but landed on the ground, instead. Kevin jumped on top of his adversary and began pummeling him, but, this time, Eric managed to land a few punches of his own.

  “Kevin, if you don't stop this right now, I'm going to call the cops!” said a tall woman wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket and boots.