Plain Jane (23 page)

With wine bottle, glasses, and corkscrew in hand, Jane fled the kitchen. She added what just happened in the kitchen to the long list of things she didn’t want to think about. “How’s that for a fire?” Mike stood to the right of the fireplace, admiring his handiwork.

“Pretty darn nice. I bet you were a great Boy Scout!”

“I have the badges to prove it. Actually, my mother has them. She framed them. Mothers do stuff like that.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Jesus, Jane, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .”

“I know you didn’t. What should we toast? I can’t believe Christmas is only three days away. Where did the time go? I say that every year.”

Mike raised his glass. “To Christmas! To us! To all our tomorrows, may they all be wonderful!”

“That’s a very worthy toast, so I’ll drink to it,” Jane said, clinking her glass against Mike’s.

“Now tell me what’s causing that look of worry on your face.”

She told him about her luncheon with Todd and how he’d reacted. Then she told him about what had happened in her office. “I was so certain I was wide-awake, but the truth is I must have dozed off. Anyway, I had this weird dream that I should call Betty Vance. Do you think it would be okay to drive by her apartment to drop off a present? For some reason of late, I’ve been paying attention to my dreams. It would relieve my mind to know she’s okay. On the other hand, I could take it with me to Trixie’s Sunday evening and leave it there, since she’s going to be having dinner with her and Fred.”

“I think you should leave well enough alone. I don’t like that business with Prentice. I sense trouble, Jane. What in the world possessed you to say those things?”

“He’s in this up to his neck. I just don’t know how or why.”

“You aren’t going to leave it alone, are you?”

“No, Mike, I’m not. I’m sick and tired of feeling guilty and ashamed. If there’s something I can do now, I’m going to do it. I probably never would have done a thing if Brian Ramsey hadn’t come to me. I would have gone through life never shedding this awful guilt. You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t approve of this either, right?” Jane said, moving farther away on the couch.

Mike’s arm snaked out to pull her back to his side. “It’s not a question of approval, Jane. You’re disrupting people’s lives. No one takes that sitting down. Eventually someone is going to lash out, strike back, or do something. I don’t want to see anything happen to you. Think about it. You’re way out here, five miles away from your godparents and no neighbors on the other side of you. You’re a mile in off the highway.”

“If you’re trying to scare me, you’re succeeding, Mike.”

“That’s great. At least you’re listening to me for a change.”

“Does that mean you won’t go with me to Betty’s apartment to drop off the Christmas gift?”

“Look, if you’re that concerned, call her. Wish her a Merry Christmas and hang up. Sharon Thomas can’t find fault with that. Even so, I wish you wouldn’t do it. You have to learn when to let go.”

“I did let go, damn it. I never call her. She calls me. We talk about her job, her apartment, her dog, her visits to Trixie. The calls last five minutes. Sometimes a friendly voice is all it takes to get a troubled person over a particular hurdle.”

“I got a present today from one of my patients,” he said, switching topics before an argument started. “Guess who?” he teased.

“From your battery guy?”

“Yep. Battery-operated ski socks, battery-operated ski gloves, a battery-operated ski cap, a battery-operated thermos, and a battery-operated set of Christmas lights, guaranteed to last for six full hours. And a charger!”

Jane burst out laughing. “Guess that means you haven’t made any progress.”

“Not one bit. He talks and talks and talks, but he doesn’t say anything. He is so clueless it’s mind-boggling. He told me the other day that sooner or later I would hit on what his problem is. He said he has the utmost faith in my ability. That’s the term he used, hit on it.”

“I have every faith in you, too, Mike. Sooner or later you will hit on it,” Jane giggled.

Mike grimaced. “So, do you want to have sex or do you want to eat?”

“Eat,” Jane said smartly.

“Great. You smell terrible. How much garlic did you eat today?”

Jane threw a pillow at his retreating back.

12

“Merry Christmas, Trixie! Merry Christmas, Fred!” Jane said, throwing her arms around both godparents. “Mike’s bringing in the presents. Oooh, it smells so good in here! I don’t know how you guys do it. You both work all day and yet this house looks like it took weeks to decorate. It looks better than those glossy spreads you see in
Beautiful Homes.
I just love Christmas!”

“Me, too!” Fred said, reaching for the pile of presents as Mike came through the door. “I’ll put these under the tree.”

“I have two more loads,” Mike said, rubbing his arms. “Brrr. I bet the temperature dropped to thirty degrees. It’s gumbo weather, as my mother always says.”

“I always say that, too,” Trixie chimed in, her face aglow with happiness. She was resplendent in an ankle-length, red-velvet skirt trimmed with faux ermine, and a white sweater covered with sparkling beads. She laughed in delight as she plopped a Santa hat on top of her curls. “Flash loves this hat! He grabs it and runs off with it every chance he gets.”

Fred rejoined them, smacking his hands together in glee. “This is going to be a wonderful holiday. Dinner won’t be ready for at least an hour, so let’s sit by the fire and look at that glorious pile of presents. The dogs are curled up toasting on the hearth. Would you like some wine, a drink, or perhaps some of Trixie’s famous egg-nog?”

Jane giggled as she stared at Fred’s reindeer suspenders. He, too, wore a Santa hat. “Eggnog, of course,” she said.

As soon as the door opened, Fred posed the same question to Mike.

“Eggnog, please.” He handed the second pile of presents over to Fred and started back for the third and final load. “Who in the world are all these presents for?” he asked, his breathing a little more labored than usual.

“Some are for Trixie and Fred. Some for Flash and Olive. And there might even be one or two in there for you,” Jane said as she winked roguishly.

“I do my shopping in the middle of the night by dialing 1-800. I did some on-line shopping this year, too,” Trixie chirped.

“Me, too,” Jane said, accepting a cup of eggnog from Fred. “I hope you guys don’t mind that I had my calls forwarded here. Mike and I were talking about leaving from here for New Orleans. Of course that depends on how much eggnog we drink tonight. I don’t think any calls will come in, but you never know. Mike has someone covering for him, so he doesn’t have a problem.”

“We can handle any calls that come in. What did you decide about the radio show, Jane?” Fred asked.

“My contract is up January 3. If the sponsors are willing, Mike will take it over. I’ll guest on it for a little while, so the transition will be smooth. I’m not worried about it. What’s for dinner, Trixie?”

“Roast goose, prime rib, plum pudding, shrimp-and-lobster cocktail, crab tart, and all kinds of good things.”

“Good lord, Trixie, when did you find time to do all that?” Jane asked in amazement.

Trixie looked at Fred and grinned. “We thought we’d get real creative with dinner this year. When the Neiman Marcus catalog arrived last August, I called them up and ordered two dinners, one for tonight and one for tomorrow night. The deliveryman brought them bright and early this morning. All I have to do is press a button to heat everything. Do you feel cheated that I didn’t cook it myself?” Trixie asked, her voice anxious.

“Not at all,” Jane said, chuckling. Neiman Marcus! My God! A dinner from them must have cost a fortune, but she wasn’t going to ask how much. If she did, she would probably lose her appetite. Leave it up to Trixie.

“It doesn’t matter to me either,” Mike said, coming in the door with the last load of presents. “I’ll eat anything as long as it isn’t Froot Loops.”

The evening progressed nicely until the eggnog was gone, at which point Fred suggested a sing-along while he played some favorite Christmas songs on the piano. They all sang with gusto, the dogs barking in the background. It was eight o’clock when Trixie called a halt to the festivities and announced dinner.

Jane loved sitting in the old-fashioned dining room. She particularly loved the furniture that had been Trixie’s grandmother’s. It was old, scarred, and nicked but it had character. Trixie polished it once a week with beeswax and then lemon oil so the wood wouldn’t dry out. Jane knew one day it would be hers to polish and preserve.

The tablecloth, another of Trixie’s grandmother’s heirlooms, was pure linen that had been washed and ironed so many times it had the sheen of satin. The centerpiece was an exquisite, cut-glass bowl with scarlet poinsettias floating in water. Bayberry candles, two inches high on crystal saucers, surrounded the bowl, giving off a heady scent. The arrangement had been chosen so it wouldn’t interfere with cross-table conversation. Fred hated it when he had to crane or stretch his neck over a tall centerpiece to talk to someone.

Christmas Eve dinner was a tradition Fred and Trixie had started long ago, when Jane was an unhappy youngster in search of love. Now it would be Mike’s tradition as well. Jane glowed with pleasure. She’d never been happier in her life. She reached up to accept a crystal bowl full of ambrosia when Mike winked at her. She got so flustered she almost dropped the bowl.

“It was a great dinner. Now if we all pitch in, we can get the cleanup out of the way and head for the presents. All in favor say aye!” Jane announced.

“Aye!” Four voices shouted simultaneously.

The cleanup was accomplished in under thirty minutes. Fred replenished the fire, handed out treats to the dogs, and sat down next to Trixie. “Janie always hands out the presents. We take turns opening them so we can oooh and aaahh over them. We’ve been doing it that way for a long time. It does take a bit of time, but everyone spends a lot of time choosing, wrapping, and admiring the gifts, so we want the experience to last as long as possible,” Fred said.

“I think I need some help this year, Fred.” Jane looked at Mike, who, she noticed, was watching her intently. “My pile goes in front of me, yours in front of you, ditto for Fred and Trixie, and the dogs’ pile—I mean presents—go over there by the chaise. The presents wrapped in silver with the bells are opened last. That means they’re special presents. Don’t screw it up now,” she said, shaking a finger at him. She was absolutely giddy. Was tonight the night Mike would ask her to marry him? Would there be a ring? She promised herself that if it didn’t happen, she wouldn’t be disappointed, but she knew she would be.

“God forbid that I should screw up,” Mike grinned, getting into the swing of things.

For two wonderful hours the foursome whooped and hollered over the silly gadget gifts and murmured with pure delight over the more serious, thoughtful ones.

“T. F. Dingle!” Mike shouted. “All the ones I don’t have! Jane, where did you get them? My God, I can’t wait to read them.” He raised his eyes to look at Fred and Trixie. “You must think I’m nuts, but I love this guy. When I was in college, and if a new book came out, and it was a choice between a frat party with three kegs or the new book, the book won. Hands down. I don’t know how to thank you, Jane. That must have taken some doing. And they’re autographed, too!” he said, slapping his head in amazement. “How’d you do it?”

“Well I . . . what I did was . . .” She looked at her godparents for help.

“She just asked us to sign them,” Trixie blurted. “Fred and I are T. F. Dingle. You are the only other person in town besides Jane who knows this. Please keep our secret. We asked Janie not to tell. If you’re going to be part of this little family, you have a right to know.”

Mike stared at them in disbelief. “You’re kidding me. You two are
him?”
he said, looking down at the books in his hand. Fred and Trixie nodded in unison. “My God. I can’t believe it. I would never have guessed in a million years. And you’re
two
people! I never would have guessed that either.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, okay, I get it. The T is for Trixie and the F is for Fred. Where did the Dingle come from?” Mike put the books down and walked over to Fred and Trixie. He pumped their hands furiously until Trixie squealed for mercy.

“Fred had a dog named Dingle when he was a boy,” Trixie explained, tucking her hand beneath her.

“Well, I’m honored. I’m really honored,” Mike said, returning to his seat, a grin the size of Texas on his face.

His excitement was such that he reminded Jane of a little boy getting a much-wanted toy—the toy of his dreams. She smiled at Trixie, silently thanking her for letting Mike in on the secret.

“Your turn, Janie,” Fred said.

Jane opened a small box. “Keys! What are these for?”

“A new four-by-four Range Rover,” Fred said, sounding just like the announcer on
The Price Is Right.
“You’re gonna need it if you and Trixie go into the dog business.”

Jane sat staring at them with her mouth open. Tears welled in her eyes as she said, “Thank you. Thank you both so much. You shouldn’t have. I was going to trade in my car after the first of the year. What color is it?” Her eyes lit up with devilish delight.

“Dartmouth green, your favorite color. It’s in the garage under a tarp,” Trixie said.

Jane got up and went over to them, hugging and kissing them each in turn. “I can’t thank you two enough. You have to stop being so good to me. You might spoil me.”

“Never,” Fred said.

“My gift to you is for the both of you,” she said with an impish grin that showed her teeth. “If you hadn’t told Mike who you were, I was going to wait until tomorrow for you to open it. But since you did, you can open it now.”

The gift was huge and leaned against the wall. Trixie and Fred were like two little kids as they ripped at the paper and silver bells. Both of them stood back in awe to see the covers of all their books made into a magnificent collage. Trixie wiped her tears on the sleeve of her sweater. Fred put his arm around her shoulders, his own eyes moist.

“Oh, Janie,” Trixie cried. “It’s fabulous. However did you think of it? I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. We can take down that awful painting in the office and put this on the wall instead, right over our desk.”

“I saw something similar in a decorator magazine. I’m glad you like it. Of course I had to steal a hundred and something of your books and take the covers, but I think it was worth it.”

“That’s an understatement,” Fred said, admiring the collage from different angles.

Jane turned to Mike, who seemed almost mesmerized by the collage. “Your turn, Mike. My gift to you,” Jane said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

They all watched as he carefully tore off the paper and read the printed contents. Even across the room Jane could hear him gasp. “Are you kidding me? Is this for real? It’s a joke, right?”

“No joke,” Jane assured him. “I couldn’t get you the real thing, so I chose this. They said the experience is better than the real thing.”

“What is it? Tell us,” Trixie demanded.

Mike reluctantly tore his eyes away from the official-looking document. “It says here that I am authorized to catapult off the USS
Patrick Henry
somewhere in the Adriatic Sea in a Tomcat by way of virtual reality in Baton Rouge. All I have to do is set up an appointment.” He grabbed Jane and twirled her around until he was dizzy. “Ah, honey, this is so great. I can’t believe it. This is a dream come true. In fact this whole evening is a dream come true. First T. F. Dingle and now this. My God, I don’t know what to say. Thank you seems inad—” His voice broke off in mid-sentence. “My God, what if I crash and burn?”

“Then they turn on the lights, you take off your glasses, and you’re back in the real world. Isn’t Christmas wonderful ?” Jane chortled.

“It sure is. But guess what, it’s going to get even better. At least I hope it will.” He dipped into his pocket and pulled out a small red-velvet box. “Here’s the last present. It’s for you, Jane.”

Jane knew this was a moment she would treasure. She swallowed as she took the box from his hand. Then, holding her breath, she slowly opened the lid. Inside, winking at her, was the most beautiful marquis diamond she’d ever seen. She blinked when Mike got down on one knee and took her hand. “Will you marry me?” he said, taking the ring out of the box and slipping it on her finger.

“Yes and yes and yes,” she whispered, then went into his arms. When they broke apart, she asked, “When?”

“June. Is that too soon?”

“No, not at all. June is fine. June is great, isn’t it, Trixie?” she said, turning to her godparents.

Trixie was clutching Fred’s arm. “June is perfect! Oh, honey, I’m so excited.” The phone rang just as she puckered up for Fred’s kiss.

“I’ll get it,” Fred grumbled as he struggled off the sofa. He pointed his finger at Trixie, and said, “Remember where we were, and no senior moments either,” he said, heading for the kitchen.

“Who in the world could be calling us on Christmas Eve?” Trixie asked, a puzzled expression on her face. “Oh, I know, it’s probably the police station. They called us last year on Christmas Eve, too, to thank us for what we’d done during the year. Be nice, Fred!” Trixie shouted.

“I’m always nice,” Fred shouted in return.

“Mike, would you like some coffee?”

“I would, Mrs. McGuire.”

“Mrs. McGuire was Fred’s mother,” Trixie chided him. “Please, call me Trixie. Everyone else does. Jane, do you want coffee?”

“Yes. I can get it, Trixie.”

Jane was half out of her chair when Fred shouldered his way past the swinging door leading to the kitchen. “You were right, Trixie, it was the police, but they didn’t want to talk to you. They want to talk to you, Janie.”

“Me! Why?”

“Betty—” He looked past Jane to his wife as if to say help me, here. Trixie immediately got up and came toward him. Fred put his hand on Jane’s shoulder, his expression solemn. “She took her life, Janie. They think it happened yesterday or the day before. The neighbors called the police because the dog wouldn’t stop barking. They want someone to take the dog.”

“Get our coats, Fred. Are you okay to talk to them, Janie? Do you want me to do it for you?”