Free Holiday Escort by Julia P. Lynde Page A

her. "I'm not sure the meal is going to be to your standards."
    "I have had a lot of years of practice," she said. She looked through the kitchen to see what I was making. I had hidden the evidence I was making boxed stuffing and using store bought cranberries, but she recognized both anyway.
    I shrugged and she smiled. "I'm happy to see you aren't completely super woman," she said. "Personally, I haven't made fresh bread in twenty years, and I haven't had krumkake since Mom died." She looked sad.
    "You're being very kind," I told her. I poked my nose at the bird. It was due to come out in a few more minutes. Until then, I had little to do, but I was scared out of my mind.
    "It isn't easy supporting someone like my husband or like Karen," she said. "The sacrifices you have to make to support their careers aren't for everyone."
    "This is just for the holidays," I said. "I want a real job."
    "This isn't a real job?"
    "You had children to raise," I told her. "Being a mother is a real job. And I guess supporting Karen through the holidays has been a real job, but come January, that all changes."
    It was time to pull the bird from the oven. I looked at it dubiously. I had wrestled it in, but I decided if I had a house with a few strong men in it, I could make use of them. I called Bob over and asked him to pull it from the oven for me. He did so with a smile and an appreciative moan at the scents wafting off the bird.
    "All right," Rhonda said. "What would you like me to do?"
    "Your choice. Run the stove for gravy and the fake stuffing or manage the process of getting everything else to the table." I paused. "Does your family have a tradition for carving the bird?"
    "I usually do it," she said.
    "All right, if you do that, I'll do the rest, and I'll draft people to carry it to the table."
    I raised my voice. " Yo . Girlfriend. Get your hot ass in here."
    Rhonda smiled at me for that. "You're good for her."
    I told Karen I didn't care how, but everything needed to make it to the table. I worked at the stove, taking care of the last few things. I sautéed some green beans, made the stuffing, and made the gravy. Behind me I heard Rhonda do more organizing while cutting the bird. By the time I was done at the stove, everything else was at the table. Rhonda helped me bring the last few things out to the dining room, then we grabbed our wine. I took my place at the end of the table closest to the kitchen and Rhonda bumped one of the rug rats from the spot next to me.
    We said grace and I listened to several complements on the meal.
    When the stuffing came around, Lisa offered to share her stuffing recipe for next year.
    "Lisa," Karen asked. "Did you try the krumkake yet?"
    "Yes," she said with a small sniff. "They weren't quite like Grandma's, though."
    "I know," I said. "I'm sorry. I was so hoping you would bring yours so I could compare."
    No one said a word, but I caught Karen smirking at me.
    The meal went well, and I could finally relax a little. Everything had turned out the way I wanted and Karen's parents didn't seem to hate me. I sat back and watched the family dynamics play out.
    Lisa tried another gambit. She hadn't been paying attention. "Where did you buy the bread? It's quite good."
    "Thank you, Lisa. Homemade bread can be a lot of work, so it's lovely being appreciated."
    I decided that Lisa, Karen's sister, was jealous, and that was why she lorded her family life over her sister. I felt bad for Bob, as he seemed like a nice guy, but his wife struck me as a shrew and their kids were brats. I liked cousin Chris. Rhonda treated me well. Fred ignored me until Chris asked how Karen and I had met, and it came out I used to work for Marsha Henderson.
    "I know Marsha," Fred said. "You're the assistant she always used to brag about?"
    "Well, I was her only assistant for ten years leading up through this past June, so I guess it might depend upon when she was bragging."
    "You've been out of work since June?" I nodded. "Why?" he