Chapter Twenty-Five ~ December 29, 1948
"Here he comes Nora. Play along."
"What?" she asked, puzzled.
"Just play along," he said coming quickly to her side.
As the kitchen door opened, Nora was bent into a deep embrace, mouth against her neck appearing as if she was involved in a passionate kiss.
In spite of Lilli's presence, a startled Bo shouted, "What the hell's going on?!"
A familiar head popped up. "Oh look, Nora, he's found us out!"
Bo shook his head. "MICK GRANGER, YOU BAS…"
"Now watch it there, man! There's a child present!" Mick interrupted.
Bo grabbed his old army buddy into a slap-on-the-back hug. "What are you doing here?! It's good to see you!"
"You too!" Mick replied, grinning broadly. "I guess I should have called, but...I just decided to drop in."
"Glad you did! You going to stick around awhile?" Bo asked.
"Until you kick me out or Nora's cooking kills me," Mick laughed.
"Hey!" Nora exclaimed, giving Mick a look.
"Just kidding, Nora. But, the fishing business is a little slow this time of year, so I'm in no big hurry to get back."
"Well, good! We'll have plenty of time to catch up then," replied Bo, "and you can ring in the New Year with us."
New Year's Eve, 1948
Mick handed Tony his drink, "There you go, it's called 'The Godfather'. Let me know if you like it." Tony tasted his drink and thanked Mick before wandering back to the party.
When Mick found out Bo and Nora were hosting their neighbors for New Year's Eve, he volunteered to tend the bar. Bo had forgotten Mick had bartending experience. Once reminded, Bo happily agreed, and took Mick with him to choose the evening's liquor.
Mick enjoyed tending the bar...it made him less conspicuous as an outsider and allowed him the opportunity to get acquainted with everyone. He really wanted to get acquainted with that beautiful blonde bombshell in the corner. She didn't seem to be attached to anyone. He'd have to ask Bo about her.
As Mick was pondering this, Caroline Talbott turned and caught his eye. She raised a brow and gave him a teasing smile before excusing herself from her current company and meandering toward the bar.
"Hello…" Mick began in a friendly manner as Caroline approached, "and what can I do for you tonight, Miss…"
"Talbott...Caroline Talbott," she said bending her head coquettishly and looking at him from under thick lashes. "And what can you do for me? Well...I guess that remains to be seen...but, for right now, I'd like another drink."
Mick's eyes met hers with an intensity of their own. He knew how to play the game...was quite good at it in fact. "And what would you like, Miss Talbott? It is Miss Talbott, am I right? Please say 'yes'."
Caroline laughed. "Oh, you're too cute! So, you're an old army buddy of Bo's, huh? Well, they must have put all the handsome ones in the same troop!"
Mick shook his head, laughing. "You flatter me, Miss Talbott. So...what would you like to drink tonight?"
"It's Caroline and…surprise me," she murmured peering up at him again.
As Mick mixed Caroline a cocktail, Jack watched them laugh and flirt from across the room. Jack hated this...watching Caroline interact with another man and not having the freedom or right to do anything but watch. The only reason he even came back to the Buchanan's tonight was because he new Caroline would be here. He swigged back the remainder of the drink he held and approached the bar again.
"Hey Jack…" Mick said congenially, "what can I get for you?"
"Whiskey...neat, no ice…"
Mick raised a brow, but filled the glass. He missed the look Jack gave Caroline as he did so. She met his gaze before turning her eyes back to Mick.
It was getting late...just past eleven. The kids were still playing noisily upstairs. Occasionally Nora or one of the other moms would make the trek upstairs to check on them or to break up disputes. People were finishing card games, talking, drinking, snacking. Bo had some swing music playing from his new Philco, and a few people had loosened up enough for some dancing.
Mick watched as Bo danced the lindy with Nora. Those two were made for each other… he thought with amusement and a little bit of envy. He glanced back at Caroline who still loitered by his side.
"You know...I think it's time I joined the party, Caroline. People will just have to serve themselves for the rest of the night. So, what do you say...would you like to dance?"
"I'd love to! Best offer I've had all night!" she answered, beaming at him.
Mick turned to Jack. "If you need anything else, help yourself, Jack. I'm no longer on duty." Then he turned to Caroline and extended a hand. "Shall we?"
Jack watched through increasingly blurry eyes as Mick and Caroline moved in and out of each other's arms. He let his eyes roam over the room as his neighbors danced, laughed, and joked together. They finally rested on his wife who was visiting with Margie in the corner. Laura was a pretty woman...even bloated as she was in her sixth month of pregnancy. Damn...another kid on the way. I can hardly stand the three we have now, Jack thought, pouring himself another whisky. Why did women want kids anyway? They're a high price to pay for having sex, he brooded.
As the clock neared midnight, Bo turned off the Philco and tuned in the radio to NBC's broadcast of the ball dropping in Times Square. Everyone gathered near the radio, including the kids, and donned their Happy New Year hats and tiaras. Noisemakers were distributed, regrettably, to the children as they waited for Ben Grauer's countdown to 1949.
Everyone counted..."TEN...NINE...EIGHT...SEVEN...SIX...FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE... HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
And, as the notes of Auld Lang Syne crackled through the radio, glasses were raised in toasts, kisses were shared, and children squealed, jumped, and tooted their horns. Laura looked around for Jack, but he was nowhere to be found. He had slipped out the back door with a bottle of whiskey thirty minutes before…
Laura and her three children were the last out the door.
"Would you like me to help you get the kids home?" Nora asked.
"Nooo," Laura replied. "That isn't necessary. It's just next door. We'll be fine…"
"Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call, Laura," Bo said. "If you have any trouble with Jack…"
"I won't. It will be fine. He's probably home and sleeping it off by now." Laura said, shooing her kids gently out the door. "Goodnight and Happy New Year," she said as she left their porch.
"Goodnight, Laura."
They closed the door and turned to find Lilli slumped in a chair, her tiara askew, fast asleep.
"She's out for the night. I'll take her up," Bo said gathering his sleepy girl into his arms.
As Bo carried Lilli upstairs, Nora glanced around at the now quiet room. Nothing but empty glasses, tossed aside party hats, and abandoned card tables remained. She started to gather the dirty glasses, then slumped in Lilli's abandoned chair instead. It was there that Bo found her sleeping soundly when he returned. He smiled to himself before kneeling by the chair's side to slip the shoes off her feet. She stirred and sat up.
"You need to go to bed," Bo said as she sat there in a fog.
She groaned. "I don't know what happened...I just sat down for a second…" she murmured.
"I know what happened...you've worked too hard and you're exhausted...you want me to carry you up too?" he asked rubbing her feet.
Nora gave him a sleepy smile. "No...that isn't necessary." She leaned back in the chair again and closed her eyes. "It's Junior...I had forgotten how sleepy the early stages of pregnancy make me...I was the same with Lilli…"
Bo ran a hand across her lower abdomen. "Well, I think you should take Junior and go to bed. In fact, let's both get some rest. We can face this mess in the morning. Mick will help us…"
"Where is Mick?" Nora asked as she took Bo's hand to rise from the chair. They wrapped their arms around each other and made their way up the stairs.
"I don't know," Bo replied. "I think he was going to walk Caroline home…"
Nora grimaced and pulled back to look at Bo. "BO! He's with Caroline?! I wish you'd tell him about her! She's not a nice girl…"
"Well, if you remember, Mick doesn't like 'nice' girls." Bo grinned as Nora rolled her eyes. "He's a big boy, honey. I can't tell him what to do. Hey, look at the bright side...at least he's not married."
"Still...he deserves better than Caroline Talbott, and I'm going to tell him so," Nora replied.
Bo chuckled. "We'll see how far that gets you," he said as they finished their flight up the stairs.
Jack looked at his watch again from his perch in the Buchanan tree house. He couldn't really read the time...it was too dark...no moon tonight, just cold and very windy.
He had slipped over to see Caroline after Laura and the kids were asleep, but she didn't answer her door. After freezing on her back step for awhile, he couldn't stand it any longer and staggered cautiously to the Buchanan's tree house, bottle of whiskey in hand. It was there that he watched through eyes that could barely focus. Finally, Caroline's door opened and Jack heard voices and laughter wafting over the lawn. He slowly slipped out of the tree house and crept behind Bo's garage hoping he could hear what was being said.
Caroline laughed. "Oh Micky! You are so funny!"
Mick said something in response that Jack couldn't quite make out which sent Caroline into more gales of laughter. Finally, their voices turned into whispers as Mick pulled Caroline into his arms, and the talking and giggling were replaced by some very ardent kisses.
Jack tilted the bottle he was holding and drained the amber liquid down his throat. Then he held the neck of the bottle and waited.
At last, Mick said his final goodnight and Caroline went indoors. Mick then turned and made his way carefully across Mrs. Mumsby's back yard and along the side of Bo's garage in the dark. Suddenly, and without warning, he heard a scrambling behind him and was knocked swiftly to the ground. A strong hand was pressed against his neck choking the breath out of him, but he twisted free and scrambled to his feet. Before he could get his bearings though, the darkened figure lunged toward Mick again. He felt a swift strike to his head followed by sharp pain before he crumbled to the ground. As he lost consciousness, he heard heavy breathing and the sound of feet backing away from him before they tumbled precariously over the muddy lawn and into the dark of night.
To be continued...