Page 350 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“Hey,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “I know you.”

A wry look twisted her mouth. “Don’t throw up on me this time.”

He made a face. “Then maybe I should leave.”

Before anyone could stop him, he ran for the door.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

So much for saving Jack’s party. Then again, maybe it had been beyond saving the moment Prescott and Victoria had RSVP’d yes. Everyone stood in the room in shocked silence, and Maisie fought the crazy urge to laugh or ask about the canapés. Blue was looking out the door after Lee, like maybe she was worried about him. Leave it to Blue to worry about a man who’d been falling down drunk both times she’d met him.

“Is it true?” Addy asked her father, her voice hard.

“This is ridiculous,” Prescott said. “This is neither the time nor the place for this discussion. You’re ruining Georgie’s party.”

“Answer her question,” Georgie said, raising her voice with each word.

Prescott started to say something, then stopped and started again. “Your brother is exaggerating. I might be in asmallbit of trouble, but I have it under control.”

Dottie laughed. “A small bit?”

Prescott became enraged. “You.You did this.”

He lunged for her, but River and Jack quickly bodychecked him, holding him back. Not that Jack needed the help. He could have held Prescott back with one arm. Still, she liked that they’d acted together, that they weren’t awkward with each other.

“That woman is a conniving witch!” Prescott shouted.

Victoria, who’d turned the photos over as if to hide her indiscretion—or maybe the questionable mole—looked up with flashing eyes. “Sheis. She can read teacups.”

That earned her a disgusted look from Prescott, who shook off River and Jack. They stood by, ready to grab him if he tried to go for Dottie again.

“I refuse to take any more disrespect from my ungrateful children. I’m leaving.” He grabbed Victoria by the arm and headed for the front door, walking at a pace that indicated he would be driving straight to the airport in an attempt to waylay whatever was happening at his office. If the Feds hadn’t been combing through his papers, catching every single altered figure, he surely would’ve stayed until the bitter end to make every last person miserable.

“Prescott, my shoes,” Victoria squawked as she shuffled along in her three-inch heels.

“Good luck!” Addy called out after them. “I know for a fact there isn’t another flight to New York until morning. Plenty of time for the Feds to find everything. Being arrested isn’t a big deal, Dad! Happens to the best of us.”

Maisie finally let herself laugh then, because Adalia would know. Of course, she’d been arrested for destroying her own art, which had been stolen from her. Not for stealing someone else’s money.

Her father didn’t turn back to look at her, but his scowl deepened.

Before he could leave in a huff, the door to the street swung open so hard it would have broken his nose if he’d been any closer. Too bad.

Lurch and Stella stood in the opening, Lurch’s face still drawn up like a goat, along with a tall, silver-haired man with a chicken’s face superimposed on his features with paint. Lurchhad gotten the short end of that stick—at least the other guy’s face could be washed. They had Lee with them, and the silver-haired fireman was holding him up.

Addy and Georgie hustled up to the front of the room, Finn and River with them. Maisie looked for Jack, assuming he’d head up there to deal with the situation, only to feel a sudden warmth at her side. When she glanced up, he was there beside her, his eyes on hers, a question in his gaze. He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him, his touch sending a rush of relief through her so great she nearly crumpled from it.

Blue grinned at her and stepped off to stand next to Iris. With her updo and dress, Iris looked like the adult she was becoming, but the wave she gave Maisie was all teenager.

“The party has arrived!” Stella said grandly. “I’ll be painting faces for half an hour for my new project, but only if you’re willing to pose nude.” Glancing at Lee, she announced, “I’ve already found my first volunteer.”

Lee pulled away from the fireman a little, wobbling alarmingly, and took a step toward his father. “And another thing. I quit.”

“You’re a disgrace,” Prescott said, his cheeks flushed. “You’ll be back, though. You wouldn’t know how to stand on your own two feet if someone drew a diagram for you.”

He gave Lee a withering look of contempt, which Lee responded to by wobbling a little more, looking just this side of nauseous. Really, if ever there had been a time to vomit, surely it was now.

“He doesn’t need you,” Georgie said, seething.

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