Queen Tarts and a Christmas Nightmare Page 2

  Meghan’s stomach churned. “Yeah,” she told him. “They were happy.”

  The Truman’s had not been happy; Meghan and Jack had broken up a few weeks before he had proposed, and in that time, they had reached out to Fred James, Meghan’s high school boyfriend. They had liked Jack enough, but the Truman’s had always hoped that Meghan would end up with someone with southern roots and an impressive inheritance. Fred had both things, and Jack did not, and the Truman’s, who were from old southern money themselves, were less than thrilled when Meghan had called them to tell them the news of their engagement.

  “They weren’t happy, were they?” Jack asked as he read Meghan’s face.

  “No, they were!” she lied. “I think they just wish they could have been here to see our engagement.”

  “Oh,” he said. “Well, I can’t wait to see them both soon and celebrate with them. Your dad will be fine, honey. I’m sure it’s all under control.”

  Six hours later, Meghan awoke from a troubled slumber as her plane touched down in Texas. She was not a great flier, nor did she ever sleep well on an airplane, and she rubbed her swollen eyes as passengers began to file into the aisle.

  “Meghan?” asked a woman in a southern twang.

  Meghan shuddered; she looked exhausted, her clothes were messy, and her family still was not replying to her texts. The last thing she wanted to do was visit with someone from her hometown.

  She smiled as a familiar face leaned down and waved at her from two aisles ahead. It was Joy Ford, her friend from high school. She and Joy had been cheerleaders together, and Joy embodied her name; she was one of the sweetest people Meghan had ever met.

  “How are you doing?” Meghan asked. “It’s been too long!”

  “You would know if you made it back to our high school reunion last year,” Joy chided her. “I’m just teasing; your mama told me you opened a business and that you were too busy to make it back to old Texas. No hard feelings though; I’ve always wished you the best, and I am so happy to hear your business is doing well. Your mama speaks so highly of you.”

  “She does? And what are you doing on this flight? Were you up north?”

  “I was at a girls’ weekend in Arizona,” she informed Meghan. “We must have had the same flight in Phoenix. Oh yes,” Joy told her. “She said it disappointed her that you didn’t get married out of college like the rest of us girls on the cheer squad, but she is happy you are happy.”

  “Oh,” Meghan replied, feeling disappointed that her mother seemed to still want her to be a proper southern belle. “So, how’s married life anyway? I’ll be there soon….”

  Joy squealed as Meghan flashed her ring. “It’s adorable, Meghan!” she told her as she eyed Meghan’s ring. “I can tell it has character.”

  Meghan looked discretely at Joy’s left hand. She had been at Joy’s wedding and remembered Joy’s ring was nice, but now, as she stood with her engagement ring on her hand, she realized Joy’s engagement ring was monstrously large; it could have demanded its own zip code, and Meghan felt a brief flash of embarrassment at her simple ring.

  “The side stones are from his family,” Meghan shrugged as she entered the aisle and followed Joy out of the airplane.

  “That’s precious,” Joy commented, slipping her arm through Meghan’s when they reached the airport. “Say, have you heard the news about Trixie? She just inherited her daddy’s oil company. And Mandy took over her mama’s law firm! Diane is managing her mama’s shampoo company, too. Everyone around here is doing well... including Fred James. Remember him? Well, of course you do! Freddy is about to become the richest fellow in town. His daddy is giving him his family business on January 1st! How exciting, right? I’m sure you’ll be happy to see everyone and catch up since you are home for Christmas. How long are you home for, anyways?”

  Meghan shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I came home last minute. Mama told me my dad isn’t doing well, and she begged me to rush home. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I need to get home quickly…”

  Joy’s hazel eyes widened. “You should have said something and stopped me from gabbing,” she gasped. “My car is waiting outside; my husband couldn’t pick me up, but he sent his driver. Let me get you home!”

  Joy and Meghan hurried to the car, and within the hour, Meghan was standing in front of the massive Texas estate where she had grown up. “See you soon,” Joy waved as she sped off. “Tell your family I’m praying for them!”

  Meghan took a long breath as she stared at the enormous antebellum plantation-style house. She remembered the last time she had stood on the wraparound porch, right before she moved to Los Angeles. Had it been that long since she had been home? She thought about how much she had changed, how much her life had changed, and she wondered what waited for her behind the double doors.

  3

  “S URPRISE!”

  Meghan’s jaw dropped; standing in the massive foyer of her parents’ home were her mother, father, siblings, and their significant others. Her mother was beaming, and her father ran forward to wrap Meghan in a huge hug.

  “What is going on?” Meghan exclaimed, feeling woozy as she smelled the distinct scent of her father’s expensive cologne. “Daddy? I thought you were in the hospital! What are you doing home? What is everyone doing here?”

  Rebecca, Meghan’s mother, stepped forward and clapped her hands excitedly. “We knew this was the only way to get you home for the holidays!” she declared as Meghan gasped. “Your sisters and I played a little trick on you.”

  Meghan’s dark eyes widened. “Daddy? You’re okay? There was no emergency?”

  Henry Truman shook his head, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he pulled Meghan close into his broad chest. “No emergency,” he confirmed. “I just wanted to see all of my children home for the holidays, and your mama suggested this little scheme to get my baby girl here!”

  Meghan pushed away from her father. “Does everyone know? Does Jack know? Was he in on this?”

  Rebecca’s face darkened. “No,” she sighed. “We didn’t want him to ruin the surprise.”

  Mandy, Meghan’s younger sister, nodded. “Jack didn’t come down here and ask us if he could marry you,” she said snottily. “So we didn’t think to include him in on this little surprise.”

  Meghan shook her head. “That’s terrible,” she murmured as she bit her lip. “He’s worried sick about you, Daddy. You should have let him know what was going on.”

  “He should have shown up down here with you if he truly thought there was a problem,” Henry countered. “Now, enough of this talk. Give your daddy a proper hug.”

  Meghan obliged, still irritated with her family for excluding Jack from the surprise, but aware that she needed to put on a happy face for the dozens of people gathered in the foyer. She didn’t want to embarrass her parents with an outburst.

  “We missed you, Meghan!” Molly, her youngest sister, shouted as she ran forward and grabbed onto Meghan’s leg. “You haven’t been home in so long.”

  Rebecca winked at Meghan. “See? It’s about time you came home. All your sisters are so happy to see you.”

  “And happy to celebrate your engagement!” cried Myrtle, her favorite sister. Myrtle was eight years younger than Meghan, but they had always been close, and at twenty-one, Myrtle looked like a miniature version of Meghan. She had the womanly curves Meghan had developed as a young woman, and her shiny dark hair cascaded in loose waves down her back.

  “Oh, Myrtle!” Meghan kissed her sister on the cheek. “You are lovelier and lovelier each day. I am so happy to see you!”

  “I can’t believe you’re here!” Myrtle cried, her dark eyes filled with happy tears. “Let’s see that ring!”

  Meghan held out her hand, and four of her sisters rushed forward. “It’s very... quaint,” sniffed Mellie, the eldest of the Truman sisters. Mellie was technically Meghan’s half-sister; Henry had been married briefly to Mellie’s mother, who had passed away when s
he was only a baby. Mellie and Meghan had always had a tension between them; only two years apart in age, Mellie was highly competitive with Meghan, and she was jealous that the younger sisters tended to turn to Meghan for sisterly advice and counsel. Mellie was unhappily married to a stockbroker, and they lived in a Dallas penthouse that cost as much as ten houses combined in Sandy Bay. Mellie’s wedding had been a wildly expensive and elegant social affair, and her ten-carat yellow diamond engagement ring was large enough to sink a boat.

  “Thanks,” Meghan replied stiffly as Mandy wrinkled her nose.

  “Quaint isn’t the right word,” Mandy corrected Mellie. “I think more like... tiny.”

  “Mandy,” Rebecca warned. “That’s enough.”

  “I think it’s beautiful,” Myrtle said, her chin held high. “It’s the perfect ring for Meghan: timeless and pretty.”

  “That’s the perfect way to describe it,” Meghan replied, grateful her favorite sister was on her side. “I am so happy with it, though to be honest, I love Jack so much, that I would have married him with a paper ring!”

  “Ewww,” said Mellie. “That would have been tacky.”

  “Enough,” Rebecca growled. “Enough talk about rings. Let’s help Meghan get settled in. We can visit with her in the parlor like proper hosts.”

  Rebecca waved over Stephanie, the family housekeeper. “Stephanie, please take Meghan’s things upstairs. We’ll be gathering in the parlor, so if you could put together some snacks and bring them in to us when you are done, that would be nice.”

  Meghan’s face brightened. “Stephanie!” she cried as she ran to the housekeeper and hugged her. “It’s so good to see you.”

  “You too, baby,” Stephanie replied as she kissed Meghan on the forehead. “You are growing up to be such a beautiful woman. Your Mama tells me you are getting married, too? What a happy time.”

  “It is,” Meghan agreed. “It sure is.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the Truman family had convened in the parlor of the family home. Henry sat in the overstuffed red leather chair in front of the fireplace, a small fire burning behind him. Rebecca sat beside him on the antique chaise lounge, her legs elegantly crossed at the ankles. The Truman siblings sat on two matching cream-colored couches, Meghan cuddling close to Myrtle as Stephanie served tea and finger sandwiches.

  “We are so happy to have all of you home for the holidays,” Henry’s voice boomed. “What a sweet time to have all of my children here. We will celebrate Christmas together and the charity ball!”

  “What charity ball?” Meghan asked. “Don’t you two usually go to a ball each Christmas?”

  Rebecca shook her head. “We do, but this year, things are different,” she informed her daughter. “We are throwing a small gala here for the holidays. Your Daddy has been awarded the keys to the city for his service to the business community, and he is going to be honored here at home! We will host a fine party for all the right people because…”

  “Because your Daddy might be running for office next year!” Henry interjected.

  “You would make such a wonderful Governor of Texas,” Mandy said daintily as Henry grinned. “Wouldn’t Mama make such a pretty first lady?”

  “She would,” Mellie agreed, sitting primly, her enormous ring sparkling in the lights. “And we would make excellent First Daughters of the great state of Texas! The ladies at the Junior League would be so envious.”

  Meghan looked at her parents. They were traditional southerners, and while they could be overbearing, she knew they would lead Texas with grace and common sense. “I’m so happy for you, Daddy,” she told him, a smile on her face. “I think you would make a fine Governor.”

  “Thank you, honey,” he replied. “I will announce my candidacy at the ball with my family by my side. That’s why we were so desperate to get you down here, baby girl. We wanted all of our children with us when we told the world of our plans.”

  She grinned. “Jack is planning to fly down this weekend,” she announced. “I will call him and tell him there isn’t an emergency, but he should still come for the ball.”

  Rebecca coughed awkwardly. “Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked Meghan. “The ball will already be crowded, and there will be plenty of handsome, interesting, successful young men there for you to visit with. Why don’t you just tell Jack to stay home? You can see him over the New Year.”

  Meghan stood up. “He’s my fiancé,” she explained angrily. “He’s going to be part of this family soon. He has every right to be here with us.”

  “Does he though?” Mellie countered. “If he couldn’t fly down here and properly talk with Mama and Daddy about your engagement, I don’t think he should be welcome in this house.”

  “We live a thousand miles away from here!” Meghan argued. “And Jack is a detective. His schedule is so unpredictable. Besides, he told me that last Christmas he mentioned proposing to me to Mama and Daddy, and Daddy was fine with it. Jack didn’t think he needed to mention it twice.”

  “That was a whole year ago,” Henry said gruffly. “And didn’t you two break up between then and now?”

  “Yes….” Meghan stammered. “But…”

  “I would have appreciated better communication from him,” Rebecca admitted. “But what’s done is done. Meghan is engaged, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “Exactly!” Meghan said firmly. “Jack will be part of this family, and if you can’t accept that, I’m going home to Sandy Bay.”

  “No, don’t do that,” Mandy rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic, Meghan. No wonder you went off to Hollywood. We’re just giving you a hard time, and you know it.”

  “We’re happy for you,” Myrtle told her as she squeezed Meghan’s hand. “Tell us more about your bakery, Meghan. I am so eager to hear about it, and I know everyone else is.”

  Meghan took a deep breath before sitting back down. “The bakery is my passion,” she explained as her sisters nodded. “I am learning a lot each day, but I’ve really taken to baking.”

  “What things do you bake?” asked Millicent, another sister in her early twenties. “Cakes?”

  “Cakes, scones, tarts, everything! Tarts have been my latest obsession,” she admitted gleefully. “I’ve been trying to perfect my recipe in time for the holidays. I can teach you all to make some, if you’d like.”

  Rebecca chuckled good-naturedly. “No, dear,” she said. “I’m the queen of tarts around this household. I’m the only one who gets to make them here.”

  “Fine, fine,” Meghan laughed. “No tarts. But we could make an apple bake or a cinnamon twist roll. What do you girls think about that?”

  Before the sisters could answer, Stephanie entered the parlor. “Ma’am? Sir? You have a visitor.”

  “Oh?” Rebecca replied with raised eyebrows. “We weren’t expecting company, were we, Henry?”

  Henry shook his head. “No,” he agreed. “Stephanie, who is it?”

  Meghan’s jaw dropped as a familiar face walked in. It was Fred James, her high school sweetheart.

  “Fred!” Rebecca exclaimed as Fred greeted her. He kissed her on both cheeks and then shook Henry’s hands. “I heard you have a special guest,” he said as he turned to greet Meghan. “Meghan, it is so good to see you.”

  Meghan’s heart pounded as she stared into Fred’s chocolate brown eyes. He was more handsome than ever; with his tall stature, muscular shoulders, and sharp jaw-line, he looked like a movie star as he stood grinning at her.

  “Good to see you too,” Meghan whispered. “What are you doing here?”

  He shrugged. “I had to see you,” he told her as her sisters gasped. “First loves are so special, and when I heard you were in town, I knew I had to see you sooner rather than later. Mandy told me about the plan to get you home, and I called up Mrs. Truman when I heard the news. Your Mama told me to drop by anytime, so here I am.”

  “Oh, did she?” Meghan asked. “It seems everyone knew about this surprise, except for me.
And Jack, my fiancé.”

  “Ahhh, yes,” Fred said. “I heard there was a fiancé. He’s a security guard, right? Something in that field?”

  “A detective,” she told him flatly. “Jack is a detective.”

  “Where is Jack?” Fred asked. “He let you come down here alone?”

  “Jack couldn’t get off of work,” Rebecca explained in amusement. “So poor Meghan is here all alone.”

  “She won’t be alone for long,” Fred assured her parents. “I’ll look out for her while she’s in town, mark my words.”

  4

  T hree days later, it was time for the Truman’s ball. Meghan, who was staying in her childhood bedroom, did not feel motivated to dress up; upon finding out that Henry was in fine health, Jack had chosen not to fly down for the weekend.