“Oh, gross, Jack. You are just so disgusting.” Molly stuck her tongue out at him.

Amy twisted her son’s ear; she had to reach up to do this now. “Jack Reynolds, what are you learning in college?”

Molly leaned over and straightened her brother’s tie. A flood of love filled Amy’s belly, overflowed to her throat, where she stopped the tears that would embarrass her children.

She placed her hand on Jack’s arm. “Did you find Lisbeth?”

“Yeah, well, sorta. I found her twenty messages on my cell phone. I tried to call her, but she’s probably on the way and she’s not answering her cell.”

Molly laughed. “What, exactly, would one say in twenty messages?”

“Obviously I’m exaggerating a little, but not much. She was really upset. I actually feel pretty bad. I guess her mom didn’t wait for her and she didn’t want to drive by herself in the dark and . . . she couldn’t find me.”

Molly snorted. “She’s a grown girl. Surely, she can drive an hour and a half without help.”

“She just didn’t know where anyone was . . . I don’t know. She sounded like she was crying pretty hard.”

“Great. Nothing like a little girlfriend drama to start the party.” Molly slapped her brother on his shoulder.

Eliza called from the parlor. “Amy?”

“We’re back here . . . come on back.” Amy stepped into the light and motioned for Eliza to join them.

Eliza stepped into the back hall, took a long sip of her wine and stared at the family as they all looked at each other. Amy spoke first, overlapping Jack.

“Did you find Lisbeth?”

“Did you reach Lisbeth?”

Eliza looked to Amy, ignored Jack. “Yes, she’s on her way. She’s almost here—maybe fifteen minutes.”

“Good.” Jack exhaled. “I tried her cell phone, but she didn’t answer.”

“She’s very upset. She said Jack didn’t answer his phone all day and she wanted him to come pick her up.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t realize it was turned off. I was Christmas shopping all day, then working in the yard with my dad to help get ready for the party.”

Eliza looked at Jack now, and if ice could fly from her blue eyes, it would have happened right there, landing on the miniature ice-skaters, slicing them to ribbons. “Well, you can just tell her you’re sorry when she gets here.”

“I will, ma’am. But what she sounded upset about on my phone messages was that you left without her.”

The plummeting feeling in Amy’s stomach made her want to yelp, “No, Jack.” She loved him for his truthfulness, but at twenty years old he still had not learned when honesty was not the best policy. Confrontation was definitely not how she wanted to begin the Christmas party.