continued on tape. “That nice Mr. Jones. If that would help. Do you think that would help?”
“Oh yeah, that would really help,” Lacey muttered under Vic’s laughter.
Rose Smithsonian had been trying for weeks to entice her daughter to join the family at home for the holidays. She hadn’t come right out and said that Lacey was ruining Christmas for them, but the subtext was crystal clear. “Well,” her mother sighed, “maybe you could come for New Year’s then. Call me.” She hung up.
“That was fun.” Lacey waited for the next message to play, expecting part two of Mom’s message. “She probably forgot something. Another scenic detour on the guilt trip.”
They were both surprised when the caller turned out not to be her mother.
“Lacey, it’s Jeffrey. Remember, Jeffrey Bentley Holmes? It’s been a while, I know, but I’ll be in Washington next week for a fundraiser, and well, if you’re free, I’d love you to be my date.”
“Jeffrey Bentley Holmes?” Vic’s face was quizzical.
“But we can talk about that later,” the message continued. “Among other things.”
“Other things?” Vic inquired.
“I have no idea.” Lacey shrugged her shoulders.
“I know we have lots of things to talk about,” Jeffrey went on, “and you’re probably surprised to hear from me. So let’s go to lunch. I’m on the road, I’ll be hard to reach, so I’ll call you at work Monday. Looking forward to seeing you. Bye.”
Vic was wearing his dark sardonic look. “Something I should know, Lacey?”
“Vic, you know the last time I heard from Jeffrey he was in a monastery. Getting his head together.”
“Not becoming a priest? That’s too bad.” “He was on retreat.”
“Doesn’t sound like he’s on retreat now. More like he’s on the advance.” Vic put his arms around Lacey. “And he’s advanc ing on the state of Virginia, moving in on you.”
“Jeffrey was a friend to me, that’s all.” “The way I heard it, he wants a date.”
“He doesn’t know that we’re a couple. I’ll just have to let him know I’m taken.”
“On your date?”
“No silly, at lunch.” She kissed him. “I think it’s so cute that you’re so jealous.”
He kissed her back. “I’m not jealous, but they say he is rich and handsome.” It was true. Jeffrey Bentley Holmes was rich and handsome.
“But you’re rich, Vic. And I didn’t even know it. I thought you were just a goodlooking excop on a salary. You’re rich and cute.”
“I’m ‘comfortable,’ Lacey. Bentley is rich.”
She laughed. “And I didn’t even know how comfortable. We could talk about how jealous you are, or you could make your self useful.”
“Useful, huh? So just being rich isn’t enough for you anymore?”
Vic moved into the small passthrough kitchen. He took out a pan, grabbed the milk from the refrigerator, chocolate and sugar from the cupboard. “And by the way, I’m not jealous. Just curious. And cute, remember?” He made hot chocolate for them while Lacey slipped out of her shoes.
“I’ll find out when he calls.” She joined Vic in the kitchen. “What a night.”
“You worried about Felicity? She’s a big girl,” Vic said, stir ring the hot chocolate. “That’s not what I meant. She is a pretty big girl, but you know what I mean. She can take care of herself.”
“Yeah, all she has to do is start cooking again. She’ll have the entire newsroom wrapped around her hot cinnamon buns in no time. They’ll start a legal defense fund just to save her buns from prison.” Lacey laughed.
“Lacey, I can’t believe we’re talking about anyone’s buns but yours.” He drew her toward him for a kiss, and then poured hot chocolate into two mugs and topped them off with a squirt of whipped cream. He made her sit down on her velvet sofa to sip some chocolate and unwind. Lacey was finding it hard to concentrate on anything but Vic. Not even his delicious hot chocolate was distracting her.
“Okay, Vic.
“Oh yeah, that would really help,” Lacey muttered under Vic’s laughter.
Rose Smithsonian had been trying for weeks to entice her daughter to join the family at home for the holidays. She hadn’t come right out and said that Lacey was ruining Christmas for them, but the subtext was crystal clear. “Well,” her mother sighed, “maybe you could come for New Year’s then. Call me.” She hung up.
“That was fun.” Lacey waited for the next message to play, expecting part two of Mom’s message. “She probably forgot something. Another scenic detour on the guilt trip.”
They were both surprised when the caller turned out not to be her mother.
“Lacey, it’s Jeffrey. Remember, Jeffrey Bentley Holmes? It’s been a while, I know, but I’ll be in Washington next week for a fundraiser, and well, if you’re free, I’d love you to be my date.”
“Jeffrey Bentley Holmes?” Vic’s face was quizzical.
“But we can talk about that later,” the message continued. “Among other things.”
“Other things?” Vic inquired.
“I have no idea.” Lacey shrugged her shoulders.
“I know we have lots of things to talk about,” Jeffrey went on, “and you’re probably surprised to hear from me. So let’s go to lunch. I’m on the road, I’ll be hard to reach, so I’ll call you at work Monday. Looking forward to seeing you. Bye.”
Vic was wearing his dark sardonic look. “Something I should know, Lacey?”
“Vic, you know the last time I heard from Jeffrey he was in a monastery. Getting his head together.”
“Not becoming a priest? That’s too bad.” “He was on retreat.”
“Doesn’t sound like he’s on retreat now. More like he’s on the advance.” Vic put his arms around Lacey. “And he’s advanc ing on the state of Virginia, moving in on you.”
“Jeffrey was a friend to me, that’s all.” “The way I heard it, he wants a date.”
“He doesn’t know that we’re a couple. I’ll just have to let him know I’m taken.”
“On your date?”
“No silly, at lunch.” She kissed him. “I think it’s so cute that you’re so jealous.”
He kissed her back. “I’m not jealous, but they say he is rich and handsome.” It was true. Jeffrey Bentley Holmes was rich and handsome.
“But you’re rich, Vic. And I didn’t even know it. I thought you were just a goodlooking excop on a salary. You’re rich and cute.”
“I’m ‘comfortable,’ Lacey. Bentley is rich.”
She laughed. “And I didn’t even know how comfortable. We could talk about how jealous you are, or you could make your self useful.”
“Useful, huh? So just being rich isn’t enough for you anymore?”
Vic moved into the small passthrough kitchen. He took out a pan, grabbed the milk from the refrigerator, chocolate and sugar from the cupboard. “And by the way, I’m not jealous. Just curious. And cute, remember?” He made hot chocolate for them while Lacey slipped out of her shoes.
“I’ll find out when he calls.” She joined Vic in the kitchen. “What a night.”
“You worried about Felicity? She’s a big girl,” Vic said, stir ring the hot chocolate. “That’s not what I meant. She is a pretty big girl, but you know what I mean. She can take care of herself.”
“Yeah, all she has to do is start cooking again. She’ll have the entire newsroom wrapped around her hot cinnamon buns in no time. They’ll start a legal defense fund just to save her buns from prison.” Lacey laughed.
“Lacey, I can’t believe we’re talking about anyone’s buns but yours.” He drew her toward him for a kiss, and then poured hot chocolate into two mugs and topped them off with a squirt of whipped cream. He made her sit down on her velvet sofa to sip some chocolate and unwind. Lacey was finding it hard to concentrate on anything but Vic. Not even his delicious hot chocolate was distracting her.
“Okay, Vic.
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