Merry Christmas, My Love

“If you will excuse me, Mr. Colbert, I need to go to the church kitchen and help set up for the luncheon.” She clamped on Helen’s arm and tugged her forward.

“Wait, Miss Henderson. I would like you to meet Mr. Clay Forest.” He turned to the man standing alongside him. The rotund man wiped sweat from his forehead and reeked of cigar smoke. His face held the flush of a regular user of hard spirits. “This is Miss Ellie Henderson, a teacher at Logan County High School.”

“How do you do, Miss Henderson?” The man stuck his hand out.

Ellie took it and gave it a brief shake. She nodded in Helen’s direction. “This is Miss Helen Spencer.” She took a deep breath. “Helen, I’m sure you already know Mr. Colbert.”

“Indeed I do. How are you, Mr. Colbert?”

“Just fine, thank you, Miss Spencer.”

Mr. Forest stepped forward and took Helen’s hand. “I am delighted to meet you, Helen.”

Helen stiffened at the use of her first name.

“And you must call me Clay,” he added, extending his arm to Helen to escort her.

Ellie had a moment of panic when it appeared Mr. Colbert planned to escort her. She tugged again at Helen’s arm. “Sorry, we’re needed in the kitchen. You gentlemen can go on in to the hall.” Without a backward glance, she hurried Helen away.

Once they reached the kitchen, Helen turned to Ellie. “What is going on?”

Ellie sighed and grabbed an apron from one of the hooks in the kitchen. “I have no idea. Would you believe Mr. Colbert showed up at the Women’s Rights meeting last week?”

“Mr. Colbert? At the Women’s Rights meeting? Surely you’re joking.” Helen had her head stuck in the icebox, pulling out bowls and dishes.

Ellie took them from her hands and placed them on a tray. “I am not kidding. And the funny thing is, he showed up there with some other man I’d never met before.”

Several other women arrived, chatting noisily, putting an end to their conversation. Mr. Colbert certainly acted strange lately. Not that coming to church made him odd, but sitting right next to her certainly did. She’d never seen him with another person at church before. All of a sudden there he was, smiling at her and dragging along a friend.

She stopped loading trays. Her jaw dropped and she stiffened. Mr. Colbert was spying on her! That could be the only explanation. The snake thought to get something on her so he could go to the Board and demand she be let go. Of all the vile, mean, underhanded things. She would show him. If he looked for Ellie Henderson to make mistakes, he would be sorely disappointed.

He’s already found you in a water trough with trousers on. All right, so he caught her with one mistake. From now on, she would be on her guard. She tightened her lips. Oh, that man!

Max and Clay entered the gaily decorated hall and snagged two seats. The Sunday school children had drawn Christmas pictures that were tacked to the walls. A small pine tree stood at the foot of the stage with ornaments and candles. Below it, a life-sized crèche rested on a bed of hay. The tables were adorned with red and green tablecloths. Obviously the women of the church had gone to a lot of trouble to make the church Christmas Party a success.

Max leaned toward Clay. “We’ll want to keep the two seats across from us open for Miss Henderson and Miss Spencer. It would be nice if they joined us.”

“That Helen is a looker.” Clay smacked his lips.

Max shot him a look. How the devil could Clay think Miss Spencer a looker when she stood next to Miss Henderson? Why Miss Henderson was a beauty. Shining brown curls, beautiful large hazel eyes, and a slender, delicate frame. A quite nicely filled out frame. “Personally I think Miss Henderson is a fine-looking woman.”

Clay glanced briefly at him. “She’s okay, too, but that Helen, wow.”

Max shifted in his seat. This was not going the way he’d hoped. He’d expected Clay to be enamored with Miss Henderson. He would have to work harder.

The doors from the kitchen opened and several women carried trays to the tables set up in the front and placed bowls and platters, napkins and silverware on the table.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will now form a line to the left of the serving table. The ladies behind the table will be happy to assist you.” A stout older woman, still wearing her purple and pink church hat, made the announcement in a booming voice. The other women moved to various places behind the table, directing the crowd, and piling food onto plates.

Max and Clay moved down the line, plates in hand. They approached Miss Henderson, who smiled at the person in front of them as she placed a spoonful of something on her plate. “Which dish did you contribute, Miss Henderson?”

Ellie jerked her head in his direction, and her smile faltered. “This one, Mr. Colbert. It’s a ham and potato casserole my aunt makes all the time.” She pointed her spoon at the dish in front of her.

Max nudged Clay. “Doesn’t this look great, Clay? I’ll bet Miss Henderson is a wonderful cook.”

“Where’s Helen’s dish?” Clay looked up and down the row, ignoring Max’s comment.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Miss Spencer and her tuna fish casserole are further down.” She motioned her head as she placed a serving of her casserole on the two men’s plates.