Fern Michaels' Godmothers Bundle: The Scoop, Exclusive, Late Edition, Deadline & Breaking News

by Michaels, Fern

  Sophie let her words hang in midair. Without saying anything, Toots and Abby raced upstairs to Ida’s bedroom. Toots banged on the closed door. She waited a few seconds, then repeated her action. “Ida, if you’re in there, you’d better get your ass out here, and I mean now!”

  A second later the bedroom door opened. With her bright pink hair standing in every direction, dark circles beneath her eyes, Ida looked rough, and that was being kind. “Were you sleeping?” Toots asked.

  Ida turned her back on them, went back inside the room, and sat down on her bed. She motioned for them to come in. “Exactly what do you think I’ve been doing? Eating bonbons?”

  Neither Toots nor Abby knew what to say.

  “Mavis has the coffee ready. I’m just surprised you’re not up,” Toots finally said. “I came up to make sure you hadn’t kicked the bucket.”

  “Well, give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll be downstairs. I have to shower and do something with this horrid-looking Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown hair. And I will get you for this, Toots. You just wait. Revenge is sweet. Now, both of you, downstairs,” Ida ordered imperiously.

  Leaving no room for further discussion, Toots and Abby headed out of the room. “What did you expect to find in her room?” Abby whispered.

  “Goebel,” Toots said flatly.

  “Mother! You should be ashamed of yourself. Why anyone who has eyes can see he adores Sophie, and she is wild about him.” Abby shook her head, an ornery grin turning her mouth upward.

  “I know, but Ida can be very seductive when she wants to be. I want Sophie to have a chance with Goebel. I like him. A lot.”

  “You don’t trust Goebel to keep his hands to himself?”

  Toots stopped before they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Yes, I trust him. It’s Ida I don’t trust. At least not when a handsome, rugged man like Goebel is in the picture.”

  “I really think Ida knows Goebel is off-limits, Mom. There are plenty of men out there, and I’m sure Ida is quite aware of that. Don’t tell the others what you just told me, or you’ll stir up a hornet’s nest.”

  “You’re right. Now, let’s go make breakfast.” Toots had only slept an hour and needed another pot of coffee. The day ahead promised to be full of fun and, just maybe, a surprise or two.

  Mother and daughter returned to the kitchen to find Goebel, of all people, turning the oven on, one of Mavis’s aprons tied around his newly slimmed-down waist, and a large mixing spoon in one hand.

  “You can cook?” Toots asked, her shock evident by the look on her face. She’d been through eight husbands, and not one of them had ever attempted to make a meal. Sophie had truly lucked out.

  Goebel chuckled. “Yes, ma’am. You can’t remain a bachelor your whole life and not learn how to cook. New York takeout gets old. I bought a beginner’s cookbook, and before you knew it, I could make chateaubriand. Give those folks over at The Food Network a run for their money.” He turned his back to her, but continued to talk. “I’m gonna make you gals a batch of Southern biscuits with homemade strawberry preserves.”

  Toots raised her eyes when she saw Sophie grinning at her. She mouthed, You are a lucky lady and Sophie’s grin became even bigger. She just shook her head and winked.

  “Is there time for this? I have to pick Chris up at the airport.”

  Goebel laid the mixing spoon down, rinsed his hands, then dried them on his apron. “Actually, I’ve made arrangements for Chris and Laura to be escorted out of the airport through the general aviation area. An old pal of mine works security at LAX and said he would take care of it. He owes me a favor. With all this publicity, the last thing any one of you needs is to get caught up in all the hoopla. I was gonna tell you, Toots, but you weren’t here when I came downstairs. That okay? I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds.”

  Actually, Toots was relieved. She knew that the press would be out in force. The thought of getting mobbed wasn’t pleasant, but she wanted to see Chris so badly she would do whatever she needed to do, as any mother would. “I can’t thank you enough, Goebel. Of course you haven’t overstepped anything. Why, you’re practically family. Right, Sophie?”

  Behind Goebel’s back, Sophie flipped Toots the bird and grinned from ear to ear.

  “Right, Soph?” Toots insisted, smiling broadly, ready to burst out laughing at her friend’s discomfort.

  “Kiss my tush, Toots. And the dogs’ tushes, too,” Sophie shot back.

  Abby cringed, and Mavis had the good grace to quickly turn away. Toots grinned.

  “I think we should talk about ... the strawberry preserves Goebel is making. I thought it took, like days to make that kind of stuff,” Abby said, hoping to change the topic of conversation. She looked at Toots and shook her head. “What about it, Goebel, how do you actually make strawberry preserves so quickly?”

  Keeping his back to them, Goebel spoke while he worked. “Just mash up a bunch of strawberries, depending on how much jam you want to make. Add some sugar, a little bit of fresh lemon juice, boil it, and let it cool. Since I’m not actually going to jar the stuff up, I don’t need sterile jars or pectin. Just plain strawberries and sugar.”

  “I am impressed, Goebel. And here I thought making jam was an all-day affair.” Toots emphasized the last word, unable to resist getting in another dig. Sophie shot her the bird for the second time.

  Before Toots could respond, Ida descended the stairs as though she were royalty. “Good morning, Abby. Did you get any rest at all? You look tired. I think you should give yourself the day off. It’s not like you’ll get fired or anything,” Ida stated matter-of-factly.

  Toots turned ten shades of white. Sophie’s eyes bulged out like a cartoon character’s, and Mavis chewed her bottom lip like a piece of gum.

  As casually as she could manage, Abby asked, “Is there something going on among the three of you that I should know about? You’ve all been acting odd ever since I got up.”

  Toots felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Should she spill the beans? Or run across the kitchen and yank that hot pink hair out of Ida’s blabbering head?

  Sophie caught Toots’s eye and shook her head left to right, which Toots assumed meant Sophie could read her mind and it wasn’t the time to open that particular can of worms. Toots nodded back.

  “We’re just tired. This excitement with Chris and Laura has been too much for us. Right, girls?”

  Toots shot Ida the I-will-get-you-for-this-later look.

  “Your mother is right,” Mavis said hastily. “We’ve all been very tired.”

  “What are we doing that makes you think we’re acting odd?” Sophie asked.

  Toots almost screamed, then bit her tongue. Literally.

  The oven timer went off. Toots wanted to jump in the air and shout hallelujah. But if she did, Abby would absolutely know something was wrong. Maybe she would even question Toots’s sanity. No, Toots thought, now is not the time to mention the fact that I am the moving force behind all those e-mails and FedEx letters.

  “Hot biscuits,” Goebel said. “Sit down and let me serve you gorgeous ladies breakfast.”

  “I’m starving,” Toots said. “And I’m so grateful we’re not eating fruit and oatmeal for a change.”

  “Well, shame on you. I will remember that the next time I serve breakfast.” Mavis sat down beside Toots. “I’m only having one biscuit. They’re bad for you, and the sugar in the jam is, too. Goebel, you know you can’t eat this way all the time?” Mavis chastised him. She’d helped him lose almost a hundred pounds and didn’t want to see him pile it back on one biscuit at a time.

  “I know that, but this is a special day, that’s all. It’s not every day that a prodigal son, so to speak, returns home.” Goebal placed hot biscuits on a platter. “Losing all that weight was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. One biscuit isn’t enough to pull me back into that old trap. You have nothing to worry about, Mavis.”

  She sighed. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’
s just so hard to lose and even harder to keep off.”

  Glad for the change of subject, Toots reached for a biscuit. “We’ve all come a long way in the past two years. I can’t even imagine Mavis being a pound overweight now. She really has helped all of us change our diets.”

  “Since when? You still eat Froot Loops when we’re out of town. You tell everyone you’re a vegan, yet you use cream in your coffee and eat cheese like a mouse. I’m sorry, I don’t see a big change, Tootsie,” Sophie said.

  Goebel poured the hot strawberry jam into three small bowls. “You won’t need butter, so don’t ask.”

  Abby eyed her mother and godmothers, then spoke. “Why do I feel like I’m back in elementary school? We’re all adults. We can eat whatever we want. If it’s not healthful, then it’s our own asses that are on the line. And Goebel, I would like some butter. The real stuff that Mom keeps hidden in the back of the fridge.”

  Sophie took the butter out of the Ritz Cracker box on the bottom shelf. “I want some, too. No healthy crap for me.”

  “I just might persuade you to change your mind, Miss Sophie. I know I have much more energy now. Energy for other things.” Goebel wagged his eyebrows up and down. They all laughed.

  “Nope, I won’t ever change who I am for a man. Never again, noway, nohow. I spent too many years wasting my life doing Walter’s bidding. If you don’t like what you see, look somewhere else.”

  Suddenly, the atmosphere in the kitchen became oppressive, as though an angry spirit had permeated their space, trying to drain the life from its occupants. Sophie jerked up, her attention focused on the door that led to the dining room in which she held séances. “The phone is going to ring,” she said.

  Rolling her eyes, Ida commented dryly, “That’s certainly a big revelation, Sophia.” She’d refused a biscuit, and was sipping her coffee like it was poison.

  Sophie continued to focus on her feelings. This was something new. Not gut instinct, but something else she couldn’t put a name to. A sense of dread filled her. It frightened her. More than the images of the snow and the car. This was ... frightening, something she had no control over.

  “Are you all right? Sophie?” Abby said her name but got no response. “Mom?”

  Toots got up, stood behind Sophie, and placed her hands lightly on her shoulders. She leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, “Are you having a vision?”

  Before Sophie could answer, as if on cue, the telephone rang.

  Chapter 21

  “Let me get that,” Toots said, walking away from Sophie, who appeared as though she were in a trance of sorts and wasn’t reacting to any stimuli.

  “Yes, hello.” Toots’s words were rushed. “What? Yes, this is she speaking. Yes, of course I know her. I’ve known her forever.” Toots paused, listened to the voice on the phone. “Oh my gosh! When? Do whatever you can, is that understood? I will be there as quickly as I can charter a plane. If there is any change, call my cell phone.” She recited the number, then placed the phone back in its stand.

  “Mother! What ... Are you okay?”

  Toots struggled to keep it together, she had to. “No ... uh, yes, yes. That was Charleston Memorial. Bernice suffered a massive heart attack two hours ago. Jamie found her when she stopped by the house this morning before going to the bakery.”

  Everyone in the room was silent, then all eyes went to Sophie.

  Toots spoke first. “This is what you were talking about, isn’t it? You had a vision, right?”

  Sophie came out of her stupor as fast as she’d entered. “No, I just had a very bad feeling wash over me. I didn’t see this. Just felt something. And I knew it would be from the telephone ringing.” Sophie shot Ida a told-you-so look. “What exactly did the doctor say?”

  “That was the ER nurse. Jamie is at the hospital with Bernice right now. Her condition is not good.” Toots’s eyes filled with tears. Damn that Bernice. She’d been hanging around that damned butcher Malcolm Moretti too long. She’d probably gorged on the finest cuts of beef Malcolm offered. Bernice had been a good customer for more years than Toots could remember. And to think ... no, she would not think. She would not even consider life without Bernice. Not yet. She just wasn’t ready.

  An idea blossomed, and before it had a chance to disappear, she picked up the phone. She dialed 411. “Yes, I need the number for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the cardiac floor if you will.” She was going to do whatever she could for Bernice. Her icon, Evangelista Thackeray had died last year of congestive heart failure. Supposedly, she’d had one of the best cardiologists in the world. If he was good enough for Evangelista Thackeray, then Toots figured he was good enough for Bernice.

  “Thank you,” She hung up and dialed Cedars-Sinai. “I need to speak to Dr. Bruce Lowery. It’s an emergency.”

  All attention was focused on Toots while she waited for the doctor to take her phone call. She was surprised when the doctor actually took the call. She took it as a good sign, something that was meant to be. She explained who she was and why she was calling. She added that she’d been considering making a large donation to Cedars-Sinai’s cardiac wing. To the tune of $5 million. Just as she’d expected, that got the doctor’s attention and kept it.

  “Can you travel to Charleston, South Carolina, immediately?” Toots asked, once the formalities were over. Time was not on her side.

  “Of course, Ms. Loudenberry. I will have to make a few arrangements with my colleagues, then I’m all yours,” Dr. Lowery assured her. “I will call Charleston myself, talk to the head of cardiology, and find out what’s going on with your friend.”

  “I have a jet that should be at the airport anytime now. I can offer you a ride, if you like,” Toots said.

  “That won’t be necessary, but thank you. Cedars-Sinai has a jet for just such emergencies. I’ll contact the pilot immediately.”

  Toots spent the next few minutes giving the doctor Bernice’s information. As soon as she finished, she called Dr. Joe Pauley, her longtime physician and a very dear friend. His voice mail picked up. “Joe, this is Toots. Bernice is in the hospital, and I hope like hell that’s why you’re not answering your phone, but just in case it isn’t, can you get to Charleston Memorial ASAP? I’m preparing to leave Los Angeles, but will be available for the next couple hours if you want to call. Otherwise, I will call you the minute our plane touches down.” She ended the phone call. Worry, stark and vivid, glittered in her brown eyes.

  Abby came around the table and placed her arms around her mother. “I’m so sorry, Mom. What can I do?”

  Toots seemed to be considering her daughter’s question. Her thoughts were a jumble, and she couldn’t focus on either problem. First Chris, and now Bernice.

  “Mom?” Abby repeated.

  “Yes, I—no there isn’t anything anyone can do.” To Toots’s dismay, her voice broke slightly. “Pray. We can all pray that Bernice survives. Now, I have to call that jet, make sure they can take us back to Charleston.”

  Again, Toots made a phone call. The company assured her the jet would remain on the ground as soon as it touched down. While she was beyond being happy that Chris and Laura would soon be safely on the ground, there would be no time to have that celebratory dinner at Moonshadows. Soon, though.

  But first things first. Bernice was practically family, like the older sister she’d never had. Toots would do whatever was humanly possible to make what was left of her dear friend’s life as close to perfect as she could manage. Knowing there would be time for unhappiness later, Toots shifted her shoulders high, raised her chin just a notch higher—her determined look, as she liked to think of it—then cleared her throat. “Who wants to go to Charleston with me?”

  Abby was the first to speak up. “I don’t think I can, but if you need me to go, I will.”

  As much as Toots would have liked her daughter’s company, there wasn’t really anything Abby could do in Charleston. Toots needed her at the helm of The Informer. The last thing she
wanted was to worry about the management of the paper. Abby was better off staying in Los Angeles.

  “You need to stay here and take care of things at the paper—right, Sophie?” Toots wanted her friend’s seal of approval now more than ever.

  Sophie caught the hint. “Absolutely. Abby needs to stay here and take care of Chester and Coco, and that rag of a paper. You never know when some movie star might check into rehab. Important stuff, Toots.”

  In other circumstances, Toots would have flicked Sophie the bird. However, she knew what her friend was trying to do, and she appreciated it. Crazy-ass Sophie was trying to keep things as normal as possible by acting like a smart-ass.

  “Sophie, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Mavis said. “And what about the animals? Does this mean I’ll have to leave Coco behind?”

  “I’m teasing, Mavis,” Sophie said.

  “You know it might be a good idea to leave Coco with Chester. I can stay here at the beach house with the pooches. Take them to work, too,” Abby said.

  “I can go, too, if you need me,” Goebel added.

  Sophie grinned.

  “Yes, I think you should come along, too,” Toots said, then turned to Ida. “What about it? Can you and Mavis get away now?”

  Ida and Mavis nodded their heads in agreement. “Mr. Frank was our last—”

  “Stiff?” Sophie threw in.

  Toots smiled. Leave it to Sophie to do whatever she could to lighten up the moment. Friends. How precious they were, though there was no way in hell Toots was going to say that now. Maybe later, she’d tell each one just how special they were to her. Or maybe not. Toots knew they were all quite aware of it.

  “You have such a vulgar mind. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, especially at a time like this,” Ida said. “For the record, I will go and do whatever I can to help out. Bernice won’t be able to clean, once she’s home from the hospital. I am an expert at it, as you all know. Count me in,” she added with a genuine smile.

  “And me, too. Someone will need to be there to help Bernice out with her new diet. She’ll need lots of tender loving care, and plenty of fruit and fiber. Whole grains are quite good for keeping one’s arteries clean. I’ll make sure she doesn’t clog the new ones,” Mavis said. “But I’m not sure about leaving Coco behind.”