23. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
L enore stood back from the table and thought, It’s perfect. Everything is perfect . She’d ironed her favorite linen tablecloth, the one with the red primroses and green ribboning, and set out the silverware and the glassware. She laid her hand over her blooming belly and absentmindedly rubbed it. Only a couple more months now. Her attention shifted from the table to the kitchen window, where a mixture of sleet and snow was hitting the glass sideways. November had been a terrible month, weatherwise, damp and rainy, but over the last few days, the temperature had gotten colder. Out the back window, the lake was turbulent, almost black in color. The spume from the waves was heavy and brownish white.
With a quick glance at the clock, she knew John would soon be home from work. Dinner was almost ready. The kitchen smelled wonderfully of roast beef and onions. She was hungry, but then she was always hungry. As she pulled the black enamel pan out of the oven, she heard her husband come through the front door.
He stood in the entrance to the kitchen, watching her. She went to him, kissing him on the lips.
“Dinner’s ready, if you want to wash up.” She brushed a light dusting of snow off the shoulders of his wool coat. “It’s roast beef and mashed potatoes tonight.”
“I’ll eat quickly as I have to go back to work. I came home to tell you that.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but we’re expecting some trouble tonight,” he said.
“Oh, you’re not alone, are you?” she asked, worried.
“No, everyone is coming in tonight,” he said.
“It must be big,” she said. Her anxiety increased. For the most part, being a policeman’s wife caused her no worry. Lavender Bay was not a criminal hotspot, and it was mostly petty crime. From time to time, she wondered if John missed the excitement of Chicago. But she never asked, too afraid of the answer.
“I’ll be late, so don’t wait up,” he told her.
He ate his dinner quickly, refusing a second helping, which was unlike him. As he ate, he alternated between glancing at the clock and checking his wristwatch. When Lenore asked him if he was all right, he quickly flashed her a reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Once his plate was empty, he stood and headed off to the bedroom to change his shirt. She tidied up and made him two sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper for him to take with him. He was taking longer than usual, and she went upstairs to check on him. Through the open bedroom door, she spotted him, standing in front of his bureau, checking his gun for bullets. She froze. Although he carried a gun, he’d never had to use it. Immediately, she prayed that tonight would be no different.
Holstering the gun, he noticed her standing in the doorway. In a few quick strides, he was at her side, pulling her into his embrace. “Don’t worry about that. Just a precaution. I had to blow the dust out of it, as I never use it.” He laughed, but it didn’t sound funny.
She leaned against him, and he kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, my love. This is Lavender Bay, not Chicago.” She was glad of that.
He pulled away and placed his broad hand over the expanse of her belly. “How’s Junior?”
She smiled. “Kicking up a storm today.”
“That’s my boy.”
“What will you do if it’s a girl?”
“Nothing, I’ll love her just as much.”
“Thank goodness for that,” she teased.
His face became somber again. “Did you want to go to your parents’ house for the evening? ”
That was when she knew he was worried about whatever was going to happen that evening. He’d worked late before, but had never suggested she go to her parents’ house.
“No, I’ll be fine. I’ve got some sewing and crocheting to keep me occupied.”
“I won’t wake you when I come home.”
“No, please wake me,” she said. “Just so I know you got home safe.”
“Okay, Lenore.”
He kissed her again and headed out of the bedroom. She followed him down the staircase, her hand sliding along the banister on her way down.
She glanced out the window, dismayed that the snow and sleet continued. John pulled on his coat and put his hat on his head.
Before he left, he kissed her. “I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
But he was already out the door and closing it behind him.