Chapter Twelve
Gemma threw the pillow as hard as she could against the wall where it landed with a dull thud. It slid down to the floor and she picked it up again, feeling slightly guilty for the violent outburst on her innocent pillow shams. It was Christmas Eve and hardly the right time to be throwing fits.
“He knew the whole time,” she growled, hugging the pillow tight. “Lance knew his uncle was going to shut us down the whole time and he said nothing. He lied to us. He lied to me.”
Katherine sat quietly on the sofa stirring a teaspoon of honey into her chamomile tea. She patted the spot next to her and waited for her daughter to sit. “I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it, darling. He probably knew how you’d react.”
“But he could’ve warned me.” Gemma blinked back her tears. She’d shed plenty of those last night. “I was going on and on about this big Christmas surprise I had for you, and all along he was planning on firing me. Now I’ll never be able to afford that trip.”
Katherine tilted her head to one side. Her blonde hair had been pulled back in a messy bun and last night’s makeup was slightly smeared under her eyes. “What trip?”
Gemma moaned. “Our trip to Europe. I was going to surprise you with the tickets tomorrow for Christmas. My bonus was all I needed to finish saving, but now I have to worry about paying my bills. There’s no way I can buy them now. There goes our dream down the drain. All thanks to Lance Barkley.”
Her mother held out her arms and Gemma gratefully sunk into them. After a few moments of silence, Katherine smiled and patted her head. “You know, Europe was never my dream. I’m perfectly content sitting in your living room, drinking tea.”
Gemma looked up at her. “But we’ve talking about it forever. You always said you wanted to go.”
“I said I wanted to go with you,” Katherine agreed with a nod. “But that was because it was your dream. You don’t need to kill yourself to make it come true. I’m happy wherever you are.”
She straightened up and blew out a lung full of air. “But I wanted to do something special for you. Ever since the cancer…” She blinked back tears again.
“I know, baby. You’ve been trying to care for me ever since I got the news. But you don’t need to spend your life worrying about me. That’s my job. You’ve got to take care of yourself right now. Do something better with that money. We’ll still have each other at the end of the day, no matter where you live or what job you do.”
Gemma smiled. Despite the horrible evening and the sleepless night, she was beginning to feel a little more hope for the future. Sure, she was out of a job. But she had skills. There were even headhunters who wanted her to apply for their jobs. She’d be fine at the end of the day.
Katherine grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I guess you’ll be calling that headhunter back from L.A.”
She puffed out her cheeks and squeezed her eyes closed tight. “But I don’t want to leave you…”
“Gemma Ann Rink.” Katherine straightened her spine and put on her best teacher glare. “I didn’t raise my daughter to be afraid of change. You’re only twenty-eight. You’re allowed to explore new places and new jobs. You can’t be stuck at a dead-end job at the New Hope grocery market because your mother was sick a year ago. I won’t allow it.”
She smiled despite herself. Her mother knew her all too well. The grocery market had been her first fallback idea. She was right, of course. She shouldn’t spend her life there in New Hope if there was no future for her career. The west coast had opportunity and growth. Maybe they wouldn’t get to Europe this year, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen in the future. A job like that would make it happen.
“I know now what I want to do with my bonus,” she said, rising from the couch. Katherine smiled and sipped at her tea. “I’m going to run, but I’ll be back in an hour with Ben & Jerry’s and a chick flick. Don’t move.”
She grabbed her coat, the check still in the pocket, and sped out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, she was standing inside the New Hope Children’s Home. It was still early in the morning, so the only person awake was the receptionist who smiled at her as she walked in. She made a straight line for the Christmas tree, alive with every possible shade of red and green. There was the ugly Santa ornament she’d given to Lance as a joke. It hung at eye level, a painful reminder of why she was there.
She pulled over a chair and sat beneath the tree for the longest time, soaking in the sounds and smells of the home. Even without Chloe’s complicated spreadsheets of calculations in front of her, she knew the truth. Without the Foundation’s support, the Home wouldn’t last another year. It was only a matter of time before the boys were separated and sent to new homes. There’d be no guarantee of the safety of those homes or the love that filled them. Gemma’s heart ached for the boys and their indefinite futures. Here, they were loved and cared for. Out there, who knew what would happen?
It was with surprise that she looked up and saw someone standing next to her. Lance was still wearing last night’s suit, but his face had lost the newly shaved look. Dark circles under his eyes told her that he’d had about as much sleep as she had. He smiled grimly at her and rubbed a hand over his head.
“I thought I’d find you here,” he said in a whisper. “I’ve been at the office all night long, but I just had a feeling you’d be here. I need to apologize.”
She held up a finger and pressed her lips into a thin line. “No, you don’t get to apologize. You don’t get to feel better for deceiving me and my friends. Not today, at least. I’m not going to give you that satisfaction.”
“But I need to explain,” he held up his gloved hands. “The Foundation has become a black hole for the company and Uncle Matthias needed me to close things up. I never expected to find someone like you here. I didn’t realize…”
“The Foundation isn’t a black hole.” Gemma could feel the anger rising in her voice and suddenly she wanted another pillow to throw. “It’s a charitable organization that keeps things like the Children’s Home running. How can you call it that?”
“I know that now.” He took a step back, his gaze sliding from her face to her hands, fisted at her sides. “And I tried to fight it, I really did. But he wouldn’t listen. He said I wasn’t ready to take on a partnership in the company. I think he’s going to fire me, too.”
“Poor, poor you.” Her less than enthusiastic frown slid off her face. “I sincerely hope you can recover in your pent-house with all your money. In the meantime, I’m going to be helping the Home close up shop. So, if that’s all, you can go ahead and leave now.”
Pain flickered in Lance’s blue eyes. For a quick moment, she felt regret for speaking so harshly. He had been a pawn in his uncle’s game as much as she. But the feeling didn’t last long. He’d still lied to her, made her believe he was falling for her all the while dissolving her job behind her back.
Taking her Christmas bonus check out of her jacket, she waved it in front of his eyes and slapped it on a nearby desk. With a furious scribble, she signed the back of it and folded it into a small square.
“I think they need it more than me,” she said with a determined frown.
Lance stepped closer, his sleeve brushing her arm. Despite her rage, she felt her heart beat faster at the contact and hated herself for it.
“But your trip,” he said. His eyes narrowed in concern. “What about Europe?”
“Europe will still be there.” She backed away, unsure if she could handle being that close to him. A donation box sat on top of the receptionist’s desk. “The Home needs it more than I need that trip. I’m donating my bonus.”
She dropped it into the box and tried to glare at him, but she was too tired. Anger had taken all her energy and now all she was left with was a hollow and painful disappointment. The handsome man standing in front of her with his dropping shoulders only made her heart hurt. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and gave him a nod.
“Merry Christmas, Lance. I wish you all the best. Good luck in Minneapolis.”
Turning on her heel, Gemma walked calmly out the door. Her heart pattered away a million miles a minute, but her breath remained steady. She’d never liked goodbyes.
It was definitely a Chunky Monkey kind of morning and she had half a dozen pints to buy.