“You’re right,” she nodded. “You’re absolutely right, of course. Yes. I’m going to let Mom and Dad know I can’t have them visit for an entire month. I can do this!” she declared. She finished loading the dishwasher. Then she turned and marched purposefully back to the table.
Everyone was gathered around Ed’s laptop.
“What are you guys doing?” she asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Dad, if you’ve gotten more emails from Nigerian princes, you should delete them. Please! I promise you they’re not real princes and they don’t need your help accessing fifty trillion dollars.”
“No, no, I’m done with that,” her father assured her. “Betty was just showing me how to book flights online. The deals you can find are amazing if you know where to look! I just got in on a fantastic seat sale!”
“Er, about that…maybe you should hold off on booking anything until –”
“Too late,” her father said proudly. “I just clicked enter. I bought two non-refundable plane tickets to Green City. You can come pick us up there, can’t you?”
Clarissa was speechless.
“If Clarissa can’t pick you up, I can,” Parker offered. “I work near the airport.”
Clarissa shot him a dirty look.
Unfortunately, her sweet, unassuming boyfriend seemed oblivious. In fact, he seemed every bit as excited about her parents’ visit as they were. She was glad Parker and her parents were getting along, but sheesh! Whose side was Parker on, anyway?
“I’d love to see your car!” Ed said. “It sounds real nice – better than your rental, even!”
“I think you’ll like it,” Parker told him. “It’s the best car I’ve ever owned, and I’ve had a few over the years. You can take it for a spin if you want. Well, assuming you don’t drive like Clarissa does,” he joked.
“Nobody drives quite as badly as my Clarissa,” Ed chuckled.
“I can’t wait for our visit!” Constance exclaimed. She looked at Ed with a devilish grin. “Maybe you should have bought one-way tickets! Maybe once we go back to Sugarcomb Lake to visit, we won’t want to leave!”
“Maybe,” Ed agreed.
She giggled. “Clarissa, your dad and I might be moving in with you! Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“I…I’ll be right back,” Clarissa said. Then she practically ran out of the kitchen.
The cat followed her into the living room.
It stared at her as she plopped down on the couch and buried her head in her hands.
“Who died?” the cat asked.
“I know, I know,” Clarissa muttered. “I’m being overdramatic, I get it. But did you hear what happened in there? My parents blindsided me. They invited themselves to stay for a month!”
“Good. At least your mother cooks food that’s edible.” The cat licked its lips in anticipation.
“It’s going to be a nightmare,” Clarissa predicted.
“What are you talking about? Your parents will lavish all their love and attention onto me, their one and only grand-cat. It sounds like a fabulous arrangement, if you ask me. Your parents are great. You could learn a thing or two from them about how to treat me!”
Clarissa raised an eyebrow. “You’ve only just met them. You barely know them.”
“What’s not to like?”
“Well for one thing, one of my mother’s favorite pastimes is vacuuming.”
Cat’s eyes widened in horror. “How can anyone enjoy that? You’re lying!”
“I’m not. And my dad hums under his breath all day long. I think he’s been on his best behavior since Parker is here and he wants to make a good impression. But don’t expect that to last. He hums constantly. And he’s tone deaf, too.”
“Tone deaf, hmm? Well at least now I know where you get it from.”
“Fine, joke all you want. You don’t know what you’re in for.”
Cat gulped. “How many more sleeps until your parents visit?”
“Not enough,” Clarissa replied dryly.
“Maybe you’re being cynical. Maybe it will be fine,” Cat said, looking nervous.
“I hope you’re right, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
“Clarissa?” Constance called from the kitchen. “Where have you disappeared to?”
Clarissa stood up. “Coming, Mom!”
When Clarissa walked back into the kitchen, she couldn’t help but notice Betty and Jack. They moved very fast, it seemed. And they apparently had no qualms about public displays of affection. Betty’s arms were wrapped around Jack’s neck as they smooched loudly.
Clarissa tried not to stare.
Everyone else seemed uncomfortable, too.
Clarissa’s dad kept clearing his throat.
Parker looked as though he was trying to hold back laughter.
Clarissa’s mom was red-faced.
“Let’s give them some privacy,” Clarissa suggested.
“Good idea!” Constance agreed.
All four of them made a run for the front porch.
“This is such a nice spot to watch sunsets. We’ll have to be sure to sit out here tonight to enjoy it, won’t we? It looks like it will be another beautiful evening,” Constance remarked as she sat down on the porch swing.
“A-yup,” Ed agreed, taking a seat next to her. He put an arm around her shoulders, like Clarissa had seen him do a million times before. Constance leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, just like she always did.
As Clarissa stood there watching her parents, she felt herself get a bit choked up. A sudden pang of nostalgia hit her as she thought back to her younger years. As much as her parents got on her nerves sometimes, it really was good to spend time with them.
“You okay?” Parker whispered, leaning in close. He had apparently noticed that Clarissa was blinking back tears. His hand founds hers. “You’ll see them again soon,” he reassured her, trying his best to be comforting. “Christmas is right around the corner.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Clarissa nodded. Then she squeezed Parker’s hand and smiled. Maybe having her parents visit wouldn’t be so bad after all. Maybe it would be kind of nice to have everyone back under one roof again.
And if things went awry…well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
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The Name of the Game is Murder (A Clarissa Spencer Cozy Mystery Book 6) Page 14
