Christmas at the Restaurant - Pamela M. Kelley Page 0,44
much fun helping where we could and not just at Christmas. Just little things, nothing too outrageous. It made us feel good and useful. I still miss your grandmother,” she admitted.
“I do too. Thank you, Connie, for all that you do, and Merry Christmas to both of you.”
Mandy opened the oven and slid in the tray of mac and cheese that Paul had given her when she headed home on Christmas Eve. He’d made a little extra because he knew Brooke and Blake loved it, and Mandy had complained that they had no interest in eating what the rest of them would be having, lobster casserole and filet mignon. Soon she’d put the filets in to roast. The lobster was already cooked and tossed with butter, breadcrumbs, parsley and a drizzle of good sherry. It just needed a few minutes in the oven to heat up. She knew Jill and Billy were looking forward to it—and she was too.
Jill and Billy were upstairs, showering and getting changed. The kids had been dropped off about an hour ago, but the house felt eerily quiet. She smiled to herself, suspecting where they might be. She walked into the living room and stood quietly, listening. And then she heard a soft whisper but couldn’t make out the words.
“Brooke, Blake are you guys behind the tree? Come on out and hang your stockings, we’ll be eating dinner soon.” There was a shuffle and then laughter as the kids wiggled out from behind the Christmas tree.
“Here you go.” Mandy handed each of them a stocking with their names embroidered at the top. They carefully hung them on heavy reindeer that were weighted to stay on the fireplace mantel and had hooks for the stockings. She’d picked up extra stockings earlier in the week for Jill and Billy and had the kids hang those as well. She added her own stocking and they stood back and surveyed the mantel. It looked good and very festive. Jill had contributed earlier in the week by adding tiny lights along the top of the mantel and a fragrant pine garland decorated with cranberries.
“Look, the ferry is coming in,” Blake said.
They all looked out the big bay window in the living room that overlooked the ocean, and in the distance they could see the Steamship Authority High-Speed Ferry entering the harbor. Mandy knew that meant it was nearly six. Every day at the same time, they’d see the ferries come and go fifteen minutes later. She never tired of the view.
“Something smells good.”
Mandy turned at the sound of Billy’s deep voice.
“It’s our mac and cheese. Paul made it for us. But you can have some too, if you want,” Blake said.
Billy laughed. “Well, that’s nice of you. Thanks, Buddy.”
“You might want to hold off, Billy,” Jill said. “You might prefer the rest of Mandy’s menu. Lobster and steak.”
Mandy smiled. “There’s plenty of everything. Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll put the appetizers out.”
Mandy put the filets in to roast, along with some red new potatoes and a tray of pigs in blankets, while Jill set out a platter of shrimp cocktail. Billy opened a bottle of Lion Tamer cabernet that he and Jill had brought with them for the occasion and poured a glass for each of them.
Mandy set out a dish of her favorite holiday dip, a white bean hummus with garlic, lemon and lots of parsley for color. She had chopped fresh vegetables and toasted pita bread for dipping.
The wine was rich and delicious and they relaxed around the kitchen island. As soon as they were done, Mandy set out the tray of pigs in a blanket, the tiny cocktail franks wrapped in crescent dough that the kids had put together earlier. It was a holiday tradition that they loved to help with and if it were up to them, they would have gobbled the whole tray down, but Mandy made them stop after a few so they wouldn’t ruin their appetites for dinner.
When everything was ready, they ate in the dining room. It was all delicious and they went back for second helpings of everything, including wine.
“I’m so glad that we decided to come for the whole month,” Jill said as she reached for another small scoop of lobster.
“Yeah, Jill and I were just saying that upstairs while we were getting ready. It’s been a nice break from the office and great to see you all. Especially these two monkeys.” Billy grinned at Brooke and Blake,