I called you at the office."
"Sharon?" The last person he expected to hear from was his mother-in-law. "Is something wrong?"
"No...everything's just wonderful, as always."
It didn't sound that way. Her thin voice sounded fragile and unsure, which wasn't like her.
"I apologize for interrupting you at work, but I needed..." She hesitated, and he could hear her taking in a deep breath as though she needed to calm herself before continuing. "It's about me coming up for Christmas."
Christmas? She was calling him at work to confirm Christmas? Something was definitely up.
"I was wondering if you had any objection to my coming a few days early."
"Sharon, you know you and Jerry are welcome any time."
"Jerry won't be coming."
Seth couldn't believe his ears. Sharon was planning to visit on her own? That made no sense whatsoever. It took him a moment to recover enough to respond. "What's happened to Jerry?"
"He's decided not to. I realize I'm arriving a few days earlier than what I mentioned and that...that you weren't anticipating my arrival until next week, but if it wouldn't be too much of a problem, I'd appreciate..." She paused when her voice wobbled to the point that he could barely understand her.
"Sharon? Are you all right?"
"Yes, of course.... What could possibly bewrong?"
"You tell me." Seth couldn't recall a time when his mother-in-law had been anything but the Rock of Gibraltar. After Pamela's accident she'd been the voice of reason in a world that had suddenly turned chaotic. Seth didn't know how he would have coped without her.
"I'm fine," she insisted, her words pleading with him to believe her.
Seth knew a lie when he heard one. "What time does your flight land?" he asked, reaching for a pad. "I'll pick you up at the airport."
"Pick me up...Yes, please, I'll need someone there." She gave him the flight number and the time.
Seth glanced at his watch. "But that's less than an hour from now."
"Yes...I know, I'm calling from the plane."
"The plane?" His echo revealed his shock.
"If I couldn't have stayed with you, I'd have found a hotel room. You'll be there, won't you, Seth?"
"Yes, of course. Don't worry about a thing. This will be a wonderful surprise for the twins." It would play havoc with his schedule, but that couldn't be helped. Something was drastically wrong, and after the way his mother-in-law had stepped in and helped him, he could hardly refuse her now.
Seth sat with his hand on the telephone receiver, uncertain whom to contact first, Reba or his housekeeper. Mrs. Merkle, he decided. She'd need to make up the guest bedroom. After he'd talked to her, he'd call Reba and tell her that he wouldn't be able to stop in after work the way he'd planned.
The vacation packages Reba had assembled for his review were only an excuse to see her again, Seth acknowledged freely. He was scheduled to meet with her after work before she went to church for Christmas practice with the kids. He'd seen her every night that week.
On Monday she'd gone Christmas shopping with him, and on Tuesday she'd been to the house for dinner. Mrs. Merkle had done herself proud with a fried chicken succulent enough to tempt the Colonel.
Jason answered when he rang the house. "Hi, Daddy."
"Hello, sweetheart, is Mrs. Merkle there?"
"Yup." He heard Jason drop the phone, the sound of the receiver clanging in his ear. He returned breathless a moment later. "Mrs. Miracle's real busy getting the extra bedroom all cleaned up," his son told him. "Who's coming?"
"Ask Mrs. Miracle," he suggested, frowning.
"Mr. Webster, I'm sorry to keep you waiting." The housekeeper came on the line, breathing hard.
"I'm calling to let you know I'll be picking up the children's grandmother at the airport this afternoon." He waited, half expecting his housekeeper to explain why Sharon was arriving a full week early and without Jerry. If anyone knew, it would be Mrs. Merkle. The woman apparently possessed some form of telepathy.
"Ah, I wondered."
"Sharon phoned the house?"
"No."
"Then how'd you know she was coming?"
"I didn't," she answered cheerfully. "It never hurts to have the spare room freshened up now and again. I had a few extra minutes this afternoon and decided to give it the once-over. How fortuitous in light of Mrs. Palmer's unexpected arrival."
"I don't know if it'd be a good idea to say anything to the twins just yet," Seth cautioned, wondering how much he should say. "My mother-in-law seems to be feeling a bit under the weather."
A short pause followed his announcement. "Do you need me