Honky Tonk Christmas (29 page)

She nodded. “They are. I’ll be driving up on Thursday and staying until Monday.”

“Turkey, ham, and all the fixings?” Gloria asked.

“Every year. I missed it when I was gone.”

“I would too. This will be my first year outside my family circle.” She reached across and took Chad’s hand. “But we’ll be together and that’s all that matters.”

“You’re going to Chad’s then?” Sharlene could smell a rat but she couldn’t see or find the critter. That didn’t mean it wasn’t in the room with her.

“In a roundabout way,” Gloria said. “Tell me. How in the world did someone as young and pretty as you wind up with a beer joint? Do you like it? And I hear you’ve got a big romance book that just hit the racks. That is so exciting. I love romance. Keep one in my purse all the time at work.”

“I’ll take that young and pretty thing as a compliment and yes, it is exciting and yes, I love all of it. The beer joint, the writing. I even love Mingus, Texas. Where do you work?” Sharlene asked.

“At a bank drive-by window. That’s where I met Chad. He came by the window one day and I’d never seen a cowboy as handsome as he is.” She smiled.

Chad put his hands on Gloria’s shoulders and stood behind her. “And I thought I was looking at an angel. Took me three weeks to get up the courage to ask for her number.”

“If he hadn’t asked I’d made up my mind to march outside and get in the car with him,” Gloria said.

“You going to continue to work after you get married?”

“Probably not at the bank. I’m thinking about putting in a day care. I love kids,” she said.

“There should be plenty of customers up around Wichita Falls. That where y’all are going after Christmas?” Sharlene asked Gloria but she looked at Holt.

“We still got a few irons in the fire that we’re letting heat up but probably not up that direction,” Holt said.

“He won’t tell us either and I got a best friend at school and she was going to ask her momma if I could come over and play after Christmas time and Uncle Holt, I mean Daddy, said we’d have to wait and see,” Judd sighed.

“Secrets,” Sharlene said.

“Not a secret. Just don’t want to broadcast something that would get two little kids’ hopes all up in the air and then have to ruin it all. But I’ll tell you one thing, Judd, if it all pans out you will be a very happy little girl,” Holt said.

He wished he could tell Sharlene the same thing but she was going to pitch the biggest fit this side of World War II when she found out where he was taking the children.

Sharlene listened to the radio until she lost her favorite country music station. She turned it off and dug around in an old worn case for a cassette to put into the tape deck. She found a Miranda Lambert tape and pushed it into the slot. Her next VW Bug was going to have a CD player instead of the old cassette system and it was going to be bright yellow.

When the music stopped she didn’t put another one in but let her mind drift as she drove north. Where was Holt today? The children had been excited on Tuesday saying that Uncle Holt slash Daddy had a big surprise for them. They were going somewhere special the next day and they weren’t coming home until Sunday. The passing idea of them being at Dorie’s clinched her stomach up in knots.

She turned the radio back on to push the notion to the back of her mind. She looked at the car’s clock. Her mother would be in the church kitchen with an apron on over her Thanksgiving skirt and top. She’d be basting the turkey or checking on the ham, peeling potatoes, and making sweet potato casserole. The sisters would be buzzing around her like bees serving their queen.

The Waverly family had long since outgrown the farmhouse kitchen and the weather was either too cold or too wet most years to eat outside in the backyard. For the past several years they’d been granted the use of the church fellowship hall for their family dinner. The kitchen had two stoves and two refrigerators and plenty of workspace. Sunday school rooms were located up and down the hallway so each of the sisters-in-law set up a play area in each of four rooms. The first one had toys for the young kids, the second puzzles and games for the next step up, the third had board games like Monopoly and Clue for the older kids, and the fourth had a television set and DVD player with a selection of movies for the teenage crew.

“Fellowship hall? That’s where the Ladies Circle meets,” Sharlene talked to herself. “Hopefully Momma hasn’t invited Wayne in hopes that the very ambiance of the room will create vibes between us. If I see him I’m going to grab my pumpkin bread and tear out for Mingus, Texas. One never knows about those women and their magic.”

When she was two miles out of town a fine mist began to coat her windshield. Enough that she only needed to use the wipers sporadically but if the temperature dropped it could easily freeze. It was ten minutes until noon so she’d made it in time for grace. Claud always called everyone around for grace at exactly noon. If someone wasn’t on time they weren’t there to fit into the circle. She liked that part of the celebration and didn’t want to be late. She pulled into the parking lot at the church and rushed across the lot toward the doors with her head bent against the freezing rain.

Someone opened the door for her and she dashed inside.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Claud said. “I been standing here waiting for you. Your momma has fretted all morning about you driving in bad weather.”

She hugged her father tightly. “It didn’t get ugly until about five minutes ago. Mostly I drove on dry road. I’m glad I made it before grace. I like the circle.”

He kept her close to him a minute longer. “I know, baby girl.”

“I’m really not a baby or a girl anymore, Daddy,” she giggled.

“You’ll always be my baby girl, no matter what happens or how old you get. Don’t you forget it, Sharlene,” he said.

“Sharlene! You are here! We been waiting and waiting. Why didn’t you ride up here with us anyway? We’ve been playing with a puzzle in one of the game rooms and Waylon is really good at finding the pieces and you’ve got to come and see it. It’s a picture of Bambi.” Judd rushed to her side and put both arms around her waist.

“Dad?” Sharlene asked.

“I’ll let Holt tell you all about it,” Claud said.

Loralou pushed open the door to the women’s bathroom and stepped out into the foyer. “Hello, Sharlene. Six months ago if someone had told me I’d be having Thanksgiving dinner with my fiancé today in Corn, Oklahoma, I’d have thought they were drunk or crazy or both.”

“Dad?” Sharlene’s voice was shrill.

“Got to go help your momma. Holt can explain.” Claud hurried into the fellowship hall.

Judd ran away back toward the game rooms and Loralou followed Claud. Sharlene couldn’t make her feet move an inch. Surely she was in the middle of another nightmare. She shook her head and blinked a dozen times. Every time she opened them there was no change.

Holt waved as he came down the hallway in long easy strides. “Sharlene!”

“What in the devil is going on? This has always been a family occasion. Is Dorie hiding back in one of those rooms too? How about Merle and Amos?” she asked.

“I knew you’d be angry,” he said.

“Damn straight. But I’m not angry. I’m mad as hell.”

“Cussin’ in the church?” he asked.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet. I’m just getting wound up. Want to tell me what’s going on here?” she asked.

A loud voice came over the intercom system. “If everyone will join us in the fellowship hall, we will say grace and have our Thanksgiving dinner.”

She jumped and looked up.

“It isn’t God about to light up your… hind end… for cussin’. It’s Claud,” Holt teased.

“We’d best go say grace and then you
will
explain exactly what is going on,” she said.

“Those who demand get very little,” he said.

She glared at him.

Claud’s voice rattled the walls. “We’re waiting on Holt and Sharlene to join us.”

She marched down the hall with Holt on her heels.

The circle was broken with Judd on one side and Waylon on the other. Everyone else held hands and waited. Judd held out her hand to Sharlene who took it and bowed her head. Holt took Waylon’s.

Claud cleared his throat and everyone bowed their heads. When he didn’t begin the prayer, they looked up. He was staring at Holt and Sharlene. “We can’t say grace without an unbroken circle,” he said.

Holt reached across the distance and grabbed Sharlene’s hand. She just thought she had something to be angry about. Wait until she heard the rest of the story. Then flames would shoot out of her ears and the church roof would rise up a foot off the rafters.

“Father, we are grateful for family and friends today. Thankful for answered prayers, health, and good times we all share. Bless this Thanksgiving meal and be with us in our decisions. Amen.”

“Now let’s eat,” Molly said. “Kids first. Line up.”

Sharlene pulled her hand free of Holt’s and scanned the room. Dorie and her kids weren’t there. That was one blessing. Kent and Loralou were to the left of Judd. Chad and Gloria to Waylon’s left.

Judd tugged at her hand. “Sharlene, come and help me. I can’t carry my plate once I get everything on it and can I please sit by Tasha? There ain’t no baby kittens but we’re making a puzzle of a cat and Waylon is helping us find the pieces and we all want to sit together.”

Waylon did the same with Holt. “I want some of them baked beans, Uncle Holt. They was so good the last time we came up here and I want some turkey and some of that dressin’. And one of them hot rolls.”

Sharlene and Holt were pulled in two directions. She shot a look his way. He was ready for it. He’d made his decision last night with Chad and Kent. It was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up, not with Bennie wanting to form his own business.

Molly went to Sharlene and Judd and wrapped her arms around her daughter. “Hey, girl, you didn’t even make it in time to give your momma a big hug.”

“You want to tell me why Holt and his crew are here?” Sharlene whispered.

“He’ll tell you after we all have a nice dinner together. I really like Gloria and Loralou. They helped me all afternoon yesterday and were up at the crack of dawn to help today,” she said.

Sharlene filled Judd’s plate and helped settle her on Tasha’s left at the same time Holt was seating Waylon on Tasha’s right. He raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head toward the door.

“Not on your life, cowboy. I’ve been looking forward to this meal for a solid week and I’m going to eat before we talk about anything. I’ve got a feeling what you are about to tell me is going to sour my appetite,” she said.

He nodded. “Have you seen Loralou’s engagement ring?”

“No! Did Kent propose?”

Holt nodded.“Yesterday on the way up here. Get Loralou to tell you about it. Not so romantic but an excellent story that you might want to use in one of your books,” he said.

She went back to the table and heaped her plate up with traditional Thanksgiving food and carried it to a table where Kent and Loralou were sitting with Chad and Gloria. She’d barely sat down when Holt pulled out a chair next to her. His thigh touched hers when he settled in and her mind went to something a lot more exciting than turkey and dressing.

“So I hear there’s a story about the engagement. Congratulations. Now do you believe in the Honky Tonk charm?” Sharlene asked Kent.

Kent shook his head. “No, but I do believe in fate bringing us together there. I was going to stop at a fancy steak house on the way up here yesterday but Loralou had to find a bathroom so pulled in at a McDonald’s. I barely got the trailer parked…”

Sharlene butted in, “You brought your trailer? I didn’t notice it missing this morning.”

“Been gone since yesterday morning. You were probably asleep when I pulled out. Chad’s is gone too. But there were a couple of big old semis pulled in the first two lots so you couldn’t have seen past them anyway,” Kent said.

“Okay, on with the story.” Sharlene ignored Holt as much as possible but his aftershave wafted over to her nose every time anyone breezed behind him going toward the food table.

“So here we are at the McDonald’s restaurant and she’s hurried into the bathroom. I figured I’d best make use of the place too since I was nervous as hell and that always makes my bladder seize up,” Kent said.

“You are so romantic,” Sharlene said.

“Stop interrupting,” Fiona said from down the table. “I haven’t heard this story yet either.”

Sharlene leaned forward and looked past several people at her sister-in-law. “But I bet you knew they were coming, didn’t you?”

“That part is between you and Holt. I just want to hear the story.”

“Okay, then I won’t talk anymore. Tell the story.” Sharlene filled her mouth with turkey. She would gladly trade the whole meal for one breathless kiss from Holt. What she’d give for another night of hot sex couldn’t be measured in turkey and pumpkin pies.

Kent kissed Loralou on the cheek. “Go on, honey.”

Loralou grinned. “I came out of the bathroom at the same time he did. He asked if I wanted something to drink and I said a cup of coffee would be nice. I had no idea he was going to propose or that he’d planned to take me to a steak house. So when we got to the front, I said I was hungry and we might as well grab a sandwich right there.”

Kent took up the tale. “Foiled my plan. We ordered Big Mac Meal Deals and chocolate shakes. I couldn’t very well tell her that I planned this big romantic thing with wine and white linen napkins and the whole nine yards.”

Loralou patted his hand. “I love it even more than that. He reached in his pocket for money to pay for our meal and this red velvet box fell out on the floor. He just stood there and stared at it with this bewildered look on his face. The whole store kind of spun around because I just knew it was a ring and I was so nervous I forgot to breathe. I didn’t know whether to reach for it or wait for him to shove it back in his pocket.”

Kent slung an arm around the back of her chair. “Cat was out of the bag. Dinner was ordered and the cashier was waiting on payment. So I just dropped down on one knee, opened the box, and said, ‘Loralou, I love you with my whole heart. Will you marry me?’ and she said ‘yes.’ I put the ring on her finger and everyone in the place clapped like they were family and friends.”

“Isn’t that just the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard?” Loralou asked.

“It really is.” Fiona smiled.

Sharlene said, “I’m wondering how to work it into a book.”

“What kind of proposal do you want, Sharlene?” Gloria asked from across the table. “You want the violins and the fancy restaurant, or something more original like Loralou got?”

“Right now I’m too busy to think about that kind of thing. When are you two getting married?”

“We’ve decided to do a double with Gloria and Chad. Their invitations haven’t been ordered and they came up with the idea. It’ll work better that way and we’ll always have each other to keep us reminded of our anniversary,” Kent answered.

“In Wichita Falls?” Sharlene asked.

“Well, that’s what we need to talk to you about. We’d like to have it at the Honky Tonk. It’s midway between the girls’ families and we could plan an afternoon wedding so it wouldn’t interfere with the Honky Tonk New Year’s Eve thing. I hear there’s been other weddings there. We’ll do the work and the cleanup and be out before eight,” Kent said.

“That’s fine with me,” Sharlene said.

“We can have an open bar and that big old dance floor and two different jukeboxes,” Loralou told Gloria. They put their heads together and began to plan colors, cakes, and caterers.

“Don’t tell me you’re going on the honeymoon together too. That’s going above and beyond brotherly love,” Sharlene said.

“Actually we kind of are. We’ll have a week together and then work will begin but…” Gloria stopped.

Sharlene looked at Holt who was finishing his last bite of ham.

“You finished?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Let’s go get it over with so these people can finish a sentence without looking at you,” she said.

“Take it to the sanctuary,” Fiona said. “I’ll keep a watch on the children and make sure they get dessert. And remember, Sharlene, God is watching you. No cussin’ or hanky panky.”

Sharlene stuck out her tongue at Fiona and led the way to the hallway. When Holt caught up to her he grabbed her hand and walked beside her. She didn’t say a word until she was sitting in the front pew in front of the pulpit with him beside her.

“Okay, spit it out. I’ve never known my folks to invite anyone but family to Thanksgiving dinner. Not that I don’t want to share the day with you and the kids but you should have told me she’d asked you. It wasn’t fair to walk into that kind of shock. There’s something brewing and I’m not even sure I want to know why the whole crew would be up here. I can’t even put my fears into words, Holt, and that’s why I’m so angry. Not because you and the kids are here but because I’m scared of what you are about to say.”