Page 84 of Someone For Everyone

‘Maybe.’ He pushed away and skidded down the incline, gaining some speed, before the tray hit a bump and he was sent flying. ‘You know, this isn’t the smartest thing to be doing with a hangover.’

‘It’s much more fun watching you do it. It makes for a great spectator sport.’

He brushed wet snow from his backside. ‘So how was your night?’

‘Good, thanks.’ She shuffled onto all fours in an effort to stand up. ‘I ate my Chinese in the lounge, while listening to Esme and Rowan murdering a few Christmas songs, and then headed off to bed to watchThe Holiday.’ She made it to her feet, and began jigging up and down to dislodge the loose snow. ‘You didn’t have to do that, by the way.’

‘I wanted to,’ he said, walking over. ‘A feeble attempt at an apology.’

‘No apology necessary. But thanks, anyway, it was a lovely gesture and I enjoyed the film. I can now tick off Christmas Chinese from my list.’ She wiped her mouth, and then grimaced when she realised she’d left bits of wool stuck to her lip-gloss. ‘You’ve had your Christmas Indian, too, so we’re all good. All you need now is to watchHome Aloneand you’re sorted.’

He wanted so badly to remove a strand of wool from her lips, but knew the gesture would be too intimate. ‘You almost managed to say that without sounding sarcastic.’

She removed her glove and wiped her mouth. ‘No judgement here. After all, you did point out that my choice of film was forgirls.’

He laughed. ‘And you said my choice was forkids.’

‘Well, it is.’ She smiled and he was hit by the force of it. When had she become so pretty? Or had he just not been paying attention? ‘Are we heading inside now? Only, I’m freezing.’

He forced his gaze away from her lips. ‘Fine by me.’

She began walking, her arms outstretched as she tried to remain upright. ‘By the way, I’ve read through the sale contracts.’

He caught her arm when she wobbled. ‘What did you think?’

‘They look fairly standard as contracts go, nothing too alarming. Except for one thing. The purchase only refers to the physical aspects of the business, like the building and equipment. It doesn’t talk about buying the business as a running concern. There’s no mention of TUPE.’

He frowned at her. ‘What’s that when it’s at home?’

‘Transfer of Undertakings. It’s when one company takes over the running of another and the business continues to function with the use of existing staff.’

He stopped walking. ‘They’re not offering to do that?’

‘It doesn’t look like it.’

‘What does that mean for our staff?’

‘Redundancy, unfortunately. It won’t be a problem for Geraldine, as she’s retiring anyway, but I doubt it’ll be good news for Natalie and Hanna. They’ve put so much effort into keeping everything going.’

She was right. This was not welcome news. ‘When I met with the company, they never said they wouldn’t be taking on the existing staff team. I just assumed they would.’

‘I imagine the new company will need additional staff, so there’s no reason why they can’t apply for new roles. They’re both experienced nurses and I’m sure you’ll give them a glowing reference.’

‘Of course,’ he said, although somehow he doubted that would be enough to ease his guilt. Or their disgruntlement. He could imagine Hanna’s fury. And he didn’t even want to think about how upset Natalie would be.

Kate looked uncomfortable. ‘Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.’

‘It’s not your fault. I’m glad you told me.’ He was hit by a simultaneous wave of sadness and annoyance. He couldn’t help feeling like the company had deliberately misled him.

‘Tough decision, huh?’

‘Even tougher now. I was already having doubts, and this has made things ten times worse.’

It wasn’t just the staff he was worried about. Larry’s words – about how great it was that Calvin didn’t treat them as if they were incapable of making their own decisions – came back to haunt him. He’d hoped the new company would honour that ethos, but now he wasn’t so sure. And that didn’t sit comfortably.

Kate tugged on his sleeve. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Not really. I have no idea what to do. It all feels so overwhelming.’ The weight in his chest gripped, intensifying the sense of responsibility he felt.

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