Page 7 of Christmas Secrets

Angus’s eyes narrowed at Pauley’s husband. “Yer no help.”

Ainsley’s mouth curved up in a dimpled grin. “I’ll help ye, Pauley, if ye want to take him down.”

Angus growled and huffed his chest out. “Ye are all about to get taken to the woodshed if ye don’t settle down now. Let’s stick to the problem at hand.” He turned back to the pans on the cabinet amid guffaws and hoots and pointed. “I’m starvin’ and that’s the problem.”

The women burst out laughing and Jamie chuckled.

“You are always hungry, honey,” Poppy replied. “Okay, I’ll be the one to take the lid off since you appear to be scared of the contents.” She walked to the cabinet and lifted the cover on one of the pans, then leaned down to sniff the contents. Then she ripped the lid completely off and stared. “It smells delicious,” she announced in wonder.

The others gathered around her. “Yeah, but does it taste delicious?” Angus asked, his eyes narrowing at the offending pan.

Pauley opened the drawer near her, took out a fork, and handed it to Angus. “Here. Since ye are the man in charge at the moment, taste it.”

Angus stared at the fork. “Why do I have to taste it?”

Ainsley snorted. “Ye are the one always bragging about yer educated palate, Angus. Besides, aren’t ye supposed to be the protector of us helpless women?” She giggled at the expression on his face.

He shook his finger at Ainsley. “Ye ain’t so grown that ye can’t go over a knee, ye know.”

Ainsley just rolled her eyes. “Ye would say that no matter how old I am.”

“And it would still be true,” Angus replied with a snort. “Give me that,” he told Pauley, holding his hand out for the fork. Once he had it in hand, he dug down into the corner of the lasagna and cut off a small portion of the offering and gingerly placed it in his mouth. As he chewed, his eyes opened wider and wider.

“Well?” the other’s demanded to know. “What’s yer assessment?”

“Cripes, but that’s outstandin,” he exclaimed. Then he put his hand over the pan in a possessive gesture. “Turn on the oven, will ye? This pan is mine, ye lassies can have the other one.”

“And what am I supposed to eat?” Jamie asked, his eyebrows going sky high. “I’m not one of the lassies ye know.”

Angus grinned. “I guess ye can share with me and Darro.”

Jamie rolled his eyes.

Among good natured ribbing all around, the lasagna was soon in the oven along with the garlic toast. They quickly set about opening the paper plates and such that Lucerne had handy on the cabinet. Then they moved to the bench style table with fresh tea and waited while the tantalizing odor permeated the kitchen.

They looked up when Ben appeared in the doorway of the back entrance hall to the kitchen, his cheeks and nose bright red from the cold. He sniffed the air appreciatively. “Is that Dottie’s lasagna I smell?” His tone was slightly disbelieving but he took off his gloves and hat and unzipped his coat.

“It might be,” Angus growled, his stomach growling loudly along with him. “I get one pan, the rest of ye have to share the other one.”

“Ha,” Ben hooted. “I don’t think so, Dad. Dottie is on her way home and told me to grab some fer us. She has stuff in the truck that she doesn’t want to keep sitting outside, so she’s going straight home.”

Poppy smiled happily at Ben. “I think Dottie has a prize-winning recipe this time, Ben. You should be proud of your wife. Whatever she did, it more than passed Angus’s taste test.”

Ben scoffed. “Any halfway edible dish passes Dad’s taste test.”

“Need I remind ye heathens that I have a very educated palate?” Angus inserted, glowering at his son.

“We know, we know,” they all chorused.

“It should be ready any minute, Ben,” Ainsley broke in. “Would ye like some hot tea? Ye look like an ice cube.”

Ben nodded and stuffed his hat and gloves into his pockets and then took off his coat. “I’d appreciate that, my hands are pretty cold. I think the temperature is dropping.” He turned and went into the entrance way to hang up his coat while Ainsley went to the counter and poured him a mug of tea.

“Here ye go,” she chirped, handing him the mug when he came back.

He grasped both hands around it and sighed with pleasure. “Now that feels good. Thanks, Ainsley.”

Angus’s cell phone rang as Ben took a seat at the table. He fished it out of his pocket and saw the caller was Darro. “Hiya, boss.”

---