After her cleaning frenzy each evening, she also spent time scattering decorations throughout the house. Among them was the tall Victorian Santa that stood next the fireplace, the family of cheery snowmen on the mantel above it. A sprig of mistletoe, bound in bright red ribbon, hung from the top of the doorway between the living room and the kitchen where traffic would be heaviest. Then there was the tree.
Carter had come by one evening a couple of weeks ago, to help her haul her new tree from the car and get it put together. It now stood, in all its beautiful glory, in the corner of her living room. Standing at seven feet tall, the tree had a glowing presence all its own. The evergreen was decked out in strands of soft white lights, with red tinsel and glass balls of varying tones of red and silver hanging from the branches. Tucked in among the shiny new ornaments were old family ornaments from Lynn's childhood that her mother had packed up and brought over to her. Gifts piled under the tree atop a silver tree skirt. The Victorian style angel in a white gown at the top completed the decorations. Lynn looked forward to lighting this tree every evening.
Late morning on the day of the party, she found herself alone in the kitchen, going over her list of last minute things to do. There were party trays to put together, glasses to gather, and last minute details to take care of. Hopefully with the help of her friends. After a glance at the clock on the stove, she saw she a had a little time before they were due to arrive. After filling her cup with her second dose of hot caffeine, she relaxed at the kitchen table. Her phone, having been switched over to silent without her realizing it, showed a text message from Carter.
Good morning, beautiful!
God, is it any wonder I'm in love with this man, she thought to herself. She sipped her coffee as she picked up the phone and replied.
And good morning to you, handsome.
She gazed out the window as she waited for him to reply. The wind had picked up, causing the bare branches on the tall tree out back to sway. The sky was cloudy and gray, even though there was no snow in the forecast for the day. Another absent minded sip as the tree continued to dance before her phone chirped with an incoming message.
Ready for the big party? The boys and I can't wait to see you.
Just getting going. Waiting on Beth and Kari to get here to help. Can't wait to see you guys either!
Let me know if you need extra help. I'll come over.
Thanks. Should be fine though. :) See you tonight! Love you!
The sound of her front door opening and closing, of a voice calling her name, shifted Lynn's attention from her phone, just as it chirped again with a 'love you too' message from Carter.
"I know that dopey expression." Kari teased her as she came into the kitchen and set a small stack of shiny white bakery boxes on the table before shrugging out of her coat. "Somebody's been chatting with her boyfriend."
"Yep, and he loves me." Lynn gave a cheeky grin. "What's all this?"
"This, my friend, is my contribution to the party. A few dozen spiced cookies, glazed with white icing. And mini cupcakes, three dozen each of chocolate and vanilla, also with white frosting. Thought we'd let the girls decorate them while we're putting everything else together."
"Sounds like a plan, and thanks for bringing all of this." Lynn gestured to the boxes as she stood and went over to pour her friend a cup of coffee. "Speaking of girls, where's yours?"
"She’s with Bethany." She took the cup Lynn held out to her. "She stayed last night with Kristin." Kari sipped her coffee, hummed her approval as the liquid, hot and sweet hit her tongue. "They should be here any time now."
Lynn nodded, leaning against the counter, thinking and assigning the tasks that needed to be done to those who would be on hand to help. Just as she was opening her mouth to tell Kari what she was thinking, she stopped and listened as the sounds of car doors slamming came from her driveway.
"I think they're here." Lynn set her mug on the counter, she strode over to the door and peeked out the window, held the door open as her friend wrangled three girls and balanced grocery bags on her arms. The group hustled their way up the walk, the girls chattering away.
"Hey, all!" Lynn stood in the doorway, arms wrapped around her middle to help ward off the chill from the air.
"Hi, Aunt Lynn!" The girls rushed to her, pulled her into a quick group hug before making their way inside.
"Hey, girl." Bethany greeted her, sound harried. Lynn reached out to help unburden her of some of her load. "Sorry we're late. We’re a little behind this morning."
"Don't worry about it. We have plenty of time." Lynn, hands now full, nudged the door closed with her foot. She followed Bethany into the kitchen, and her bags joined those already sitting on the table with the bakery boxes.
"Okay, before we get started, did everyone bring their clothes?" Lynn's friends, and the girls, would get ready for the party at her house instead of rushing home to change at the last minute. "Makeup, hairspray, all that fun stuff?"
"Mine's out in the car," Kari said.
"Mine too." Bethany nodded. "And the girls' stuff, of course."
"Why don't we bring all that in, haul it up to my room and get it hung up. Then we won't have to get back out in that cold air again later."
"Good idea." Kari grabbed her coat off of the back of the chair where she'd tossed it earlier. Bethany walked out with her, leaving Lynn in the kitchen with the kids.
"So, ladies. How was the sleepover?"
"Fun." Kristin and Jenna grinned at each other. "We all got our nails done, after we watched Nightmare Before Christmas." Both girls held out their hands, showing off pretty nails with white painted snowflakes. Lynn heard her friends come back inside and head down the hall, but she continued to admire the girls' manicures.
"Very nice. I hope they won't get ruined when you decorate the cookies and cupcakes."
"We get to decorate them for the party?” Kristin asked.
"Yep. I think Kari brought everything you guys need."
"Awesome." This from Jenna, who looked at her friend in excitement. "If mom brought the stuff to decorate with, it's gonna be so much fun!"
"Harper, would you rather decorate with your sister and Jenna, or help with something else?"
Harper chewed on her lip, on the fence about where she wanted to be. On the one hand, she wanted to decorate the goodies with the other two. But on the other hand, she was in middle school now, and thought she could work with the adults instead.
Lynn sensed her indecision and laid a hand on Harper's shoulder before speaking to her.
"How about this? You start out with the girls, keep an eye on what they're doing for us, make sure they don't make a huge mess? Then we'll find something else for you to do in a while?" Harper smiled and nodded, relieved that her honorary aunt understood.
"Okay, then." Lynn raised her voice so she could address all three girls. "Let's find aprons and get you guys started."
After getting the girls set up at the table with an assortment of decorations, some of which included edible glitter and airbrush frosting in silver and gold, Lynn was thankful they'd had the foresight to protect the area with newspapers for easy clean-up later.
The adults worked at the kitchen island, so they could spread out to work and keep an eye on the kids as they decorated their cupcakes. They divided up what needed to be done, each woman setting herself to work on her assignment, chatting while they worked. Lynn made a platter for small sandwiches, rolling lean slices of ham and turkey, placing them on the silver tray that already held small, sweet Hawaiian rolls. Slices of Swiss and American cheeses were layered prettily on the other side of the rolls before Lynn covered the tray in plastic wrap and slid it into the refrigerator.
She looked over to her friends, saw Bethany had sliced fruit and was arranging it around a bowl of sweet dessert dip, concocted of marshmallow fluff, cream cheese and whipped topping. But the real masterpiece was the vegetable tray. Kari had taken simple veggies and created a work of art with them. Cauliflo
wer florets sat in the midst of radish roses and carrot curls. Slices of cucumber, skins now striped thanks to Kari's deft hand with a vegetable peeler, sat alongside plump black olives. And she had taken a simple red pepper, sliced it in half lengthwise and set it on bed of ruffled kale before filling it with creamy ranch dressing. More kale dressed up the edges of the platter for presentation.
"Kari, that's beautiful!"
"Thanks. I've had a lot of practice." She referred to her days of working in a deli before opening her café.
"I almost hate to let anybody eat it." Lynn studied it one last time before Kari covered this one with plastic wrap, too.
"Well, they will, and I won't feel bad about it. And neither should you." Kari chided her as she found a space to put the tray in the refrigerator." She wiped her hands on a towel, looked around the work area. "What else needs to be done?"
"Let's see. We’ll tray the cupcakes and cookies, once the girls are done." Lynn glanced over to check their progress. "And the hot chocolates. One for the kids, and a grown up version."
"I'll start on those. You go nudge the girls along so we can get those on a tray. Then we'll all break for a long, leisurely lunch - which I have going on the stove, thank you very much - before we all get ready for the guests to arrive."
"I think that sounds like the perfect plan." Bethany chimed in as she put the finishing touches on the fruit tray. "I don't know about ya'll, but I'm ready to party. Let's do this!"
* * *
Two hours later, Lynn was pulling herself from luxurious hot bubble bath. After lunch, her friends had insisted she take one after all the time and work she'd put in preparing for this evening. Thirty minutes minimum, they'd ordered. Soak and relax for at least thirty minutes. Lynn, feeling a little guilty, had stretched it to forty five. Now she had to get a move on, or she'd be late greeting her own guests. Slipping into the dress she'd laid out earlier, she turned to the mirror as she smoothed it over her curves. The dress was the ultimate definition of an LBD, black and short. It stopped just above her knees and hugged her all the way up to the scoop neck and cap sleeves. She kept the jewelry minimal, adding a long silver necklace that stopped just above her naval.
Since it was a party, she left her hair down so that the soft waves flowed over her shoulders. Lynn took care with her makeup, deepening her eyeshadow and liner to emphasize her eyes. After slicking on some lipstick in a shade of red that didn't clash with her hair, she slid her feet into a pair of black heels that would increase her already admirable height. Satisfied with how everything had come together, she headed down the hallway to prepare to greet her guests. She was the one greeted, however, by the sound of Carter's voice as he chatted with Kari in the living room.
Carter heard her heels clicking down the hall, looked over from his conversation, and swore his heart stopped. How was he supposed to get through this party, a party that his sons were attending, when she looked like that? Miles of leg under a black hemline, a hint of cleavage at the bodice, snugged in at the waist. Killer green eyes and long tresses of auburn hair.
"Breathe, Carter." Kari spoke under her breath, before patting him on the arm and going back into the kitchen.
"Right. Yeah. Breathe. Breathing's good." He muttered to himself, trying to gather the few brain cells he had left so he could form a full sentence. Carter walked over to Lynn, he stopped an arm’s length away before saying, "You are stunning."
"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." Dressed in a charcoal gray suit and white shirt, Carter looked like he could grace the cover of GQ. The snowy shirt, minus the tie, was open at the neck, revealing skin somehow still tanned from the summer. She shook herself out of dangerous mental-image territory, she met his gaze. "You're here early."
"Yeah, a little. I wanted to make sure I could lend a hand if you needed any extra help."
"I could use it, since we forgot to get extra ice. Would you mind running and getting a few bags for me?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Thank you." She reached around him to grab her purse where it hung on the rack. "This saves me from having to run back out at the last minute."
"Don't worry about it." He placed his hands on hers to keep her from going for her money. "I've got this. If it's okay to leave the boys here, I can be back in a few minutes."
"That's no problem at all." Lynn looked around, then back at Carter. "Where are the boys?"
"Probably in the kitchen with the girls. I heard something about taste testing a cookie." He gave her the sad puppy dog eyes, letting her know he wanted his cookie too.
"You'll get one later, I promise." She laughed as she walked him to the door.
"I will hold you to that."
"Counting on it." With a kiss to his cheek, she wiped off the lipstick smudges as she told him to drive safe.
By six-thirty that night, the party was in full swing. Guests were everywhere, it seemed. They sat on the sofa, stood by the fireplace, and even out on the back porch where they could enjoy a cigarette or quiet conversation. Under the hum of conversation, Christmas songs played, with the likes of Bing Crosby and Brenda Lee singing about the holiday.
Carter had been a man of his word, hauling bags of ice and lending a hand when it became evident that furniture would need to be rearranged to accommodate everyone. And the kids were a pure joy to see with the guests. Nathan and Logan alternated between charming her mother and admiring the gifts under the tree until they found packages with their names on them, shaking them in attempts to guess their contents. Kristine and Jenna showed off their cookies, even making sure that Carter got a few to help Lynn keep her promise. And Harper, playing the little hostess, helped Lynn make sure that trays and drinks stayed full.
"Everything looks great." Carter came to stand beside her, another cookie in hand. "And everyone seems to be having a good time."
"Yeah, they do." She eyed the cookie before looking back at him. "How many of those have you had?"
"Lost count." He smirked before taking another healthy bite.
"Keep it up, and that six pack of yours will turn into a keg." She laughed as a wounded expression crossed his face.
"Why do you have to be so mean? It's Christmas." He pouted, before grinning again and finishing the cookie.
"Aunt Lynn?" Lynn looked over to see Harper standing next to her. "Mom wants to know where you keep your rubber gloves. She's going to do some dishes."
"Oh no, she's not." She draped an arm around Harper's shoulders and began to lead her back towards the kitchen, before calling over her shoulder to Carter. "I'll catch up with you later."
Carter observed Lynn as she led Harper into the kitchen, where he was sure Lynn would read Bethany the riot act about trying to clean instead of joining the party. Sure enough, five minutes later, the women emerged, Lynn's arm linked through Bethany's as if to make sure her friend didn't run. He laughed to himself as he shook his head, took a drink of the soda he held, and studied her as she worked the room and chatted with her guests.
"So." Kari sidled up next to him, startling him from his thoughts. She'd been watching him watch her friend all night, and now it was time to see what he was made of.
"So... what?"
"I'm just wondering what your intentions are towards my friend there." Kari looked over to where Lynn stood, talking and laughing with friends from work. A glance up at Carter, and she could see he was watching her, too. And since she knew he was on the hook, she smirked.
"Carter."
"Yeah?" he asked, turning his attention back to her.
"Gonna answer the question?"
"Question?"
"About your intentions towards Lynn."
"Shouldn't this be a conversation I'm supposed to have with her parents?"
"Yeah. But consider me to be.... practice." She cocked her head to the side, watching his face. The wrinkled brow, the irritated eyes. She couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, so perhaps you don't have to have this conversation with me. But will you at least answer one
question for me?"
"That depends." His eyes back on Lynn, he took another drink.
"On what?"
"The question."
"Right." She nodded before continuing. "Are you doing to do something about this thing with her soon?"
"Something?"
"Think about it, Carter." Frustrated, she bore her gaze into his to get her point across without having to come right out and say it. "You know, the next step?"
"Hmmm." Carter, having understood from the beginning what Kari was hinting at, was enjoying the fact that she was pumping him for information and the well was coming up dry. "Maybe. Maybe not." With that, he gave her a cocky, lopsided grin before walking away, leaving her standing with her hands on her hips and confusion on her face.
While Carter may not have been subtle about watching Lynn from across the room, she always knew of where he was without having to look. Take right now, for instance. He was standing over by the fireplace, chatting with her parents. The conversation seemed animated, with Carter talking with his hands and everyone smiling. Then Lynn noticed her mom seemed to have tears in her eyes, and she watched as her dad clapped Carter on the shoulder and shook his hand. What in the world could they be talking about?
"Lynn?" She turned to see a couple, one of her co-workers and her husband. "We have to get going so we can relieve the sitter. But thank you for inviting us. This was a lovely party."
"I'm so glad you could come, Annette." Lynn looked at the husband who stood with his hand at the small of his wife's back. "And it was a pleasure to meet you, Ben."
Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) Page 23