Heaven’s Gate
10 Holiday
REGARDLESS OF HOW CHAOTIC things were, we had fun getting ready for Christmas. Judy turned twenty-one on Sunday and, unlike TK, wanted to spend the night with me. Instead of the master suite, she wanted to stay in the big bedroom with the rest of the casa and everyone showed her how much she was loved.
Rose, on the other hand, wanted her birthday on Wednesday at the Sheraton in Indianapolis with me. She almost wept when she heard how we’d celebrated Mary’s birthday, and even though we didn’t go to Le Palais, we had room service in our suite and spent the evening dancing naked around the room. Getting Rose alone for an entire night was a rarity and we both made the best of it. Reese handled Thursday’s show alone.
After the show on Friday, the guys descended on the studio and disassembled the entire audience area so we had room for everyone to gather. We’d put the tree up on Thursday so it would be on Elaine’s set Friday morning. With the platforms out of the way, everyone pitched in to decorate. It was a festive occasion. I saw that even Reese had stayed to prep the kitchen and was baking pies and cookies non-stop.
“You know, feeding the clan is not part of your responsibility,” I said when I caught up with her.
“I know, but it’s so exciting. Those girls—the triplets—have an entire plan put together to feed a hundred and fifty people. I just volunteered to help. Is it okay? I mean, I’m not trying to horn in or anything. It’s just… Is it okay, Brian?” she stumbled to a halt.
“It’s very okay, Reese. Are you happy?” I asked.
“So far, so good,” she said. “I can’t believe that I’m actually cooking on national television. I’ve got a fan club at the high school already.”
“That’s great. I’ve got something for you. I’m glad you stuck around because I wasn’t sure when I was going to give you your Christmas present.”
“A present for me? I didn’t know. I didn’t get any presents for anyone.”
“In general, we don’t give Christmas presents around here. There are just too many people to buy for. We just lavish presents on the children. No, not you! Instead of a Christmas present, let’s call this a ‘welcome to Young Cooking’ present.” I stepped behind the partition to the prep kitchen and reached in the closet. “Here you are, Reese. Welcome to Young Cooking.” I held a chef’s jacket out to her and helped her slip it on. She looked down at the name embroidered on the pocket: ‘Young Cooking with Chef Reese.’
“Oh! It’s beautiful! I love it!” she screamed. Several people stopped working and came over to see what the fuss was about. Elaine came up to her and tied a checkered bandana around her neck. Hannah stepped up and put a chef’s hat on her.
“Welcome to our kind of crazy,” Hannah said.
“You are welcome to stay for dinner,” I said. “We have all the family here and are serving a buffet. It’s very informal.” Reese blushed. Uh-oh.
“I… um… was… sort of invited already,” she said. “I kind of have a date.”
“Really?” I said. “Reese, no one at the ranch is putting any pressure on you, are they?” If one of the guys in the dorm had started trying to hit on her, I was going to be royally pissed.
“Oh, no! It’s that nice guy who got here yesterday and was helping put up the tree. We stopped and talked for a while before I took off. He said his sister told him it was okay to invite me. It is, isn’t it?” she asked. Who the…? I glanced around the room and my questions were answered by a blush near the fireplace that was almost brighter than the fire. I pointed and crooked my finger. He came stumbling toward me.
“Yes, Patrón?” Brett said.
“Brett, I understand you invited Reese to dinner tonight. Is that correct?” I said. I felt Rose put her hand on my arm.
“Yes, Patrón. Pam said it would be okay. I just thought it would be nice to have someone my own age here, you know,” he said.
“Then why were you way over there when your date was way over here trying to explain why she was crashing the party? Doesn’t a young man introduce his date to important people like his parents and his Patrón and Matrón?” I asked. Rose giggled beside me.
Reese had wide eyes. She had not interacted with the clan other than as the production unit for Hearthstone Entertainment.
“Excuse me,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” He stepped over to Reese’s side. “Patrón, Matrón, may I present my date this evening, Miss Reese Mendenhall. Reese, I thought you knew everyone and I apologize for not making this formal introduction. This is Brian Frost and Rose Davis, the Patrón and Matrón of our clan… er… our whole tribe.” He looked past my right shoulder and I glanced over to see Pam standing with her parents. “I’d also like to introduce you to my parents, Bonnie and Jack Owens and my sister, Pam. Mom and Dad, this is Reese. I invited her to dinner this evening.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Reese,” Bonnie said. Jack seldom said anything, I noticed. “Don’t let all this overwhelm you. Brian and Rose are really very nice people, even when they are disciplining an unruly boy. I can only imagine what they’ll do to my daughter later. So, you’re the new face of Young Cooking? How exciting.” Bonnie took charge of the two seventeen-year-olds and dragged Jack with her as she took them around to introduce other members of the tribe. I chuckled.
“Patrón, did I do wrong?” Pam asked plaintively. “I’m sorry if I did.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Rose laughed. “That was Brian being all fatherly toward his new protégé.”
“Rose, don’t spoil it,” I laughed. “I might need to go discipline Pam. For a couple of hours.” Pam blushed as hot as her brother had earlier.
“Anything you’d like, Patrón,” she whispered.
Christmas Eve morning, I set out on a mission to visit all the homes in the village and ranch. Rose went her own way around the community and each of us was joined periodically by one or more of our hearthmates. After we had each visited a house, people from that house often went out to visit as well. It was a way to circulate and talk to people in smaller groups before the big party Christmas Eve.
As it happened, I woke up at Casa del Agua with Doreen cuddled in my arms and my daughter happily sucking on one of her breasts. I leaned over and took a few sips from the other.
“You sure produce the good stuff,” I whispered, petting her.
“Well, your daughter sure is getting fat and happy from it,” Doreen giggled. Eight months old and C-Rae was exactly what her mom described. “Better get out there in the kitchen before your son does.” I kissed Doreen and headed to the kitchen. I was making the family cinnamon rolls for breakfast and before I had the flour out, Matthew came running up to me. I hugged him and set him up on his stool at the breakfast counter. He loved to be up high where he could watch me cook.
“Papa talk,” he demanded.
“It’s another year,” I said as I fixed him hot chocolate. “Another holiday, and our family is gathering. I love it when everyone gets here and sometimes just wish we were all together more often. Why can’t we have Christmas at least four times a year, love? Wouldn’t that be fun? I’m so glad I got to be here last night, but you know, whenever I’m away, I miss the rest of you. Betts and Allen are with his folks this year and Addison will be flying out there tomorrow morning. Mom, Dad, and Anna are going with her. Betts said she and the kids were coming out in the spring. Can you believe Maddie is in kindergarten? They have to wait for spring break to visit. I guess we’ll all be like that soon. We used to be governed by our school schedules. Now we are governed by our children’s.”
“Good morning. I heard you were an early riser,” Jim said when he came into the room and kissed his grandson.
“Shh, Gampa. Papa talk,” Matthew said.
“It’s okay, kiddo. Let’s let Gampa talk, too,” I said.
“It’s okay?” he said uncertainly. I nodded. Matthew smiled.
“Gampa talk!”
I gave Jim a cup of coffee and we chatted while the cinnamon rolls rose. Jim and Jill had been here for nearly a month after C-Rae was born and were back again in the middle of August. They’d surprised us all by showing up in time for Matthew’s third birthday two weeks ago. It seemed that having grandchildren was drawing them back closer to their children as well. One-by-one the rest of the family staggered out of their bedrooms and sat with coffee or chocolate. Doug and I hugged when he came out. Sandy laid a big kiss on me when she came out. Jill accepted coffee and a kiss from her grandson. When Doreen came out, we kissed deeply with C-Rae held between us and then I let her transfer the baby to Jill. Jill looked like she was in heaven. Rhiannon arrived just as I finished frosting the hot cinnamon rolls. She gave me a big kiss and then I stuffed a bit of roll in her mouth. She kissed me again.
After breakfast, I continued to the homes where I knew people would be up early. The Clintons, of course, were up and Cassie, Mary, and Josh greeted me for breakfast. Bea had fixed a fantastic breakfast casserole with eggs, sausage, potatoes, and cheese. I had to remind myself that I was likely to have a dozen breakfasts today and not to get carried away with any one of them. But it was so good!
Marshall and Martha were just across the street from the Clintons. Del and Maribelle were having coffee with them when I got there. Maribelle was looking great. The doctors had declared her cancer-free this summer and she was having a blast running our little grocery store. I only had coffee with them, even though Martha was pushing a Christmas coffee cake toward me. Well, just a sliver.
At Sly and Lily’s house, I met Samantha and Hannah, Amber, Judy, and TK. Lily had a pull-apart to serve with espresso. It wasn’t the usual sweet pastry, but tasted almost like a pizza with garlic, tomato, and cheese.
I continued to the Woods’ home where my darling Dani and sweet girl Xan were waiting for me. Of course, so were Bart, Sylvia, Dolly, Debbie, and George. It was apparent that George had moved in. Bart tried to convince me that ten in the morning was the perfect time for a shot of bourbon. I declined, but I had a feeling I didn’t escape when I tasted the eggnog.
And so it went through the village. Maggie and Jess were still in their pajamas and invited me in for coffee. I had to decline the coffee or I’d start flying between the houses instead of walking. But we sat and chatted for a while before I headed onward.
Mama Bear Hamm didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I had to have a cup of coffee while I waited for Susan and Leonard to come from their apartment. I still hadn’t figured that out, but whatever floats your boat.
“I’m so glad you are here,” Leonard said. “Just stand up while I take some measurements. I watched the tape of your pilot. You looked ghastly. You will never get the right reputation dressed like you walked off the pages of the J.C. Penney’s catalog. We’ll have a new wardrobe for you before you start broadcasting. Now just stand still, honey.” He measured my inseam and called out the number to Susan who wrote it down.
“Leonard, I’d rather you didn’t call me honey when you’ve got a hand in my crotch. It makes me nervous,” I joked.
“I know, sweetheart, but you don’t need to worry. You aren’t my type.”
“You have a type? What is it? I’ll keep an eye out.”
“I’m doing fine on my own,” he snapped. “Your gaydar is so bad you’d get beaten up the first time you suggested someone.”
“Okay,” I said. “Just don’t dress me too flamboyantly. Remember, I’m supposed to appeal to sorority girls, not drag queens.”
“Hmph! I should send you out there naked then. They have no imagination. None at all!”
After I had way too many measurements taken, I finally escaped and walked past the firehouse where our two new tanker trucks waited to be called into action and keyed my way through the gate to Heaven’s house. The house had been finished early last summer, but, of course, she’d only been there about a month total since then. I hadn’t seen her yet, but I was sure she’d come in with Maggie and Jess last night.
“Señor Patrón,” Lupe said at the door. “Come in. Miss Heaven left instructions that you should come to her room when you get here.” Lupe and Jose were Jessica’s caretakers. Lupe was very pregnant. I’d met them and they had become regular residents of the village. Nice people.
“How far along are you, Lupe?” I asked. “Will we have a new baby for Christmas?”
“Oh, no. I have six more weeks to carry her on the inside and then I get to carry her on the outside,” Lupe giggled.
“You will come to the celebration tonight, I hope,” I said.
“Oh yes. Señor Clinton and Señor Frost, your father, came earlier this week to make sure we knew we were invited. We will be happy to serve.”
“Only as much as everyone else does,” I said. “You are guests, not servants.” She showed me to Jessica’s door and knocked.
“Is that Brian?” Jessica called.
“C’est moi!” I answered.
“Entrez!” I went into her private quarters in the massive house. I think when she was here she only used two rooms, but she had to have this McMansion. She was sitting up in bed with a breakfast tray across her legs.
“My, what a life,” I said as I bent to kiss her. She held me for the kiss as she explored my mouth. She might look like she lazed in bed, but she had been up and brushed her teeth since that plate and coffee cup had been emptied. “Mmm. I love you, darling.”
“I love you, too, Brian. Merry Christmas.” She moved the tray table to the side and pulled me down next to her.
“Are you here for a while, love?” I asked.
“Until mid-January. Then Maggie, Jess, and I take off on our European tour. Maggie says we’ll be on the road for four months. I just know that she has been making Conrad toe the line. She tells him where we’ll be and how long we’ll stay. He arranges modeling gigs to fit. And he’s not having too hard a time of it. We’re working a modeling segment into each of the shows this season. We actually get paid twice for the gig.”
“Maggie’s turned out to be a pretty brilliant producer/director,” I said.
“I want you to know that I’m having a good time and we’re a good team, but I miss you. I miss all of you. I always thought you would be the only one I’d miss, but I miss the ranch and the village when I’m gone. Just a little longer and I’ll be home to stay.”
“For the first time, I know what you faced when you made your decisions, Jessica. Planning our new show has made me think of every choice. If I’d had these choices before I had my family, my decisions would have been different,” I said.
“Hold me for a little while before you take off again, sweetheart,” she said. “The thing I miss most is being held by you.”
Comments
Please feel free to send comments to the author at devon@devonlayne.com.
