Hullabaloo and Holly Too ( A Cozy Cash Mystery Christmas Novella) (The Cozy Cash Mysteries) by D. D. Scott Read Free Book Online Page B

older than me. He’s Father Time. Duh,” Grams said.
     
    Evidently she had her hearing aids cranked up today.
     
    Everyone laughed in that awkward way people do when they don’t know what the hell else to say or do.
     
    “Well, c’mon in then,” Father T said, stepping out of the doorway and motioning for The Squad to enter his home. “How nice of you to bring me cookies and beverages.”
     
    “You ain’t gonna think that for long,” Grams said.
     
    “What was that?” Father T asked.
     
    “She said we can’t stay for long,” Kat broke-in, setting the plate of cookies on Father T’s coffee table. “Oh, my goodness, your place is beautiful. You were so right, Suzie.”
     
    “Oh, I’d love to give you all a tour,” Father Time said, his cheeks glowing a bright red.
     
    Sometimes, I really could see where my mom was coming from regarding Father Time. He had no one. Thanks to his crotchety attitude and shy personality, he didn’t have any friends other than my on-again-off-again dad.
     
    But he was still an asshole. So I totally got my dad’s side of the situation too.
     
    “So, you must be Zoey’s friends that I’ve heard so much about,” he said, then coughed, his cheeks getting redder by the second.
     
    “Busted!”
     
    I shouted, scaring everyone in my family room.
     
    “I’d say so,” my dad said, toasting his cocoa mug to all of ours. “I told ya the bastard was phone-hacking me. He never would have known about any of you otherwise.”
     
    “I want to get this over with and fast. I don’t like those women being in that house,” R said, punching buttons on his cell phone.
     
    You mean you don’t like Kat being there, I thought, but didn’t want to call him out.
     
    Just then, we could hear Father Time’s cell phone ringing through my dad’s surround sound system. Consequently, we instantly glued our attention back to the flat-screen.
     
    “Excuse me a minute,” Father Time said, seeming somewhat relieved for the diversion. “I’m expecting this call.”
     
    “Liar,” Roman said, his eyes getting that Dark Knight quality that I knew meant he was goin’ in for the kill.
     
    We watched, as did our Mom Squad Hit Team, as Father Time walked over to a large desk by the solid glass back-side of his home and grabbed his phone.
     
    Now that we all knew where the phone was, we could begin the next stage of the plan.
     
    “Hmmm. Must have been a wrong number. Anyway, where were we?”
     
    “We were about to take a tour of your lovely home. But why don’t we enjoy these cookies first? They’re fresh out of the oven,” my mother said, motioning for everyone to have a seat in Father Time’s sunken living room.
     
    As soon as she’d handed out the cookies, Grams sprang into action.
     
    “I’ve made us some herbal tea as well,” she said, placing the thermos on the coffee table and taking out the holly-printed Styrofoam cups she’d brought along.
     
    “Leave it to her,” I laughed.
     
    “What? I don’t get it,” Roxy said.
     
    “Just watch, and you will,” Jules said.
     
    “Did you help Grams with the tea?” I asked Jules.
     
    “Let’s just say I showed her a little culinary school trick to get the most out of her chosen ingredients.”
     
    Oh boy. Father Time was doomed.
     
    He’d soon be bouncing off the walls. Well not the walls exactly…
     
    “Is someone gonna fill me in?” Roxy begged.
     
    Father Time downed his first cup of tea.
     
    “This is wonderful. Hit me again, please. Why, it’s just…I don’t know how to describe it…invigorating.”
     
    “It should be, dumb-ass,” I said, unable to keep from laughing.
     
    “C’mon, Guys. Spill it,” Roxy begged once more.
     
    I couldn’t. And neither could Jules. We were both doubled over laughing our asses off.
     
    “Roxy,” Roman took pity on her while rolling his eyes at me and Jules’ rowdy revelry, “holly is often used in South America as a stimulant. Some species,