BAH, HUMBUG!(7)
She wrapped the muffler around her face, and then stopped and unwound it again. “Actually, I think I have heard of you. I did read one of your little mysteries. I didn’t enjoy it very much, though. Far too predictable.”
Chapter Four
FIVE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
“Where are they?” Lexi checked the front window again. “This is my first show here and the camera crew is twenty minutes late. I don’t need this today.”
Trista stopped her and took her hands. “Now, Mom, when I get this freaked out, you sit me down and tell me I need to chill out.”
“I don’t need to chill out. I need my camera crew here.”
“Trust me. You need to chill out. Your makeup’s going to do weird things if you don’t stop frowning.”
“My makeup?” Lexi asked, searching for the foyer mirror to check herself in.
“Oh, my gosh, Mom, chill out.”
The phone rang, and Steven grabbed it. “Hello...Yes...Yes.” He handed it to her. “It’s for you.”
“Hello.”
“Hi, Lexi.” Craig’s voice crackled over his cell phone.
“Hi, Craig.” She tried to push her worry back and keep her voice level. “Now I know Carolyn had her baby yesterday so you’ll need another excuse today.”
“We’ve had a flat tire, but we’ll be there soon.” He explained the details quickly and got off the line.
After Lexi hung up, she moaned, “What else can go wrong?”
Trista wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist. “Poor Mommy. Do you need a chocolate bar?”
Caught off guard, Lexi laughed. Trista had a way of joking her out of her funks. She teased, “Chocolate? You think I need chocolate?”
“Made you laugh. That means you owe me chocolate, too.”
Steven yelled out from the family room, where he was playing some video game, “Get me some, too.”
“No. Absolutely no chocolate.” Lexi worked hard to keep a straight face. “I need to stay slender for my television audience.”
“Well, without a film crew you don’t have a television audience,” Trista reminded her gently, and patted the couch. “Sit down, Mom.”
Lexi sank into the deep cushions with a sigh. “They’ll be here. Craig said it was just a flat tire. They’ll arrive any minute. My show will go on.”
And, because Trista had succeeded in making her laugh, Lexi realized she had calmed. Things would work out--even if they were shooting two shows today to last through the holidays so they could all take the next week and a half off.
“It’ll be okay, Mom,” her daughter reassured her.
“You’ll do fine,” Steven said as he came through toward the kitchen for a snack.
She laughed again. “You guys are the best family any woman could ever want.”
* * *
Kyle debated on whether to answer the phone, even when he saw his editor’s name on the Caller ID. On the fourth ring, he grabbed it. “Hello, Ernest.”
“Hi, Kyle. How’s it going?”
“Oh, good, good. Great.”
“Glad to hear it. Doing anything special for the holidays?”
“Just getting the book done.”
“Even better.”
“You’re a slave-driver, Ernest.”
“And you are a miracle writer. Listen, I’m calling to let you know that the production people just moved up your deadline by two weeks. I said it was okay, because you’re always way ahead of schedule, so I figured this wouldn’t bother you.”
Kyle suppressed a groan. “Can they change it back?”
Ernest laughed. “Like you actually need it. Come on. You’re the most reliable, punctual writer I’ve ever worked with.”
Kyle couldn’t believe this. He could complain, but he was determined to meet all his deadlines. And he wasn’t about to admit to Ernest the trouble he was having. If he had to confess all two weeks early, so be it. “So the new deadline is the middle of January?”
Kyle turned toward the window. Outside, a camera crew stood around the snowman he’d trashed yesterday. His neighbor was standing in front of the restored snowman, and the film crew was filming her. Must be some sort of special about their Christmas street.
Ernest laughed. “Middle of January. You’re incredible. So it’s coming okay, then? It was all right for me to switch the deadline?”
“Nearly done, Ernest. Just a little more tweaking,” he said with very little hope that he spoke the truth. “It’s almost there.”
“Good to hear that,” Ernest said. “Oh, and the art department needs information to start working up the cover art. Got anything for me?”