Page 40 of A Very Daddy Christmas

“There are a couple of indoor projects due to start soon on the south side. I applied to both, but I haven’t heard back from them,” Carl says. “I talked to a buddy of mine, a contractor. It sounds like Hamilton made sure I got blacklisted across the industry, at least in this part of the state.”

“What the fuck? That’s diabolical.”

“Yeah, well, powerful people with money can do that.”

“I’m so sorry. I can’t help but feel responsible.”

Carl offers a bitter smile, leaning against the wooden frame of a corner rack. “Honestly, at first, I was kind of mad at you and Eva. That lasted for about a day. Then I realized it wasn’t fair of me to feel that way. You abided by your contract terms, fair and square. I know how much Eva loves this place, how much work and energy you put into it as well. It would’ve been selfish of me not to take any of that into consideration.”

“Still, I’m sorry it was our mess that put you in this position.”

“It’s okay, kiddo,” he says. He’s the only one besides Eva who gets to call me that, considering Carl has been around since I was, in fact, a kid. “We’ll figure something out. The storm won’t last forever. The sun always comes back out.”

“It’s going to be a long winter, though.”

“I’ll keep looking. If I have to go out-of-state for a while, I’ll do that. It’ll be tough, but it will get us through the hard times.”

I nod slowly. “You know I’m going to help Eva with the girls if she needs me while you’re away. I’m just hoping it won’t get to that.”

Carl’s situation has caused me to feel pretty down lately. I thought about talking to Sebastian, Riggs, and Waylan about him. Their company is huge, but they deal with marketing and advertising, nothing construction related. They’re well connected, though. They could make a few calls and find a spot for Carl somewhere. I know I should at least ask, but my ego keeps getting in the way. I’d be asking for a huge favor after pitching a fit about them giving me gifts.

“Has St. James left you alone at least?” Carl asks me.

“I’m not sure,” I say, and it’s an honest answer.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, most days it’s nice and quiet. But occasionally we get weird folks coming by, looking around like they want to sack the place. I’ve seen suspicious cars idling outside or driving past the bakery after hours a little too slow for my comfort. Maybe I’m just being paranoid after what happened.”

Carl frowns slightly. “Have the police given any indication that they’re still looking for the two men responsible? Eva told me you guys haven’t heard much from them.”

“No,” I shake my head slowly. “I’m starting to think Sebastian was right, that they’re never going to catch them.”

“Sheriff Foreman is being too cautious, in my opinion. The bakery is a staple in Madison. It deserves respect and protection,” he replies, then curses under his breath. “That’s what we get for electing cowards into office.”

“Maybe it’s more complicated than that, I don’t know.”

“They have evidence on CCTV,” Carl replies. “It isn’t that complicated. A lot of us know St. James and Hamilton are friends with some pretty shady people.”

“There’s no evidence linking them, though. And any affirmation on the matter could be easily declared as slanderous. St. James has a spotless reputation among the church community as well as politicians,” I tell him. “Saying something against the man without irrefutable proof would be akin to political suicide for Sheriff Foreman.”

Sebastian put things into perspective where Foreman is concerned. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. We can’t count on the sheriff to do much. All we can do is wait for the escrow period to pass. Once we’re sealed in, it’ll be a done deal.

Ifwe’re sealed in. Not a day goes by that I don’t dread the possibility that someone might come along and add money on top of our offer. The chances are slim but not impossible.

The more I think about Carl’s situation, the more bothered I am with everything else. My brother-in-law has assured me, morethan once, that he doesn’t consider me or the bakery responsible in any way. But I see him and Eva struggling.

I know their marriage is taking a hit. Stress can become too difficult to bear when the money starts running low. I can see it’s nearing that uncomfortable point.

Carl takes care of the girls when he’s not at the bakery fixing stuff for us. My sister is tired, I can see it in her eyes. There are deep shadows under them, and her lips are almost always pressed tightly together. She tries so hard to smile when I talk to her, but I can tell this situation is taking its toll. A big part of me feels guilty because I know deep down this is all because Sebastian, Riggs, and Waylan took such an instant liking to me that they decided to help save our bakery.

“How are you holding up?” I ask Eva one late afternoon. Few customers are left at this hour, so she’s getting ready to call it a day. I just finished a couple of orders, and it’s clear enough for me to head home soon and take over for Sherry with Dario. “Is there anything I can help you with, sis?”

“Yeah, maybe have a look at the reviews on our social media page. Our ratings have gone down,” she says, her tone flat as she cleans the worktable behind the front counter. “I haven’t had a chance to check the recently posted ones, but I know we dropped a couple of points.”

“Wait, what?” I croak and instantly go on my phone to see for myself.

As I scroll through the newly posted reviews, my blood runs cold. Such nasty words. Such hatred and vitriol.

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