Page 55 of Suddenly Mine
“You remember it,” said his dad.
“Of course.” Christian took the book and blew the dust from it. “Mum gave it to me. She wrapped it up and hid it among the fake presents beneath the tree in the store. It’s so weird, I was just thinking about this. I can’t believe you’ve still got it.”
“Of course I do,” his dad said. “I know I wasn’t a good father to you, Christian, certainly not after Olivia died, and probably not much before that, either. You probably remember Christmases when I wasn’t there.”
Christian nodded. They had been exactly that. Most years his dad hadn’t been there to give him his presents, Browick had done it instead.
“But you have to understand how hard it was,” his dad went on, staring at the flames. “It was your mother’s favourite time of year, and the only good I saw in it died with her. I just couldn’tbring myself to be happy without her, not even for you. And for that, I’m sorry. But you’re wrong about something.”
“What?” Christian asked.
“That book. Your mum didn’t buy it for you. I did.”
“No,” said Christian. “I remember it — she wrapped it for me and left it there after you told me off for opening the display presents.”
Lewis smiled sadly. “I did tell you off,” he said. “And I felt rotten for it. So I bought you the book to say sorry. I wrapped it and hid it beneath the tree, and I was going to be there when you opened it, only something came up. I can’t remember what — store business. It was always store business.” He sighed. “So your mum did it.”
He paused, then reached into his pocket. “Same year I gave this to your mum. Here, you keep it now.”
He pulled out a small velvet box and handed it to Christian. Inside was a delicate spiral necklace that made Christian’s heart ache as he vividly remembered his mum wearing it. Christian stared at it for a long time, the past catching up to him in a quiet rush. Lewis looked up at him, and Christian noticed that for the first time in his life he was taller than his father.
“You might not remember, son, but we did have good times, lots of them, even after she died. Every Christmas Eve we sat right here and opened new books, reading them by the fire. I wish I’d been there for you more. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t wish I’d done things differently, or that we had the chance to do it again. But hey, we don’t get to turn back time. We only get to look forward, right?”
“Right,” said Christian. He hadn’t expected this at all, and the sudden rush of emotion paralysed him.
His dad wheezed in a breath, coughing loudly. Then he took Christian’s hand in his, his skin as cold as marble. For a moment, Christian wondered if his father would tell him more about thegood times. But it was just store business. It wasalwaysstore business.
“You’re here. You have something to tell me?”
“I do,” said Christian, sighing. He held his father for a moment, then let go. “I found something out.”
His dad’s expression sharpened. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” said Christian, taking a deep breath. “Somebody is paying people to leave Carroll’s. Somebody is deliberately sabotaging the store.”
His dad’s breaths came in great, gulping wheezes as he took in what he was being told.
“Somebody is giving cash payouts to anyone who leaves,” Christian went on. “Somebody wants this business to die. At first, I thought it might be another store, somebody trying to put Carroll’s under before Christmas. But then I did some digging. Dad, I know who’s doing this.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Lewis. “It’s not Margot.”
“Are you sure?” Christian asked. “She’s got a lot to gain.”
“And a lot to lose,” his dad said. “Margot’s been good to me. If she was my own family, then she would be in charge, I have no doubt about it. It’s not too late, you know.”
“Too late for what?” Christian asked, frowning.
“For you to change your mind and come back permanently. Find someone to marry, settle down and have kids to pass on the family name.”
“Dad, whoa,” said Christian, holding up a hand. “This isn’t medieval England — you can’t just marry your children off to continue your legacy. I’m here to help you save Carroll’s, that’s all. But if you won’t even listen to what I’m telling you I’ve found, then I don’t know what to do. If Margot thinks she can get what she wants by bringing the store to its knees, then marching in to save it, that’s exactly what she’ll do. Either that or somebody elsehas promised her the top job in another company if she can force us into bankruptcy.”
“It’s not that bad,” said his dad.
“It is,” said Christian. “We’re just days away from Christmas and the store is sinking fast. There’s nobody out there anymore. People are leaving without buying, going elsewhere.”
“So,yousave it,” said his dad, looking right at him. “Quit your job overseas, come back to us full-time — not as a janitor, but as the CEO.”
“I . . .”