Lunch at the Club

Ben had brought Mick for di

~~~~~

Mick had grown up with his wife.  Gloria was two years younger than Mick and she’d been his kid sister’s best friend.  But, the summer he finished his freshman year at college, he answered the door and there she stood, with a knock out figure stuffed into a red bikini top and daisy duke shorts, wearing contacts behind her Foster Grants, her blond hair hanging loosely just below her shoulders, dangling a set of car keys and asking if his sister was home.  Luckily for him, his sister breezed by him and went out the door.  Gloria turned around, pulled her sunglasses down her nose and winked at him.  “Welcome home, Mickey.” she’d said as she turned and walked toward her car.  They’d gotten married just two weeks after she graduated from high school.  They’d been married for over 20 years.

Then Gloria had started having severe headaches and according to Mick, she’d ignored them for too long and by the time he convinced her to go to the doctor, the cancer was inoperable.  She’d been dead for four years and Lane could tell by the way Mick talked about her that he still missed her.

~~~~~

Lane imagined that in 20 years of marriage Mick had eaten more than one di

Jamie was sitting at the breakfast bar and she handed him plates and silverware for four.

“Who’s coming?”  He hadn’t gotten much from Lane’s side of the phone call.

“Ben’s bringing Detective McGuire.  I think you met him at my birthday party.  He’s the one I called yesterday to help Ben.”

Jamie took the plates and the silverware and was setting the table as Ben came through the garage.  He had an older guy with him, and while his Mom thought they may have met at her birthday party last month, he didn’t look at all familiar to Jamie.

“Mick, it’s good to see you under ordinary circumstances.  Did Ben tell you I was cleaning out the refrigerator?”  She laughed. “I’m afraid we’re just having left overs.”

God she was beautiful.  And her laugh was like angels singing. He shook his head.  “He didn’t say a word, but I’d have come anyway.”  Hell yes, he’d have come.  He’d have come to eat sand, just to be able to look at her.

“You two may have met last month, but to be sure.  Mick, this is my son Jamie.  Jamie this is Detective Mick McGuire.”

Jamie reached out to shake Mick’s hand.  He didn’t like the way the guy looked at his mom.

“It’s nice to meet you, Detective.”

“Nice meeting you.  And please call me Mick.”

“All right, Mick.  What can I get you to drink?  We have Coke, Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, with caffeine and without, iced tea, coffee, water, wine, and beer.”

“That’s quite a list.  What would you recommend?”

“Mom makes a pretty good un-sweet iced tea.”

“So,” Mick looked at Lane.  “Where do you want me?”

“You can sit in Jess’s place.  Ben, will you show him?”

Jamie got glasses and began filling them with ice. If Ben wasn’t going to put this guy in his place, he’d have to.  “Dad, the usual for you?”

“Yeah, Bambino.”

“Mom, caffeine free DDP for you?”

“Yes, thanks.  Here, use this glass,” she said, handing Jamie the glass she’d been drinking from.  She handed the platters and bowls to Ben to set on the table.

There was meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, steamed asparagus, corn, pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, and fried chicken.  It looked to Mick like there was enough food to feed a small army.

Lane sat down and reached to take Ben’s and Jamie’s hands.  Ben and Jamie reached to take Mick’s hands.  And Jamie began saying grace.  “Lord, we thank you for this food and ask you to bless it and all of the hands who brought it to our table.  We ask you to bless our family and our guest.  We pray that Jess does well on her audition tomorrow so that she can get back soon and we can have the wedding.  In Jesus’ name we pray.”

Jamie hoped his prayer wasn’t rude, but he really, really didn’t like the way this Mick guy was looking at his mother.

Jamie’s prayer made Ben remember his conversation with Jess.  He had until Saturday to figure out something.

Lane began passing food around the table in a clockwise pattern.  “Help yourself, Mick.”

Mick had thought it looked like a lot of food until Jamie started piling things on his plate.

“Hey, Bambino.  Are you ready for the game tomorrow?”  Ben looked at Mick.  “Jamie plays football for Rockhurst.”

Football. That explained it.  His son Shane had played football and during the season, he remembered Gloria saying she couldn’t keep enough food in the house.

Mick listened as Bellini and the Parkers talked about their day.  He had forgotten how much he enjoyed the family di

After di

Mick had been in her house three times last month.  Once to question her, once he took her home because of a debilitating headache.  That time he’d sat on her bed and read while she slept, losing his sunglasses in the process so that he had to come back the next day and look for them.  Of course, then he’d found the murder weapon under her bed and he’d had to take her to the station to answer questions.  She’d called Ben to meet them at the station.  That was the first time he’d seen the way her face lit up when she looked at Bellini.  The day he came into the interview room to save her from the big bad detective.

He’d never been invited to sit in the family room and chat.  She sat in a chair and motioned for him to have a seat on the adjacent sofa.

“During grace, your son said something about the wedding.  When’s the big day?”

“We really aren’t sure.  We had pla

Ben had joined them and sat in the chair next to Lane.  “The marriage license is good for six months, so we have some time to figure it out.”

“We could always go back to the original plan and get married over her Christmas break.”  Lane said.

A look passed between Ben and Lane.  Mick wasn’t sure whose idea the accelerated timeline had been, but he wondered if it was Lane who was trying to get Ben to the altar before he changed his mind.  Mick believed that time was definitely on his side.  He’d been playing basketball in the same league with Ben for five years and he couldn’t remember Ben being serious with anyone, but he knew Ben had never lacked for female companionship either.

Jamie came into the family room.  “I’m going to my room to study.  Good night, Detective.  Mom, Dad, good night.  See you tomorrow.”

Lane smiled at her son.  She thought he was going to wait until after the wedding to start calling Ben dad, but he’d done it twice tonight.