Ghostly Serenade

by Colleen Helme

  “Yes,” I said, and introduced him to Chris and my kids.

  “This is wonderful,” he said. “It’s so good to meet all of you. We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.” His eyes filled with moisture, and guilt tore at my heart. Crap. Why did he have to get all sentimental? My kids smiled, but they didn’t know what to say. At least they didn’t feel guilty like I did.

  Uncomfortable with the lie, Chris managed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Luckily, Uncle Joey stepped in. “Where’s Maggie. I want to introduce her to her grandchildren.”

  “I’m right here,” she said behind us. We all turned to find her standing in the middle of the hotel lobby, surrounded by deep leather couches and chairs.

  Uncle Joey smiled and strode to her side, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. She stood tall and elegant, with short, wavy, white hair, and a strong jaw. Seeing them together, it struck me how much she and Uncle Joey resembled each other. After greeting him, she turned to us and smiled. The warmth of her gaze left no doubt of her pleasure to see us, and I hurried to her side for a hug.

  “It’s so good to see you,” I said, meaning every word. “Let me introduce everyone. This is my husband, Chris. And this is Josh and Savannah.”

  She shook Chris’s hand, then turned to Josh and Savannah. “It’s so nice to meet you both. Shelby told me all about you, and I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. She said you were thirteen and fifteen, but I didn’t imagine you quite so grown-up… or so good-looking.”

  We all chuckled, and she continued. “It must be strange to think of me as your grandmother, so let’s just say I’m like an aunt you’ve never met. You can call me Maggie, and we’ll leave it at that.”

  Everyone glanced at Josh and Savannah. Josh shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

  Savannah nodded. “Me too.”

  “I have something for both of you.” Maggie picked up a couple of gift bags from the floor. They were printed with “I Love New York” across the top, along with a colorful map of the subway. Inside, the bags were filled to the brim with special treats. “It’s not much, but I hope you like them.”

  “This is great. Thank you so much!” Savannah said, taking the bag with a big grin. Josh thanked her as well, thinking that having New York relatives was really paying off.

  “Why don’t we take our luggage up to our rooms and meet back here for a bite to eat,” Uncle Joey said.

  As everyone nodded in agreement, I turned to Maggie. “Why don’t you come up with us? We can show you our rooms.”

  She nodded and fell into step beside me, feeling more confident now that the ice had been broken. On the elevator, she asked the kids what they wanted to see while they were here. After listening for a moment, she gave them a few suggestions. Before we’d even made it to our room, the kids were begging her to show them all of her favorite places in the city.

  Uncle Joey and Jackie had the suite next to ours, and they told us they’d meet us in the lobby after we got settled in. We continued on to the next door. Chris used his key card, and the door opened to reveal a beautiful sitting room with chairs, a couch, a coffee table, and a big, flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

  “Isn’t this great?” I said. “This is where Miguel and I stayed. He was in the connecting room, and I was in the main bedroom.”

  “I’ll take the connecting room,” Savannah said, rushing into the bedroom before Josh had a chance to say a word.

  I glanced at Josh. He shrugged, thinking Savannah had it bad for Miguel, and he hoped it didn’t get embarrassing. “I guess I get the couch.” It didn’t bother him to sleep on the couch, but he wouldn’t have minded his own room.

  “Thanks Josh.”

  Chris and I crossed the sitting room to the large bedroom. It had a king-size bed and another flat-screen TV mounted on the wall over a chest of drawers, with an easy-chair in the corner. A window overlooked the street with an amazing view. The bathroom held a big, stand-in, glass shower, hair-dryer, and other amenities. “Pretty nice, huh?”

  “Yes,” he said, especially grateful we had some privacy with our own room.

  “The connecting bedroom is just like this one.”

  “Even a king-sized bed?”

  “Yup.”

  After depositing our luggage beside the bed, I hurried to the other room and found Savannah staring out the window. “You’re going to have to share the bathroom with Josh. And leave a couple of drawers for his clothes so he can change in here too.”

  “Okay, that’s fine,” she said.

  Josh followed me in with his luggage and frowned to see the king-size bed with a flat-screen TV and fancy bathroom. He was thinking that he was bigger than her, so he should get the bed. But he knew it wasn’t worth the fight, since he was pretty sure that Savannah would get her way like she always did, so why bother?

  Was he right? Did Savannah always get what she wanted? “Hurry and get settled so we can head down for lunch.”

  I turned back to the sitting room and found Maggie watching us. We’d forgotten all about her. At my dismayed expression, she waved her hand. “That was interesting.” It pleased her to have a place in our family, and she enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

  “Yeah. Never a dull moment with those two.”

  She nodded and leaned closer to me. “I take it Savannah has a crush on Miguel?”

  “Yeah. Big time.”

  Before we could speak further about the situation, Chris and the kids joined us, and we headed back to the lobby. We spent the next hour over sandwiches in the restaurant. With Syd and Maggie’s input, we had a lively conversation deciding our itinerary for the rest of our stay.

  As we finished up, a surprise visitor came to our table. “Hey,” Miguel said.

  Everyone jumped up to greet him. After a round of handshakes and hugs, he pulled up a chair in an open space between Josh and Chris.

  “I didn’t know you were coming or I would have ordered your lunch,” Jackie said.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve already eaten. I had some time, so I wanted to see you all before the show.”

  Amid a flurry of questions which he did his best to answer, I caught his nervous tension for the big night ahead. But I also caught his excitement to have us all here. Sure, he was nervous, as anyone would be, but he also had a quiet confidence about him that really stood out.

  Watching him speak, I realized that he’d changed over the past couple of months, but in a good way. He seemed more confident and mature. It still surprised me to think he was only eighteen. But at least he didn’t come across as arrogant or self-important, which came as a relief.

  To my shock, Savannah hardly said a word to him. She was totally tongue-tied. She couldn’t take her eyes off him unless he glanced her way, then she looked away before he could acknowledge her.

  Confused, Miguel turned his attention to Josh. “So, how’s the lifeguard job?”

  “Great,” Josh answered. They shared lifeguard stories, and the conversation resumed around the table. Savannah finally relaxed enough to join their conversation, and I let out a breath. Glancing around everyone at the table, I realized that we were just like one big, happy family. How crazy was that?

  Sitting beside me, Maggie patted my hand. “How are you doing dear? I heard you had a crazy stalker after you. Joey told me you nearly died. Are you all right now?”

  I nodded. “I’m okay, but… it’s been rough.”

  “I’ll bet.” She knew I’d killed someone to save Ramos and myself. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  She smiled. “Sylvie talked me into taking the whole week off for your visit. I wasn’t sure you’d want me around that much, but I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”

  My heart surged with excitement. “We’d love to have your company, and I’d love to find some time for just the two of us. Maybe tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Miguel stood, catching everyon
e’s attention. “It’s time for me to go, but I’ll see you after the show. The cast does a meet and greet in the lobby, so be sure and find me.”

  We all agreed that we would, and Uncle Joey spoke up. “I thought we’d come back here once you’re done. Will that work?”

  “Sure,” Miguel said. He was thinking that the cast party had been cancelled because of Cammie, so at least he didn’t have a conflict. Just thinking about her death put a damper on things, so he pushed it from his mind. He needed to concentrate on his performance and the fact that we were all there.

  He smiled at each of us. “Thanks for coming. It means a lot.”

  Amid all the good wishes, someone said, “Break a leg,” and we all laughed.

  “See you after the show,” Miguel said.

  As he turned to leave, Uncle Joey stood. “I’ll walk you out.” Miguel nodded and waited for his father to join him. Miguel thought that this was the moment his dad would make sure Cole was doing his job. He’d never understand why he needed a shadow, but since his dad wouldn’t back down, it was a concession he had to make.

  Miguel had a bodyguard? That was news to me. I glanced around the lobby as a large man stood from a chair and followed them out. His close-cropped hair and the way he moved gave him a military bearing.

  Maggie noticed me watching. “Poor Miguel. He didn’t want a bodyguard; but Joey insisted, and he always gets his way.”

  “Why? Did someone threaten Miguel?”

  “Not that I know of, but I don’t blame Joe for being cautious.” She knew first-hand what it was like to lose someone she loved in a senseless shooting, so it relieved her that Miguel had protection.

  Syd stood and explained that we had a few hours before dinner. He suggested taking a tour of Times Square, and everyone agreed to the outing. “Be sure and bring plenty of money for souvenirs.”

  After an enjoyable afternoon, followed by dinner with the family, we finally took our seats in the New Amsterdam Theatre. Uncle Joey had spared no expense, and we had the best seats in the house. At least two long rows were filled with Manettos, and I was excited to be part of the group. Who would have thought I’d ever say that?

  Even Miguel’s mother, Carlotta, along with her partner, Jack the judge, had seats with us, although they were on the opposite end of the row from Uncle Joey.

  The show began, and my first glimpse of Miguel sent my heart racing. He was a natural entertainer and brought the spirit of the show to the crowd. It was mesmerizing, fun, and sweet, all at the same time. And the cast was phenomenal, especially the genie.

  At the end of the show, everyone rose to their feet, giving the cast a standing ovation. The loudest applause came as Miguel took center stage for his bow, along with the actor playing the genie. It was easy to pick up the feelings of the actors, and the powerful moment of joy in fulfilling so many dreams. Experiencing their heady moment with them brought tears to my eyes.

  The spell broke after the final curtain, and I picked up copious amounts of pride in Miguel from the entire Manetto clan. Uncle Joey could still hardly believe that this amazing and talented young man was his son.

  I heard his silent vow to do all he could to make sure Miguel had every opportunity to follow his dream, and my heart swelled with warmth. Who would have thought that, in one short year, I would have felt anything other than revulsion for a mob boss? It boggled the mind.

  Uncle Joey wanted us to wait until most of the audience had cleared out so we’d have better access to Miguel. Fifteen long minutes later, we all headed to the lobby and caught sight of Miguel standing beside Rachel, the girl who played Jasmine. We watched, waiting even longer for the crowd to thin so we could have him to ourselves.

  While we waited, I picked up a sudden stab of insecurity from Savannah. Would Miguel even notice her? Savannah wasn’t like the other girls surrounding him. Most of them were really pretty, especially the girl playing Jasmine. And they were so much older.

  Eww… they even looked at him like… like… they were in love with him. But how did he feel? Did he have a thing for one of them? He smiled at Jasmine, like she was special, and Savannah’s heart nearly stopped. This was terrible. Maybe she’d better tell Miguel how she felt before it was too late.

  Holy hell. I couldn’t let her do that. I’d better stay close and make sure she didn’t do anything stupid. I put my arm around her and held on; that way, if she opened her mouth to declare her feelings, I could interrupt her.

  She glanced at me with confusion. Why was I holding onto her so tightly? I needed to let go before she missed her chance with Miguel. “Mom. What are you doing? Let go.” She sent me a dirty look and shrugged out of my grasp.

  Just then, the last of the adoring crowd dispursed. Miguel spotted our group and broke out in a huge grin. Everyone rushed toward him, surrounding him with hugs and pats on the back, sending him plenty of praise, which he acknowledged with a happy smile.

  In the midst of this, Savannah spotted an opening and quickly stepped to his side, giving him an enthusiastic hug. “I loved it,” she gushed. “You were great.”

  “Thanks squirt,” he said, smiling. She smacked him, and he laughed.

  I stepped closer, ready to stop Savannah from spilling her guts, but I caught that she had no intention of telling Miguel anything. It dawned on me that everything I’d heard was just her thought processes at the moment. It didn’t mean that she was actually going to do it.

  I let out a relieved breath and shook my head. Sheesh! What I put myself through.

  “You okay?” Chris asked.

  “Yeah, I am now. I’ll tell you about it later.”

  Miguel began to speak. “Okay, listen up everyone. My friend volunteered to take a picture of all of us, but we have to make it quick. So let’s stand over there by that wall.”

  The friend he spoke of looked like a professional photographer and, in moments, he had us organized and ready for the picture. Since the theater had emptied out, we got some great shots without inconveniencing too many people.

  “Okay. Thanks everyone,” Miguel said. “I’ll go change and meet you back at the hotel.”

  As we emerged from the theater to walk back to the hotel, I slipped beside Savannah so we could talk. I wanted to make sure she wasn’t upset with me for holding onto her so tightly. “That was sure fun, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Miguel’s really good. He’s just… like… totally amazing.” Her heart raced just thinking about him… how he’d looked… how he’d sounded. Everything about him turned her insides to jelly. He was every girl’s dream. And he’d hugged her. Oh… my… gosh… it had felt so good.

  “I noticed he called you squirt. When did he start doing that?”

  “Oh, he’s done that for a long time.” She was thinking it had started the first time they went swimming in his pool. She liked it, because it was fun to have a special nick-name. Did that mean he only thought of her as a kid, though? Or was it something a cousin would say? Maybe she’d have to break the rules and tell him they weren’t blood relatives. Just to make sure he knew. It was the truth, so didn’t he deserve to know?

  “You’re not going to… to… I mean… uh… tell him to stop, right? I think it’s kind of fun.” Yikes. I’d almost messed up.

  Her brows furrowed together. She thought it sounded like I was going to chew her out. But why? “No. I like it okay.”

  “You know what?” I asked, hoping to distract her. “Maggie told me that Miguel wanted to spend as much time with us as he could while we’re here. We’ll have to ask him what his schedule is so he can show us around.”

  “Really? That would be amazing. Let’s ask him when he comes to the hotel. Why doesn’t he just stay at the hotel anyway?”

  I watched her real close to make sure she’d spoken out loud. “Oh, you know. It’s nice to have your own place.” I rambled on about how I could hardly wait to move out when I was his age, and after a couple of minutes, she tuned me out. Whew. That was close, and it was a major relie
f to get back to the hotel.

  Maybe I shouldn’t listen so hard to her thoughts. It was just normal, teenage adolescent stuff, right? Still, I didn’t want her to tell Miguel that we were all lying to him. I’d have to sit her down and re-emphasize the importance that Miguel could never find out the truth.

  Uncle Joey had the private dining room prepared for a celebration with champagne, a few soft drinks, and a variety of desserts. Even Carlotta and Jack joined us, and the tension between them and Uncle Joey wasn’t so bad, mostly because Uncle Joey knew they were leaving the next morning.

  For my dessert, I chose the amazing chocolate cake, but I shared with Chris so I could taste his delicious apple crisp. Miguel soon joined us, and Savannah managed to get a seat right next to him. It would have worried me, but Josh sat with them as well, so it wasn’t like she could spill the beans.

  From Miguel, I picked up that he’d rather sit by Josh and Savannah, because they were like a buffer between his mom and dad. That way he didn’t have to pick sides, since they basically hated each other. Plus, he’d missed our family, and he was even a little homesick.

  I didn’t pick up anything other than friendship for Savannah, but he’d definitely noticed that she was different from all the other girls he’d been with recently. She was like a breath of fresh air that he didn’t realize he’d been missing.

  I didn’t know if that was good or bad. But I was happy that he didn’t brush her off like most successful young men his age would have. Now if Savannah would just lighten up, my life would be so much easier.

  As we spoke about our plans, it turned out that Miguel had most of his mornings free, and he intended to spend as much time with us as possible. That brought a smile to Savannah’s lips. Excitement for tomorrow morning’s excursion to the Empire State Building filled her eyes with a sparkle of delight.

  I wasn’t as excited, since I’d have to miss it. But hopefully, that was the only thing I’d miss out on. Taking another bite of my cake, I noticed Syd motioning to Uncle Joey. He left, only to return a few minutes later to catch my attention. Once he did, he crooked a finger at me to join him.