The Perfect Spouse: A Novel. Sioux Dallas

woman like you who is lovely inside and out will outshine all the young chicks.” He held out his hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to wrap this.”

      Everyone gasped and Grace sat down heavily. The narrow gold bracelet had two teardrop-shaped Aquamarines on either side of a blue diamond. A delicate gold chain was a safety device against losing the bracelet.

      “Franklin, this is too valuable for me. I appreciate the thought with my whole heart, but I can’t take this.”

      “You’ll break my heart if you refuse it. I made it for my wife whom I loved as much as one can love anyone else, but she died before I could give it to her. The cancer took her quicker than I imagined. You are a dear friend and I would be honored if you’d accept it.”

      Grace looked at Jason. He nodded at her. She accepted Franklin’s gift with more tears and hugs. “I shall treasure it always. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Franklin.”

      “If we don’t hurry and eat this, the ice cream will be melted all over the place,” Greg sang out as he went behind the table. “Who wants Pistachio and who wants Butter Pecan?”

      “Give a scoop of each to everyone,” Jason suggested. Grace get back there, make a wish and blow out your candles. Then you can cut the cake.”

      “Thank you for everything, my precious friends. And thank you for only having ten candles on the cake. It keeps me from feeling so old,” she laughed.

      “We didn’t want the fire department to be rushing in here on such a cold day and this close to Christmas,” Greg joked.

      “Greg gore ee,” Beth admonished him.

      With a mighty breath Grace blew out the candles and pretended to be faint. “I don’t know whether to kiss you or kick you, Jason. “I’m already plump enough and now I’ll be roly-poly after cake and ice cream.”

      “No, my dear lady, you’re just right,” Franklin placed an arm across her shoulders and then, looking slightly ashamed, dropped his arm and came around to the front of the table.

      Greg lifted his eyebrows and looked at Beth. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

      After they had eaten and cleaned up, Jason told them to go home and enjoy an early day. Franklin left declaring that it had been many a moon since he had enjoyed himself so much.

      Greg leaned over and whispered to Beth. “How long has Franklin’s wife been dead? I think he has an interest in our Grace.”

      “I don’t know,” she answered, “and he couldn’t find a sweeter lady than Grace. I don’t know her age, and I didn’t want to ask Jason, but she is still very pretty. She has such a sparkling personality and is very loyal.”

      “I would guess her to be middle sixties,” Greg told her. “Wouldn’t it be great if the two of them found a lasting relationship?”

      Grace made everyone take a piece of cake home for later. The rest was wrapped and left in the refrigerator. The ice cream was returned to the freezer for another day.

      “Brrr. Why do we enjoy such cold food in bitter cold weather?” Grace shivered as she prepared to leave.

      “I don’t know who invented ice cream, but it gets better and better. I, for one, can eat it any time. All of you, get out of here. Have a wonderful weekend.”

      Jason locked up and bid everyone a cheerful goodbye.

       Chapter Eight

      The weekend was quiet because everything was shut down due to the blizzard that swept through the Village of Fayette. Business people, police and other citizens, who talked to each other, agreed that it had been many years since they had such a severe winter.

      By Monday the road crews had cleared the main roads and opened a few of the side streets. Jason called his three employees and told them to wait until the next day to come to work.

      On Tuesday Jason took his time fixing blueberry pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs. He drank two cups of coffee and poured the rest in a thermos to take to work with him. With Grace preparing to leave, he wasn’t sure there would be coffee at the office.

      As he locked his door, Betty Dixon stuck her head out of her door and called to him. “Good morning, Jason. You work too hard. We never get to see you except in a passing blur. Please say you’ll come for dinner tonight. We would love so much to have you join us.”

      “Oh, Mrs. Dixon, I don’t want to be any trouble. I usually pick up a take out to bring home with me or just have a sandwich.”

      “Absolutely no trouble. I already cook for us and what’s one more.”

      Jason recognized that she and Tony were lonely and missed their children.. He really didn’t want to get involved or feel obligated, but he was too kind to keep turning her down. “Okay. It’ll be my pleasure to join you. What can I bring?”

      “Just yourself at seven. I’m so happy. Tony,” she yelled as she stepped back into her apartment. Jason heard her saying. “Jason’s going to join us for dinner. Yippeee!”

      He walked to the elevator feeling ashamed that he had not given them more attention. He should have been more thoughtful knowing how they had lost two sons and now a daughter and grandchildren. I don’t want them to begin to feel that I’ll take the place of their children. I don’t dislike them, but I don’t have anything in common with them.

      Jason smiled when he passed the Head Above The Rest Beauty Salon and Barber Shop. The music was turned on so that it could be heard on the street. “I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas” played joyfully. “Yeah, sure,” he said, looking around at the pristine snow banks. Whistling, he walked on.

      He enjoyed greetings and comments from several people as he made his way down the slippery walk. As he passed the hardware store, he could hear, “Joy To The World.”

      He walked on to work with his chin dipped down in a scarf wrapped around his neck. It was a clear day but bitter cold. Keeping his eyes on the walk and being careful not to step on any obvious ice, he got out his keys to open the office door. To his surprise the door was unlocked. He pushed it open and stopped in amazement.

      Greg, Beth and Grace came out of the middle room to greet him. He sniffed the wonderful odors of pine and fresh greenery. There were ropes of garland around the front windows and more around the room. Greenery and holly were arranged artfully in various places. To his left, in the corner, was a beautifully decorated tree about eight feet tall. He felt dumb-founded. He had not thought of decorating for Christmas and hadn’t been aware that his staff wanted to do so.

      Multi-colored fairy lights twinkled in the garlands around the windows and around the room. A small tree, about twenty inches tall, had been placed in a window with decorations on it and tiny presents wrapped gaily and placed under the tree. Holly had been placed in several spots to make the window more attractive and festive. Cotton had been placed in the floor of the windows to represent snow. Jason began to grin about the cotton snow with so much of the real stuff on the ground outside. He finally laughed aloud. The three breathed a sigh of relief and looked happy as larks.

      Beautiful, full poinsettia plants were on all three desks. “When did you wonderful people do this? I’m ashamed that I haven’t even thought of decorating and here you’ve gone all out and done an outstanding job. Thank you so much. I love it.”

      The three cheered. Greg came over and slapped Jason on the shoulder. “We wanted to do it because you’re the best boss anyone could ever have.”

      “When did you get all this done?” Jason was still gawking and trying to breathe through his surprise and excitement.

      Grace walked over to adjust decorations of the big tree. “We did some Sunday afternoon and when we found out you didn’t expect us in on Monday, we came in and worked until we were satisfied with our efforts. You won’t be able to appreciate