Page 39 of A Very Daddy Christmas

“I’m sorry.” She shakes her head. “Please, don’t get mad. I just… I can’t. It’s not my business, and I can’t risk my job at the country club over this.”

I look at Sebastian and Waylan, noticing the disappointment clearly imprinted upon their faces. Sherry is obviously afraid of any kind of retaliation, having already seen how awful those two bastards can be when someone gets in their way.

“It’s okay, Sherry,” I tell her with a gentle smile. “Trust me, we understand. But please, remember you’ll always have a jobwith us, whether it’s taking care of Dario or in another aspect of our business. We could always take you on full time with the company.”

“Oh, thank you,” she says. “It’s a long story, and a little awkward for me to talk about, but my family has been involved with the club in one way or another my whole life. I just can’t get involved in anything that might bring us or it any kind of trouble.”

“It’s about Hamilton and St. James, isn’t it?” Waylan bluntly says. “You’re worried they might retaliate.”

Sherry gives him a sad look. “They own at least half of Madison. And my parents work for one of their companies.”

“Yet you struggle,” Waylan sighs.

“My brother’s healthcare bills are huge,” she says. “You know that. I dropped out of college to take on an extra job to help them.”

“I do know that,” Waylan replies. “I’m sorry you’re struggling despite how hard you work. It’s not fair to you.”

She shrugs slightly and takes a long sip of her coffee. “I don’t like it either, to be honest. You’re all such great guys, and Cora is so nice. But I have to keep my nose out of their business. My family’s finances depend on it.”

“We completely understand,” I say. “However, will you promise us one thing?”

“Yes.”

I lean forward, careful in my choice of words. “If you hear anything that might lead to someone getting hurt, will you please tell us? It would be the right thing to do, whether it’s yourbusiness or not.”

Sherry sighs. “Alright. I’ll let you know if I hear anything like that. I promise.”

It’s the most we can get out of her, at least for the time being. It’s nowhere near enough to build a proper defense against St. James and Hamilton, especially where the bakery is concerned, so we’ll have to figure something else out.

They are both hiding something, I know it. They’ve got skeletons in their closets. Madison’s underbelly is rife with rumors about them, and it’s only a matter of time before we hit the mother lode.

My only hope is we hit it before they cause irreparable damage to Cora and her family business.

11

Cora

“Carl, you did an amazing job here,” I gasp at the fully restocked pantry. “Holy smokes, you even rearranged the spice racks!”

It’s like walking into my own bakery-themed paradise. I thought I was good at organizing stuff around here, but Carl is on the next level. I do not regret agreeing with Eva to let him work for us until he finds a new job.

“It’s what you pay me for,” my brother-in-law replies with a crooked smile.

He’s been with us for a few days now, and I have to admit, I appreciate his dedication and attention to detail.

“I’m beyond grateful,” I tell Carl, admiring the pantry shelves. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, but orders keep coming in for Christmas, and the new hire has been making newbie mistakes that both Eva and I have to fix. No judgment against the poor girl, she’s a hard worker—”

“And she’s willing to learn, which is good,” he cuts me off. I don’t mind, he’s absolutely right. She’s wants to learn all she can.

The branded Levine Bakery t-shirt suits him. I could see Carl as a more permanent fixture here, if we could afford it. “I wish we could pay you more for all the work you’ve done so far.”

“Cora, relax. I’m not doing it for the money. We’ve got some cash set aside, we’ll be okay, at least for the next few weeks. I’m good. Plus, it gives me something to do when I’m not looking for a job,” Carl says with a heavy sigh, then lowers his gaze. “I would’ve gone stir crazy at home.”

“Yeah, it’s gotta be pretty quiet with the girls at school all day.”

“Yeah, too quiet,” he mumbles.

“I’m glad you’re here. You’re making our lives easier during the holiday rush.” I smile at him. “So how is the job hunt going?”

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