Traitorous Toys (Cozy Corgi Mysteries Book 2)

by Mildred Abbott

  I glanced at Watson. Sure enough, Watson’s gaze flicked from one thing to another and he seemed captivated by it all, rather than irritated at keeping Barry waiting. Talk about a Christmas miracle. Maybe we really had stumbled upon Santa’s workshop.

  Catching myself, I looked toward the voice, and seemed to misplace my own. The man standing behind the counter was no elf. Nor was he Santa. He was a tall, rugged mountain of a man. Dark red hair and stunningly handsome. Where Peg had made me feel like a giant, this man made me feel like… well, probably how Peg had felt next to me, I assumed.

  He flashed a bright white smile, somehow increasing his good looks, which shouldn’t have been possible. “You all right?”

  I nodded and had to lick my lips so I wouldn’t drool, more than anything. I pointed to the garland strewn magically over the store. “Yes. I’ve just never seen garland that lights up before.” That much was true, the crystalline garland was a constant shifting rainbow of colors. It almost looked like it was made from shards of glass or snow, and somehow glowed in countless sparkling hues.

  His thick brows creased. “Yeah, it was my idiot brother’s idea. Pretty spectacular stuff, unless you’re the one hanging it. I think I bled for a week.” Whatever irritation he felt vanished. “Looking for a gift?”

  I shook my head. I was not looking for a gift. Although, since I was in a toyshop… “Yes, though I have no idea what to get. I have nieces and nephews. Two who are fourteen and two who are eight. Two boys, and two girls.” He had a small dimple in his chin. Not too deep as to be distracting, but just enough to highlight how chiseled his jaw truly was. “Well, they’re my stepnieces and stepnephews actually. I’m not very good at this whole aunt thing. My stepfather has two daughters; they’re twins.” His blue eyes might actually be made from sapphires. “And of course they married twin brothers, because Verona and Zelda weren’t identical enough, they had to marry twins. And they each have a fourteen-year-old and an eight-year-old, and I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do for presents. Judging from the way they reacted the last few Christmases, I’m a horrible gift giver.”

  Watson yanked at his leash, pulling my attention to him. He cocked one of his puppy brows at me and sat down.

  He’d just earned himself another treat.

  If I’d kept going, I probably would’ve told the man my entire family history. I turned back to him but focused on a carved bear over his shoulder. Maybe he was like an eclipse, you could function if you didn’t look directly at him.

  “I can definitely help you out with the eight-year-olds, but I doubt we’ll have much to offer the teenagers. They seem to want nothing more than cell phones, iPads, and cash.” He gave another chuckle, proving that the sound of his voice was just as distracting as his appearance, no matter where I looked. “Depending on what they’re into, I just got a new shipment of….” His voice trailed off momentarily, causing me to look him full in the face again. “Wait a minute. I recognize you, and your dog. You’re—” He snapped his fingers a couple times. “—Fred Page, the one opening the bookshop where the old taxidermy place used to be. Where Opal was killed.”

  For a moment I was beyond flattered that he had not only recognized me but recalled my name. Then I quickly realized chances were he’d been much more captivated by the murder and investigation that had swirled around me upon my arrival in town than he was about me personally. And that, more than keeping my focus away from him, helped me to quit acting like a complete fool. “That’s me. For better or worse. Watson and I are the ones opening the bookshop. You must be… Bushy?”

  Even as I said it, I knew it couldn’t be. A man like that didn’t have the name Bushy.

  He shook his head, and once more there was a flash of irritation like there’d been about the garland. “No. This was my father’s store originally. He still carves a lot of the toys, but it’s mine now. Bushy Evergreen was one of Santa’s original elves. He was a woodcarver and was in charge of the toyshop. My father felt a kinship with him. I would love nothing more than to put a sensible name on the place, but we’ve been here for over fifty years. Doesn’t make good business sense to change it now.” His charm was back. “My name is Declan, thankfully, not Bushy.”

  Before I had the opportunity to somehow put my foot in my mouth again, there was a slamming of a door, and a voice rang out from somewhere in the back. “Declan, you’re never going to believe what I just found. I was just driving back from the grocery store and there was this old chest sitting beside a dumpster.” A man rushed through the doorway carrying a wooden box that looked like it had been kept at the bottom of the ocean for the past century. At a glance, I almost thought he was Declan’s twin, but it was a fleeting notion. He had the same height, coloring, and hair, but even though he had similar features to Declan, everything seemed off somehow—not malformed, just not as pleasing. Even so, he was very clearly related to Declan. “I was thinking I can clean it up, and Dad could—” His words fell away as he noticed me, and halted. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to be so loud. Didn’t realize we had customers.”

  Two other figures emerged from the back. I wasn’t sure if they’d been there the entire time or if they’d arrived with the strange Declan look-alike. An ancient-looking man with snowy hair, who was clearly Declan’s father, and a raven-haired woman, who was just as beautiful as Declan. Both of them halted as well.

  “Yes, imagine that. A toy store having an actual customer at Christmastime. Shocking.” The coldness and shift in Declan’s voice drew my attention away from the other three people. His handsome features were suddenly hard. But a heartbeat later, he was charming again, his voice warm and pleasant. “Might as well make introductions while we're all here. This is Fred Page, the one who’s opening the new bookshop.” He gestured from me toward the three individuals. “This is my father, Duncan, my brother, Dolan, and my wife, Daphne.”

  “That’s a lot of Ds.” I wasn’t sure if it was the residual effect of Declan’s stunning appearance or his abrupt shift from warm and inviting to cold and harsh, but whatever it was, I chose to say that instead of hello, nice to meet you.

  Dolan gave a maniacal laugh, the father’s brows knitted in an expression which reminded me of Watson in his grumpy moments, and Daphne smiled as she spoke. “That’s true. I’ve often wondered if Declan married me simply because of my name. My mother-in-law’s name was Della, believe it or not.” She shrugged and patted her flat stomach. “We won’t know if it’s a boy or a girl until the little one arrives, but I can guarantee you the name will start with D.”

  Dolan let out another wild laugh. It wasn’t exactly off-putting, but a little crazed or something. Actually there was something off entirely. I couldn’t figure out what it was. I only knew that the Christmassy cheer of Santa’s workshop had morphed into something else. And probably sensing it himself, Watson once again pulled on his leash, this time making it very clear he wanted to go.

  “Well….” I attempted to force an easy-breezy tone, but was fairly certain I failed. “It’s lovely to meet all of you.” I refocused on Declan, this time not mesmerized by his appearance. “I’m running late for dinner with my family. Mom’s making a big spread. I’ll drop in before Christmas and find something good for the eight-year-olds.”

  And once more, Declan was all handsome charm and pleasant voice. “Please do. I’m sure we’ll find something perfect for them. It was a pleasure to meet you, Fred. We’ll look forward to visiting your store when you open.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” I gave a wave that hopefully encompassed everyone. “We’d best get going. Merry Christmas.”

  Dolan and Daphne responded as I turned and hurried out the door. I paused in the cool air once more, but this time it wasn’t refreshing. Just cold. I glanced down at Watson.

  “What in the world was that?”

  He didn’t bother to respond, only took off down the sidewalk, pulling me with him.

  Before I’d taken two steps, loud voices reached my
ears, and I glanced through the window, past the toys, to see Declan shaking his fist as he yelled at Daphne. Dolan jumped between them, shouting something as well, though I couldn’t make it out.

  Duncan’s old eyes met mine through the window and clearly told me to mind my own business.

  I hesitated despite his stare, wondering what I should do.

  With another tug on his leash, Watson made the decision for me.

  By the time we got to Mom and Barry’s house, we were running fifteen minutes late, and food was already on the table. As Watson and I walked through the door, all ten faces turned toward us.

  My stepfather beamed. “Watson! My main man!”

  Watson let out a loud bark, sounding more like a Doberman than a corgi, and took off like a shot. For being a little guy, he was strong, thanks to his herding heritage, and nearly yanked my thumb off as his leash trailed behind him. He crashed into Barry, who’d knelt from his chair like a long-lost lover.

  My nephews and nieces giggled.

  After making sure my thumb was still attached, I gave a little wave as I hung up my coat. “I know I’m second fiddle to His Majesty, but I’m here too. Sorry we’re running late.”

  My tiny mother rose from her chair and hurried to embrace me. “You’re never second fiddle, dear. But do hurry over. The Tofurkey stew is getting cold, and you know it only resembles actual meat when it’s hot.”

  Barry glanced up from his love fest with Watson. “Not true.” Then he shrugged. “All right, it’s probably true. I haven’t had meat in a good three decades. What do I know?” He gave me a wink. “Good to see you, sweetheart.”

  I gave a quick round of embraces to Barry, my stepsisters, their husbands, and their four children before taking my seat beside Mom. Barry was the only vegetarian, and thankfully, for our new weekly family dinners, Mom also prepared a meat dish for the rest of us. Tonight’s appeared to be lasagna.

  Mom reached toward the pan with the spatula, then hesitated, glancing at Barry. “I almost forgot. Want to do the honors?”

  He smiled and held his hands a couple of inches above the tabletop. As one, we grasped each other’s hands completing the circle. “Mother Nature, thank you for all the nourishment and gifts you have provided. Thank you for the love and affection of family.” His watery blue eyes twinkled. “And with the exception of Watson, who was made for such things, please forgive my family for devouring—” He glanced at my mom. “—what’s in your pasta dish again?”

  She sighed. “Beef, pork, and veal.”

  With a shuddering nod, he turned his attention skyward once more. “For devouring a mama cow, a pig, and a baby cow.”

  Zelda’s oldest daughter giggled.

  “Blessed be, peace on earth, and namaste.” Barry released Mom’s hand, signaling for the blessing to be done, then lifted a fork in the air. “Dig in, you murderers.”

  Even after six years of his marriage to my mother, I still hadn’t been able to fully figure out where Barry stood on things. He was an adamant vegetarian, consumer of recreational marijuana, and wore only tie-dye shirts and loose-fitting yoga pants. I knew he was very sincere in his beliefs, but his strange prayer-like times I thought were more for show and to both humor and drive my mother a little bit crazy.

  Sure enough, as she scooped a square of lasagna onto each person’s plate, Mom gave an eye roll as she announced, “Here’s your pig and baby cow. Eat it all or we’ll never hear the end of it.” She couldn’t quite make it all the way through with a straight face, however.

  And then the family was lost to the sounds of forks and knives on stoneware.

  I also hadn’t been able to make up my mind how I felt about our weekly family meals. This was only the third one since I moved to town. My stepsisters and their families had been on a cruise when I first arrived. On the one hand, the meals were somewhat comforting, the laughter and noise of people who love each other, a family. But it was foreign to me and at times felt a little chaotic and claustrophobic.

  Dinners as a kid had been just as full of love and affection, but with being an only child, things were much quieter and calmer. Except for when my uncles came to visit. These larger family dinners always triggered an ache at the loss of my dad. Not that it took much. Even though he had passed seven years before, there were times when it felt like mere moments ago. I hoped he was looking down on us and smiling at the love my mom had found, and probably chuckling and shaking his head, knowing exactly how the disorder got under his only daughter’s skin at times.

  Distracted as I ate, I allowed my attention to wander over Mom and Barry’s house, once more finding it both comforting and disconcerting to see Christmas decorations from my childhood combined with ones from Barry’s life. The Christmas village that once belonged to my grandparents now spread out around the base of the tree, right next to a plastic elf wearing a fur-trimmed, tie-dyed suit. Barry had gleefully demonstrated how it danced to ‘Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer’ when its ear was pinched. It was the only time I’d ever seen Watson annoyed with Barry.

  A mix of pleasure and ache settled over me at the colliding of worlds. My past intermingled with my present. My childhood mementos that I’d shared with dad now side by side with this new life. Even on my tree at home, in my new-to-me cabin, decorations I’d made with Mom and Dad as a child hung next to corgi ornaments and a porcelain flamingo wearing a Santa hat from Barry.

  All in all, it wasn’t unpleasant. So many aspects of life crash together during the holidays. Time always seems to fold in on itself.

  Coming back to the moment, my focus narrowed on the Christmas tree. Something seemed oddly familiar. Then, it clicked.

  I motioned toward it with my fork as I addressed Mom. “Where did you get that garland? I just saw it for the first time today. It’s amazing how it constantly changes colors.”

  Verona’s husband, Jonah, angled himself from the other side of the table to look at me. “You must’ve been in the toyshop.”

  I nodded.

  Before I could reply, Zelda’s husband, Noah, piped up. “By next year every store downtown will have it.”

  Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly sure who was Jonah and who was Noah. Even though I knew which husband belonged to which sister, when they weren’t seated by their wives, I couldn’t tell the identical twins apart. After knowing them for so many years, I supposed I should make more of an effort, but one set of identical twins marrying another set of identical twins just seemed to be asking for confusion, so I didn’t feel too bad. At least with Barry’s daughters, they were identical in every way except their hair—Verona being a blonde and Zelda a brunette. I was certain one of them colored her hair, but I’d never asked. My money was on Zelda, but, like their father, it wasn’t smart to place a bet on anything either of the twins would do.

  From the proud look on the brothers’ faces, I did the math quickly. “Another one of your inventions?”

  They both nodded, and one of them—goodness knew which one—explained. “We just took those LED light strips and then made sleeves out of fiber-optic threads, like the ones we used to get at fairs and circuses and stuff. The first one took ages to make, but then we figured out how to mechanize the production. I could have sworn we told you about it a couple of weeks ago.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sure you did. I’ve been so overwhelmed with trying to get my house together and the store ready for inventory that I probably forgot.” Even though it was true, it was just an excuse. The twins had made a sizable fortune from their strange inventions. Each one came with endless filming of infomercials. They were nice guys, but it was all they talked about. Their constant string of failed and successful invention attempts blurred together. I doubted even their wives were able to keep it straight. “They’re absolutely beautiful. Mesmerizing.” Thinking back to what Declan had said, I spoke before I could stop myself. “I would imagine those would be hard to hang. If the fibers break, don’t they stick in skin pretty easily?”

  They both no
dded enthusiastically, not daunted in the least. “That is an issue. One we’re trying to figure out. Hopefully we’ll have it all sorted by next season. But for now, we put a warning label on the box and the instructions suggest the use of cattleman’s gloves when decorating.”

  Zelda spoke from her place beside Barry, a forkful of lasagna lifted halfway to her mouth. “Once they fine-tune it, the boys are going to make gowns for Verona and me for next year’s New Year’s Eve bash.” She smiled at me guiltily. “To be honest, I’m not comfortable with their impact on the environment, but for a light-up gown, I’m willing to make an exception for special occasions every once in a while.”

  “I told you I’m not wearing that. It’s socially and morally irresponsible.” Verona glared at her twin. Though Barry hadn’t even learned he had daughters until they were in their twenties, the twins were a testament of nature over nurture. Both of them were female versions of their father’s hippie, naturalistic outlook on life. She smiled at me. “However, that kind of dress would look lovely on you, Fred. I bet it would make that long auburn hair of yours positively glow.”

  I couldn’t hold back a shudder. “Goodness, no. I’d look like a walking, talking Christmas tree.”

  One of my nieces or nephews giggled. Not that I blamed them.

  “I still say the impact is low if we only do such things on extremely special occasions. And I’m sure the boys could invent a way to recycle them. If nothing else.”

  “How is the house coming, Fred?” Barry cut off Zelda good-naturedly. Though Zelda and Verona were identical in nearly every single way, in the few areas they differed, it could be all-out war.

  Even though I was with family, I was still uncomfortable being the focus of so many people at one time, but figured it was the lesser of the evils. “Mom was right. It was silly of me to have everything brought out here from Kansas City. I donated to Goodwill over half the things I paid to have driven out here.” I gave a partial shrug toward Mom. “And you’re right about not wanting all the things I had with Garrett in this new life. Once I get the store up and running, I thought maybe you and I can go shopping for some new items to replace things the ex-husband touched.”