J Stanley - The Battered Body

All was ready.

James looked around the room and found Chloe and Aunt Wheezie standing by the drinks area. Willy, the merry owner of the Custard Cottage, had volunteered to make virgin and champagne-spiked punch. Despite the chill in the evening air, folks were lined up to accept cold glasses of punch and Willy’s jolly booming laugh echoed through the large room.

Suddenly, the lights blinked on and off three times-Bennett’s signal that Milla and Jackson had pulled into the parking lot.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Lindy asked at the last moment. “Your folks aren’t exactly young. What if we give them a heart attack?”

“If anyone’s going to get hurt here, it’ll be me,” James joked, momentarily forgetting about Chloe. “Pop detests surprises. Here he comes, like any other dutiful new husband accompanying his wife to what he believes is her first choir practice. Instead of listening to the sweet melodies of a dozen robed figures, Pop’s about to be set upon by seventy-five well-wishers. Considering he cast off his hermitlike existence fairly recently, I don’t expect him to be thankful that I’ve propelled him to this level of socializing.” He glanced at Lindy’s clasped hands and at her pink face, which was aglow with excitement. “Luis is coming, right?”

She nodded. “He’s gotta ditch the crazy PTA women first, but he’ll be here.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Bennett flicked the lights again and the murmurs of the crowd abruptly ceased. In the silence, the dual footsteps of Milla and Jackson proceeding down the tile-floor hallway caused James’s heart to race. His eyes swept across the guests, but everyone’s faces matched Lindy’s. All the expressions were the same-that of jubilant anticipation. Even the undercover deputies, Lucy and Glenn, had their gazes fixed on the closed door leading from the fellowship hall to the corridor. And then, it eased open.

“SURPRISE!” Came the deafening, unified shout. Jackson’s jaw dropped and Milla’s hands flew to her heart.

James rushed forward to grab her by her free arm in case she fainted, but Milla merely repeated “oh my, oh my, oh my” while Jackson looked as though he might hurl himself through the closest window, regardless of the fact that it was a beautiful stained glass representation of the story of the loaves and the fishes.

“What have you done, James Henry?” Milla asked when she’d caught her breath.

“It wasn’t me,” James countered. “A few of your friends wanted to throw you a wedding reception.” Avoiding his father’s desiccating stare, James leaned toward Milla and whispered, “You sped up your wedding plans for Eliot’s sake, the least this son could do was to ensure you celebrated properly.”

Milla threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek with a wet smack. “And where’s my darling grandson?”

James squirmed. “I didn’t want him to come. He, ah…”

“Oh.” Milla’s eyes grew round. “You don’t want him around Chloe and Wheezie in case that young man…” She too trailed off, and at that awkward moment, Scott and Francis hit a play button on their stereo and the Crystals belted out “Going to the Chapel.” Most of the guests immediately began to sing along.

“I know this isn’t your idea of fun, Pop, but it’s just dinner and dessert, and then you can go back home.”

Milla tugged on Jackson’s earlobe. “Tell James something nice, dear. He went through so much trouble to put this party on for us. With the new house and Eliot and work and the other troubles we’ve been through… this is such a delightful surprise!”

“Yeah, what she said,” Jackson grumbled, and James left his parents to mingle with their guests.

For the next thirty minutes, he circulated the room, smiling and small talking and never ceasing to look for the dark blond hair, the flat blue eyes, and the youthful face of Russ DuPont. All through dinner, as he sat on Milla’s left and sampled the savory entrées her students had created, his eyes scanned and searched. He made certain he was never far from Chloe, and if she moved too far away from him or went out of the hall to use the restroom, Lucy was never far behind.

The Fitzgerald twins played Sinatra, Neil Diamond, and Pavarotti tracks throughout the meal, and when Willow led Milla and Jackson to the dessert table, they cued up “It’s a Wonderful World.” Hand over hand, the newlyweds cut their miniature wedding cake and gently fed one another a morsel of Willow’s gift. When they were done, James saw his father reach out and snag a cupcake on the way back to his seat.

When James bit into his own treat, he was astonished to taste a creamy raspberry filling inside the sheet-white dough. He wondered if the cupcakes were Willow’s recipe, Paulette’s, or Mrs. DuPont’s. “Did you taste Willow’s chocolate hearts?” he asked Milla. “Your new shop is going to make a fortune.”

Milla beamed. “I hope so, because we signed a lease this morning. I’m planning on a Valentine’s Day grand opening. What do you think?”

A blast of music from the speakers behind his head prevented James from answering. He recognized the smooth and sonorous voice of Elvis, but couldn’t understand why Scott and Francis were playing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” at a decibel level that was sure to garner everyone’s attention. And then he saw that it wasn’t the twins who were looking for notice, but Principal Luis Chavez.

Standing behind Lindy’s chair, Luis tapped her on the shoulder and when she turned, he got down on one knee and presented her with a single, long-stemmed red rose. He then grasped her arm softly and drew her to her feet. As she gazed around in astonishment, he led her to the front of the room and began to waltz with her.

The guests sipped their coffee and watched the couple move gracefully around a small section of the wooden floor. James met Bennett’s eyes and they exchanged winks. It had been Bennett’s idea to give Luis the red rose along with some friendly advice, and it seemed as though the dashing principal had heeded the mailman’s counsel.

The song came to a gradual end and Luis dipped Lindy low to the ground. Holding her there, he gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. As he raised her up again, the guests clapped and whistled. Milla grabbed Jackson’s hand and then took hold of James’s.

“What a perfect party.” She sighed with contentment.

Suddenly, James realized that Lindy’s dance had distracted him from checking on Chloe’s whereabouts. His stomach lurched as he saw the chair she had occupied during dinner was now vacant.

Slowly rising to his feet, he peered up and down the room, frantically searching for the familiar hue of Chloe’s yellow dress. At that moment, Lucy must have been looking for Chloe too, for when her eyes met James’s, they were bright with fear.

The party was over.

Chloe was gone.

For candied pecans

1 egg white

1 cup pecan halves

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

1⁄3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

For cake

One box Butter Pecan or Spice cake mix

For praline icing

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1⁄2 cup butter

1⁄4 cup whole milk

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the candied pecans first. Whisk the egg white until foamy; add the pecans, and stir until they are evenly coated. Stir together the granulated and brown sugar, and sprinkle it over the pecans. Again stir gently until the pecans are evenly coated. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until the pecans are toasted and dry, stirring once after 10 minutes. Remove the pecans from oven, and let them cool completely.