Page 39 of A Game-Changing Christmas

“Love, what are you doing?”

Octavia covered her chest with a hand. “I was just suggesting our new acquaintances have lunch with us. They’ve invited us to their wedding, the least we could do is have a meal with them.”

He eyed her with a tilt of his head.

Lance stepped forward. “Thank you for your invitation, but we’re headed to a cake tasting, so maybe some other time.”

“Oh,” Octavia said.

“Well, there you go,” Jonathon said, “they’ve got plans, we shouldn’t keep Lance and Allison from them.”

“Babe, the cake tasting isn’t until three, and it’s twelve-thirty. Surely, we have time to get a bite to eat,” Allison suggested.

Octavia flipped her wrist to glance at her watch. “Awesome,” she screeched before Lance or Jonathon could object.

They glanced at one another then back to their wives who had strolled off together chirping like to old school friends with a lot to catch up on.

“They don’t know each other past their meeting at Rumi’s, do they?” Lance asked.

“No. My wife said Allison’s a new acquaintance, and my wife doesn’t lie. I would know. I can spot a liar a mile away.”

Lance exhaled a deep breath, and he stopped walking.

“What is it going to take for you to understand in that thick ass head of yours that I never lied to you nor am I lying now?”

“Not a damn thing. If what you say was true, you would’ve rectified this long ago, but you didn’t. In fact, I think you got off on our feud. Why you feel inclined to set the record straight now is beyond me.”

“Again, I thought you were upset because you lost the bid. I figured you were a sore loser, and I didn’t give a damn if you were upset because this is a man’s game, and it’s foolish and childish to throw away a friendship for that reason.”

Jonathon went to respond, but Lance continued.

“But, finding out you thought I hustled you and gave my father information about your plans to acquire the development is insane! I would have set the record straight had I known. Neither one of us gained a thing from fighting all these years.”

“Why didn’t you tell him I wanted the property?” Jonathon growled, getting in Lance’s face.

“I’ve answered this question already. Why are you so fucking anal about it!? You’ve won several developments since then. Why does losing that one make you carry a stick up your ass!?”

“Because I was going to bury my mother’s ashes there!” Jonathon roared.

Gone was the simple frown that had once settled in his features. Jonathon’s face was masked in anger, and his heart ricochet out of his chest.

Jonathon’s mother Janet Rose passed away from a home invasion when they were just adolescents. He was currently executive director of Jan’s Roses, a nonprofit organization devoted to assisting families who’d experienced the same misfortune.

His voice broke as he continued releasing his frustration. “She lived there as a child and confided in my father that one day she wanted to go back, but she never got the chance!” Infuriated, Jonathon clenched his jaw. “You want to know my plans?! I was going to demolish the industrial buildings that were falling apart and turn the landscape into our family mausoleum! My mother was going to be the first one buried there! So, you see, Lance, it has nothing to do with a simple bid! It’s a family heirloom that can never be replaced because you were too pussy to step in and ask your father to let it go!”

Jonathon grabbed Lance by his collar roughly, and on reflex, Lance gripped him back. The men’s equal strength bounced off each other, and they roughed each other’s collar a bit before Lance released Jonathon and held out his hands.

“Okay! All right.”

Octavia and Allison eased back into their space. After watching from a few feet away, they felt the need to intervene but didn’t know quite how to do it.

“I’m sorry,” Lance apologized. “I never knew that.”

Jonathon pushed off of Lance’s shoulder in a release of his collar. He exhaled deeply. “No one knew,” Jonathon said. “It was between me and my mother. I never realized I had to keep my plans from you of all fucking people.”

Octavia rested a hand against Jonathon’s shoulder, and he clenched his jaw then sighed.

“I swear, and I don’t do this often if at all,” Lance said. “I never hustled you.”

Jonathon let out another frustrated breath. “Well,” he straightened his trench and grabbed Octavia’s hand. “I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?” He turned and walked away, leaving a fresh wave of guilt hanging over Lance’s head.

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