footsteps. It was the tap on her shoulder that made her
jump and let out a stifled cry.
around to confront the enemy.
“Learn anything?” whispered Renie.
“Coz!” A sudden silence had descended over the
dining room. Judith was certain that the contentious
crew had heard a suspicious noise. She gently shut the
door. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for the busing station,” Renie replied, spying her goal behind Judith. “We need more napkins.
You know how our kids eat. The tablecloth looks like
an army field hospital.”
“You’re no slouch yourself,” Judith retorted.
“How’s the dinner going?”
Renie made a doleful face. “Could these people be
less fun? The parents are like mannequins. Thank God
our kids have some animation. They’re never afraid to
speak out.”
“Coz,” Judith said, keeping an eye on the service
door, “your family isn’t merely outspoken, you’re all
very loud. Even Bill can bellow when aroused. The future in-laws are probably cowed.”
Renie shot her a disdainful glance. “Okay, so we’ve
got pep. But these people hardly eat a thing. The fiance
and fiancees are a little livelier. Heather is very
smart—she’s Tom’s girl—and Cathleen—Tony’s
beloved—seems genuinely kind. As for Odo, he laughs
at everything Bill says, which is good.”
“Odo?” Judith responded. “His name is really
Odo?”
“Yes,” Renie replied, looking very serious. “You
know the original Odo. Bishop Odo became pope just
in time to launch the First Crusade.”
Judith shook her head. “Funny, the kid didn’t look
militant. Or religious.”
“He’s not,” Renie said. “At least as far as I can tell.
I just wish the parents had more zip. They never
flinched when our kids got into a shouting match. They
didn’t bat an eye when Tom threw one of Tony’s socks
in the consomme. And you know how Bill belches
sometimes when he eats—well, the rest of them sat
like statues when he practically blew up after taking a
bite of jalapeno pepper by mistake.” Renie shook herself. “I babble. What are you doing here? Or should I
