A few seconds later, Mary Louise, Eli’s mom, opened the door wearing her best dress.
“Goldie,” she exclaimed. “W-well, my goodness.”
“Hi, Mary Louise,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas. I thought you went back to Columbus?”
“Yeah. I did, but?—”
The appearance of Eli in the foyer stopped her in mid-sentence. He was wearing a suit and tie. The same one he’d worn at the community dance.
“Howdy,” she said.
“Uh, howdy,” he answered, surprised to see her.
There was an awkward moment of silence, then Mary Louise said, “Please, come in.”
“Thanks,” Goldie replied.
As soon as she stepped into the house, two more people came into the living room that was immediately off the foyer. One was Eli’s sister, Dinah, also wearing a dress, and Eli’s dad, who, like his son, was wearing a suit and tie.
“Here, let me take your coat,” Mary Louise offered.
Goldie set her wrapped package on top of a cabinet radio just inside the living room that was playing the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra’s version of “March of the Toys,” then slipped off her coat. In a corner of the living room was a lit Christmas tree decorated with glass bulbs, but also trimmed with rows of strung popcorn and cranberries. Opened presents were also underneath it.
“Uh, this is my sister, Dinah,” Eli introduced. “And my dad, Seymour.”
Goldie shook hands with both of them while Mary Louise hung up Goldie’s coat in the front closet. When she was finished, the visitor retrieved the package from the radio and offered it to her.
“Stu Frey gave me a ride over here and thought you might enjoy these,” she said, being honest. “They’re two ribeye steaks. I would’ve brought somethin’ as well, but to tell you the truth, my return to Colorado was very spur of the moment.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” Seymour said. “It gives me the chance to say how grateful people are about what you discovered about Charles and Peter Banyan. Lord only knows what other kind of damage they could’ve done in Sparkledove.”
“Very true,” Mary Louise concurred. “And thank you,” she said, referring to the steaks.
“We just got back from church. Dinah’s boyfriend will be coming over a little later for dinner, and you’ll stay, too, of course.”
“Well, I…”
“Yes, that’d be great,” Dinah encouraged.
“Yes, please stay,” Seymour echoed.
“Yeah,” Eli agreed. “Then, maybe you’ll tell me what in the Sam Hill you’re doing here.”
Everyone looked at Goldie for an explanation. She emboldened herself, then looked at Eli’s father.
“Seymour,somebodytold me that I could build a new life in Sparkledove, and it could be better than my life in Columbus. Somebodyalsotold me I might be able to take overThe Wingas its new Editor-In-Chief. Then, that somebody kissed me and used his tongue. Now, wouldn’t you say that was practically a proposal? And if that somebody in question is surprised that I’d turn up on Christmas morning, then, wouldn’t you say he was a cad? That he was cavalierly playing with my affections? Toying with my heart?”
Seymour looked at Eli, then at Mary Louise, then back to Goldie, who had an impish twinkle in her eye.
“Uh, w-well,” he stammered.
“Icertainly would,” Dinah said, liking Goldie immediately and taking her side.
Mary Louise looked at her son. “Did you do all that?”
Eli’s face turned red as he fiddled with the knot of his necktie. “W-w-well—yeah—but there was lots of other stuff in between.”
