Dolly’s Diner was the epicenter of Quincy’s Gap. James was confident that within the hour, public opinion on Dr. Ruth Wilkins would change dramatically and Dolly would do her best to see that her customers viewed the nutritionist with sympathy. To reward her for her loyalty, James told her about the offer he’d made on the house and then asked her for advice on where to send Milla and his father on their honeymoon.
“You’re kinda waitin’ ’til the last second, ain’t ya? Their weddin’s next Wednesday. On Christmas Eve?”
James nodded.
“And your daddy’s not likely to wanna fly in an airplane, bein’ that he’s so shy and all. And no offense, James, but they’re a bit too old to be drivin’ one of those big campers, so you’ve gotta find someplace they can get to in their own car.” Sensing that a customer behind her needed something, she turned away. “Lemme ask Clint what he thinks. That man of mine never seems to be able to put his socks in the hamper, but he knows how to surprise me with a romantic getaway now and again when he sets his mind to it.”
As Dolly bustled off, Lucy walked in, her hips swaying attractively as she held on to her jiggling nightstick with her right hand and her overloaded purse with the other.
“That uniform certainly shows off how fit you are,” James complimented her.
Lucy gestured toward the hostess station and looked displeased. “Peggy says you bought a house today. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“That Dolly is something else…” James quickly explained that, at this point, he had only made an offer. “I hope to be buying a house today and if the sellers accept the offer, you’ll be the first person inside after the closing, I promise.”
Mollified, Lucy perused the six page menu and decided on the grilled chicken and portobello sandwich with a side of fruit salad. When Dolly arrived to take their orders, James reluctantly asked for the same meal. “But can you make mine on a whole wheat bun instead of the sourdough? And may I have mustard on the side?” he asked, hoping that a good dose of spicy brown mustard would liven up his potentially dull entrée.
“It’s too bad you have to work tonight,” he told Lucy once Dolly headed for the kitchen. “Paulette is coming over with cake samples. I could save you some if you’d like.”
Her blue eyes wistful, Lucy waited a moment before shaking her head no. “I’d better not. Can’t chase after the bad guys if my thighs chafe from rubbing together. And now that I’ve been partnered with Donovan, I’ve got to prove myself as fast and tough as he is. Last time we had to chase some teenagers vandalizing the walls of the Laundromat, I was left in the dust while he chased two of them down. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t remind me of how I couldn’t keep up.”
“Well, even if you’re not as fleet of foot, you’re a hell of a lot smarter.” James tried to assure her. He knew that working alongside the close-minded, obnoxious, red-headed deputy was bound to be a challenge for any man, but as Donovan was also incredibly chauvinistic, Lucy faced an even greater struggle having him as her partner.
As Lucy relayed a series of anecdotes featuring Donovan’s attempts to make her look foolish in front of Sheriff Huckabee, Dolly appeared with their grilled chicken sandwiches.
“James, I’ve got your problem all worked out,” she informed him cheerfully. “Clint reckons you should give your folks a weekend at a cottage near Asheville. It’s a fun city to walk around and has a lot of art to see. He thought your daddy might like that.” Dolly removed a plastic bottle of mustard from her apron pocket and placed it on the table. “He knows about a real nice hotel that has cottages for folks to stay in so they can be alone, but don’t have to worry about fixin’ meals or makin’ the bed.”
James was touched that Clint had come up with such an appropriate locale for his reclusive father. “Tell your husband that he’s brilliant. It sounds like the ideal gift.”
Dolly beamed and gave his shoulder a maternal pat. “I took the liberty of meltin’ a slice of mozzarella on your sandwich.” She pointed at the tomato slices next to his sandwich. “Slip a few of those sweet, juicy tomatoes under your bun and you won’t even think you’re eatin’ healthy.” She smiled at Lucy. “You’re lookin’ right good, Deputy Hanover. Guess keepin’ the peace ’round here has made you trim, but don’t go gettin’ too skinny. A man likes somethin’ to hold on to.”
With a wink, Dolly nudged James with her fleshy hip and then moved on to cajole, tease, and gossip with her other customers.
After gazing after the proprietress with affection, Lucy raised her glass of iced tea in a toast. “Here’s to your offer getting accepted.”
“And to going out to celebrate tomorrow night if it does.” James clinked her glass and the two smiled at one another over their rims. “This might be one of the most exciting weekends of my life, Lucy. If only I could find that damned elf, then all would be well.”
Lucy frowned. “His name wouldn’t be Glowstar, would it?”
“How’d you know?” He nearly choked on a bite of chicken.
Smiling, she said, “Because we received a ransom note about a certain ‘part-time, green-skinned employee of the Shenandoah County Library.’ I know the twins love sci-fi, but they don’t usually paint their faces until Halloween, so I figured the letter was a joke.”
“A ransom note!”
“Yeah, it’s actually pieced together using sentences from the Star . The ransomer wants a million dollars in unmarked bills to be placed next to the library’s book drop bin at midnight on Christmas Eve.”
“The night of the wedding,” James mused. “I wonder if the timing is deliberate.”
“Come on, James, it’s not like this is for real. Donovan put the note in the shredder.” Lucy didn’t seem perturbed by James’s irritated frown. “It’s obviously some kids messing around. The whole thing’s a harmless joke.”
“Not to Scott and Francis, it isn’t,” he replied seriously and spent the rest of his meal in relative silence, pondering over what sort of person would take the time to create an untraceable ransom note for a stuffed elf.
That evening, as James, Milla, and Jackson awaited the arrival of Willow and Paulette with the cake samples, Joan phoned to tell James that his offer had been accepted. After allowing him to absorb the wonderful news, she asked him to look over his calendar and together, they scheduled a closing date for the third week of January. By three o’clock on January 23, the yellow house on Hickory Hill Lane would be his.
The joy in James’s voice as he effusively thanked Joan alerted Milla and Jackson as to the result of his offer. Before he had even hung up the phone, Milla had pulled a bottle of champagne from the fridge and was enthusiastically tearing the plastic sleeve from its neck.
“So we’re finally gettin’ rid of you?” Jackson smirked as he popped the cork. Holding the bottle in one hand, he placed his free one on his son’s arm. “You coulda stayed, son. We wouldn’t have minded… much.”
“I’ll only be ten minutes away, Pop.” James was moved by the rare demonstration of affection. “We’ll see one another all the time.”
Jackson seemed pleased about the proximity of James’s new house. “Good. That’s far enough to keep you outta my shed and close enough to get you over here for chores.”
Milla snatched the champagne from her fiancé’s hand. “You’re going to talk until all the bubbles go flat.” She poured out three glasses, paying no attention to the stray splashes peppering the countertop. “To your first home, my dear. May you fill each room with many happy memories!”
“Look out, boy. She’s gonna want grandkids now for sure.” Jackson drained his glass in a single gulp. “You’d best be walkin’ down the aisle after we’re done with our march next week. Though no bride could ever be as purty as mine.”