refrigerator and handing him a piece of paper. He was oddly pleased to see his name scrawled across the top of it, just as he imagined it would be. “You’re in charge of setting up the big things at the church hall. The tables and chairs, the buffet and the bar. Steve will go with you.”
“I can handle that. Are the tables and chairs being delivered or do I need to pick them up?”
“Delivered. They should be there already. You need to go to the liquor store and stock the bar. Mid-shelf, Hank. No cheap stuff, nothing too expensive either.” Marianne stirred an enormous pot with a spoon nearly three feet long.
“Julie, how would you feel about doing the decorations? I would head over there myself, but I need to stay here and work on the food.”
“I’m almost done with these rings, Marianne. I’d be happy to give you a hand with the cooking,” said Gwen.
“That would be wonderful,” said Marianne, her shoulders dropping and a sigh escaping as she worked.
“And I,” said Julie, “will decorate. What do you have in mind, Kelly?”
“A winter wonderland,” she said excitedly. “The centerpieces are done, but not much else. The church hall was supposed to be vacant yesterday so I could get in there take care of it myself, but there was a funeral reception so nothing is finished. I have a lot of materials, but no real plans. There must be hundreds of yards of red ribbon alone.”
“What else do you have?”
“Gold spray paint, white snow paint, oodles of fake snow, a few artificial Christmas trees, gold glitter, a whole mess of evergreen garland…”
“Julie,” Hank interrupted. “I’m going to wash up so we can head over to the church. About fifteen minutes?” asked Hank.
“Sure. I’ll be ready.” She flashed him a radiant smile. “What do you have in mind for the head table?”
~~~
Julie pulled the door to the SUV closed behind her and reached for her notebook on the middle console. “Isn’t Steve coming with us?” she asked.
“He’s meeting us there.”
She opened to a clean page, intending to work on the cipher, and found her thoughts drifting to her father. An unconscious frown came over her face.
“You okay?”
“This message is beginning to drive me crazy,” she said, then decided to tell him the truth. “And I miss my dad. I miss my dad a lot.”
He took the key out of the ignition and turned to face her. “I’m missing my dad a lot today, too.”
She nodded, feeling tears begin to build up in her eyes. She didn’t want to have this conversation with him, but she was wise enough to see that she needed it.
“It’s been so busy, coming here. Everything that’s going on. I haven’t had a chance…”
“To mourn.”
She nodded vigorously, an embarrassing sob escaping as she did.
“I just want to crawl under a rock and be alone for a while.”
He bowed his head. “I know. I wish I could give you that chance.” His lips pressed together in a thin line. “We could pretend you’re sick, but I really would feel better if you were with me.”
“I’d feel better, too. I’m just babbling.”
He reached for her hand and held it. “You’re not babbling. And you’re entitled to feel however you feel.”
She took a deep breath and took her hand back from Hank’s, again reaching for the notebook in her lap.
“Chip,” he said, digging in his pocket for his cell phone.
“He never called you back?”
“No.”
This is Chip Vandermead. I can’t take your call right now…
Hank sighed. “Chip, it’s Hank. I’m getting worried. Call me when you get this.” He hung up the phone and started the engine.
“Do you think she had the babies?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s the alternative?”
Hank’s eyes met hers as he pulled out of the driveway. “I don’t know that either. That’s what worries me.” He turned his windshield wipers on as snow began to collect on the glass. “Tell me something. If Chip can’t crack that code, why are
“I can handle that. Are the tables and chairs being delivered or do I need to pick them up?”
“Delivered. They should be there already. You need to go to the liquor store and stock the bar. Mid-shelf, Hank. No cheap stuff, nothing too expensive either.” Marianne stirred an enormous pot with a spoon nearly three feet long.
“Julie, how would you feel about doing the decorations? I would head over there myself, but I need to stay here and work on the food.”
“I’m almost done with these rings, Marianne. I’d be happy to give you a hand with the cooking,” said Gwen.
“That would be wonderful,” said Marianne, her shoulders dropping and a sigh escaping as she worked.
“And I,” said Julie, “will decorate. What do you have in mind, Kelly?”
“A winter wonderland,” she said excitedly. “The centerpieces are done, but not much else. The church hall was supposed to be vacant yesterday so I could get in there take care of it myself, but there was a funeral reception so nothing is finished. I have a lot of materials, but no real plans. There must be hundreds of yards of red ribbon alone.”
“What else do you have?”
“Gold spray paint, white snow paint, oodles of fake snow, a few artificial Christmas trees, gold glitter, a whole mess of evergreen garland…”
“Julie,” Hank interrupted. “I’m going to wash up so we can head over to the church. About fifteen minutes?” asked Hank.
“Sure. I’ll be ready.” She flashed him a radiant smile. “What do you have in mind for the head table?”
~~~
Julie pulled the door to the SUV closed behind her and reached for her notebook on the middle console. “Isn’t Steve coming with us?” she asked.
“He’s meeting us there.”
She opened to a clean page, intending to work on the cipher, and found her thoughts drifting to her father. An unconscious frown came over her face.
“You okay?”
“This message is beginning to drive me crazy,” she said, then decided to tell him the truth. “And I miss my dad. I miss my dad a lot.”
He took the key out of the ignition and turned to face her. “I’m missing my dad a lot today, too.”
She nodded, feeling tears begin to build up in her eyes. She didn’t want to have this conversation with him, but she was wise enough to see that she needed it.
“It’s been so busy, coming here. Everything that’s going on. I haven’t had a chance…”
“To mourn.”
She nodded vigorously, an embarrassing sob escaping as she did.
“I just want to crawl under a rock and be alone for a while.”
He bowed his head. “I know. I wish I could give you that chance.” His lips pressed together in a thin line. “We could pretend you’re sick, but I really would feel better if you were with me.”
“I’d feel better, too. I’m just babbling.”
He reached for her hand and held it. “You’re not babbling. And you’re entitled to feel however you feel.”
She took a deep breath and took her hand back from Hank’s, again reaching for the notebook in her lap.
“Chip,” he said, digging in his pocket for his cell phone.
“He never called you back?”
“No.”
This is Chip Vandermead. I can’t take your call right now…
Hank sighed. “Chip, it’s Hank. I’m getting worried. Call me when you get this.” He hung up the phone and started the engine.
“Do you think she had the babies?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s the alternative?”
Hank’s eyes met hers as he pulled out of the driveway. “I don’t know that either. That’s what worries me.” He turned his windshield wipers on as snow began to collect on the glass. “Tell me something. If Chip can’t crack that code, why are
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