"Are you sure we were supposed to be here at six, Fraser?" Ray asked as he got out of his car and popped on his sunglasses.
"Quite sure, Ray," his friend replied, letting Diefenbaker out of the backseat.
"I thought it was seven."
"If so, it doesn't hurt to be early."
There were several cars in the driveway and some going down the street. Ray frowned as he studied them. "I don't see Turnbull's car here. Isn't he always on time or something?"
Fraser frowned. "Usually." He sounded a little distracted.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"You always say that, Fraser, and it's never nothin'."
"Well, it's just that car there looks an awful lot like...Oh, dear."
"Okay, now I'm sure it's not nothin'."
His friend rubbed a thumb nervously over his eyebrow. "Does this car look familiar to you?"
Ray's eyes traveled over the black Impala they were walking past. "Kinda. Maybe." Fraser gave him a look slightly tinged with exasperation, so he continued, "I said, 'Maybe'."
"This is Inspector Thatcher's car."
"What?" It came out slightly louder than Ray had intended. He studied the car carefully and realized that Fraser was right. It was the same car he saw outside the Consulate every day. "What's she doin' here?"
"I assume she was invited, Ray."
Ray made a face. He didn't know if he could stand a whole dinner with the Ice Queen, even if it meant Ma Vecchio's cooking. How were his friends supposed to relax with their boss in the room? Besides, he admitted to himself, he was still trying to forget her reaction to his note the day before. For just an instant, she had seemed like a whole different person.
"Who would go and do that?"
"It will be fine."
"You won't even be able to take off your uniform."
Fraser looked down at himself, his expression puzzled. He was wearing a blue sweater, his leather jacket, and his blue jeans.
"I mean rhetorically," Ray told him.
"Do you mean figuratively?"
"Yeah, whatever."
They reached the front door and, even though it was closed, voices and laughter could be heard. Ray opened it without hesitation just to annoy Fraser, who always knocked.
"Anybody home?" he asked unnecessarily.
"Uncle Ray!" Maria's youngest son, who didn't even remember there had been another Uncle Ray, flew at him with a flying tackle.
"Hiya, Mikey!" he said, giving the small boy a big hug before putting him down.
The boy then regarded Fraser seriously. "Hello, Uncle Benny."
Fraser gave the boy a gentle smile. "Good afternoon, Michael. Are you well?"
"Yes, sir. And you?"
"Very well, thank you."
Ray groaned as the boy darted off with Dief at his heels. "Don't tell me you're teaching Mikey to talk Canadian. You are a bad influence on this family."
"It doesn't hurt to have manners."
"Manners schmanners."
They followed the chatter of voices to a dining room full of people. Everyone was moving around each other, talking and, occasionally, yelling. Ray counted nine people—and that was without the children. Frannie, Turnbull, Maria, and one of the Vecchio cousins seemed to be bringing out food, while another of the cousins and his boyfriend were placing the dishes evenly on the table. Ma was directing everything while Tony kept sneaking tastes. The Ice Queen was the only one not talking and laughing, but she had pitched in to help. She was weaving through the people, trying to set the table. Her face was a little pale, and she had a slightly stunned expression. Ray smiled as he remembered his first meal with the Vecchios.
"Benton, Ray, I thought you were going to be late," Ma Vecchio said when she caught sight of them.
Ray bent and kissed her cheek. "Sorry, Ma. My fault."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Fraser asked.
"That's the reason Ray's always late, you know," Frannie said conversationally as she passed a bowl to her cousin Thom. "So he doesn't have to help."
Ray briefly stuck out his tongue at the girl pretending to be his sister. He had never had a sister before, and he was finding having two an interesting experience.
Frannie just chuckled and went back to the kitchen.
"You just sit and get comfortable," Ma was telling Fraser, ignoring Ray and Frannie's exchange.
Ray glanced once more at Thatcher before following Frannie into the kitchen.
"What do you want, Ray?"
They were alone in the kitchen so Ray asked lowly, "What's the Ice Queen doing here?"
Frannie glanced at the door. "I invited her."
"You did?"
"Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?"
"She's the Ice Queen."
"She's got some strange ideas, but she's kinda nice...and I think she needed it."
"What do you mean?"
Frannie shrugged but didn't say anything as Turnbull came through the door. "How are we doing, Francesca?"
"Just two more dishes."
"May I take one?"
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Ren. Geez, Ray, haven't you learned anything from him and Frase yet?"
"I can take the other one."
"Good." She shoved it at him, potholders and all, and flounced back into the dining room.
With a grimace, Ray followed her and Turnbull. The heat from the dish warmed his hands even through the potholders.
Fraser, despite Ma's suggestion, was setting up the kids' table for Maria's children. Everyone else was arguing as they scrambled for places to sit.
Thatcher looked a little lost until Frannie said, "Sit here, Inspector, between me and Ren."
"Thank you, Francesca," she murmured gratefully.
Ray took the chair across from them so he could talk to his friend and maybe even tease the Ice Queen. When Fraser was done, he came and sat at Ray's right. Ray didn't know the cousins very well, so he was happy when his other pretend sister, Maria, sat at his left.
There was more talking and laughing and pushing and yelling as everyone got seated, but it stopped immediately when Ma cleared her throat. She paused and then said a simple Grace. A chorus of "Amens" after the prayer was followed by reaching hands and more noise as everyone talked at once.
Ray joined the hands grasping for food, even though the three Mounties didn't. Frannie, aware they wouldn't after years of friendship with Fraser, passed Thatcher and Turnbull a dish every time she caught one. They were both looking rather timid and overwhelmed. Fraser, on the other hand, looked completely comfortable in the chaos and asked the Vecchios for certain dishes with very courteous "if-you-pleases" and "thank you kindlys".
Ray continued to watch Inspector Thatcher with amusement. She was being very careful and very polite.
"Would you like some scalloped potatoes, Inspector?" he asked sweetly.
Thatcher glanced at him, so he grinned and held out the dish. She hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking it from him, her hands brushing his.
"Thank you, Detective."
Ray winked at her, and she gave him a small smile. Her slim body seemed to relax slightly, and the smile was still on her face as she turned her head to talk to Frannie. Ray couldn't hear what the Inspector said, but Frannie's eyes widened and she chuckled.
Could it be that the Ice Queen had a sense of humour? He frowned. He hoped the comment that had made Frannie laugh wasn't about him.
The frown melted off of his face as he began to wonder what the Ice Queen's laugh sounded like. He'd never heard her laugh before. Her smiles were rare enough. He wondered if it would be a high, girly giggle or one of those throaty, sexy laughs that could make a man's stomach clench.
She wasn't laughing now, as she spooned potatoes onto her plate, but there was a twinkle in her eyes.
"Would you like some scalloped potatoes, Turnbull?" she asked, echoing Ray's earlier question.
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"So, Meg," Ma Vecchio said, her voice expertly pitched to be heard over her boisterous family, "Frannie tells me you work at the Consulate with Benton and Renfield."
Some of the Ice Queen's discomfort came back to her face for just a brief instant before her features went Inspector smooth. She cleared her throat before answering, "Yes, ma'am."
Ray was surprised that she didn't correct Ma and tell her she was their boss. She was usually quick to make sure the Constables knew their place.
"And what do you do there, dear?"
"I'm the main administrator. I oversee the day to day running of the Consulate. Mostly, it's paperwork. To tell you the truth, it's rather boring, Mrs. Vecchio."
Ma Vecchio beamed a smile, "Please call me Ma. All of my children's friends do."
"I don't know if I'd be..." She glanced at Frannie, who nodded. "All right. Thank you."
"Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend?"
"No," Thatcher admitted softly.
"You are a very pretty girl to be single. Except you're too thin. Do you ever take time to eat at that Consulate of yours?"
The Ice Queen opened her mouth to answer, but Frannie interrupted her. "Leave her alone, Ma."
Her mother laughed. "I apologize. Apparently, my daughter is afraid I'll scare you off."
"I'm having a very pleasant time, ma'am...Ma," Thatcher told her politely. Then she added a sincere, "Really."
"I'm glad. Frannie should invite you more often." Her gaze then fell on Turnbull, and Thatcher turned to her meal.
Ray waited a couple of minutes before saying, "You know, Inspector, Salvatore down there is single. If you're looking."
The Inspector had just taken a bite, and at Ray's words she started to cough violently. Her face turned red and her eyes watered. Turnbull slapped her a few times helpfully on the back.
Salvatore, the bachelor cousin, looked up at his name.
Thatcher's eyes were still watering when she glared at Ray and said, "Thank you, Detective. I'll keep that in mind."
Her voice was slightly shaky from coughing, but there was steel in her gaze.
"I'm willing if you are...Meg?" Salvatore said smoothly from the end of the table.
Her smile this time was obviously fake, at least to Ray. "Thank you for the offer. I'll let you know."
Ray wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh so bad.
And then he didn't as someone kicked him sharply under the table. Since Frannie and the Ice Queen were both glaring at him, he wasn't sure which one had done it. He was tempted to kick back and get both of them, but he didn't think he would like whatever the Ice Queen did in retaliation.
Instead of kicking her, it would serve her right if he gave her another note. Maybe it would drive her crazy trying to figure out who sent it. And maybe her reaction the day before had been a fluke. Maybe this time, it would annoy her instead of making her smile. He'd like that.
"Real mature, Ray," Frannie said scathingly.
"What?" he asked, widening his eyes innocently. "I was just trying to get Meg," her name felt funny coming from his lips, and kind of wicked too because it was usually forbidden, "a date."
"I am quite capable of finding my own dates," the Ice Queen replied coldly, dropping her gaze back to her plate.
"Ignore him," Frannie waved a hand in Ray's general direction.
"I usually do."