Page 30 of Pity Present
“What do you mean, how was tonight?”
She clears her throat and pauses briefly before saying, “Did you go down to the dining room again for supper? Did you get the Beef Wellington?”
“What Beef Wellington?”
“Didn’t I tell you about that? It was my favorite meal while I was there.”
I have no memory of that but of course, I don’t always listen to every word Ellen says. “I thought your favorite meal was the almond-crusted trout.”
“That was my second favorite,” she says. “So, what did you do tonight and why did it take you so long to call me back?”
It suddenly feels like too much effort to concoct a full-blown lie, so I tell her, “The lodge hosted a cocktail party in the great room for the guests. I went for a bit, hoping to get an idea of the kinds of things they’d like to see in the gift shop.”
“All work, huh?” She sounds disappointed.
“That’s why I’m here,” I remind her.
“You can’t blame me for hoping you might meet that lumberjack.”
“No lumberjacks, but I did run into somebody we both know and don’t love.”
“Allison Finch?” she asks.
“Why would Mom and Dad’s neighbor be in Elk Lake this time of year?” Before she can answer, I say, “She’d miss out on criticizing everyone’s holiday decorations.”
“That woman is truly awful,” Ellen agrees. “Do you know she told Mom her inflatable snowman looks like a cheater?”
I snort. “Who’s he cheating on, the blow-up Santa Claus?”
“Who knows. I swear though, that woman needs to get a life.”
“Speaking of cheating and getting a life…” I start to say.
“Yes?”
“The person I ran into was Kyle.”
“Your former Kyle? The scum of the Earth Kyle? Kyle, the man I want to run through with a nail file, Kyle?”
Ellen could go on for hours like this, so I tell her, “Yes. That Kyle.”
“What in the world is he doing up there?”
If I say he’s here for a singles’ event, my sister will insist that Ithrow myself into the mix, so I don’t go there. “I didn’t bother to ask.”
“Was he there with Amelia?”
“I didn’t stick around long enough to find out.”
“Oh, Molly,” Ellen says with such sympathy I feel my eyes start to fill with tears. “What awful, horrible, rotten luck. Do you want me to come up there? I would happily beat him up for you.”
The fact that I almost want her to come says a lot about the current condition of my mental state. I forcibly remind myself that it would be a nightmare if Ellen was here. I remind myself that Kyle doesn't mean anything to me and therefore isn't worth thenightmare of Ellen coming head-to-head with him. “Don’t come. You need to spend time with Henry and his family.”
“You’remy family,” she says, “and if you need me, then you’re my priority.”
“Henry might be your family soon, too,” I tell her.
She grunts. “Maybe, but he’s not yet, so just say the word and I’ll be on my way.”
