Page 65 of A Very Daddy Christmas

My sister’s cheeks are red, but her gaze is fierce and unyielding while I helplessly watch it all unfold. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Her granddaughters take two boxes each, and Mrs. Darcy follows them out of the bakery, mumbling something about the sanctity and virtue of a woman, about how no man will ever want to touch a harlot like Cora Levine.

I’m speechless and motionless, staring at the front door. Eva stands beside me, giving me a persistent look.

“Would you mind telling me what that was all about?” she asks.

What do I tell her? I can’t offer the truth. I’m in love with three men. I’m in a relationship with three men. And I’m pregnant with no idea which of them is the father.

“I don’t know,” I say. “My guess is it’s another smear campaign.”

“They’re getting pretty aggressive,” Eva presses. “Calling you names, talking about your love life?”

“I guess people want to believe whatever Orson and George are saying.”

Eva comes closer and gives me a hard look. “Listen, I know there’s something going on between you and one of the guys,” she says in a low voice, causing the blood to freeze in my veins. “It’s your business, though. All I can do as your sister is be there for you through thick and thin.”

“Eva…” Tears bloom in my eyes as I hug her.

“I mean it. It’s not fair for your personal stuff to be put under the microscope like this. It’s just rumors and character assassinationcoming from the biggest of hypocrites, might I add. Mrs. Darcy loved that magical white powder in the eighties, you know. Before she got married and became a ‘respectable woman.’ Dad had some stories to tell about her.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Oh, dear.”

“All these other old biddies around town, they’re all playing the prudes and the self-righteous, but they were rocking the clubs and the bars—and men—back when they were our age,” she says. “Hypocrites, each and every one of them. It’s easy to sit back and judge others for doing precisely what they did when they were young. At least you’re running a business here, Cora. We’re building something on top of what our parents worked so hard to give us. You’re smart, beautiful, and successful. The rest of them are just jealous because you’ve been keeping company with good, and good-looking, men.”

“They are good men,” I nod slowly.

“And as far as I’m concerned, they’ve been nothing but faithful allies. So whichever one of them stole your heart, I just hope it’s going to lead to something great for you, Cora. You deserve all the love and the happiness in the world.”

“The haters will keep coming in,” I sigh. “Calling me names, trying to ruin us.”

“This whole thing will pass once the escrow expires,” Eva says. “People will flock to the mall for a while until they realize that nobody makes pies and pastries like we do, not on this side of town, anyway. Our superior products and friendly service will bring them back here. One by one. You’ll see.”

“We just need to tough it out and survive until January, huh?” I reply, feeling a tiny bit better.

At least I know where my sister stands, which is as far away from my private affairs as possible. It’s the decent and reasonable thing to do, and I was a fool for thinking otherwise. Our parents raised us well. We both embody their love, kindness, and fierceness. And Eva sure knows how to be fierce when it comes to protecting her family.

“We’ll find a way,” she says. “Until then, yes, we tough it out. Keep managing any negative online reviews. Let folks pick another bakery if that’s what they want to do. We’ll be okay. God wouldn’t have brought Sebastian and the guys into our lives if He didn’t want us to be okay.”

“I’m sorry,” I reply. “For keeping some things from you.”

“You don’t have to be sorry about anything,” Eva insists. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready. All I care about is that you’re happy and loved precisely the way you deserve to be, Cora. Everything else is trivial and far from important enough to merit more than a second of my attention.”

“You’re giving some real big sister energy here,” I chuckle softly.

A smile tests her lips. “I kinda have to. I’m the only big sister you’ve got in an increasingly tougher world. We still need to look out for each other, and everything you’ve done so far—taking Sebastian’s job offer, splitting yourself between the bakery and Dario—I see you, Cora. I see how hard you’re willing to work in order to keep this place in the family.”

“I’m doing it for us.”

“True, but we both know you could easily land a job at any high-end bakery like that.” She snaps her fingers for dramatic effect. “You were trained at a patisserie in France. You’re one of the best pastry chefs in the state, honey. I know how amazing youare, and I know how many job offers you turned down just to be here over the years.”

My heart skips a beat. I stare at her for a moment, realizing how much my sister actually knows. I must have a funny look on my face, because Eva starts laughing.

“What?” I ask.

“You’re so cute,” she says, shaking her head and doubling over. “You do realize I go through our email, too, right? Most of the job offers you’ve received over the past couple of years have come through your Levine Bakery email account.”

“To which you have admin privileges,” I mumble, shaking my head.

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