Slay Bells Ring Read online

  “I know,” Sara responded with a resigned expression. “That’s why I hope we can get it worked out. Maybe Chris and Mack can visit Boyd together and help him see reason.”

  Caprice wasn’t sure Boyd was in any mood to see reason.

  They were eating their apple loaf and drinking tea, talking about festivities planned in the upcoming weeks for the holidays, when notes from “Joy to the World” came from Sara’s pocket. She slipped her phone out, took a look at the screen, and then said to Caprice, “I’d better take this. It’s my son-in-law.”

  But instead of staying at the table and having a genial conversation, Sara stood with a frown creasing her brow and walked into the hall. She wasn’t gone long, maybe five minutes, but when she returned Caprice could see she was upset.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “You know I promote a sense of family. I try to never say anything negative about one family member to another. But sometimes . . .” Her voice shook a little.

  “Sometimes I imagine you need to vent.”

  “Yes. I just can’t vent to the wrong person,” Sara murmured.

  Caprice waited.

  “You could be objective,” Sara decided.

  “I can try to be.”

  “You know my daughter Maura.”

  “I do, though not well. She was older than me so we didn’t run into each other in school very much. How is she?”

  “She married about three years ago, and I’ll admit Chris and I didn’t approve of her choice. Reed Fitzgee is a car salesman, and that’s fine. But he’s been married twice before. Twice. We’ve tried to be supportive, but Reed borrowed money from us about a year after he married Maura to pay credit card debt that had gotten out of hand. To his credit, he did pay it back. But now Maura is pregnant, and Reed is asking us for money again to move to a bigger place. He wants us to help with the down payment. Chris has told him no, but Reed wants me to convince Chris otherwise. I told him I can’t. The whole thing is upsetting, especially this time of year when I want peace and harmony around the table . . . when I just want to enjoy the idea of becoming a grandmother.”

  Caprice felt for Sara, and she certainly understood. Her own family had had its ups and downs. Her uncle had been separated from them for a dozen years, although recently he had reunited with them, and that was a good thing. But when daughters-in-law and sons-in-law were involved and parents didn’t like them, that could be very sticky.

  Caprice looked down at her engagement ring. Simply glancing at it made her smile. The diamond was a pink heart-shape with pink sapphires and diamonds alternating in a channel setting along both sides. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen, and Grant Weatherford, her brother’s law partner, had picked it out all on his own.

  Sara must have seen her looking at the ring. “When are you and Grant getting married?”

  “We’re not sure. We’re waiting for Grant’s annulment from his marriage to come through, but we’re thinking spring.”

  “It’s a good thing the Pope refined the rules or you could have been waiting a lot longer. Is the annulment process as complicated as before?”

  “The complications arise in uprooting all the emotions and asking Grant’s ex-wife to fill out a questionnaire too. His ex is willing. Thank goodness, they have an amicable relationship now or this could be much harder.”

  “I admire you standing up for what you believe in.”

  “Grant and I decided together that waiting for the annulment is what we want to do. Our faith is important to us, and we want to be married in the church.”

  “Chris and I were once active at St. Francis of Assisi. But that was before he went into the service. After he came back, he wouldn’t even go to church. I kept going. Still, the past few years I’ve felt it’s more important to spend time with him than to sit in a pew and listen to a sermon that’s not much help in my daily life.”

  Caprice empathized that some sermons were helpful and others weren’t. But she needed the spiritual connection Mass offered with or without a meaningful homily. She said truthfully, “Grant had been away from the church ever since he lost his daughter. But he’s slowly come to realize he still needs faith in his life,” Caprice admitted.

  “We all need faith, hope, and love, especially this time of year,” Sara agreed.

  * * *

  It was almost 4 p.m. when Caprice finished at the Merriweather home and climbed into her van, eager to pick up her cocker spaniel, Lady, at her parents’ house, eager to see Grant later this evening. They had plans for him to bring his cocker spaniel, Patches, who was Lady’s brother, over to her house. She’d made a casserole of lasagna to pop in the oven. They were going to light a fire and watch a movie.

  She was about to switch on the ignition when the Beatles song “All I’ve Got to Do” played from her cell phone. She’d just set it on the stand on her dash in case she needed to talk hands-free.

  Bella’s photo appeared on the screen, and Caprice swiped her phone screen to accept the call. Bella was her younger sister, even though most of the time she acted like an older one, always ready to give out advice. Her pretty, heart-shaped face surrounded by a mass of black curls peered at Caprice from the phone screen.

  “Hey, Bella. You caught me at a good time. I was just leaving the Merriweather—”

  “Caprice, you’ve got to help me,” Bella cut in. “I don’t know what to do. The director of the Christmas pageant fell and broke her hip.”

  Not long ago, Bella, who’d earned a degree in fashion design, had started a kids’ costume-making business. She also designed the most divine christening outfits. Because of her sewing skills, she’d volunteered to help with the community center’s Christmas pageant, acting as assistant director.

  “How can I help?” Caprice knew she shouldn’t ask because her work schedule was demanding until Christmas. But if Bella really needed her . . .

  “They’ve asked me to take over. Now I’m the director. I need you here yesterday. Can you come help?”

  Caprice knew better than to ask Bella what she needed her to do. Bella could be overdramatic. If nothing else, Caprice could stop by the community center and maybe calm her down. Since Kismet was a small town, the Merriweathers’ house, located not far from the downtown area, was less than a mile from the community center.

  Caprice assured her sister, “I’ll be there in five minutes, maybe ten at the most.” She’d left plenty of kibble for her cats, Sophia and Mirabelle, before she’d left today, and Lady would be fine visiting at her mom’s for a little while longer. Her mom, dad, and Nana—who lived in a separate suite in their house—liked having Lady around. Lady easily played with Nana’s cat, Valentine, and her dad liked to take Lady on long walks. No worries there.

  The Kismet Community Center was located up the street from the downtown area within walking distance of the stores, restaurants, and professional offices. The building had once been a warehouse, but it had been completely renovated twenty years ago, with some additional renovation last year. A chain-link fence surrounded the outside basketball court. Inside were a game room, an arts and crafts room, a couple of offices, and a meeting room. The pageant itself would be held at the Kismet Community Theater, but all the preparations were happening at the center. The sets would be transported to the theater the day before the pageant.

  Caprice pulled into the parking lot, gazing across the street at the two complexes of low-income apartments, each consisting of about fifty units. This community center had saved many kids from roaming the streets, giving them a place to go and something to do. The wind buffeted Caprice, and she realized she should have worn something a little warmer than her sixties-style poncho with the fringe. November in Pennsylvania could turn bitterly cold. She hoped that wouldn’t happen until at least after the holiday parade next Sunday. That would be Chris Merriweather’s first appearance as Santa this year.

  Caprice hurried to the game-room entrance of the center. It was her favorite room there. Not so
long ago it had been given a fresh coat of beige paint. Then the teenagers had painted murals on the walls that were artistic and well-executed.

  Caprice easily saw Bella trying to herd elementary-age kids, her children Timmy and Megan included, into the arts and crafts room. To Caprice’s surprise she spotted her dad, along with her brother Vince, brother-in-law Joe, and two other parents. She also recognized the choir director from St. Francis of Assisi Church. Caprice waved to her and Dora Watkins waved back.

  Bella spotted Caprice and came running into the game room. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “What’s Vince doing here? And Dad and Joe?”

  “I need them to help with distributing scripts, choosing carols, designing sets, and constructing them. Nikki had a catering gig and couldn’t come, and Mom’s taking care of Lady and Benny. She said she’d come later and bring Benny. But I can’t watch him and direct all of this too.”

  Caprice put her hand on Bella’s shoulder. “Slow down. I’m sure Mom and Nikki will help when they can.”

  Bella’s brow furrowed. “Hardly anything’s been done, and now I’ve got it all to do.”

  “The first thing you need to do is to become organized,” Caprice advised. “What’s the pageant’s theme?”

  “Theme? It’s Christmas.”

  “Bella, you need an idea about set construction. What kind of sets are you going to use? You need a theme to tie it all together.”

  Caprice’s dad came from the arts and crafts room into the game room. Nick De Luca was still a handsome man. His black hair was laced with gray. At almost six foot, his tight hugs and broad smile had always made Caprice feel safe and loved.

  Now he shook his head and flung his arm around Bella’s shoulders. “I told her she has to calm down. She just learned today she’s the director. We still have time to make this a wonderful pageant. We’ll all work together. You know that, honey.”

  Bella looked as if his kind words almost brought tears to her eyes. “I don’t like to fail, Dad.”

  “No one does, and you won’t.”

  “She needs a theme,” Caprice said. “You can think about that tonight. In the meantime, we can figure out some basic set construction we know we’re going to need. I assume you’ll be doing a stable scene.”

  “Of course, I will. I already have the angels’ wings made, and Mary and Joseph’s costumes. I’m the only one who was ahead of the game.”

  “Since you’re going to have a Nativity scene, the first part of our set construction can concern a few cut-out trees and a stable,” their dad suggested. “Once you think of a theme we’ll tie everything into that. But at least we can get started.”

  “Who’s going to cut these out?” Bella asked, panic in her voice. “I don’t know anything about woodworking.”

  Their father grinned. “You’re in luck. I do know a lot about woodworking, and if I run into trouble, I have friends.”

  Nick was a brick mason who managed his own firm. He often executed home construction projects, and his friends helped him, so he knew a lot about construction besides masonry.

  Her father added, “Chris Merriweather has a whole woodworking shop in his carriage house. If I pick up the plywood and whatever supplies I need, I’m sure he’ll let me use his saws.” Her father checked his watch. “Why don’t I try to call him? I’ll ask him to stop by. Santa Claus to the rescue again,” her dad added with a wink.

  Caprice hoped that was true—for Bella’s sake and for the sake of the kids and the pageant.

  Chapter Two

  When Caprice checked her watch, she realized it was almost 8 p.m. She’d called Grant to tell him she’d be later than planned, and he’d said he’d wait for her at her house. Looking around, she caught sight of Bella, who was consulting with one of the parents adept at working behind the scenes since he also volunteered at the Kismet Community Theater. He was filling Bella in on the type of apparatuses they would need to slide the scenery on the stage.

  Caprice glanced down at her electronic tablet, where she’d been making a list of necessary supplies. She thought her dad had said he was going into the storeroom with Vince to see if there was any paint back there that they could use.

  Suddenly a male voice over her shoulder asked, “Caprice?” She turned to find Chris Merriweather. With his snow-white hair and twinkling blue eyes, he was a perfect stand-in for Santa Claus. But as her gaze met his now, she blinked in shock. He looked upset, but it wasn’t only the frown lines on his face that troubled her. It was the cut above his eye and bruising on his jaw that caught her attention.

  She recovered her composure quickly. “Hi, Chris. Have you been home to see the house?”

  “I only stopped to drop Blitz off earlier. He needed his supper. So I didn’t see much. But I like the garland around the door frame and the wreath takes me back to decorations I once saw in Williamsburg. Very tasteful.”

  “Thank you.”

  She couldn’t help but notice that Chris’s red down jacket had dirt streaks on it. He was wearing black cargo pants, which were usual for him. He’d told her more than once they came in handy when he was at the store and needed to fill his pockets with necessary items. But his disheveled appearance was out of character.

  Just then her father came from the storeroom and strode toward them. But as soon as he stopped in front of Chris, he said, “What happened? You look like you’ve been in a brawl.”

  Chris’s mouth twisted in a wry frown. “I had a disagreement with a box that fell from a high shelf at the store. It whacked me on the head and the jaw.” However, his eyes didn’t meet Caprice’s or her dad’s when he said it.

  Caprice could easily see from her father’s expression that he didn’t believe a word of that explanation. Still, he and Chris were friends, and he didn’t question him further. At least not now.

  “I’m glad you stopped in,” Nick said. “We could use your expertise, and maybe I need to borrow your workshop. We need to build some sets for the pageant. Is there a good time when I could use your saws? Or do you have everything set up for the toys you’re making now?”

  “I’m almost finished with toy making, believe it or not. I have plenty of trains and cars, all done in wood, of course, to use for angel gifts. I’m just finishing up some games and mostly that involves painting. Remember, I work on this all year, not just a couple of months before Christmas. I’d never have enough time if I did that. Not that I have enough time now,” he said, smiling. “With Sara wanting to give dinner parties and the kids dropping in now and then, my free time gets eaten up.”

  “Your store is demanding this time of year,” her dad offered.

  “You’re right about that, and sometimes I actually feel like Santa Claus when I’m in the store as well as when I’m in Santa’s cabin. I’ve often thought of letting someone else take over the cabin, and I would just set up a corner of the store with Santa. But that cabin is intertwined in Kismet’s history. It goes back twenty-six years, and finding a Santa who is committed isn’t always that easy these days. Everybody’s time is tight.”

  Returning to her dad’s question, Chris asked, “Are you planning to use plywood for these sets?”

  “That’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. Vince thought maybe we could use a type of particle board.”

  Chris screwed up his face. “That’s much harder to saw through.”

  “Why don’t you come over here and talk to Vince about it. There’s another guy here too, one of the dads who is going to help with the sets. If we all get on the same page, this whole project will come together quicker.”

  “I imagine that’s true. Life’s a lot easier when everybody is on the same page.” Chris agreed as if he knew all about that concept.

  It sounded to Caprice as if there was regret in Chris’s voice.

  But then he seemed to shake it off. “Speaking of being on the same page, are you both coming to the parade next Sunday?”

  The Christmas parade was one of Kismet�
�s biggest holiday events. Even the schools participated by building floats, so it wasn’t just a matter of a fire engine driving through town. Santa had a float too.

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Caprice said. “We’re all keeping our fingers crossed the weather is suitable and we don’t freeze or get wet.”

  “I already checked the long-term forecast. We’re supposed to have sunny skies. Did you hear about the elves?”

  “What elves?” Caprice asked with a laugh.

  “At the high school there was a group of kids caught cutting class, about six or eight of them. They thought going to a movie for the afternoon would be better than sitting in math. Anyway, to get out of a week’s detention, or a suspension, they agreed to be elves at the parade and give out candy canes.”

  Nick laughed heartily. “You are kidding.”

  “Nope. I heard Sara talking to one of the teachers at the store. Those new skinny jeans along with a few red tunics are all the costume they need, apparently. So, get ready for some real Christmas cheer.” Chris unzipped his down jacket. “Let’s go talk about that wood you want to buy. If you’d like, you can use my workshop tomorrow. I’ll be going into the store early and will be tied up late. That’s what holiday hours are like.”

  Vince was beckoning to Chris and her dad. Chris said, “I’ll go see what he wants.”

  Caprice leaned close to her father. “Do you think he’s all right? That bruise on his jaw looks nasty. There’s a cut on his forehead. Do you know what’s going on with him?”

  “I’m not sure,” her father answered. “At our poker game last week, his mind was on anything but the game. That’s not like him. He’s been distracted lately. Even when I talk to him, I get the feeling his mind is somewhere else. You spent much of the day with Sara. Did she mention anything?”

  “Not exactly. She just said Chris seemed tired lately. But he’s so busy with everything, and now with playing Santa he won’t have any time to himself. You know, Dad, I don’t think she wants to sell their house.”

  Her father looked thoughtful. “He’s always taken her wishes into consideration. He’s never been one of those men to just go do something without consulting his wife.”