Page 60 of The Forever Christmas Tree

“Yes. I believe he’s going to serve as deacon at Midnight Mass to replace Deacon Frank O’Malley, temporarily, as he goes to visit his daughter, Maura, in Miami. Maura just gave birth to twin boys.”

Wow! Wendy thought. Not about the twins, but the fact that JAM was going to be a deacon, or that he was able to do so. Who knew? Yes, he had supposedly been in a seminary at one time, but she had no idea he kept up with the religious stuff. The public would love to learn about a Navy SEAL warrior with a spiritual side, but it would never happen.

Next, she talked with Francine Henderson, owner of Styles & Smiles, the local beauty salon. Francine was the daughter of Mayor Doreen Ferguson and wife of Sheriff Bill Henderson. Wendy had known both Francine and Bill in high school.

“Love your hair,” Francine remarked, flicking the ends which she’d spritzed up this evening. “You should come in for a conditioning treatment. On the house.”

“Thanks.” Not a chance! Not with the orangish tan you and Ina and a dozen other women in this room are sporting. “Do you and Bill have any children?” Wendy asked.

“Two girls, eight and ten. How about you? Married? Kids?”

“No and no! Too busy!” I can’t believe I tossed that cliché out there.

Francine leaned in closer and whispered, “I know you’re in the Navy, but rumor is that you’re one of those female SEALs. You can tell me.”

Wendy issued a fake laugh and said, “I love rumors. I always learn the most interesting things about myself.”

Francine blinked, not sure if Wendy was ridiculing her or agreeing that she was indeed in the WEALS. She smiled uncertainly.

Meanwhile a trio of high school students, two violinists and a flutist, continued to play soft chamber music. During a break, Claudette Deveraux, one of Aunt Mil’s guests, sat down at the baby grand piano and, with an ease born of hours at the keyboard, began to play Christmas songs. No one minded that the piano was slightly out of tune, and in fact some gathered around to sing carols, including all the seniors. It was lovely, really.

“Wow! She’s awesome,” Wendy observed to Aunt Mildred. “Did you know she could play like that?”

Her aunt shook her head. “I had no idea. Claudette is pretty much a mystery, but she’s coming out of her shell lately. When she first came to us, she was very quiet. And very sad about something.”

Hmmm. Maybe she should ask Delphine, her other roommate, to check up on her while she was home in New Orleans. Too bad Delphine couldn’t make it here after all! On the other hand, maybe that would be an invasion of privacy, not just to Claudette, but to her aunt, as well.

“It is so good to have you here, Wendy,” her aunt said, a little tearfully, as she put an arm around her waist and squeezed. “I won’t ask you to come home permanently, if you’re happy in California, but I hope you’ll come more often.”

“I will, Aunt Mil. I promise.”

From there, she spoke with Abe Bernstein from The Deli and complimented him on the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives segment about his store. “Are you still making your famous Reubens?”

“I am, I am. And hoping to sell a ton of them over this holiday weekend with all the tourists coming in for the grinch nonsense.”

“You don’t approve of the grinch contest.”

“Oy vey! I didn’t mean to sound disapproving. Yes, it is a bit meshuggeneh, but in a good way. What do you think about my adding lox and bagels and cream cheese on Sunday morning?”

“Uh . . .”

“We don’t have a huge Jewish population in Bell Cove, but perhaps the tourists would expect such things in a deli?”

“Or you could have your non-Jewish customers try something new,” she offered. “Besides, the combination of bagels and cream cheese and lox is probably Americanized by now.”

“You’re right. Good to talk with you, Wendy. Drop by the store, and I’ll give you something to nosh on, free, of course.”

She’d run into Doreen Ferguson, the mayor, at her Happy Feet Emporium, where she’d bought her silver high heels this afternoon.

Doreen looked down at them now and smiled. “They’re perfect with that outfit. What do you think of mine?” The mayor did a little twirl to show off her Christmas Tree dress.

And that was the only way to describe it. A Christmas tree adorned the whole front of the white dress, from the star at its top which pressed against her neckline, down between her breasts, spreading out in an ever-widening vee till it reached the calf-length hemline. The same was true of the back of the dress. Oh, and the trees were decorated with red and yellow lights.

“Very Christmassy!” Wendy observed. Just then, she noticed someone she knew well, or had known well, across the room, and she excused herself from Doreen.

Matthew Holter, Ethan’s best friend in high school, had just come in and was listening to the carolers next to the piano. He was wearing a camel-hair jacket in a herringbone pattern over dark slacks with a white shirt and tie. Other than a slightly receding hairline, he looked pretty much the same as he had twelve years ago. Tall, wiry thin, overly serious. Sort of a good-looking geek.

“Matt! It’s been way too long!” She went up and hugged him warmly.