I'll Be Home for Christmas Read online

  Who in the hell was that wise-ass girl whose dog peed on his shoe? Where did she get off booting him out the door. Hell, she’d pushed him, shoved him. She probably didn’t weigh more than one hundred pounds soaking wet. He took a few seconds to mentally envision that hundred-pound body naked. Aaahh. With some King Cosmetics she’d be a real looker. And she hated his guts.

  “Hey, Sadie, I’m here,” Peter called from the foyer. He’d called his grandmother Sadie from the time he was a little boy. She allowed it because she said it made her feel younger.

  “Peter, you’re early. Good, we can have a drink by the fire. Hannah’s already there waiting for us. She’s not feeling well.” Sadie’s voice turned fretful. “I don’t want her going before me. She’s such wonderful company. Look at her, she’s just lying there. I tried to tempt her with salmon before and she wouldn’t touch it. She won’t even let me hold her.”

  Peter’s stomach started to churn. If anything happened to Hannah, he knew his grandmother would take to her bed and not get up. He hunched down and held out his hand. Hannah hissed and snarled. “That’s not like her. Did you take her to the vet?”

  Sadie snorted “He went skiing in Aspen. I don’t much care for all those fancy vets who have banker’s hours and who don’t give a damn. Hannah is too precious to trust to just anybody. Let’s sit and have a drink and watch her. How did your meeting go with Dr. Evans?”

  “It was a bust. She wants a million dollars an acre. She means it, too. She booted my ass right out the door. I have a feeling she’s a pretty good vet. Maybe you should have her take a look at Hannah. One of her dogs squirted on my shoe.”

  “That’s a lot of money. Is the property worth it?”

  “Hell yes. More, as a matter of fact. She ridiculed my low-ball offer. Hey, business is business.”

  “We aren’t in the business of cheating people, Peter. Fair is fair. If, as you say, Miss Evans’s property is the perfect location, then pay the money and close the deal. The company can afford it. You can be under way the first of the year. I know you had the attorneys do all the paperwork in advance. Which, by the way, is a tad unethical in my opinion. Don’t think I don’t know that you have your contractor on twenty-four-hour call.”

  “Is there anything you don’t know, Sadie?”

  “Yes.”

  Peter eyed his grandmother warily. God, how he loved this old lady with her pearl white hair and regal bearing. It was hard to believe she was over seventy. She was fit and trim, fashionable, a leader in the community. She sat on five boards, did volunteer work at the hospital and was an active leader in ways to help the homeless. Her picture was in the paper at least three days a week. He knew what was coming now, and he dreaded it. “Let’s get it over with, Sadie.”

  “Helen called here for you about an hour ago. She quizzed me, Peter. The gall of that woman. What do you see in her? I hesitate to remind you, but she dumped you. That’s such an unflattering term, but she did. She married that councilman because she believed his PR campaign. She thought he was rich. The man is in debt over his ears, so she left him. Now, she wants you again. She’s a selfish, mean-spirited young woman who thinks only of herself. I thought you had more sense, Peter. I am terribly disappointed in this turn of events.”

  He was pretty much of the same opinion, but he wasn’t going to give his grandmother the pleasure of knowing his feelings. She’d been matchmaking for years and was determined to find just the right girl for him.

  “We’re friends. There’s no harm in a casual lunch or dinner. Don’t make this into something else.”

  “I want to see you settled before I go.”

  “You can stop that right now, Sadie, because it isn’t going to work. You’re fit as a fiddle, better than a person has a right to be at your age. You can stay on the treadmill longer than I can. You aren’t going anywhere for a very long time. When I find the right girl you’ll be the first to know.”

  “You’ve been telling me that for years. You’re thirty-six, Peter. I want grandchildren before…I get too old to enjoy them. If you aren’t interested in Helen, tell her so and don’t take up her time. Don’t even think about bringing her to your Christmas party. If you do, I will not attend.”

  “All right, Sadie!”

  Sadie sniffed, her blue eyes sparking. “She just wants to be your hostess so she can network. Men are so stupid sometimes. Tell me about Dr. Evans. What’s she like?”

  Peter threw his hands in the air. “I told you she kicked me out. I hardly had time to observe her. She has curly hair, she’s skinny. I think she’s skinny. She had this look on her face, Sadie, it…Mom used to look at me kind of the same way when I was sick. She had that look when she was with the animals. I was sizing her up when her dog squatted on my shoe. The place is a mess. Clean, but a mess.”

  “That young woman worked her way through school. She worked at a cosmetic counter, did waitressing, sometimes working two jobs. It took her a while, but she did it. I approve of that, Peter. That property has been in her family for a long time. Both her parents were vets, and so was her grandfather. No one appreciates hard work more than I do. Take a good look at me, Peter. I started King Cosmetics in my kitchen. I worked around the clock when your grandfather died and I had three children to bring up. I read the report in your office. I can truthfully say I never read a more comprehensive report. The only thing missing was the color of her underwear. I felt like a sneak reading it. I really did, Peter. I wish you hadn’t done that. It’s such an invasion of someone’s privacy.”

  “This might surprise you, Sadie, but I felt the same way. I wanted to know what I was up against, financially. For whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry I did it, too. So, do we buy the property or not?”

  “Are you prepared to pay her price?”

  “I guess I am. It’s a lot of money.”

  “Will she hold out?” Sadie’s tone of voice said she didn’t care one way or the other.

  “Damn right. That young woman is big on principle. She’s going to stick it to me because she thinks I tried to cheat her.”

  “You did.”

  “Why does it sound like you’re on her side? What I did was an acceptable business practice.”

  “I’m a fair, honest woman, Peter. I don’t like anything unethical. I wish this whole mess never happened. Why don’t you invite Dr. Evans to your Christmas party. If you got off to a bad start, this might shore up things for you. I think you’re interested in the young woman. I bet she even has a party dress. And shoes. Probably even a pearl necklace that belonged to her mother. Girls always have pearl necklaces that belonged to their mothers. Things like pearl necklaces are important to young women. Well?”

  “Before or after I make the offer?” Jesus, he didn’t just say that, did he?

  “If you’re going to make the offer, call her and tell her. Why wait till Monday? Maybe you could even go over there and take Hannah for her to check over. That’s business for her. Then you could extend the invitation.”

  Peter grinned wryly. “You never give up, do you?”

  “Then you’ll take Hannah tomorrow.”

  “For you, Sadie, anything. What’s for dinner?”

  “Pot roast,” Sadie said smartly. “I gave the salmon to Hannah, but she wouldn’t eat it.”

  “Pot roast’s good. We settled on the three million plus, then?” His voice was so jittery-sounding, Sadie turned away to hide her smile.

  “I’d say so. You need to give Dr. Evans time to make plans. Christmas is almost here. She’ll want to spend her last Christmas at her home, I would imagine. She’ll have to pack up whatever she’s going to take with her. It’s not much time, Peter. She has to think about all those animals.”

  “Three million plus will ease the burden considerably. She can hire people to help her. We’re scheduled to go, as in go, the day after New Years. I hate to admit this, but I’m having second thoughts about the contractor I hired. I think I was just a little too hasty when I made my decision,
but I signed the contract so I’m stuck. Time’s money, Sadie. If the young lady is as industrious as the report says, she’ll have it under control.”

  Sadie smiled all through dinner. She was still smiling when she kissed her grandson good night at the door. “Drive carefully, Peter, the weatherman said six inches of snow by morning. Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know what kind of vehicle Dr. Evans drives?”

  “I saw an ancient pickup on the side of the building. It didn’t look like it was operational to me. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason. I’d hate to think of her stranded with those animals if an emergency came up.”

  “If you want me to stop on my way home, just say so, Sadie. Is it late? Why don’t I call her on the car phone on the way?”

  “A call is so impersonal. Like when Helen calls. You could tell Dr. Evans you were concerned about the animals. The power could go out. She might have electric heat. You could also mention that you’ll be bringing Hannah in the morning. If she doesn’t like you, this might change her mind.”

  “I didn’t say she didn’t like me, Sadie,” Peter blustered.

  “Oh.”

  “Oh? What does oh mean?”

  “It means I don’t think she likes you. Sometimes you aren’t endearing, Peter. She doesn’t know you the way I do. The way Helen did.” This last was said so snidely, Peter cringed.

  “Good night, Sadie.” Peter kissed his grandmother soundly, gave her a thumbs-up salute, before he pressed the down button of the elevator.

  As he waited for the grilled parking gate to open, he stared in dismay at the accumulated snow. Maybe he should head for the nearest hotel and forget about going home. What he should have done was bunk with Sadie for the night. Too late, he was already on the road. The snow took care of any visit he might have considered making to Scotch Plains. He eyed the car phone and then the digital clock on the Mercedes walnut panel. Nine o’clock was still early. Pay attention to the road, he cautioned himself.

  In the end, Peter opted for the Garden State Parkway. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper, but moving. He got off the Clark exit and headed for home. He could call Dr. Evans from home with a frosty beer in his hand. When the phone on the console buzzed, he almost jumped out of his skin. He pressed a button and said, “Peter King.”

  “Peter, it’s Helen. I’ve been calling you all evening. Where have you been?”

  He wanted to say, what business is it of yours where I was, but he didn’t. “On the road,” he said curtly.

  “Why don’t you stop for a nightcap, Peter. I’ll put another log on the fire. I have some wonderful wine.”

  “Sorry, I’m three blocks from home. The roads are treacherous this evening.”

  “I see. Where were you, Peter? I called your grandmother, and she said you weren’t there.”

  “Out and about. I’ll talk to you next week, Helen.”

  “You’re hanging up on me,” she said in a whiny voice.

  “Afraid so, I’m almost home.”

  “I wish I was there with you. I didn’t get an invitation to your Christmas party, Peter. Was that an oversight or don’t you want me there?”

  Peter drew a deep breath. “Helen, you aren’t divorced. I know your husband well. We play racquetball at the gym. He’s a nice guy and I like him. He’s coming to the party. It won’t look right for you to attend.”

  “For heaven’s sake, Peter, this is the nineties. Albert and I remained friends. We’re legally separated. He knows it’s you I love. He’s known that from day one. I made a mistake, Peter. Are you going to hold it against me for the rest of my life?”

  “Look, Helen, there’s no easy way to say this except to say it straight out. I’m seeing someone on a serious basis. You and I had our time, but it’s over now. Let’s stay friends and let it go at that.”

  “Who? Who are you seeing? You’re making that up, Peter. I would have heard if you were seriously seeing someone. Or is she some nobody you don’t take out in public? I bet it’s somebody your grandmother picked out for you. Oh, Peter, that’s just too funny for words.” Trilling laughter filled Peter’s car.

  Peter swerved into his driveway just as he pressed the power button on the car phone, cutting Helen’s trilling laughter in mid-note. He waited for the Genie to raise the garage door. The moment the garage door closed, Peter’s shoulders slumped. Who was that woman on the phone? Jesus, once he’d given serious thought to marrying her. He shook his head to clear away his thoughts.

  How quiet and empty his house was. Cold and dark. He hated coming home to a dark house. He’d thought about getting an animal, but it wouldn’t have been fair to the animal since he was hardly ever home. He slammed his briefcase down on the kitchen counter. Damn, he’d forgotten the report on Andrea Evans. Oh, well, it wasn’t going anywhere. Tomorrow would be soon enough to retrieve it.

  Peter walked around his house, turning on lights as he went from room to room. It didn’t look anything like the house he’d grown up in. He leaned against the banister, closing his eyes as he did so. He’d lived in a big, old house full of nooks and crannies in Sleepy Hollow. The rug at the foot of the steps was old, thread-bare, and Bessie, their old cocker spaniel had chewed all four corners. She lay on the rug almost all her life to wait for them to come home, pooping on it from time to time as she got older. When she died, his parents had buried her in the backyard under the apple tree. Jesus, he didn’t think there was that much grief in the world as that day. He thought about the old hat rack with the boot box underneath where he stored his boots, gloves and other treasures. The hat rack and boot box were somewhere in the attic along with Bessie’s toys and dog bones. He wondered if they were still intact.

  Peter rubbed at his eyes. He’d loved that house with the worn, comfortable furniture, the green plants his mother raised, and the warm, fragrant kitchen with its bright colors. Something was always cooking or baking, and there were always good things to eat for his friends and himself after school. The thing he remembered the most, though, was his mother’s smile when he walked in the door. She’d always say, “Hi, Pete, how’s it going?” And he’d say, “Pretty good, Mom.” They always ate in the kitchen. Dinner hour was long, boisterous and memorable. Even when they had meat loaf. He tried not to think about his younger brother and sister. He had to stop torturing himself like this. He banged one fist on the banister as he wiped at his eyes with the other. He looked around. Everything was beautiful, decorated by a professional whose name he didn’t know. Once a week a florist delivered fresh flowers. The only time the house came alive was during his annual Christmas party or his Fourth of July barbecue. The rest of the time it was just a house. The word nurture came to mind. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine what this perfectly decorated house would be like with a wife, kids and a dog. Maybe two dogs and two cats.

  “Five thousand goddamn fucking square feet of nothing.” He ripped at his tie and jacket, tossing them on the back of a chair. He kicked his loafers across the room. In a pique of something he couldn’t define, he brushed at a pile of magazines and watched them sail in different directions. Shit! The room still didn’t look lived in. Hell, he didn’t even know his neighbors. He might as well live in a damn hotel.

  On his way back to the kitchen he picked up the portable phone, asking for information. He punched out the numbers for the Evans Kennel as his free hand twisted the cap off a bottle of Budweiser. He wondered if her voice would be sleepy sounding or hard and cold. He wasn’t prepared for what he did hear when he announced himself.

  “I don’t have time for chitchat, Mr. King. I have an emergency on my hands here and you’re taking up my time. Call me on Monday or don’t call me on Monday.” Peter stared at the pinging phone in his hand.

  Chitchat. Call or don’t call. Emergency. Sadie’s dire warnings rang in his ears.

  Peter raced up the steps. So there was a sucker born every minute. Sadie would approve. He stripped down, throwing his clothes any which way as he searched for therm
al sweats, thick socks and Alpine boots. His shearling jacket, cap and gloves were downstairs in the hall closet.

  Emergency could mean anything. She was handling it. Oh, yeah, like women could really handle an emergency. Maybe his mother could handle one, or Sadie, but not that hundred pound prairie flower. He raced to the garage where all his old camping gear was stored. Blankets and towels went into the back of his Range Rover. He threw in two shovels, his camp stove, lanterns, flashlights. The last things to go in were Sterno lamps and artificial fire logs. What the hell, an emergency was an emergency.

  It wasn’t until he backed the 4 by 4 out of the garage that he questioned himself. Why was he doing this? Because…because…he’d heard the same fearful tone in Dr. Evans’s voice that he’d heard in his mother’s voice the day Bessie couldn’t get up on her legs anymore.

  Driving every back street and alley, over people’s lawns, Peter arrived at the Evans Kennel in over an hour. Every light appeared to be on in the house and the kennel. There were no footprints in the snow, so that had to mean the emergency was inside the house. Even from this distance he could hear the shrill barking and high-pitched whine of the animals that seemed to be saying, intruder, intruder.

  Peter walked around to the door he’d been ushered out of just hours ago. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline when he found it unlocked. He felt silly as hell when he bellowed above the sound of the dogs, “I’m here and coming through!”

  In the whole of his life he’d never seen so many teeth in one place—all canine. “You need to lock your goddamn doors is what you need to do, Dr. Evans!” he shouted.