Holiday Spice & Everything Nice

by Conn, Claudy

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Crandall, but I heard you asking about Grady down at the beach.”

  That caught Marissa’s attention. “Please call me Marissa. I’m not sure your parents would like you following a complete stranger, but I hope you have something important to tell me.” She gestured for the young girl to sit in the chaise beside her. “What’s your name?”

  “I’d rather not say. Like you said, you’re a complete stranger.”

  Marissa liked that. The girl caught on fast. Hoping that would translate into some good intel, Marissa nodded. “Understood, tell me why you’re here?”

  The young lady rubbed her knees nervously. “The girls at the beach lied to you. None of them were cool when Grady dumped them. One girl got really mad. Her name is Callie. If Grady is in trouble, I bet she has something to do with it. I heard her yelling at some dark-haired kid about a week ago. She was super angry. So was the boy. He called Callie stupid and blamed her for something. It was really weird. Usually the girls are heartbroken when Grady moves on. Some of them even try to get him back, but Callie’s reaction was different. It stuck in my mind.”

  Excitement pulsed through Marissa’s veins. This unnamed stranger might have given them a new lead, and she wanted to hug her for coming forward. Remaining as calm as possible, she inquired, “Does Callie have a last name?”

  The girl shook her head. “I don’t have any idea.” Out of the blue, she jumped to Grady’s defense. “He can be a jerk, but Grady can also be really nice. One day, after I had a fight with my mom and dad, he sat down and let me talk.” A small smile formed on her round face. “I doubt he knows my name, but he helped me feel better.”

  Marissa reached out to touch the girl’s shoulder, but she recoiled.

  The no-named girl jumped to her feet and declared abruptly, “I have to go.” Her bare feet padded toward the pool gate.

  Stopping her from leaving didn’t appear possible so Marissa didn’t try. “Thank you.”

  A hand of acknowledgement waved in her direction, but the girl hurried on her way.

  • • •

  THE STORY MARISSA told didn’t make sense. David needed further clarification. “How far away is that beach?”

  “About five miles or so.” Marissa restated.

  “She walked barefoot that far?”

  “I guess.” Marissa’s agitation grew. “David, why aren’t you jumping up and down with joy? We have a new lead.”

  There was a missing piece David wasn’t comfortable with. “I don’t understand how a pre-teen was able to follow you. You were in your rental car, and she was hoofing it. Unless that girl has some nifty superpowers, it’s not possible.”

  “Why does it matter?” Marissa exclaimed. “Maybe she was with an older friend who parked down the street. She wouldn’t tell me her name. It stands to reason she wouldn’t want me to have any other details about her either. Now, can we start tracking down this Callie person?”

  David wasn’t sure where to start. “Her name is not in Grady’s contact list. That girl must have done something because Grady purged her from the system. Maybe I can track her down using social media. If she’s like most people, she’ll have left behind some kind of digital footprint.”

  Marissa leaned over his shoulder and watched as he searched the net for somebody named Callie. He guessed her age to be approximately twenty-one and that she lived somewhere nearby.

  “Callie is probably a nickname for something longer. You should add that to your search.”

  David racked his brain, but came up blank. “Any suggestions on what that name might be?”

  Marissa prattled off a list. “Caroline, Kaitlyn, Catherine, Calista, California.”

  “And the search widens. I think I’ll leave that last one off.” His wife leaned in closer. The scent of her hair and the softness of her skin proved to be a major distraction. “You can go back and nap by the pool if you like. I’ll text you if I find anything.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?” Her seductive fingers traced small circles between his shoulder blades.

  David shrugged her off. “Babe, this is not the time.”

  Her hands flattened and caressed their way around his waist. “Are you sure?”

  His cock jumped to attention. He pushed the task chair away and stood up. Marissa was playing with him, but he pressed her body firmly against his and kissed her delicious lips.

  She broke away and as expected, said, “You’re busy. I’ll let you get back to it.”

  “I knew you weren’t going to follow through.”

  Her eyes danced with mischief. “That was just a taste of what’s to come.” She backed out of the room and licked her lips in anticipation.

  It was going to be a few minutes before he’d be able to sit down comfortably. David took off his flip-flop and lobbed it in her direction.

  It hit the back of the door harmlessly, and Marissa’s evil laugh echoed all the way down the hall.

  • • •

  THE DARK-HAIRED pre-teen stood next to Mr. Kaplinger on his favorite lookout cliff. “Do you think Marissa believed you?” he inquired.

  The girl giggled. “I know she did.”

  With a contented smile, he raised his hands and closed his eyes in concentration. The spinners heard his call and began to dance in the inky black water below. Kap’s entire being filled with satisfaction. “Our work here is done.”

  The Milky Way snaked its way across the night sky, and he took a few moments to enjoy the view.

  “You didn’t give me much to do. I spent all my time hanging out at Grady’s pickup beach,” the girl complained.

  “Young one,” Kap assured her, “you discovered the key. You should be proud of yourself.”

  She tugged on her brightly-colored board shorts and adjusted her red tank top. “It’s time to go, old man. The dolphins are waiting.”

  Kap’s head bobbed with amusement. “Always in a hurry. They’ll wait for us. Take a moment and smell the roses. Soon it won’t be anything but salt water and seafood.”

  Picking a flower from a nearby hibiscus plant, she retorted hotly, “We’re in Hawaii. I’ll have a better chance of smelling one of these.”

  “That’s the state flower. You’re not allowed to pick them.”

  His rebuff slid off the young one’s back like Teflon. “Whatever.” When Kap’s gaze shifted up toward the heavens once more, she huffed, “Suit yourself. Linger if you want, but I’m out of here. I happen to like salt water and seafood.”

  She took three hopping steps toward the cliff’s edge and dove gracefully into the ocean far below.

  “Show-off,” Kap muttered.

  He dug his toes into the vegetation below his feet. It felt good to have solid ground under him. It was one of the many things he was going to miss. Next December seemed a long way off. He hoped he had the opportunity to visit Lena again, but where he wound up was never up to him. Many rules had been broken when he and Lena finally consummated the love they had always felt for each other. Kai suspected the next time they met would be in Lena’s afterlife. He didn’t mind. The half an hour they shared locked in bliss was well worth whatever reprimand came his way.

  The lucky stranger shook off the old man, Kaplinger, and let his true self shine through.

  It felt good to be himself again. Kai had never been strong and handsome like his brother-in-law, but with death came acceptance. In this parallel universe, he had grown comfortable with his skinny frame and short cropped dark hair. He no longer felt like a gay man living a lie. In his new world, sexuality wasn’t an issue. Everyone loved everybody in whatever form it mutually took.

  While sex was a free for all under the waves, there were rules they needed to follow when the Winter Solstice grew near. Their job was to light the way for their chosen ones, not lust after their human charges.

  Technically, Kai supposed he could argue that Lena was adjacent to Brittany and Grady and not part of the deal, but he would be wasting his
breath.

  The spinners beckoned. It was time to face the inevitable.

  Kai closed his eyes and sent one last message out to the wonderful woman who married him, kept his secret, and never left his dying side. Merry Christmas, my love. I hope you enjoyed our time together.

  With that, Kai propelled his body into the air and pulled his knobby knees to his chest.

  “Geronimo!” he called out just before his cannonball hit the water with an enormous splash.

  17

  TERENCE WASN’T HAPPY. The computer screen in front of him indicated Erika wasn’t at her friend’s house, but across the island at the bird sanctuary. For being fairly tech savvy, his daughter was blissfully unaware that he could track her cell phone.

  Annie walked in carrying a load of laundry. “Why are you frowning?”

  He rocked back in his chair and tapped the eraser end of a pencil on his desk. “I’m trying to decide how angry I should be.”

  “There is only one person capable of putting that expression on your face,” Annie chuckled. “What’s Erika done now?”

  “She’s at the bird sanctuary.”

  “Did you really expect her to wait for our okay?” She set the basket on the floor and began sorting a large array of socks. Motioning for him to join her, Annie implored, “Come help me. I hate this job.”

  Terence could relate. Their household was growing exponentially and the washer and dryer were working overtime to keep up. “I don’t understand how we can go through so many socks when we run around barefoot most of the time.”

  Annie looked at the mound of clothing and decided it could wait. “Did I tell you Marissa and David are back on the island?”

  “Good! That means David is looking into the mess across the street. When did Marissa call you?”

  Guilt radiated behind his wife’s beautiful blue eyes. “She didn’t call,” Annie explained. “I installed that same app on her phone.”

  Keeping track of a wayward teen was one thing, but bugging your best friend was not acceptable. “Why did you do that?”

  “I find comfort knowing where she is. We grew up together. Until I moved here, Marissa was never more than a few miles away. I probably shouldn’t have done it―”

  “Probably?” he interjected.

  “Fine.” Annie raised her hands in surrender. “I shouldn’t have installed it without her knowledge, but you understand why, don’t you?”

  He did. “Sure. It’s your security blanket.”

  “Exactly!”

  “That doesn’t mean Marissa won’t be angry when she finds out,” Terence said, raining on her parade. “Annie, love, I wouldn’t mind if you tracked me. We’re married. We’re a team...” he stopped his rebuff when Annie’s lips pressed smugly together. She barely maintained control of the small grin which threatened to burst out into a teeth-showing smile.

  “You bugged me, too,” he stated firmly.

  “Don’t get all judgmental with me.” Annie pulled out her phone and scrolled down her app list. She turned it around and tapped proof of his deception on the screen. “You bugged my phone first. That’s where I got the idea.”

  He held out his hand. “Do you want me to take it off?”

  “Of course not. After what happened to Grady’s parents, I like knowing you can find me.”

  He understood the feeling all too well. “Getting back to Marissa,” he said, changing the subject. “I don’t think she will be as forgiving.”

  “What are we going to do about Erika?” His wife asked, changing the subject a second time.

  Terence heaved a great sigh. “I’m undecided. David gave us the all clear where Ben is concerned. He comes from a respectable family. Part of me is glad her feelings aren’t constantly being hurt by Grady.” The more he rambled on, the clearer it became. “I think I want to let this one go. She lied. We should ground the hell out of her, but I don’t see the point in engaging in this battle. If we forbid her from seeing Ben because she did something we were going to let her do anyway, she’ll just keep defying us.”

  Annie spied the mate to one of Max’s black socks and paired them together. “Should we let Erika know we’re on to her?”

  Terence didn’t want to. “My mom knew most of the stuff I thought I was sneaking past her. I think this is one situation where we should take a page from her parenting manual. I hate to say this, but all these little deceptions have given her a new confidence. She seems more self-assured. We’ll keep an eye out and shut down anything dangerous, but I don’t see how going to a bird sanctuary could be classified as life threatening.”

  Annie shot him an uneasy look. “How is she getting home and how did she get there in the first place?”

  That’s why they made such a good team. Annie almost always caught his oversights. “How about I text our darling daughter and ask if she’s ready for me to pick her up? I won’t make a big deal out of it, but she’ll sweat bullets waiting for the hammer to drop.”

  Annie let out a vicious laugh. “I can live with that.”

  “And while I’m gone, you need to clue David and Marissa in that they aren’t fooling anyone either.”

  “I’m way ahead of you.” Annie giggled. “I have an appointment with the manager of the hotel they are staying at. I doubt if he’ll want a coffee cart in their lobby, but you never know. I thought I’d hang around until I accidentally ran into one of them.”

  Terence pulled his devious wife off the floor and pressed her body against his. “Shall I call Lena and tell her to expect them? They’ll be more comfortable at the B&B.”

  “Yes!” Her eyes sparkled with delight. “David always thinks he’s so sneaky. I can’t wait to see the expression on his face.”

  • • •

  ERIKA SLAMMED THE front door. “You haven’t said a word all the way home,” she raged at her father. “You’re driving me nuts. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone without your permission. I know the drill, so I’ll save you the trouble of passing sentence on me. I won’t see Ben for a week. We’ll only communicate with each other online so our paper won’t be late. I won’t go anywhere except to my job at the B&B and down to sell my ornaments at the Coffee Cart.” Her blue eyes blazed with fury. “Is that punishment satisfactory?”

  Terence scratched his brow. He was right about making Erika sweat. Now he had the pleasure of showing her what a kind and understanding father he could be. “I didn’t say you couldn’t see Ben.”

  Erika’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Stop playing with me. I know you’re mad.”

  “I’m not. The only reason I went to get you was because I needed to make sure you had a safe way home.”

  Leary of the words coming from her father’s mouth, she asked, “Then why aren’t you giving me the third degree?”

  With the guilt card ready and waiting to be played, Terence sat on the sofa. “Because I don’t want to know what kind of risky behavior my only daughter engaged in so she could see her new boyfriend.”

  “You are such a liar,” Erika countered. “You’re dying to know.”

  “I am,” he agreed, “but I don’t want confirmation that you accepted a ride from a stranger who could have done a million horrible things to you. I want to live with the illusion that you’re smart, that you’re mindful of your personal safety, and that you’ll come home to me every single time you walk out the door.”

  Tears glistened in Erika’s red-rimmed eyes and her defensive demeanor cracked. “I didn’t hitchhike.”

  Every fiber of Terence’s body wanted to pull the wayward teen into his arms and comfort her. Knowing that would void any lesson she learned today, he held tough and waited for her to make the next move.

  She sat down beside him. Her voice cracked through her sobs. “I suppose you found out because David called and tattled on me.”

  Terence’s brows lifted in surprise, but he fought to keep the rest of his face from showing emotion. David would have made sure she was safe before leaving her to fend for herself
. With this new information, he saw a way for his tracking app to remain unnoticed for a bit longer. Terence made the decision not to correct her assumption and allowed Erika to believe her brother-in-law was a dirty ratfink.

  “Can I go, or do I have to listen to a lecture?”

  Terence was proud of himself. He successfully curbed his need to orate for the sake of hearing himself talk. Erika might not be able to see it, but she discovered the error of her ways all on her own. He wondered if it would always be this easy. Terence patted her knee. “Yes, you can go.”

  • • •

  “MARISSA,” ANNIE CALLED out. “Is that you?”

  Not knowing what else to do, Marissa dropped her head and walked further down the hallway. The pineapple motif on the carpet blurred under her hurried gate. What was Annie doing here?

  “Marissa!”

  Everyone in the entire hotel could have heard Annie’s last frantic cry. She couldn’t ignore her friend any longer. Marissa turned and acknowledged Annie with an innocent, “Hey.”

  Annie walked over and held up a key. “Lena is expecting you.”

  • • •

  “WHAT DO YOU mean we’re packing?” David asked.

  Marissa calmly withdrew their luggage from the closet. “Our whereabouts have been discovered. Everyone knows we’re here and Lena has a room ready for us.”

  David glanced at his watch. “It only took Erika three hours to spill the beans. Maybe she’s not as slippery as I thought.”

  His wife tilted her head and touched her ear. “What was that? Is there something you forgot to mention?”

  He wasn’t used to keeping secrets from the mother of his two children. Marissa was his best friend. They talked about everything. David glanced at his watch. It only took him two and a half hours before he let it slip that her baby sister had caught him at the sanctuary. He looked into his wife’s laughing eyes and said, “Shut up.”