White Colander Crime (28 page)

She nodded. “Would you like to come in?” she asked, taking the elderly woman's hand.

“Lead the way.” Jaymie's grandmother tottered forward, supported by her cane and Jocie.

Jakob gestured to the others. “Come, come in out of the cold, everyone. Introductions can wait until you're inside.”

It was long and involved, of course, and done with much laughter and promises that there would be a quiz later. Jaymie's father stood and held Jakob's hand in a handshake, regarding him thoughtfully. He clapped him on the shoulder finally and nodded. Then Jakob took Jaymie's hand and led her to a woman sitting in one of the wing chairs drawn close to the fireplace.

“Mama, this is Jaymie,” he said softly.

Mrs. Müller, a heavyset woman, struggled to her feet and pulled Jaymie into a warm, soft hug. “I'm so happy to meet you,” she said, her guttural voice full of feeling. She held Jaymie's face between her hands and stared at her.

Jocie pelted over to them and grabbed Jaymie around the legs, looking up at her. “Oma, Jaymie likes to cook. And her mama brought me a present. Did you see? She got me a cookbook!”

Jaymie glanced over at her mother and smiled; the gift was a success. But she was caught by the expression on her mother's face in the flickering candlelight. It held so much hope, but some worry. She beckoned her over, and Joy hesitantly approached. “Mrs. Müller, this is my mom, Joy Leighton. I know Jakob introduced everyone, but I hope you'll have a moment to talk and get to know each other.”

Mrs. Müller's round face creased in a big smile. “Come, Joy, sit by me and we will talk,” she said, taking Jaymie's mom's arm and pushing her to the chair beside her.

Valetta arrived and Jakob introduced her to everyone. The women began to take up dinner, but Jaymie stole away to stand in an alcove by the stairs for a moment, just to get a breather and look over the crowd. Jakob's father was a calm, soft-spoken man, handsome and rough-hewn, plagued lately by a bout of heart trouble. He, Jaymie's father and Jakob's oldest brother stood by the fireplace talking golf.

Mrs. Müller had made sure to give Grandma Leighton a comfortable seat away from the worst of the noise but close to Joy and herself, so the three women were quietly chatting, letting the younger women and men take charge. Valetta and Becca were in the kitchen with Jakob. He showed them where everything was, then got dishes and glasses down from his cupboards. Jocie was sitting on her oma's lap, looking at the cookbook while Joy pointed out recipes. The gift was a rousing success.

Sonya, Helmut's live-in girlfriend, a pale Scandinavian-looking natural blonde, approached, sipping a glass of wine. “Overwhelmed?” she asked.

“Just taking a breather.”

“I know
I
was overwhelmed when I met his family for the first time. They're kind of boisterous, being all boys. There's more, too; we're missing Franz, his wife and their four kids. Your sister's fiancé is a great guy,” she said, nodding across the room to where Kevin had Sonya's children on his lap, both at one time. “He's telling them a story about a troll.”

“I was a little concerned about adding my whole family into the mix, but it seems to be working out.”

“The Müllers are wonderful people,” Sonya said, patting Jaymie's arm. “And now, I suppose I should help with the food, though the extent of my cooking is opening takeout containers. Helmut does most of the cooking, and Oma Müller, too.”

Jaymie smiled. “Not everyone likes to cook, but I love it. I brought a baked pasta dish you might like to try for your family. Super easy. I never met a kid who didn't like pasta.”

They joined Becca and Valetta in the kitchen, just off the big open living area, while the men carried in a long folding table and set it up for dinner, buffet style. With so many people, it just wasn't practical any other way. Everyone ate, the mix of dishes everything from Jaymie's pasta to Oma Müller's traditional German potato salad, a huge ham, salami and salads, made and bought. After their big meal, desserts replaced dinner items on the table. Among the pies and cakes, Jaymie hesitantly brought out her platter of trial number two of the no-bake fruitcake. She made sure her grandmother tried a piece, and Grandma Leighton's face lit up. “It's delicious, Jaymie! I made this in 1963, for Alan and Joy's first Christmas as newlyweds.”

After dinner Sonya and Kevin sat at the piano and played some Christmas songs. Some sang along, while the others talked or just sat in quiet contemplation. Jocie and her stepcousins were playing by the hearth with the train that had circled the big Christmas tree in the corner.

Jakob snuck over to Jaymie, took her arm and pulled her through the kitchen and out to the porch. “Look at the stars,” he whispered to her, wrapping her in his arms and a plaid blanket he had brought out. The night was inky black and clear, twinkling stars like Christmas lights blinking down upon them.

They stood just like that for a few minutes, her back to him, his arms wrapped around her. But then he turned her around and stared down into her eyes. His were dark in the low light, mysterious. She reached up and touched his cheek, cold in the night air, scruffing his whiskers, and he bent down and kissed her, long and slow, lovely and warm. The tingling warmed her all the way to her toes. She felt like she was on the cover of one of the kinds of contemporary romances she read, the Christmas specials, but this was better than any book;
so
much better.

He held her close. “
This
is my favorite Christmas memory,” he whispered into her hair.

“Mine, too,” she murmured, then tilted her face up for another kiss.

“Mine, too,” a little voice said, ending on a giggle. Jocie raced out the open door and joined them, pressing herself to them both.

They let her in between them, making a family sandwich, and squeezed until she was giggling. This was a Christmas that Jaymie would never forget.

VINTAGE EATS BY JAYMIE LEIGHTON

Time flies during the holiday season, and everybody is desperate for some easy homemade treats to serve guests. Cookies, bars, tarts, pies, cakes: most folks have a few staples that they make every Christmas. But the lonely, lowly fruitcake, if served, is most often the bought variety. Who has time to make it ahead and wait until it's properly aged, as a fruitcake should be?

You
do! Even if it's just a few days until Christmas or your gathering, you have time to make this moist, delicious, kid-friendly no-bake fruitcake! Maybe the kids or grandkids can even help make it; with marshmallows and nuts, it's a surefire winner.

No-Bake Fruitcake

Makes one 9 by 5 by 3–inch loaf.

INGREDIENTS

48 (¾ pound) marshmallows

¾ cup undiluted evaporated milk

⅓ cup apple juice

4 ¾ cups (about 14 ½ ounces) crushed vanilla wafers

2 ½ cups (about 7 ½ ounces) crushed gingersnaps

2 cups broken walnuts

1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries

1 cup mixed candied fruit

1 cup halved candied cherries

METHOD

1—Cut marshmallows into quarters, pour evaporated milk and apple juice over them and let stand for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

2—Combine crushed vanilla wafers and gingersnaps, nuts, cranberries, fruit and cherries in a large bowl.

3—Add marshmallow mixture and mix well.

4—Pack firmly into a foil-lined loaf pan, cover top with foil and store covered in the refrigerator for several days.

You can turn this loaf out on a platter and top with slivered almonds and candied cherry halves, if you like. It looks pretty just as it is, though!

A Word from Jaymie:

A few notes about this recipe; you will think it's too crumbly, and will be tempted to add more liquid. Don't do it! Pack it firmly in the loaf pan, make a wish, and a few days later some Christmas magic will have turned it into a slightly sticky but moist fruitcake that kids will love.

The original recipe called for pecans, not walnuts, and seedless raisins, not dried cranberries, and if you prefer, go ahead and use those original ingredients.

Serve it up to friends and family and enjoy! And remember what my Grandma Leighton always says: “Fruitcake is like family; it's just not the same without a few nuts.”

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