On Ice (13 page)

Mrs. Jolly beamed proudly as she led a tall man with a hawk-like nose to where Rene stood. “This is the Reverend Goodnight.” Her voice held an element of awe.

Rene’s hand was clasped in a vise-like grip.

“
Praise the Lord that you've been delivered to us young lady. We prayed for your safe arrival” Pumping her hand vigorously, his black-eyed gaze glittered. He wore a black suit, a black string tie and highly polished black boots. His black hair, peppered liberally with gray, just grazed his collar. “This is my son, Walter. He's eleven now. His mother was taken from us when he was only five, but we're fine, aren't we, son.”

The sandy-haired boy nodded.

“
Did you see the article about you in the newspaper?” Mrs. Jolly asked.

Rene felt a flush of color rising along with her temper. “Were you the one who gave all the information to that--that--”

“
Reporter? Why, yes, dear,” Mrs. Jolly's eyes opened wide. “Is anything wrong?”

“
I would appreciate it if you could restrain yourself from any more invasions of my privacy.” Rene heard her own voice grow shrill. “And I would thank you to ask me directly for any further information you require and not cross-examine my children.” She turned away abruptly, finding herself almost nose to nose with Clinton Belker, the banker.

“
Ah, Miss Rene, we meet again.” He was standing much too close. “Would you like some coffee?”

She nodded, unable to speak.

Mrs. Jolly stood with her mouth agape after the angry outburst.

Taking a deep breath, Rene realized she hadn’t stood up for herself in a long time. A slight smile played around her lips.

“
You’re just surrounded by admirers, aren’t you?” Nadine asked. She and Cindy drew her off to one side.

“
Very funny,” Rene said. Her voice was still shaky after her encounter with Mrs. Jolly.

“
Seriously, there are bets being taken as to which lucky bachelor will win your heart, among other things.” Nadine laughed raucously.

“
What do you think of your hoard groveling at your feet, Rene?” Cindy rubbed the small of her back with both hands causing her prominent belly to protrude even more.

“
Yes, tell us how you rate old Clinton as opposed to the Rev? Clint never married and the Rev's wife ran away with a pharmaceutical salesman from Anchorage.

“
I keep telling you, I'm not in the market,” Rene said. “Besides, the Reverend Goodnight just told me that his wife was taken from him.”

“
She was.” Cindy waved her hands like a magician.

“
Hello,” Nadine said, turning to look at the tall, attractive man who had just entered. “Doesn't that make you want to adopt a puppy?”

“
Please don't make me laugh,” Cindy begged, holding her stomach.

“
That's Dr. Chad Belker, the very single young veterinarian.” Nadine nodded toward the handsome man.

“
Belker? He's related to--” Rene paused.

“
Brothers. We think he must have been left on the doorstep,” Cindy said. “All the other Belkers bear a strong resemblance to a family of swine.”

All three burst into peals of laughter, which broke out again when Clinton Belker appeared at Rene’s elbow with a cup of coffee.

The Catholics slowly thinned out and the Protestants drifted in. Mrs. Jolly, cast a baleful glare in Rene’s direction before taking over serving refreshments from Mrs. Pindar. Rene saw the Westfalls, who introduced her to their sixteen-year-old grandson, Glen. Hank and Bernie came with Hank's son Logan. They introduced her to Ernst Schraeder, who, they claimed, was the best mechanic in the forty-ninth state. Ernst introduced her to his son, Gunnar, who was also fourteen and Logan's best friend. Mayor Wolf, a Native American, introduced himself and his seven-year-old son, Parker. Parker buried his face in his father's jacket. Then, the infamous Pinky gave her a wave from across the room.

Rene, feeling claustrophobic, chose that moment to flee with her children. Her head was spinning with the sea of faces and names. Leaving the church, she wondered briefly why she hadn’t seen Brett in either group of worshippers.

Pulling out of the parking lot, she fell in line behind Cindy's family in their red Suburban, she followed them to the hotel. It was a two-story peach-colored granite building, with crispy white lace curtains showing from each window. She parked between the Suburban and Sam Burke’s huge, red double dually truck. All of the excited children piled out and intermingled as they made their way up the wide granite steps.

Rene found this gleeful exchange brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t remember a time when her children had been able to be so free in Houston. A surge of righteousness filled her chest. For once, she had made the right choice. She stepped through the door and into the hotel lobby.

The interior was furnished with antiques and refinished furniture. It looked like country cottage with a heavy Victorian accent. Flowers adorned every surface and sprouted from a variety of sconces. The effect was airy and quaint.

Rene followed the regulars to a large dining room. An enormous buffet table groaned with the quantity of food it bore. The wonderful aromas would have led her there, no doubt. At that moment, Tink and Angel burst through the double kitchen doors. He carried a tray of food and Angel wielded serving spoons. As he held the tray for her, she refilled the dishes. Her eyes lit up when she saw the new arrivals.

“
Just sit anywhere,” she called, though it seemed there wasn't enough space to seat them all together.

“
Not to worry,” Nadine said. “There's another dining room.” She ushered them to an empty room opening off of the seemingly filled room. Sam and Buddy pushed two large tables together and the three families were seated.

Rene had never seen so much food on any buffet. She helped Seth load his plate before filling one for Sara and herself. When they returned to their seats Tink disbursed beverages and placed loaves of hot wheat bread with tubs of butter at each end of the table.

Soon both rooms were full of noisy diners. She glanced up and her cheeks flared with color when she found Brett watching her from the doorway.

“
It's the boss,” Sam called, waving him over to join them. Buddy pulled up a chair at the end of the table beside Sara.

“
Hi, Short Stuff.” He greeted her with a wink. “Everyone is talking about the new single lady in town. Could that be you?” Sara dimpled delightedly. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“
No!” she crowed.

“
Could I be your boyfriend?”

“
No!” she repeated.

“
How about if I bring cookies? I know this lady baker who makes great cookies. You do like cookies, don't you?”

“
Yes!” Sara put both hands to her face and peeked at him through her fingers.

He grinned. “That's a start.” He went to fill a plate from the buffet.

Rene was surprised that she felt so uncomfortable in his presence. She looked up from her plate to find both Cindy and Nadine staring at her.

“
What?” she asked.

“
Now that is the man you ought to set your cap for.” Nadine raised her fiery red brows as she bit into a chunk of buttered bread.

“
Listen to her,” Cindy said. “He's single, gorgeous, rich and really a nice man.”

“
Stop!” Rene held up her hands. “No matchmaking!”

The group was silent when Brett returned with his plate piled high. “Angel just put out some blackberry cobbler.” He looked around the strangely quiet group. “What?” he asked but was met with smiling silence as Rene’s cheeks flamed anew.

~*~

“
We don't have to do this!” Maddy wailed.

“
I won't put you in danger,” Ted insisted. He shoved clothing into suitcases. “In Houston, we'll be able to fight him. I have friends in high places too. I'll hire a bodyguard if I have to.” He zipped Maddy’s cosmetic bag with a flourish.

Her injuries had been determined to be superficial, but Ted insisted he wasn't taking any more chances. After her encounter with Mark and treatment at a small infirmary, they’d spent the night in the local hotel. Maddy slept well, aided by a prescription for pain, but Ted remained restless and watchful all night. When she awoke, she found him quietly packing for their return trip.

“
I wish you would reconsider,” she said. “All we have to do is stay together. So what if he skulks around. He won't risk an attack if we stay in public places. He waited until I was alone.”

“
True, but he's insane. One shouldn't attempt to second guess a crazy person.”

“
Couldn't we stay one more day? I'm sorry I let him ruin our vacation.”

“
This isn't your fault.” Ted sat beside her on the bed. “I'm angry with Mark, not with you.” His fingers tenderly caressed the bruises along the side of her neck.

“
If we leave, he wins.” She held his hand against her face. Tears sprang to her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks. “Please don't let him win.”

“
I don't want him to win, either,” he admitted, “But--”

“
I know. You don't want to take anymore chances.” She snuggled into his arms. “I’ll promise not to take any risks. I’ll promise to stay tucked under your wing. In the meantime, I need food. I'm starving.”

“
I'll order breakfast here in our sumptuous suite.” He waved his hand to indicate the two adjoining rooms they shared with the girls.

“
Please, no more oatmeal,” she begged.

“
I'll see what I can do,” he said. “I'm locking the door and taking the key with me, so don't answer it.” He returned a short time later with a pot of hot cocoa and buttered scones. “There is no coffee in this part of the Highlands. It's tea or cocoa. There's some sort of elderberry jam here.”

Maddy gratefully accepted a cup of steaming cocoa, inhaling the fragrance as she took tiny sips. Ted generously slathered a scone with jam and handed it to her on a small delicate plate. She examined the thin china cup and plate. “This is exquisite china.”

“
It feels like an eggshell in my hand.”

“
You seem to be in a better mood,” Maddy said.

“
I placed a couple of phone calls from the lobby.” He took another sip of cocoa. “I made some alterations to our travel plans.”

“
Such as?” Maddy said.

“
I ordered a larger car and a driver. This way, I can concentrate on you and the girls.”

“
We can continue our vacation?” Maddy smiled at him over the rim of her cup.

“
Yes. I think our new arrangements will deter any further personal encounters.”

“
New arrangements?”

“
Just wipe off the chocolate mustache before we appear in public.”

~*~

Rene and the children arrived at the school at seven-thirty Monday morning. Printing her name on the board, she tried to quell the butterflies in her stomach. She took a deep breath and made sure there were enough chairs in each seating group. As the first arrivals filtered into the room she wrote their names and ages on a roster. She arranged them into four groups. Four boys were between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. They looked pleased to be seated together.

The next younger group was comprised of the upper elementary age children. They included Nadine's twins, Martina and Max, Reverend Goodnight's quiet son, Walter, Lark Culver and Meridell Lister whose parents owned the hardware store.

Seth, Skye Culver, Parker Wolf and Cammy McCorkill were seven years old. They, plus Jill Starkey at six and nine-year-old Sean McCorkill made up the lower elementary group.

The youngest were the preschoolers, Sara and Star Culver at four, and the dreaded five-year-old Nick McCorkill.

She let the youngest color and the oldest write a composition while the upper elementary group read silently. With the other groups thus engaged, Rene sat with the lower elementary children and began to evaluate their reading skills.

The morning raced by until a knock at the door interrupted the lessons around eleven. Rene found Honeybee with her truck backed up to the front door.

“
I brought your lunch,” Honeybee explained.

“
My lunch?” Rene was puzzled. The older boys pushed past her and carried large insulated containers inside.

“
I have the contract for school lunch. I always bring it before the crowd comes to the cafe. If you have any preferences let me know. Otherwise, you get the special.”

The children seemed to know what to do and cleared their tables for the meal.

“
Each child's name is on their lunch and there's milk in the cooler, except Walter is allergic and he gets juice. I gave you a canned soda.” She turned toward the truck “I'll pick up the containers at three. See you.” She slammed the door of the red GMC truck and gunned the motor, sending an odorous cloud of fumes into the classroom.