Christmas Steele (13 page)

“Come and meet Sean,” Lacy said, beckoning
Jason to follow. Perhaps it was unwise to put Tosh and Jason within
striking distance of each other, but Sean was the only person in
the room Jason didn’t know.

“Officer,” Tosh said, his tone cool and
sarcastic.

“Reverend,” Jason answered in kind. “How do
you do, Sean?” he added, infusing warmth and politeness in his tone
when he spoke to the boy.

“Sean let me beat him at video games the
other day,” Lacy said, smiling at Sean.

“That was a good choice,” Jason said gravely.
“This one doesn’t like to lose.” He pointed to Lacy. “She goes all
Yosemite Sam on you.”

“Who?” Sean asked, looking confused by the
reference. A debate about old cartoon characters was sparked while
Lacy tried to protest that her temper had been exaggerated.

“I’m going to have to agree with him on this
one, only it’s more like watching David Banner turn into the Hulk,”
Tosh said.

Jason snickered, and Lacy wasn’t sure which
was worse—their jealousy or their agreement.

“You guys are exaggerating. My temper is not
that bad,” Lacy protested.

“The hole in my drywall disagrees,” Tosh
said.

“Tosh,” Lacy said embarrassed that he had
brought it up.

“I think we’re going to need to hear this
story,” Jason said.

“No,” Lacy said, attempting to cover Tosh’s
mouth with her hand, but he pinned her arms to her side and spoke
over her protests.

“She was mad because I was out of butter and
she was baking cookies. She threw a spoon through my wall,” Tosh
said.

“That is a total fabrication, and you know
it,” Lacy said. “I was mad because I had just bought you some
butter two days before and you gave it to your neighbor even though
I had told you I was planning to bake with it. And I didn’t throw
the spoon; I tripped and the spoon flew out of my hand.”

“So you say,” Tosh said, smiling fondly at
Lacy.

“No, I think the falling story sounds
believable,” Jason said. “Mind you, this is the same woman who was
trampled by the percussion section of the marching band during
halftime.”

“How would you know? You were in the locker
room,” Lacy said.

Jason shook his head. “Someone came and told
us and we all ran up to watch, even the coach. Sorry, Lacy, but it
was
funny
.”

“That was not funny. It hurt, and they broke
my clarinet. A chivalrous person would have come to my defense
instead of standing on the sidelines and laughing at me.”

“
I
didn’t want to get trampled,” Jason
said.

“Well I think Lacy is perfect,” Sean added
loyally.

“Thank you, Sean. It’s nice to know who your
real friends are,” Lacy said.

“Suppertime!” her grandmother called.

“She sounds cheerful,” Tosh whispered.

Lacy nodded. Her grandmother wasn’t an
extrovert, but maybe having her friends and family nearby was
having a heartening effect on her because she was all smiles as
they sat. Lacy was between Tosh and Jason. There was a moment of
awkwardness as they both attempted to help her with her chair. At
last she simply sat and scooted her chair forward without
assistance.

Tosh prayed, and the meal started. For a
while, they were busy passing dishes and filling their plates.
“Everything looks delicious, Grandma,” Lacy said.

“Thank you,” her grandmother replied. “But I
had a lot of help.” She turned to Mr. Middleton, patting his hand
with a smile before picking up her eggnog to take a sip.

“She really likes eggnog,” Tosh whispered,
leaning close as he passed Lacy the dinner rolls.

Lacy nodded and passed the dinner rolls to
Jason who also leaned in close. “You’re in big trouble,” he
whispered.

“Why?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“You know why,” he said, but he was smiling.
“Later, I’ll think of a way to punish you.”

“What did he say?” Tosh leaned in again to
whisper on her other side.

Lacy shook her head.

Tosh leaned back to scowl at Jason who
returned his look. Lacy cleared her throat. “Who’s up for a game
after supper?” she asked.

“I am,” her grandmother blurted, smiling.

Lacy blinked at her in surprise, as did
everyone else. Lucinda was usually the last person in the room to
speak, and she wasn’t much of a gamer. “Great,” Lacy said
halfheartedly. She shot a questioning look to her grandfather who
shrugged one shoulder before turning to inspect Lucinda with a
smile.
I guess she’s just happy,
Lacy thought.

“Mom, you’re cheerful tonight,” Frannie said
warily.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Lucinda said. “I have
my family here, my friends, my Tom. It’s a happy gathering.”

“I suppose,” Frannie said, sounding subdued.
“I wish Riley was here, though. I can’t help but feel like
something is missing.”

Yes, the drama,
Lacy thought. For once
the family was having a nice, peaceful family event. Even Tosh and
Jason were getting along, which was practically a Christmas
miracle. So of course it couldn’t last.

“How are Riley’s wedding plans coming along?”
Gladys asked. Lacy wasn’t sure if it was a pointed question or
general nosiness. Sometimes her grandmother’s friends seemed catty,
but Lacy could never be sure if their intentions were purposely
cruel or simply ignorant of any ensuing awkwardness.

“Slowly,” Frannie replied, oblivious to the
way Lacy was now staring intently at her plate, her hands clenched
in her lap. “Robert’s family has certain ideas about how things
should be, and they’re not always cognizant of our budget. And then
there’s the issue of her maid of honor.”

“What issue?” Gladys asked, leaning forward
intently.

“She doesn’t have one. She wants Lacy to do
it, of course, but hasn’t had the opportunity to ask.” Now it was
her mother’s turn to stare pointedly at her oldest daughter.

“She wants me to do it?” Lacy repeated,
incredulous. Could her sister really be that selfish and oblivious
to the havoc she had caused in Lacy’s life? At that moment the only
thing that kept Lacy from turning and fleeing for safety was the
mental image of Tosh and Jason fighting over who would go and get
her.

“You’re her sister, Lacy. Who else would she
ask?” Frannie said.

Someone whose fiancé she didn’t steal,
Lacy thought. “I don’t know, Mom, anyone on the planet but me
because I won’t do it.”

“Lacy,” her mother intoned.

“If I get married again, I’m going to elope,”
her grandmother blurted, startling everyone. Tosh sputtered a laugh
and Jason dropped his eyes to his plate, his shoulders shaking in
silent mirth.

“Mother!” Frannie exclaimed, diverted from
Lacy. “Please tell me you’re not planning on eloping.”

“Well, Frannie, I’m not getting any younger,
and I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas,” Lucinda said. That’s when
everyone at the table lost it, including Lacy, her father, and Mr.
Middleton who put his hand over his eyes to wipe away the tears.
Only Frannie remained stoic as she disapprovingly frowned at her
mother. Lucinda was oblivious, though, as she surveyed the
gathering with a bemused smile and sipped her eggnog.

“This is the best Christmas ever,” Sean
announced, sparking another round of laughter.

The remainder of supper was equally as merry
with no more mention of Riley, marriage, or any other awkward
topic. Lacy’s grandmother was in especially high spirits and either
seemed to feel it was her mission to keep things lighthearted or
just couldn’t stop herself from being funny because she kept them
in stitches throughout the meal.

Lacy’s father volunteered to clean the
kitchen as soon as supper was finished. She wasn’t sure, but she
thought maybe it was to escape her mother and the tension that
seemed to be constantly between them lately. She would have worked
with him and asked him about it, but Tosh and Jason were both
circling her, waiting to claim her attention. Before she could try
and decide which one to talk to first, her grandmother spoke,
claiming all of their attention.

“You know what we don’t have enough of in the
Episcopalian church, Tosh? Dancing.” Everyone watched, spellbound,
as Lucinda turned on a CD of Christmas music and started to dance
what Lacy could only assume was the twist.

“Oh, my,” Gladys said, taking mental pictures
so she could tell everyone she knew.

“What’s up with your grandma?” Tosh
whispered.

“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s that eggnog
she’s been pounding all night,” Jason said. “I didn’t picture your
grandma as a drinker.”

“She’s not,” Lacy said. “She’s never tasted
alcohol in her life.”

“She did tonight,” Jason said. He reached for
the cup that now only contained trace amounts of eggnog, and held
it under Lacy’s nose. She blanched and turned her head away, trying
not to gag at the overwhelming alcohol smell.

“Tosh!” She turned accusing eyes to a
sheepish-looking Tosh. “You brought alcoholic punch to my grandma’s
Christmas party?”

“I didn’t know it was alcoholic. Most of the
other stuff everyone has been serving at the parties has been
alcohol free. Only some of my parishioners drink. I’m going to go
dump it before she drinks anymore and starts taking her clothes
off.” He escaped to the kitchen while Lacy stared helplessly at her
grandmother who was now sashaying around the living room doing a
two-step all by herself.

“What should we do?” Lacy asked, sure that
her grandmother would be humiliated when she came to and realized
what she had done.

“Dance,” Jason said. He grasped her elbow and
Mr. Middleton’s, leading them forward into the center of the room.
Leaving Lacy to dance with her grandfather, he caught hold of her
grandmother’s hand and steered her into a more subdued, yet still
lively, dance routine. Giggling like a schoolgirl, she giddily
twirled around the dance floor until her daughter’s booming voice
interrupted her progress.

“Mother, what has gotten into you?” Frannie
demanded.

“She’s in love,” Mr. Middleton answered,
letting go of Lacy and grasping Lucinda’s hand. “And so am I,” he
added, bowing to kiss Lucinda’s hand while she blushed and
fluttered like a schoolgirl.

“But…” Frannie started, but her husband
interrupted her.

“Oh, come on, Frannie. It’s Christmas. Let
your mother have her fun, and let’s have some fun, too.” He
finished drying his hands on a dish towel, tossing it behind him
into the kitchen, and then he grasped his wife’s hand, drawing her
onto the makeshift dance floor. Tosh came back to the room then,
too. Ignoring Gladys’s protests, he led her onto the dance floor,
and soon she was laughing along with everyone else.

Lacy turned to look up at Jason with a smile.
“Thanks for doing this,” she said.

He returned her smile. “Your grandma is a
nice lady; no reason for her to make a spectacle of herself if she
can help it.”

“I guess you just can’t escape drunk people
today. I bet you never thought you’d have to help subdue one here.
How has your day gone, by the way?”

“It’s been quiet. Your grandma was the most
excitement I’ve had all day. At least she’s a happy drunk. If they
were all like that, I’d be out of a job.” Electricity began to
crackle between them, and everything else faded away, including the
music which was too upbeat for their slow dance. “Is Christmas
always this much fun at your house?” he whispered, smoothing his
fingers across the hair at her temple.

“No, you caught us on a boring year. Wait
until Riley’s here; then things get interesting.” Her smile faded
at the mention of her sister.

“I’m sorry you’re hurting, Red,” Jason
said.

“It’s not so bad,” Lacy said. “I’ll get over
it.”

“I’m banking on that,” Jason said. “About my
house,” he began, but then his lapel radio crackled to life with a
set of codes that meant nothing to Lacy but everything to Jason
because he swiftly let her go and took a step back. “That’s my
cue,” he said. “Thanks for supper, and please thank your family for
me. I have to go.” Ducking forward, he placed a swift kiss on her
cheek before turning to sprint out the door.

Lacy looked around and saw Sean sitting
alone, watching everyone else dance. She caught his eye and
beckoned him forward. “I don’t know how to dance,” he said when he
reached her, red-faced with embarrassment.

“Neither did I when I was your age, but you
have to start somewhere. It’s easy.” She took his arms, resting
them on her waist and shoulder and they began to sway gently to the
music. “See, you’re a natural,” she added.

He smiled, but didn’t respond. Instead he
seemed to be concentrating very hard on not stepping on her toes.
Sometimes Lacy felt like she was still an insecure kid, but being
near Sean made her realize how far she had come. She so vividly
remembered being his age, feeling as if the world was ending over
every embarrassment, wanting to simultaneously be noticed and slip
into oblivion. She had never felt comfortable with kids her own
age, preferring instead to spend time with her grandmother when she
wasn’t at school.

Another memory occurred to Lacy then, too.
When she was fourteen, she’d had a huge crush on a neighbor boy who
was a senior in college. He had been someone safe, someone to dream
about that she didn’t have to talk to—someone who couldn’t reject
her because she was so out of his realm. She smiled, knowing once
and for all who had sent her the locket.

Chapter 13

Before Lacy could confront Sean about his too
expensive and inappropriate present, Tosh claimed her
attention.

“Lacy, I need to go. I have to get ready for
the Christmas Eve service, and something tells me you won’t be
attending.” He turned to look at her grandmother. She was smiling
dreamily, draped on Mr. Middleton who didn’t look like he minded at
all.