Page 83 of Tuxedos and Tinsel

“What? Why would you do that?” he asked. “No one is suggesting you step down from anything.”

“But the bad publicity. You’re going to need to do something.”

“It won’t be firing my sister. You’re a Collier. The company is as much a part of your legacy as it is mine and Linus’s. Was I the only one who listened to Grandfather when he brought us to the company museum?”

He crossed the room to sit next to her. “Bottom line is that family is what makes Collier’s. We’ve survived four hundred years. We’ll survive a few weeks of tabloid coverage. Might even help. We’re getting a lot of free advertising.”

Susan gave up trying to rein in the tears. Letting them escape, she hugged her brother tight. “Thank you.” It was the first time she’d ever truly felt like a Collier.

“You’re welcome. And you’re not an unloved elf. Just an annoying one.”

Annoying, she’d take.

“Now,” Thomas stood up and smoothed the front of his sweater. “I’m going to call the office and see what kind of statement they’re putting out before Rosalind and I go Christmas shopping.”

As she watched her brother head upstairs to his office, Susan felt moderately better. At least things were okay with her family.

Family.She repeated the word to herself with a sense of shame. Lewis had tried to tell her that she mattered to her brothers, but she hadn’t believed him. Turned out Lewis was right. Someday she’d have to thank him. If she ever saw him again.

Baby Noel was starting to fuss in his bassinet. Must be nearly feeding time.

“I’m sorry. I disrupted your morning,” she said to Rosalind, rising to leave. “I’ll get out of your way.”

“Hold it right there, unloved elf.” Wearing a very deliberate expression, her sister-in-law rose from her chair. “It’s high time you got a dose of the truth.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“DOYOUREMEMBERlast Christmas when you read me the riot act?” Rosalind asked. “You told me I was as much to blame for my problems as Thomas?”

“Of course, I remember.”

“You said things no one else was willing to say. Things that were uncomfortable for me to hear.”

“Someone had to.”

“You’re right. Someone did,” Rosalind said. “And if you hadn’t, we might never have had our little Christmas miracle here.” She paused to scoop up the baby and cradle him. “That is why I’m going to return the favor.”

Susan’s skin was starting to twitch again. “How so?”

“I’m going to tell you some truths,” Rosalind said. “Starting with the fact that for someone who’s so obsessed with psychology, you suck at self-awareness.”

Susan felt as though she had been slapped. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Rosalind said. “Do you honestly believe you’re some ugly little lump that no one likes? Give me a break. If that’s the case then why were you invited to a half-dozen weddings this year?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m the boss?”

“Correction. My husband is the boss and Thomas wasn’t invited to half as many.”

He wasn’t? Susan always assumed he didn’t attend because he’d scaled back his business commitments since their reconciliation. “Probably because they know he’s been preoccupied, and figured they’d invite the one most likely to attend.”

“What about Linus? Did they figure he was too busy, as well?”

“I…” She couldn’t answer that. Everyone loved Linus. “He’s been distracted lately too.”

“So these people knew Thomas and Linus wouldn’t attend their weddings, but figured you would and that was why you got an invitation?” Rosalind folded her arms. “Do you hear yourself?”

“If you’re going to put it like that, of course it’s going to sound ludicrous,” Susan said.