“It did. It just started on the way over here. I knew you’d be excited.”
“I am! Very excited.”
Mitch opened the back door so Johanna could slip Esmerelda into the car. She ushered Rocky inside next and then stood in front of the door an extra moment longer, pretending to be enthralled with the snow when she was really allowing Whitley time to scoot in next to Rocky. As Mitch opened the front door for Johanna to get in, he didn’t notice Whitley lifting Esmerelda over her lap to separate the two animals from each other and he also didn’t notice his seat belt being fastened around Whitley’s slim hips.
“Thank you,” she whispered, slightly giddy from the romantic nature of it all. Snow on Christmas. A handsome man opening her door for her and playing her boyfriend for a Christmas party with her family. The talking cat and the invisible girl from the snow globe. Johanna suddenly realized she felt like she was in one of those Hallmark Christmas movies she loved so much.
Mitch hurried around the car and got inside next to her. “Oooh,” he breathed, shaking off the cold. “It’s really cold out. And the snow makes it feel like Christmas, that’s for sure.”
“I told you!” agreed Johanna with a smile. Her heart felt light and giddy.
Mitch shifted the car into gear, checked his mirrors, and pulled away from the curb. Johanna exalted in the feeling of being whisked away by her handsome driver. She truly felt like she was on a date. Even though they had agreed that it was a non-date, for the moment she was pretending that it was a real date. She looked out the window and watched the cars zip past as Mitch expertly dodged traffic and wound his way out of the city. The snow came down sideways across the blurry grey New York City skyline.
“You know where you’re going, right?”
He turned and grinned at her. “I put the address in my GPS, no problem.”
“So, you’re ready for this?” she asked nervously. The idea of her nutty family interrogating the poor man made her stomach do flips.
“Ready? To meet your family? Why wouldn’t I be?”
She leaned her head back against the charcoal-colored headrest and averted her eyes. “James is the only man I’ve ever brought home. And that was easy. He grew up next door, so everyone already knew him. This is going to be weird for them, and me. But especially for you.”
“You think?”
Johanna nodded. “Trust me. My family is going to act like we’ve been dating forever,” she warned, hoping like hell they’d not let on that she’d sort of made up their relationship before she’d officially met Mitch.
“Yeah, your brother-in-law Kevin seemed to let on to that yesterday.”
“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. So just ignore any crazy talk that comes out of their mouths. Please?”
“Ignore crazy talk, got it.”
“Thank you,” said Johanna.
“Why don’t you tell me who I’m going to meet so I’m prepared?”
“Well, I don’t know who all will be there, but you’ll definitely see Kevin again. And my sister Mook.”
Mitch crooked a brow. “Should I actually call her Mook?”
“Yes. You must.” Johanna giggled. The thought of Mitch calling her sister Mook made her tremendously giddy inside for some odd reason. “And they have two kids, Lex Luthor and Henry the Eighth.”
“Must I call them by their given names as well?”
Johanna laughed. Her hand shot out merrily, covering his, which rested on the automatic gear shifter in the center console. “Oh, you’d crack them up if you did! Or you can just call them Lexi and Henry.” When her laughter had settled, she suddenly became blisteringly aware of the fact that her hand was now resting on his. She froze. How had that gotten there? Should she snatch it away? Would that be weird? Should she leave it there? Did he like it? Did he hate it? Johanna didn’t know what to do.
Mitch seemed to sense her ambivalence. Without him making a big production of it, his hand twisted around to take hold of hers. “I’ll meet your dad, right?”
Her body heated up as she realized that he wanted to hold her hand. “Umm, yeah,” she said stiffly.
“You might have already told me, but what’s your father’s name?”
“Dennis Hughes. Everyone calls him Denny,” she said, relaxing slightly as she pictured her father’s face.
“And what does he do?”
“He’s a delivery driver for UPS.”
“How long has he done that?”
“Almost thirty-five years,” said Johanna. “He’ll be retiring next year.”
“Oh, wow, that’s great. And you mentioned he has a girlfriend. Will she be there?”
“Yes, I believe so. Her name is Maureen. I don’t know anything about her, other than he met her at work.”
“And your uncle Jack, is that your dad’s brother or your mom’s?”
“My dad’s.” She’d all but forgotten about holding Mitch’s hand by now. “Older brother. He’s married to Aunt Lucy. She’s the best. You’re going to love her yams. They are amazing. I never loved yams until I had hers.”
Mitch squeezed Johanna’s hand. “Got it. Jack is Denny’s brother, and Lucy makes amazing yams. Anyone else?”
“Uncle Jack and Aunt Lucy have three boys. Jack Jr. is the oldest. He’s about six years older than me. Then Robert. Then Kenny. Bob and J.J. are married and each have a couple of kids. Kenny is still single. He’s a Cadillac dealer in Atlantic City. Don’t let him give you his sales pitch. He’s good.”
“See? This is good stuff. I need to know this stuff. We make a great team.”
Johanna turned her head slightly and smiled at him. “Do we?”
“I think so. You don’t?”
“No, I think so, too.” I’m just shocked that you think so too.
27
With her free hand, Johanna adjusted the green-and-red elf hat on Rocky’s head. “Oh, Rocky. You look so cute!”
“Woof!” he agreed, giving her a head bob and nipping at Esmerelda’s tail.
Johanna swatted at his nose gently. “Nope. She’s off-limits for the rest of the day, buddy.”
Rocky hung his head and whined.
“He really likes her, huh?” asked Mitch as they stood on her uncle Jack’s doorstep.
“Yes. They have a very interesting relationship.” She glanced down at Esmerelda, who rolled her eyes at Johanna.
Suddenly the door burst open and Lucy Hughes’s face broke out into a brilliant smile. “JoJo! Merry Christmas! I’m so happy that you made it!” A small woman with tightly curled almost-black hair reached her arms out to embrace Johanna.
“Merry Christmas, Aunt Lucy.”
Aunt Lucy took a step back and surveyed the group before her. A genuinely happy smile covered her wrinkled face. “And, my, just look at everyone you’ve brought with you!”
“This is my friend Mitch.”
Mitch extended a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Hughes, thank you for allowing me into your home on Christmas.”
“It’s so nice that you were able to make it after all. Denny said JoJo thought you had plans with your own family or something.”
Johanna’s teeth ground together. “Aunt Lucy, you remember Rocky, don’t you? And this is Essy. Rocky and I are pet sitting, and I just couldn’t leave her home alone on Christmas.”
“Of course I remember Rocky! Welcome! And I’m so glad you didn’t leave Essy at home on Christmas. That would be a shame.” Aunt Lucy looked up and suddenly seemed to notice the weather. “Well, come in, come in. That wind is sure cold! And can you believe we’re finally getting snow!”
The inviting aroma of a Christmas feast warmed the entryway inside the Hugheses’ family home. Christmas lights strung over garlands twinkled across the doorways and bore little gold angels and red silk balls spaced every few inches. Flanking the staircase were poinsettia plants in green foil pots standing in front of carefully decorated miniature Christmas trees.
“You have a beautiful home, Mrs.
Hughes,” said Mitch, absorbing the atmosphere.
“Thank you. But, please, no formalities around here. It’s just Lucy and Jack. Alright?”
Mitch nodded. “Understood.”
Suddenly the sound of feet pounding the floor gave way to Lexi and Henry rushing towards Johanna. “Auntie JoJo! Auntie JoJo!” they cheered in unison.
Rocky bounced around on his feet excitedly.
“Uh-oh, here comes the welcoming committee. Those two have been asking about you since they got here!” said Lucy, wiping her hands on her holiday apron.
Lexi and Henry threw their arms around Johanna first. “Lex Luthor and Henry the Eighth! Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Auntie JoJo,” said Lexi, quickly letting go of her aunt to give Rocky the attention he demanded. She kneeled down in front of him and hugged him around his neck. “Merry Christmas, Rocky.” She giggled when he licked the side of her face.
“Merry Christmas, Auntie JoJo,” said Henry, holding out his game console. “I already got to the sixth level on that game you gave me. Wanna see?”
“Of course I want to see, but first, do you two want to meet my friend?”
Henry glanced up at Mitch curiously. “Mom said you’re going to be our new uncle.”
Lexi stood up and kicked her brother in the shin.
“Ow! What’d you do that for? I’m gonna tell Mom,” he groaned, grabbing his leg.
Lexi rolled her eyes. “You weren’t supposed to say that to him.”
Johanna wanted to crawl into a hole. “Right. So, guys. This is Mitch. Mitch, this is Lex Luthor, the most awesome niece in all the world, and this is Henry the Eighth, who as you might have noticed says completely random things whenever he feels like it.”
Lexi giggled as she gave Mitch a shy little wave.
Mitch held out a hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Lex Luthor. I love your name, it’s very commanding. And dare I say it… slightly villainous.” He touched his chin with a finger and pretended to be confused. “Though I’m not entirely sure why…”
She shook Mitch’s hand weakly and smiled. “Lex Luthor’s not my real name. Just Auntie JoJo calls me that. My real name is Lexi Ann Hughes-Donovan.”
“Well, Ms. Lexi Ann, that’s quite a lovely real name. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And Mr. Henry the Eighth, is that not your real name either?”
He shook his head as he gnawed on his lip. After being kicked by his sister, he was scared to speak now.
“You can just call him Henry,” said Lexi. “Come on, Henry, we have to go finish setting the table for Aunt Lucy.” She looked up at Johanna. “Aunt JoJo, why did you bring that naughty cat again? She’s not very friendly.”
Johanna winced. “It was Rocky’s fault too. But they’ve both promised to be on their best behavior today. See?” She showed her niece the cat’s ribbon. “Essy’s even wearing a ribbon with bells on so we all know where she’s at at all times.”
“Can Rocky come with us into the kitchen?” asked Henry.
“Of course he can,” said Johanna. She squatted down to unfasten his leash from his collar. She straightened his little elf hat and looked him straight in the eye. “You better be good today. Understand?”
Rocky whined and looked away guiltily.
She patted his rump. “Okay, go on. Go play with Lex and Henry.” Rocky happily trotted after the pair as Melissa and Denny appeared from the kitchen.
“JoJo! Finally, you’re here!” Melissa said, throwing her arms around her sister.
“Merry Christmas, Mook!”
Denny waited his turn patiently and then hugged his daughter next. “Merry Christmas, JoJo.”
“Merry Christmas, Dad,” said Johanna with a smile. Then she turned and stepped aside. “Guys, this is my friend Mitch Connelly.” She overemphasized the word friend so they would get the hint.
“Well, it’s about time!” said Melissa, waving him in for a hug. “You realize she’s been keeping you a secret for all these years?”
Johanna’s face immediately went beet red and her stomach dropped.
“Oh, has she?” asked Mitch, turning to look at Johanna with a crooked smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yeah. She didn’t even tell us about you until last weekend. Imagine our surprise to find out that you’ve been dating on and off for the last five years.”
Johanna palmed her forehead. Could her sister be any more humiliating? “I didn’t say we’d been dating for the last five years. I said we’d bumped into each other on occasion.”
Mitch elbowed her as he shook her father’s hand. “Don’t worry. You’re not that out of the loop. I haven’t told my family about Jo either.”
Melissa looked disappointed. “So it’s really not that serious, huh?”
Mitch shot her a Cheshire grin. “We’re taking it slow, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t get serious someday.”
Both Melissa and Johanna turned to stare at Mitch. Johanna had to give the man props for his extemporaneous speaking abilities.
Melissa leaned her head on her father’s shoulder. “Aww, our JoJo’s got a nice guy,” she cooed in her thick accent.
“So, Mitch. What do you do?” asked Denny, taking Mitch by the hand.
“I’m a structural engineer for an engineering company in the city.”
“And how did you two meet again?” he asked.
Johanna’s palms went clammy as she caught Mitch glancing over at her. “Are you two seriously going to start the inquisition again the minute we walk in the door? How about you at least let us take off our coats and put down the cat and the presents.”
“Yeah, about that. Why’d you bring the cat again?” asked Melissa, lifting a lip. “She didn’t do enough damage last weekend?”
“Because she needed a place to go for Christmas, Mook, alright?” Johanna’s nerves were already almost shot, and she’d literally been there for all of five minutes.
“She couldn’t have stayed in your apartment?”
Mitch shook his head. “Jo has too big of a heart. She didn’t want to leave her home alone on Christmas.”
Melissa nodded. “I see.”
Johanna set Essy down on the rug. “Go play, Essy, but be good,” she suggested sweetly. Standing up, she looked around. “Where’s Uncle Jack and the rest of the family?”
“Jack and the boys are in the garage, having their annual Christmas cigar. All the ladies are in the kitchen, and the rest of the kids are upstairs,” said Melissa.
Johanna looked at her father then. “Did Maureen come?”
Denny rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “Mo’s in the kitchen with the girls,” he said. “You want to talk about that some more?”
No way in H-E-double-hockey-sticks do I want to talk about that today, thought Johanna. She gave him a tight smile and touched his arm lightly. “Another time, Dad. Alright?”
He patted her hand. “Okay, pumpkin. Whatever you say. So, Mitch, do you smoke cigars? I was just heading out to the garage.”
“I really don’t, but I’d be happy to meet the rest of the family,” Mitch suggested, giving Johanna a wink.
“Alright, then. Leave your coat on. It’s a mite bit cold out there.”
Johanna grinned at Mitch as he pulled back on the coat he’d just been shrugging off. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her to him sideways. Johanna leaned her head towards him, and to her surprise, he planted a chaste kiss on the side of her forehead.
“I’ll be right back, sugar.”
Johanna’s eyes widened in shock. She stared after Mitch as he followed her father to the garage. He wouldn’t even turn around so she could shoot him a what the heck was that? look.
Whitley giggled behind her, causing Johanna to shoot a glance over her shoulder. “You should see your face!” she whisper-hissed.
Melissa and Lucy both stared at her. Lucy had her hands clasped her to her chest, and the sappiest smile Johanna had ever seen was plastered on he
r time-worn face.
“He’s cute!” said Melissa when she was sure Mitch was out of earshot. “You’ve been hiding that man for all these years? And to think! I felt sorry for you because you didn’t have a man.”
“I don’t have a man, Mook,” Johanna sighed. Would she seriously have to explain herself all night? Maybe it had been a bad idea to come after all.
Melissa winked at her big sister. “He sure looks like a man.”
Lucy nodded excitedly. “Your sister’s right. He’s a very attractive man. He looks a little rugged. I find that incredibly sexy!”
“Aunt Lucy!” breathed Johanna. She’d never heard her aunt use the word sexy before, and something about hearing it for the first time at Christmas made Johanna feel dirty.
“Oh Gawd,” drawled Melissa. “Lighten up, JoJo. Sexy’s not a bad word, you know.”
Johanna’s eyes flitted down. “I know.”
“Alright, then, so why have you kept him a secret all this time? Why wouldn’t you just tell us you had a boyfriend?”
Johanna put a hand on either of her sister’s shoulders and stared her in the face. “I’m going to tell you one more time, Mook, and then you’re going to drop it or I’m leaving. Mitch isn’t my boyfriend. He’s a friend.”
“But he said it could be more.”
Johanna put a finger to her sister’s lips. “Bup-bup-bup,” she chided, taking a page out of Esmerelda’s playbook. “I’ll leave.”
Melissa’s shoulders crumpled slightly. “Oh, fine. You’re no fun. What are we supposed to talk about now?”
“I don’t know. The weather. Did you see all that snow coming down out there?”
A cloud of cigar smoke wafted into the foyer as Denny ushered Mitch into the garage. Mitch could hardly make out any faces through the thick, swirling smoke. He held a hand over his mouth and coughed, wishing he wasn’t wearing his good coat.
Denny nodded. “Yeah, it’s a little smoky in here. Jack, I’m gonna open up the overhead.”
“The wind picked up out there. It’s blowin’ the smoke back into the house,” said a gravelly voice through the smog. Mitch could only assume it had come from Denny’s brother, Jack.
Snow Cold Case: A Mystic Snow Globe Romantic Mystery (The Mystic Snow Globe Mystery Series Book 1) Page 22