Celebrate in Good Hope (Good Hope #22)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Gladys Bertholf stood on the terrazzo floor at the back of the Good Hope Community Theater, studying the stage. At one time, the once gorgeous Art Deco building had fallen into disrepair. Then the citizens of Good Hope had stepped up and allocated money for renovations.

She’d always viewed this building as her home away from home. Gladys had starred in so many stage productions over the past seven decades that she couldn’t recall the names of them all. A handful of years ago, she had exchanged her acting crown for a director’s hat.

Earlier in the year, when she’d researched venues where she could celebrate her one hundredth birthday on New Year’s Eve, she’d come up with several possibilities.

Hill House, the Victorian mansion where the Women’s Events League held their meetings, had come to mind first.

Gladys had not only been a part of the Cherries, the civic group that planned most of the events in Good Hope, for most of her life, but she had served as the organization’s treasurer until well into her eighties.

Another possibility was the Good Hope Living Center, an independent retirement community where she had a spacious apartment. She knew the management would be more than happy if she chose to celebrate under their roof.

Ah, but this place…

Gladys let her gaze drift upward to admire the ceiling with its ornate plasterwork and gold metallic accents before dropping it back to the stage curtain of thick red velvet.

This place really did feel like home to her. To not only stage a production at her party but star in it seemed befitting the Queen of the Theater.

“ Spotlight is going to be stupendous.”

Another woman might have jumped at the unexpected voice at her side. It took more than that to startle Gladys. She turned toward her longtime friend Ruby Rakes.

“It is indeed.” The years hadn’t diminished Gladys’s deep theatrical voice, capable of reaching any theater’s back row with minimal effort.

Gladys frowned. “Where’s Katherine? I thought she was picking you up from your hair appointment and coming with you.”

“I’m here.” Katherine’s bony fingers gripped the silver acorn that adorned the top of her “walking stick.” Not a cane. Her friend, younger than Gladys by a good seven years, might need a little extra stability, but she did not use a cane .

She’d told them she’d chosen this walking stick because the acorn symbolized strength and longevity.

Gladys turned to offer her friend a smile. “Where were you hiding out?”

“Just inspecting the facilities.” The former accountant, tall and handsome with salt-and-pepper hair that was now much more salt-heavy, smiled. “I’m pleased to report they are well maintained and up to your high standards.”

These two women were Gladys’s oldest and dearest friends. She didn’t take their presence in her life for granted. Too many friends, colleagues and even family had passed from her life. That Ruby and Katherine would be here to celebrate New Year’s Eve with her was all the gift she needed.

Of course, she wouldn’t let them know that. She would graciously accept if they wanted to buy her a birthday gift.

“That is excellent news.” Gladys offered Katherine a wry smile. “Now, where shall we go for lunch?”

“I was thinking Muddy Boots. They have Reubens on the menu today.” Ruby wrinkled her nose. “Tom at the Living Center can’t make a decent Reuben to save his soul.”

“You and Gladys were just there Saturday,” Katherine reminded her. “Why didn’t you get one then? Even though I know Dr. Passmore wouldn’t like you having so much sodium.”

“Pfft.” Ruby waved a dismissive hand. “I’m eighty-seven. If I can’t indulge every now and then, what’s the point?”

“I considered the Reuben,” Gladys admitted. “But Beck had the chicken pot pie on special.”

“You should have been there, Katherine.” Ruby’s expression instantly brightened. “When that pot pie fell into that man’s lap, it was like a skit from some slapstick comedy.”

“Except, while entertaining, it wasn’t funny. Even though he did jump up like one of those jack-in-the-box toys.” Gladys motioned for them to follow her back into the gilded lobby that even now held round tables that would be used for an upcoming Christmas event. “I wish I knew who the young man was.”

Gladys took a seat at one of the tables.

Katherine frowned. “Why are we sitting down?”

“Just taking a minute to soak in the ambience.” No way was Gladys admitting that her legs were tired of standing. Another sign—not that she was getting old, but simply an indication that she needed to work on her core strength.

As soon as Ruby and Katherine sat, Ruby leaned forward. “I know who he is. ”

Gladys pinned Ruby with a sharp look. “How long have you known, and why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”

Ruby smiled. “I just discovered his identity from Evie this morning at the hair salon.”

“I have news on that front, too. But I’ll let Ruby go first.” Katherine’s smug expression set Gladys’s teeth on edge.

As far as Gladys was concerned, she should be the one dispensing news, not receiving it. She consoled herself that she hadn’t had time yesterday to ferret out the information. Yesterday’s practice had gone long when Melvin Boggs, the sound guy, had become light-headed and needed to go home.

Then it had been time for dinner, followed by several hands of bridge.

“The client Marigold had before me had arrived a few minutes late, which meant I had to wait. Only ten minutes, but it was long enough that I could quiz Evie about the man she was having lunch with.” Ruby paused.

Gladys knew Ruby was hoping she would press for information. She merely smiled.

The silence stretched and extended.

Behind her cat-eye frames, Ruby’s bright blue eyes darted from Gladys to Katherine, then back to Gladys. Her friend had always reminded Gladys of a chipper little sparrow, never more so than at this moment.

“His name is Jason Boone. He plays for the Colorado Grizzlies.” The words tumbled past Ruby’s peach-colored lips. “He was injured because of a particularly nasty hit and had to have his liver—no, no, his spleen taken out. Or it was ruptured and repaired. I’m not sure. I do know that Krew offered him the use of his cabin to recuperate.”

Krew Slattery, hometown hero and now a coach for the Colorado Grizzlies, occasionally returned to Good Hope with his family, usually for special events and to visit his wife’s sister and her family .

“That sounds like the same injury that Krew had when he returned to Good Hope and ended up getting back together with Cassie,” Gladys reminded the women.

“I have even more interesting news.” Katherine shifted in the straight-backed chair as if trying to find a comfortable position. “Roe Carson, she’s the new server at Muddy Boots, the one with the dark hair and?—”

“We know who she is,” Gladys cut Katherine off, eager for her to get to the point. She glanced at Ruby. “Roe was our server on Saturday.”

“The one who spilled the pot pie on that nice young man,” Ruby added.

One thing Gladys could say about her friends was that, like her, they loved being in the know and being the first to share information.

“Well, Roe is also staying at Krew’s cabin.”

Gladys’s posture had always been above reproach. But her spine grew even more stiff, and her heart sped up. “How do you know this?”

Katherine’s lips curved. She was obviously pleased at Gladys’s reaction and apparent interest. “Eliza told me when I was over for dinner last night.”

Gladys admired how Eliza Kendrick, Katherine’s relative, always seemed to have her finger on the community pulse. Eliza was also a reliable narrator. If she said Roe was staying at the Slattery cabin, the young woman was there.

“Who told her that?”

Gladys could have kissed Ruby for asking the question, hovering on her tongue’s tip.

Katherine’s gaze grew thoughtful. “Cade told Marigold, who told Ami, who told Lindsay, who told Eliza.”

The string made perfect sense, except for where it started. “How did Cade find out?”

“Roe Carson called 911.” Katherine went on to relay everything she knew about what had occurred at the cabin on Saturday night, ending with Cade leaving them at the cabin, ostensibly to “work things out.”

“This is most excellent news, Katherine.” Gladys would give kudos where kudos were due. “You know what we need to do now.”

“I do.” Katherine gave a nod worthy of a Queen.

Brows furrowed in confusion, Ruby flitted her gaze back and forth between her friends. “I don’t. Clue me in.”

“How long has it been since we matched anyone, Ruby?” Katherine spoke with far more patience than Gladys could muster.

“It’s been a while. We haven’t found anyone interesting and?—”

“Now we have.” Gladys couldn’t stop the smile even if she’d tried. “You girls have been asking what I want for my birthday.”

“You said you didn’t want anything,” Ruby reminded her.

“I’d love for us to have another successful match. It?—”

“You’re talking about Jason and Roe,” Katherine interrupted.

“Who else?” Gladys said, showing what she felt was remarkable restraint.

“He goes by Boone,” Ruby said.

Gladys blinked. “Pardon?”

“His name is Jason Boone, but he goes by Boone.” Ruby twittered. “That’s what he told Evie.”

“Boone and Roe.” Gladys rolled the names around on her tongue and found them very much to her liking. “Yes, I like the sound of them together.”

“Now we just need to find out if either is involved with anyone else.”

Katherine was once again the voice of reason. Gladys wished she’d mentioned that first. But no matter, her friend had a point.

“Well, Katherine, why don’t you check that out and let us know?” While it was wise to be certain, Gladys’s nearly infallible intuition told her that these two were both single and unattached.

After all, who would let their loved one be alone during the holidays?

And Gladys knew, just knew, that she was going to have a whole lot of fun with this match. Her heart picked up speed at the thought of how she and her friends would make this Christmas one that Boone and Roe would always remember.