“So,Hammy, speaking of this season of life turning out differently than we guessed, did you ever expect to get tangled inChristmaslights with a woman one night, then tube down a snowy hill with her the next?”
Ididn’t even think to dream about that orIwould have. “No,”Isay with a sly smile, “but nowIknow whatIwant my retirement plan to be.”
SomethingcrossesAnnette’sface thatIcan’t interpret.Uncertainty, maybe?
Sheshakes her head. “I’mnot thinking about retirement—I’mstill trying to figure out what happened toFunAnnette.Sheleft around age thirty-two and hasn’t been seen since.Ithink she might be in witness protection.”
“FunAnnetteisn’t gone.Shejust went on a covert mission for a bit.”Andthis time, it’s me bringing up operatives.It’salmost likeIwantAnnetteto know.
“Andnow it’s time for me to ‘come in from the cold’?That’swhat they call it, right?”
Ichuckle. “Ithink that’s for operatives who’ve gone rogue.”
“MaybeFunAnnettedidgo rogue, and she’s out there making questionable decisions and hiding fromResponsibilityAnnette.”
“I’veonly ever seenFunAnnette.Well, andStop,Thief!Annette.Whatmakes you feel like you lost her?”
“That’snot a conversation topic for a first date.”
“Areyou worried it’d scare me off?Imean, in the past—”Iglance at my watch—“twenty-eight hours,I’vebeen pulled off a ladder by a protective canine, tangled in lights, accused of being a thief, facedDoomslideSummit, and braved going airborne off a ramp made by children, andI’mnot scared yet.”
Annettelaughs. “Fairenough.Okay.Well,Iwas married for twenty-seven years, butIdidn’t exactly have a partner.Inthe beginning, it was easy to letFundrive our lives.Then, we had a child, soResponsibilitytook the wheel andFunwas pushed to the passenger’s seat.Brycedidn’t like that, so he decided to get in his own car soFuncould still drive instead of staying in the family car with us.
“Thenwe had a second child, and as she grew, more and more responsibilities piled in—school, homework, sports, making healthy meals, doctor visits, never-ending laundry, play dates, music lessons, making sure soccer cleats still fit, and science fair projects got completed—andFungot pushed to the back seat.Thento the trunk.Atsome point, without even noticing it happened, it fell right out the back.”
Annetteputs a hand on her forehead before using it to brush her hair away. “It’snot likeIhated any of those responsibilities.Well, maybe laundry.AndIcan’t blame everything onBryce—that’s not fair.Imean, who knows?MaybeI’dbe exactly whereIam either way.Iguess that’s not the point.It’sthat nowIcanletFunAnnettetake the wheel butIdon’t know how to entice her back.”
Istudy her for a moment. “I’vegot an idea.”Ipull out my phone to look up the city’s list of activities for the holidays.Andthen my phone starts to ring.Notthe one in my hand, but theone in my coat pocket.There’san instant shift in energy between us the moment she realizesIhave a second phone.
“Iam so sorry.Thisis work.Canyou give me a minute?”
Iwalk a dozen feet away asIanswer.It’smy assistant,Soren.He’sat the office, working late.The3D printer is out of ink and he can’t find any.AsI’mexplaining where it is,Ilook atAnnette.Ifher ex-husband had been lettingFundrive, there were probably times when she felt she couldn’t trust him.Maybehe even had his own second phone.Itisn’t hard to guess that she likely has trust issues.
Andthen there’s me.I’vespent most of my life wearing disguises and pretending to be different people.I’vebeen pretending to beHammyfor the past six years.LikeI’many better.
Sorenfinds the ink.Ihang up, slide the phone into my pocket, and head back to the bench by the fire whereAnnetteis waiting.
Tokeep things light,Isay, “Well,FunAnnettehas definitely come in from the cold tonight.I’dsay that the best way to keep her around is to keep inviting her back for more ‘missions.’”
“Oh, yeah?”
Inod, thinkingIshouldn’t ask her on another date but desperately wanting to. “Tonightwas part one of her re-orientation.TheLancasterfamily’sSecretSantanight is a lot of fun, and it’s this weekend.Whatdo you say to going with me?Wecan enticeFunAnnetteto stick around.”
Shesmiles. “IthinkI’dlike that.”
CHAPTER 4
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS CLUES
Annette
Iwalk withHammyto the corner ofKeyhavenParkto meet theLancasterfamily before heading into the holiday market and festival.Theair is crisp and fresh and although it’s cold, it’s not bitingly so.Thesun has set, but the entire park is well-lit.
Iused to bring my kids to this event.Thereare vendor booths, a stage where local groups singChristmassongs, andSanta’sWorkshopandVillage.Weloved it all.Thisevent always draws lots of families.
I’lladmitIwas a little thrown a couple of nights ago whenHammypulled out a second cell phone, probably because of everything withBryce.Idecided not to freak out, especially becauseHammyandIhad so much fun!Ididn’t want the night to end.Hemust not have, either, because we sat by the fire, talking, until they kicked us out.
Ispot five people waiting at the park’s corner.Awoman who’s about my age and looks like she could take charge of any situation is talking to a younger couple whose backs are to us.Atall man with broad, beefy shoulders stands with a blond, athletic woman.Hammywaves, but they don’t react.Asif they didn’t realize he was waving at them.
