“You eating again?” Lisa asked as she brought another load of dishes to the sink.
“Ummmm,” Kelly hummed in enjoyment. “Don’t interrupt me.”
“When you’re finished, come on out and help us. Steve and Greg brought the boxes down from the attic. I can’t believe how many decorations there are,” Lisa said, disappearing through the doorway again.
“You go with them, Kelly. I don’t need any help,” Mimi said, rinsing a juice glass. “Besides, it’s fun working in such a beautiful kitchen. So sunny and bright. I swear, I can feel Ruth here.”
“Can’t fool me. You’re pushing me out so I won’t steal any more sausage,” Kelly said as she followed after Lisa.
“I’ll make coffee,” Mimi called after her.
Kelly walked through the sprawling high-ceilinged living room, where Curt had put a huge evergreen tree in front of the windows. It looked at least eleven feet tall to Kelly. A big difference from the small townhouse-sized trees she usually bought in the East. Kelly could smell the fresh evergreen scent. Inhaling deeply, she let memories from Christmases past rush in. Aunt Helen. Uncle Jim. Her dad. Wonderful family-filled memories from years ago. Nostalgia tinged with sadness. All of her family was gone now.
“Careful, careful,” Megan’s voice came from the adjacent family room.
Steve and Greg were stacking boxes on the floor, on chairs, on tables—wherever Megan directed. Meanwhile, Jennifer and Lisa removed the contents of each box and placed them gently on the dining room table, where Megan was arranging them carefully.
“Oh, my gosh,” Lisa exclaimed, holding up several glass balls and sparkly garlands. “These look handmade. How beautiful.”
Watching her friends admire what was obviously a box filled with Stackhouse family treasures, Kelly smiled. She had a new family now. Everyone here was part of her family. She’d not only created a new life for herself in Colorado, but she’d also created a new family as well. A much bigger family, too. In fact, it seemed to get bigger all the time, she noticed as Jayleen strode through the room.
“Look out, comin’ through,” Jayleen warned as she wove a path through the others, Diane Perkins right behind. Both women’s arms were filled with bulging grocery bags. “If anyone needs something to do, come see me. Diane and I have nearly fifty stockings to stuff. And that doesn’t count toys.”
“I can help with that, Jayleen,” Curt offered from the entryway, as he stomped snow from his boots. “Let me finish clearing the walkway, and I’ll lend a hand.”
“That’s okay, Curt. We’ve got a lot of extra hands in here,” Jayleen called out.
“Here are the lights,” Megan said, excitement in her voice. “Oh, wow, look how many there are.”
“I’ll handle the lights,” Burt announced. “That was always my job.”
“Be my guest, Burt,” Steve said as he lifted a large grapevine wreath from a box. “Untangling lights isn’t my idea of decorating.”
“Ahh, but it’s really detective work,” Burt said as he took the twisted strands of lights and sat down on the rug, plopping the huge pile beside him.
“A job requiring higher-order skills, right?” Kelly said, joining her friends.
“Absolutely,” Burt said, loosening knots. “Lots of concentration. I’m good at that.”
“Kelly, help Jennifer and me put up these homemade decorations. Megan’s organizing all the ornaments so we’ll be ready after we put the lights on the tree. You can grab another box,” Lisa ordered, heading toward the living room, her hands filled with boxes.
“Aye, aye, captain,” Kelly teased as she followed after, box in hand.
“Hey, Burt, these look like outside lights to me,” Greg announced, holding up an amazingly untangled string of lights. “Why don’t Steve and I put these up outside? Curt can show us where.”
“Sounds good.” Burt gave the lights a quick once-over before he returned to his untangling.
“Mimi, save us some of Megan’s biscuits, would you? We’ll be outside for a while,” Steve called as he grabbed his jacket and followed Greg through the front door.
“Will do,” Mimi’s voice sang from the kitchen.
“Ohhhh, look at these handmade stockings,” Kelly exclaimed as she opened a box. “Ruth must have made these. Satin and lace and velvet, wow.” She stroked the soft velvet, admiring the various patterns and combinations of colors Ruth had used in her creations. Crimson red satin, emerald velvet, and sapphire blue silk.
“Now those definitely belong over the fireplace,” Jennifer said as she strung sparkly garlands around the old-fashioned fireplace. “Look, I see tiny hooks wedged in the brick.”
Kelly set about hanging the stockings while Lisa and Jennifer arranged yarn angels, beaded candles, nutcrackers, toy soldiers, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, and teddy bears. There were even faded and worn paper decorations. The elementary school glue had loosened over the years, but amazingly, the wreaths, Santas, and angels were still intact. Kelly figured they had been made by Ruth and Curt’s children years ago and watched Lisa carefully tuck them into safe corners on bookshelves.
“Coffee’s ready,” Mimi announced, leaning around the kitchen doorway. “Kelly, I’ve already poured you a mug.”
Kelly made a beeline for the kitchen, following her nose. Before she’d crossed the living room, however, a mini hurricane blew through the front door.
Curt tumbled into the house, three small children in tow, all squealing loudly with holiday excitement. A tall young man with curly red hair followed after them, joining the noisy cluster as they stamped snow from their boots.
“Now, kids, you’ve gotta stay out of the kitchen, okay? The ladies are making surprises for the party,” Curt warned, wagging a finger at the giggling children.
“Okay, Grandpa,” the taller girl said with a solemn nod. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after them.”
Kelly had to smile. The matronly little girl didn’t look more than seven years old. “These are all your grandchildren, Curt?”
“So far,” Curt said with a wink. “This is Natalie, Matt, and Joseph. Kids, say hi to the folks before you run off to the family room. I’ve got your toys out already.” All three children gave quick hellos and waves before scampering from the room. “And stay out of the kitchen,” Curt called after them. “The ladies are busy.”
Jayleen appeared beside Mimi in the kitchen doorway. “I don’t know about Mimi and Diane, but it’s been a long time since anyone’s called me a lady,” she said with a genial laugh. Mimi gave her a playful swat with the kitchen towel.
Curt grinned. “And this is my nephew Martin,” he continued, gesturing to the tall redhead beside him. “He’s my sister’s boy. Say hi to the nice folks, Marty, while I get the kids settled.” Curt shed his rough suede coat on the way out of the room.
“Hi, nice folks,” Marty said with a good-natured grin as everyone called out greetings. “I brought something for breakfast. Hope I’m not too late.”
“Oh, we’ve got plenty left, Marty,” Mimi said as she beckoned him into the kitchen.
“Great, I’ve brought lots of orange juice,” he said, lifting two large bottles from a grocery bag.
Following them into the kitchen, Kelly grabbed her waiting mug of coffee while Mimi introduced Marty to Jayleen and Diane. “And this is Kelly,” Mimi added.
“Glad to meet you,” Kelly said with a friendly wave as Jennifer joined them.
“Hey, Marty, I’m Jennifer, and I’ve come for that juice.”
“Sure thing,” Marty said, pouring her a glass. “Would you like me to make that a screwdriver? I know Uncle Curt has some vodka around here.”
Jennifer gave a crooked smile. “No, thanks, just straight OJ is fine.”
“Why don’t you dig in to those breakfast leftovers?” Jayleen suggested. “We’ve got plenty, and you look like you’re hungry.”
“Hey, I’m always hungry,” Marty said with a grin.
“Well, then, grab a plate and fill up,�
� Mimi said. “Just make sure to leave a couple of biscuits for the guys outside.”
“Wow, where do I start?” Marty surveyed the breakfast dishes spread out on the counter. “Decisions, decisions.”
Kelly watched him enthusiastically fill his plate. “Do you live in town, Marty?”
He gobbled two slices of bacon before answering. “No, I live in Loveland, not far from my office.” He added three of Megan’s biscuits to his plate. “I’m a lawyer.”
Kelly took a sip of Mimi’s coffee, grateful that it was stronger than usual. “What type of law, civil or criminal?” she asked, surprised that someone in Curt’s family had a career that kept him indoors most of the time. Curt’s daughter was in ranching, and his son flew Navy fighter jets. Everyone else Kelly had heard Curt mention was also in ranching or land development.
“A little bit of both, actually…whoa! Are those burritos?” Marty said, pointing toward a baking dish.
“Help yourself,” Mimi invited.
“Smothered in green chili, too. My favorite,” he said, heaping burritos onto his already full plate.
Mimi beamed. “Enjoy. We’ve got plenty.”
“It’s a good thing Megan made three pies,” Jennifer whispered beside Kelly. “It looks like Marty can really put it away.”
Kelly laughed softly as she sipped her coffee and watched Marty pull out a counter stool and dig in.
“Wow,” he said, closing his eyes in obvious enjoyment. “This is delicious.”
Jayleen chuckled. “Now that’s what I call a good healthy appetite. You’ve come to the right place, Marty.”
“Boy, I haven’t eaten like this since Aunt Ruthie was still alive,” Marty said, then downed the orange juice Mimi poured for him.
“You know, Marty, back in my old bar-crawling days, those screwdrivers were what we called ‘sissy drinks,’” Jayleen said with a devilish smile.
Diane snickered but kept her eyes on the stocking she was filling with candy. Kelly recognized Jayleen’s teasing when she heard it, but wondered how Marty would react. It came quickly. His boyish face spread wide with a grin as he hunched over his almost empty plate.
“I’m not sure, but I think my manhood was just maligned,” he said. “Let me finish this biscuit, then I’ll go outside and wrestle a sheep or something.”
“Stay away from my sheep, boy.” Curt’s voice sounded from the doorway. “You left the gate open the last time, and they went every which way.”
“Hey, Uncle Curt, give me a break. I was only ten,” Marty said after he devoured his fifth biscuit.
“Twelve, as I recollect.” Curt gave Kelly a wink as he poured himself a mug of coffee.
“I’m never gonna live that down, am I?” Marty grinned as he spun the counter stool around.
Unfortunately, when he did, Marty’s hand accidentally knocked over the refilled juice glass, and a rivulet of orange juice spilled across the counter.
“Oops, I’m sorry.” Marty sprang from the stool, grabbing for a nearby napkin—and in the process knocked over the juice pitcher.
Mimi, who stood gazing at the scene in amazement, quickly sprang into action, mopping up orange juice with a dish towel. Kelly and Jennifer joined in the cleanup, grabbing paper towels and wiping the floor. Marty was already down on his hands and knees, wiping along with them.
“Here we go,” Curt muttered to Kelly with an ironic smile as she tossed the soggy towels into the trash. “The boy is a walking accident. Always has been. Whenever he’s around, things literally jump off the table.”
Kelly poured herself another mug of coffee. “Good thing you brought extra juice, Marty.”
“Oh, yeah,” Marty said as he grabbed the last two biscuits, then added sausage and bacon as well, placing them on another full plate.
“Hoooweee, boy. That’s one healthy appetite you’ve got there.”
Marty simply grinned as he settled onto the counter stool once again. He was clearly getting his second wind.
Just then, Steve’s voice came from the doorway. “Hold it right there, guy,” he commanded, finger pointing right at Marty, who was hovering over his plate, Megan’s biscuit halfway to his mouth. “I don’t know who you are, but if that’s the last biscuit, you and I are gonna have a serious talk outside.”
Kelly had to turn away to hide her smile. Steve was using his “worksite command voice” in hopes of wresting control over the baked goods.
Greg appeared behind Steve and slipped off his jacket. “Yeah, that other biscuit is mine, too. So step away from the biscuits, now.”
Marty stared at both men. “You guys are gonna beat me up over biscuits?”
“That’s up to you,” Steve said, standing his ground, arms folded.
“Sounds like a threat to me, son,” Curt advised. “I’d take it serious, if I was you.”
A mischievous grin danced across Marty’s face. “Gotta catch me, though, and I’m a helluva fast runner.”
“But you have to get past us first,” Steve warned.
“Good point,” Marty conceded and placed the biscuit on the counter. “Boy, you guys take your food seriously.”
“Damn right,” Steve said, snatching the biscuit before Marty could change his mind.
“They only get that serious when it’s Megan’s biscuits,” Jennifer said, pouring a glass of juice. “Ah declare, what men won’t do for hot bread.” She tossed her head, à la Scarlett.
“Megan’s biscuits, huh? Where can I buy them? I’ll order a case,” Marty said, leaning out of Steve and Greg’s way as they cruised the breakfast entrées.
“You can’t buy them, they’re—” Kelly started to say before she was interrupted by Greg’s shout.
“Dude, who the hell are you?” Greg cried as he surveyed the empty breakfast dishes. “You’ve eaten all the food!”
Mimi giggled. “Greg, you sound like Papa Bear in the nursery tale. ‘Who’s been eating my porridge?’”
“Greg’s right,” Steve said, scraping the last of the scrambled eggs from the glass dish. “There’s nothing left.”
“Steve, Greg…this is Curt’s nephew Marty.” Jennifer introduced them with a devilish smile. “Marty, say hi to the big, tough, hungry guys who’ve been putting up lights outside in the freezing cold while you’ve been chowing down in here.”
“Oooops,” Marty said, shamefaced. “Sorry, tough hungry guys. Listen, just tell me where I can buy those biscuits, and I’ll skulk away to the corner.”
This time, Curt spoke up. “You can’t buy ’em, son. They’re homemade. Their friend Megan made them. She made the pies, too. Closest thing to Ruthie’s I’ve ever tasted.”
“Whoa, you’re kidding,” Marty said. “Now you’re talking.” He sprang from the counter stool, homing in on the pies like a heat-seeking missile.
Jennifer quickly stepped between Marty and the pies. “Hold it right there, Marty. You get one piece of pie,” she announced as she slipped a slice of Megan’s blueberry pie onto a plate and handed it to him. “If you want seconds, you gotta go through these guys.” She winked.
“You guys are cruel, you know that?” he said as he took the plate.
“Give it up, Marty, you had ten biscuits—at least,” Jayleen teased from across the room, still filling stockings.
“Naw, it was only eight,” he retorted.
“Ten!” Greg cried. “Now I know I’m gonna pound him. After the pie, Marty. You and me, outside.”
“Then, it’ll be my turn,” Steve said, reaching for a slice of pie. “After I finish the pie, that is.”
“Like I said, gotta catch me fir—,” Marty started, until the forkful of pie entered his mouth. Then, all speech ceased. Marty closed his eyes, clearly savoring Megan’s masterpiece.
“I told you it was good, boy,” Curt said, sipping his coffee.
“Mmmmmmmm,” was all Marty uttered.
“Curt, we’re gonna need your shotgun. I’ll take the first pie watch,” Steve said, watching Marty’s reaction.
“Mmmmmmmm.”
Curt laughed softly. “I’d better bring the dogs, too. When that boy has his mind set on food, it’s hard to stop him.”
“Okay, okay, let me have a slice,” Kelly said, salivating as she watched her friends.
Once again, Ruth’s recipe and Megan’s mastery did not disappoint. The delectable mix of blueberry and flaky pastry melted on her tongue. Even without vanilla ice cream, it was delicious.
“Okay, okay, where is this Megan friend of yours?” Marty asked when he’d literally licked his plate clean. “I wanta propose. Right now.”
“She was in the family room last time I looked,” Curt said with a sly smile.
Kelly shot Jennifer a sharp glance and received a raised-eyebrow response. Oh, yeah. Let’s see what happens, Kelly’s matchmaking instincts said.
Marty headed for the family room, Kelly and Jennifer right behind. Kelly placed her finger to her lips and beckoned for Steve and Greg to follow. Curt was already grinning like an oversized Cheshire cat.
“It’s about time you folks showed up,” Lisa chided as they entered.
“Finished, at last!” Burt crowed from his spot on the floor, where he held up a large and neatly coiled string of tree lights. “Now we can start the tree.”
“Before we start, I’ve got to find out who Megan is,” Marty said. “Megan of the biscuits and Aunt Ruthie’s blueberry pie.”
Megan stared at Marty in surprise. “That’s me. Don’t tell me you’ve started eating the pie already? That’s for later.”
“I couldn’t help myself. After I tasted those biscuits, it was love at first bite,” Marty said with a big grin as he strode toward Megan. “I wanta propose—”
Unfortunately, that was as far as Marty got before his feet became caught in the newly untangled string of tree lights. Marty pitched forward, losing his balance, and crashed to the floor.
Kelly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of Marty, decorated in tree lights, in the middle of the floor, looking amazingly calm while chaos erupted all around.
“Oh, my God!” Megan screamed.
Burt stared, a stunned expression on his face, then sank his head in his hand.
A Killer Stitch Page 13