“I know. Let’s play dress up,” Megan suggested. “How about you be the mommy, and Maren and I will be your kids.”
“Well,” Deidre hesitated. “How do we play this game?”
Very confidently, Megan continued. “Let’s pretend you have been with us al-l-l-l,” she dragged out the sound, “day long. That means that when Daddy comes home, he’d like to see the table set. Let’s do that.”
So far everything sounded pretty safe, and the three of them busied themselves setting place mats for four, arranging the silverware, although Deidre wasn’t quite sure on which side of the plate the fork was placed. It took almost a half hour to complete the task.
“So what are we going to do for food?” Deidre wanted to know.
“Oh, we can do what we usually do,” Maren chimed in. “Pizza!”
Deidre laughed. “How about we fix something really fancy for when your daddy gets home?”
“I know.” Megan’s eyes lit up. “Peanut butter sandwiches!”
“Okay,” Deidre agreed. “We’ll make super peanut butter sandwiches. And how about a salad.”
“Ahh, do have to?” the twins complained in unison.
Deidre ignored their complaints. “Let’s get busy, so the food is ready when Daddy comes home. We’ll surprise him with a special meal.”
“I know what would really surprise him,” Magan volunteered, her expression serious.
“What’s that, dear?”
“I think he’d be really surprised if you hugged him and gave him a bi-i-i-g kiss, and said, ‘How was your day, honey?’”
Deidre was totally blindsided, and she felt as though this had been a perfect setup. Finally, she responded. “Well, I bet that would really surprise your daddy. What do you think he’d do if I did that?”
Maren jumped in on cue. “I think he’d be happy.”
Deidre sat on a chair. “Come ’ere, you two.” She placed one child on each knee so she could look into their eyes.
“Your daddy is a special man, and he loves the two of you very, very much. You know, I think right now two women in his life are enough for him. When he comes in the door, why don’t you run up to him and give him a big kiss on the cheek and say, ‘Daddy, I love you so much. Come and see the special dinner we made for you.’”
They looked at Deidre a second or two through their large, blue eyes. “Okay.” They both slid off her lap. Deidre breathed a sigh of relief.
“Megan, you get out the toaster, and, Maren, you find the bread. When you’ve done that, show me where you keep the peanut butter.”
In seconds the girls had produced the items.
“Okay, now we need a fry pan.”
“A fry pan?” the girls squawked. “Why do we need a fry pan for peanut butter sandwiches?”
“Wait and see.” Deidre opened the meat keeper in the refrigerator and found an opened package of bacon.
In minutes, she had several strips sizzling in the pan. The girls began making toast, stockpiling the browned pieces in the warm oven. Deidre threw together a special salad.
“Come on, kids. Let’s make some dessert.” With their help, she made instant chocolate pudding and topped it off with fresh raspberries she had brought with her from the grocery store in Two Harbors.
“Now, we make our sandwiches.” She helped them smear on a generous spread of peanut butter and showed them how to layer the crisp bacon strips.”
“Do you think Daddy will like our sandwiches?” Maren wondered.
Before Deidre could answer, they heard Ben stomping the snow from his boots before he stepped into the entry. The girls went flying to meet him.
“Daddy!” they cried in unison and jumped into his arms.
“We’re having peanut butter sandwiches for supper,” Megan proudly announced.
Maren added, “With bacon. Do you think you’ll like that?”
Ben kissed his girls, all the while looking at Deidre and smiling. “You’re early. It’s so good to see you.”
“We wanted Deidre to kiss you when you came home, but she’s too bashful,” Maren announced, and Ben looked embarrassed.
“I see. What have you three been talking about while I’ve been at work?” He gave each girl a pat on the head, then hugged them close.
Something snapped inside Deidre when she saw the way that Ben related to his daughters. For an instant she saw the body of Anna Woodsong and the battered child in a hospital bed. She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ben took two steps and was in front of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, her body convulsing as she tried to get hold of her emotions. Ben held her and stroked her hair with his free hand.
“What’s wrong?” Megan asked, perplexed.
Maren gently placed her hand on the back of Deidre’s leg. “Daddy’ll fix it, Deidre. He can fix anything.”
That made Deidre sob all the more.
It took several minutes before she could speak. She blew her nose on a tissue and dabbed her eyes. Then she realized Ben still held her, and she slowly pushed away.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, girls. I must have scared you. It’s just,” and she paused to form her words without beginning to cry again. “It’s just that you make me so happy I had to cry tears of happiness. Do you understand what I’m trying to say.”
Both girls nodded, but their eyes told the truth. They had no idea why Deidre had burst into tears. She wasn’t sure, herself, what had happened.
“Come. Let’s eat.” she said, painting a smile on her face.
Ben said grace while they held hands in a circle at the table.
“Um, one of my favorites. Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. I’m sure glad you made me two, because I am so-o-o hungry.” He took a bite of the sandwich as though it were made of the finest shaved sirloin steak.
“I think this is the best peanut butter-bacon sandwich I’ve ever eaten.” The little girls beamed. “And this is the best salad I’ve had, too.” Deidre laughed.
After dessert was finished and the table cleared, Deidre and Ben played Chinese checkers with the kids, helping them to spot the correct moves. Then Ben got out a book and they all sat on the couch, Megan and Maren between Deidre and Ben. It was a kids poetry book, My Rollaway Bed, about a little girl’s magic bed that took her to adventuresome places at night.
“Okay, bedtime,” Ben announced when he finished the last page.
“We want Deidre to tuck us in,” they sang out in unison.
“Ben carried Maren and Deidre carried Megan up the stairs to their room, and Deidre pulled the covers up around their chins, giving each child a squeeze and a kiss goodnight.
“I wish you lived here all the time,” Maren said, a look in her eyes that could only be described as a plea.
Ben turned on their nightlight, and the grownups returned to the living room.
“A glass of wine?” Ben asked.
“That’d be great. After my scene a while ago, I think I need more than that.”
“Tough day, huh? Anything you can tell me?” Ben knew there were times in their business when a person simply needed to verbalize the baggage they were carrying.
Deidre tried to explain the feelings that had overwhelmed her when she broke down. She explained about the condition of the dead girl and the blank stare of the girl she’d helped rescue. Then she said she had such a feeling of fear for Megan and Maren that it had completely blindsided her. For an instant, she said, she had visions of the twins being violated in the same way, and it seemed far too real for her to face.
Ben listened intently, not interrupting once. He knew Deidre had to get this off her chest. When she finally went silent, he spoke.
“Sometimes I get those same feelings when I watch them at play, but the
n I realize I’m giving them all the love I can right now so when they’re older they don’t go looking for something they never had growing up. When I become fearful for them, I remind myself I must have faith that what I’m doing with them now is laying the foundation for a lifestyle that’ll help them avoid some of life’s pitfalls. I know they’ll make their own mistakes along the way, but all I can do is direct their lives so those mistakes aren’t so tragic that they can’t overcome the consequences.”
After a pause, he added, “I hope you realize that you’re having a profound influence on them, Deidre. I’ll be forever grateful for what you’re doing. I believe they’re going to have good lives. But thank you for sharing. Sometimes it’s good to talk about our problems. Kind of like The Sound of Music . . . then they don’t seem so bad.”
Deidre laughed.
“Here’s to you, Deidre, my friend, my daughters’ idol, and a very, very wonderful person.”
Deidre blushed and lifted her glass in the direction of his. “Thank you.”
*****
Thanksgiving Day was snowy. Deidre was sitting at the kitchen table, coffee cup in hand and looking out the window, when the twins peeked around the doorway at her. Sleep was still in their eyes, and their hair stood out from an accumulation of static electricity. They came running to her.
“Do you feel better today?” Megan wanted to know.
“We don’t want you to be sad, Deidre,” Maren chimed in.
She got down to their level and hugged them. “You girls make me happy. So happy I could just eat you up,” and Deidre pretended to nibble on their ears. They squealed in delight.
“What about Daddy?” Megan asked. “Does he make you happy?”
Deidre was beginning to sense a pattern developing. “Well . . . I think friends make us happy, and your daddy’s my friend, so, yes, he does make me happy.” She paused a moment, then playfully wrestled with the girls. “But not as happy as you imps do.”
The girls giggled and tried to tickle Deidre.
By eight o’clock, everyone was dressed. Breakfast had been served, and the holiday was about to get started.
Ben had ordered a complete dinner from a supermarket nearby, and at mid-morning he picked up all of the fixings. It was complete with roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, everything.
His brother, Cal, and his wife, Vickie, arrived shortly after he returned from the store, and introductions were made. A few minutes later, Ben’s sister, Stephanie, and her husband, Bill, rang the bell and entered without waiting to be invited. They were followed by their two pouting pre-teen kids. With the exception of those two, Deidre was warmly accepted.
Ben’s parents arrived a half hour late because of the heavy snowfall. That mattered little, because all they had to do was heat the meal in the in the oven or the microwave and serve it. The table had been set hours ago, and there was not much to do except visit and eat.
Deidre answered the door, and Ben’s mother looked quite surprised to see Deidre there. Evidently, Ben had forgotten to tell his parents that a guest would be joining them.
“Deidre,” his mother said, and the eaves of the house were not the only thing with ice cycles hanging from them.
“Hello, Mrs. VanGotten, or can I call you Rebecca?” Deidre cordially asked.
“Either way is fine,” the older woman answered in a non-inviting way.
Ben’s father extended his hand. “Hi, Deidre. Jim is fine for me. It’s good to see you again. Ben didn’t tell us you’d be joining us. Did you drive through the storm to get here this morning?”
Before Deidre could answer, Maren piped up. “Oh, no, she stayed here last night.”
Rebecca’s left eye brow almost reached her hair line. She glared at Ben. He said, “Good to see you, Mother. Here, let me take your coat. In fact, there’s something I want to show you in the other room.”
He took his mother’s arm in his hand and led her away, leaving Jim and Deidre standing awkwardly in the entry.
“Hey, how are my two favorite girls,” Jim called to the twins, warming the room with his exuberance. He pulled two small, wrapped gifts from the pocket of his overcoat. “I’ve got these for you. Let’s sit over here on the couch, and you can open them.”
The girls clamored onto the sofa, one on each side of Jim, while Deidre went to the kitchen and busied herself, although nothing needed attention at the time.
“Deidre, look what Grandpa brought us,” she heard them call to her from the living room. She decided she couldn’t hide in the kitchen all day and went to see the girl’s gifts.
“Isn’t this pretty?” Maren asked, lifting her chin so Deidre could see the gold chain necklace and tiny charm hanging from it. Deidre squatted so she could get closer for a better view. It was an angel, its eyes cast down as though looking from above at something. Megan had an identical necklace.
“Grandpa says this is to remind us that we have an angel looking out for us. Do you think that’s true, Deidre?”
Deidre’d had no religious upbringing during her childhood, and she had seldom darkened the door of a church. “You listen to what your grandpa says. He must be right.” At least she hoped he was.
Rebecca and Ben entered from the other room, she daubing her eyes. Ben had a stern look on his face.
“I think it’s time for us to break out the hors d’oeuvres, don’t you, Mother? I’ll help with the wine, and we can visit for a while before the meal. Deidre, will you give me a hand in the kitchen?”
They were gone only a few minutes and returned with Deidre carrying a plate of fancy deli appetizers and Ben carrying a tray of wine glasses for everyone. The twins got sparkling grape juice, and the adults, either red or white wine. When everyone’s glass was full, Ben raised his to make a toast.
“Here’s to family and friend. To my lovely daughters, and to the memory of their mother. Here’s to the future. May it be full of good times spent together, peace, and to a blessed year for all of us.”
“Here, here,” Jim echoed, and they all took a sip from their glasses. Deidre had tears in her eyes, as did everyone except the girls, who felt grownup to be included in an actual toast.
The meal was served and, as was to be expected, everyone ate too much, groaning when the pumpkin pie was served and complaining they couldn’t eat another bite. But they did.
As the adults savored a last cup of coffee before giving up, Rebecca tried her best to make small talk. “I don’t know when the last time was that I saw you, Deidre. Perhaps it was when you and Ben were running against each other for sheriff.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Deidre saw Ben signal his mother to stop. The woman had begun to dig herself a hole, but she didn’t know how to stop. “Of course, after you won the election, Ben talked about you several times. Everything good, mind you.”
Deidre laughed. She remembered the rocky relationship she and Ben had when they were in high school together, when they had attended the law enforcement academy together, and especially when she was his boss. That was ancient history now, and she was enjoying seeing Ben trying to corral his mother’s tongue.
Deidre offered, “Neither Ben nor I are the same persons we were then, Rebecca. I’d trust my life to your son. He’s is a true gentleman, a wonderful father, and a great person. I think both of us would like to forget the past. Don’t you think that would be best?”
Ben’s brother, Cal, tried to calm the waters. “Of course we all change. Don’t you remember when you tried to stop me from seeing Vickie? And look how you love her now?” He winced when Vickie stepped on his foot under the table. “But that’s in the past. So let’s enjoy the day and being together.” He thought he better shut up.
Rebecca shifted uneasily in her chair. “Of course, dear. It . . . I mean, it is a little awkward for me. Jenny hasn’t been gone very lo
ng, and Ben’s so vulnerable right now. I worry about him and the girls.” She swallowed hard.
Deidre understood vulnerable. “Rebecca, believe me, I’m not taking advantage of your son or his situation. We’re just very good friends. I love your granddaughters more than you can imagine. Someday, I hope Ben finds someone who can be their mother, but for now, I’m trying to help out.”
“And doing a wonderful job.” Ben interjected. “Mom, let it rest now.”
Jim changed the subject, asking Ben if he had been ice fishing yet. Stephanie asked Deidre where she was working, and the talk became more relaxed.
At the end of the day, Ben’s parents, his siblings, and their families, said goodbye. His mother gave Deidre a cursory hug, but whispered in her ear, “Thank you for being kind to my granddaughters.” She turned and walked out the door ahead of her husband.
When they left, Ben said, “Well, that went well, don’t you think?” He laughed, and Deidre never asked what was said between him and his mother in the other room.
By Sunday afternoon, Deidre had to begin thinking about returning to Two Harbors and her job. She was ready to get on with the investigation, but it was difficult leaving.
Chapter 17
Mornin’, Boss Lady,” Jill greeted Deidre. Her voice lacked its usual upbeat tone, and her face made Deidre think the weekend had not gone well.
“How’d Thanksgiving work out for you?” Deidre asked, thinking she might gain some insight into her secretary.
“Like any other weekend, I suppose. I did a lot of reading and spent time with my two cats. They miss me when I’m at work. Other than that, I volunteered at the women’s shelter so the staff could spend time with their families. Not a happy place to be on a holiday.”
Deidre didn’t push the issue. “I suppose not. Anyway, are you ready to get to work? I’ve got some things I need done as soon as possible.”
Jill nodded.
“First, make an appointment for me to see that attorney, Gerald Colter, this morning, the earlier the better. Second, I want to set up a meeting in Thunder Bay with Henry Musio and Charles Freeman. Tell them I’ll drive up this afternoon, if they can see me on such short notice. Contact Sheriff DeAngelo and see if he’s available to meet with me when I return from Mr. Colter’s office.”
A River Through Two Harbors Page 13