A Christmas Temptation Page 14

  Jake’s driver was waiting for him at the curb outside the lawyer’s office. Jake had hoped Sophie would be waiting as well, having remembered that they’d arrived together.

  “Sir, I saw Ms. Eden come outside, but she didn’t say anything when I called out to her. She just kept going down the sidewalk.”

  “She had somewhere she had to be.” Jake was quick with the excuse.

  “I have never seen anyone walk so fast in heels. She was practically sprinting.”

  “It’s in her DNA.”

  Just as fast and able in heels, Mindy stormed out of the building. The stretch SUV was back again. But Jake wanted a word with her before she got away.

  “Mindy. Do you have a minute?”

  She wrapped her arms around herself. “I have exactly that. I have to get back to my office.”

  “Did you know about all of this? Did you know all of that was going to happen?”

  She shook her head so fast her hair went flying in the cold winter wind. “No, I didn’t know. I was completely broadsided in there. And I’m furious with my sister. She had to have known that was going to happen. She was ridiculously close with our grandmother. I can’t believe she never told me.”

  In any other situation, Jake would have felt vindicated by Mindy’s statement. She was equally astounded by Sophie’s deception. But he took no joy in the revelation. There was nothing good to get out of any of this. “I’m in shock. She definitely never gave me any indication that this would happen. Obviously, I never would have pursued the purchase if that were the case.” Nor would he have pursued Sophie, which would have meant that his heart wouldn’t be broken right now. “No wonder she was so willing to promise me she wouldn’t cut a deal with any buyer without first talking to me. It meant nothing.”

  Mindy’s eyes were wide as dinner plates. “She did what? She never told me that. How could she make that promise to you and not tell me?” Mindy looked over her shoulder at the car waiting for her. “I don’t know what to tell you, Jake, other than today has been just as horrible for me as it has been for you. I’m going to have to sell my company or clone myself or something. I’m going to have to go to that store every day for the next two years and work with my sister, who I no longer trust, along with another sister I never even knew I had.”

  However upset he was with Sophie, Jake did realize that both she and Mindy had also taken a real beating today. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of us.”

  Mindy returned her sights to him. “Yeah. Me, too. I sort of thought you two might figure out your issues this time. Looks like Sophie was the one to mess it up on this go-around, huh?”

  Jake nodded, but he hated every word out of Mindy’s mouth. It felt like she was sealing his fate. His deal was gone, and so was any chance at a future with Sophie. “I guess so.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a door on the SUV open and out came a man he immediately recognized—Sam Blackwell. His blood began to boil. Sophie had told him that Mindy knew him only casually. Apparently that was not the case. “I think your ride is waiting for you.”

  Mindy glanced at the car and didn’t turn back. “Oh, yes. I have to go. Take care of yourself.” She trotted off and Sam stood aside and helped her into the car. Then it sped off.

  Jake just stood there on the sidewalk, wondering how many more shocks he was going to have to withstand today. He couldn’t take many more. Sophie had lied to him about Sam Blackwell, too.

  “Mr. Wheeler? You ready?” David, his driver, called out.

  “Yes.” Jake got settled in the back seat of the car as David rounded to his door. He started to run over everything that had just happened, if only to try to make sense of it. The vision most easily conjured was one he hadn’t actually seen—Sophie running down the street, away from him. It troubled him that his mind had no problem imagining her wanting to distance herself from him, forever. He looked out the window and ran his hand through his hair. What future did he have now? The business deal of a decade was officially dead. And any prospect of love was gone, as well.

  “Back to the office, sir?”

  “Yes, please.” Jake had phone calls to make as soon as he returned. Phone calls that he dreaded making. No matter how hard he had tried in the past to shrug off failure, it always bothered him. None of his investment partners was going to listen to an excuse. They weren’t going to listen to him explain how hard he had worked to put this deal together. He knew this because he knew this of himself. If the roles had been reversed, if he had been counting on someone else, he wouldn’t want to hear excuses.

  “How did things go at the lawyer’s office?” Audrey asked when he returned.

  “They could have gone better.”

  Audrey frowned and cocked her head to one side. “You missed Stephanie in Accounting’s birthday. Would you like me to get you a piece of cake?”

  “No, thank you. I’m not sure sugar is going to help me out now.” All he could think about was that day at Eden House, making Christmas cookies. Talk about a slice of life he’d thought was never meant for him. But that was Sophie. She filled in the gaps, the things he’d missed out on. He hadn’t needed sugar that day. He’d only needed her. And they had fit together so perfectly, it was hard to stomach the realization that she was gone from his life now.

  “Coffee, then?” Audrey asked.

  “Yes, actually. That would be great.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll bring it in.”

  Jake stepped into his office and forced himself to move quickly, to sit behind his desk and pull out his phone and prepare to get this over with. These calls would not be pleasant, but there was very little of Jake’s job that was fun. Today was a day for eating crow. Tomorrow he’d get up in the morning and do it all over again, hopefully with his pride intact.

  The first few phone calls were irksome, but ultimately it all came down to business. He endured a few moments of disgruntlement, followed by the sentiment that everyone still wanted to keep working together. There was always money to be made. They just had to find the next big deal. At least he had that much going for him.

  More than one person expressed the hope that when the two years were up, Jake would still have the inside track. “Make sure you maintain that relationship,” one of his fellow investors said. Jake wasn’t about to get into it, but that relationship was gone. There would be no more Sophie in his life. Not after today.

  He decided to reach out to Sawyer last. This call was going to be the most difficult, only because he admired Sawyer so much and they had become friends. “Hey, Jake. I was eagerly waiting for this phone call, but the truth is that I already heard through the grapevine about what happened with Victoria Eden’s will.”

  Jake slumped back in his chair and raked his fingers through his hair. “News travels fast.”

  “Bad news travels fastest of all.”

  “So true.”

  “Are you holding up okay? I’m sure it’s disappointing. You’ve put a lot of work into it.”

  “You know this game as well as anyone. Sometimes you work your tail off and it still doesn’t work. This is just another of those instances.” Except that it really wasn’t. There was more to it. So much more. And he couldn’t talk to anyone about it.

  “Do you want to grab a beer after work? I’m over at the hotel. We could go up to the speakeasy and hole up in a corner booth.”

  Jake was always eager to get a drink with a colleague, especially someone he liked as much as Sawyer. But he hesitated, knowing that a beer or two might turn to truth serum in his veins, which might cause him to talk about things that weren’t appropriate. The blowup with Sophie was still so fresh in his head, but it was as if it hadn’t truly sunk in yet. If he tried hard enough, it might never do that.

  “Jake? Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

  Eleven


  After the day Jake threw away their future, Sophie did the only thing she knew how to do. She threw herself into work. Unfortunately, work right now was like jumping into the deepest part of the ocean without a life vest. The days were long and brutally tiring. She spent more than one night on the couch in her office. She tried to ignore her memories of being with Jake on that couch, but then again, she was doing her level best to forget everything she ever knew about Jake Wheeler. He’d returned to the category of people to leave in the past. Forever. She simply couldn’t be dumb enough to let him break her heart again. She couldn’t afford to be so self-destructive.

  She wasn’t quite sure how she made it through the five days from December 18, the reading of Gram’s will, to December 23, also known at Eden’s as The Hardest Day of the Year. Customers were desperate to be done with their shopping, but their choices had dwindled considerably. Employees were exhausted after many long days spent on their feet dealing with short fuses and endless demands. Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, would be much better. Eden’s was open for only a few hours, the crowds were always much smaller that day and most people were officially in the Christmas spirit.

  Which was why December 23 was a day where Gram always went the extra mile. Complimentary fresh-baked cookies, hot cocoa and mulled cider were available on each floor of the store. That alone made such a huge difference—everything smelled heavenly. Santa no longer sat on his regal chair waiting for children to share their Christmas wishes. Instead, he roamed the store with a photographer elf, delivering candy canes and candid Polaroids, while spreading good cheer. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were brought in for the employees. Everyone earned time and a half.

  Sophie’s handling of December 23 was a test of whether she could match her grandmother’s greatness. Could she keep everyone at Eden’s, customers and employees alike, happy on the worst shopping day of the year? She only knew that she had to try, and even if she failed, it would keep her mind off the person she missed so desperately—Jake.

  Arriving at the store that morning, running on a scant five hours of sleep and too much coffee, Sophie immediately noticed that something was off. Normally, salespeople and the department managers were buzzing about, busy as bees. Not now. Only a handful of employees were at their stations and the store was set to open in ten minutes. She made her way up to women’s shoes and spotted Lizzie waiting for her, perched on one of the sofas. She popped up from her seat the instant she saw Sophie.

  “I’m afraid I have bad news.” Lizzie walked double time with Sophie back to the elevator.

  “Do I even want to know?”

  “Santa called in sick. It’s impossible to find a replacement this close to Christmas. I tried.”

  Sophie blew out a breath and jabbed the button for the elevator. “Do we have anyone who can fill in?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Reginald? Duane?”

  Lizzie peered at Sophie as if she’d lost her mind. “Can you really see Reginald in the fur-trimmed suit? I think he’d rather die. As for Duane, he’s too big for it.”

  “What about Theo in men’s shoes?”

  Lizzie nodded eagerly. “Good idea. I’ll go talk to him after we discuss the bagel disaster.”

  “Disaster?”

  “Mary’s Bagels lost our order. They never showed up, and when I called, they said it was too late for them to deliver now. People are not happy. Everyone’s waiting in the employee lounge, wondering where their food is.”

  “So that’s why nobody’s in their department. The store opens in ten minutes. I’ll call about the bagels. You tell everyone it’s on the way.”

  “Got it.”

  Sophie and Lizzie stepped off the elevator and marched down the hall to Sophie’s office. Sophie was already on the phone to Mary’s.

  “Mary’s Bagels. This is Mary.”

  “Mary, hey. It’s Sophie Eden. What happened?” Sophie tossed her purse onto her desk.

  “When your grandmother passed away, one of my guys canceled your standing order. I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “There’s nothing you can do? I have a ton of hungry employees. I can’t let this happen today.” Please not today. Sophie had to at least show herself that she was capable of living up to what Gram would have done. This job and Eden’s were the only things Sophie had right now, and somebody had to be competent going into next year. Mindy was bound to be difficult, and Emma was a wild card. “I will owe you, big-time, if you can make this happen.”

  Mary grumbled over the line. “I can get you four dozen now and the rest in an hour. It’s the best I can do.”

  Gram never would have stood for this. There would have been hell to pay. But Sophie didn’t have the energy to yell at anyone. “Thank you so much. And please, reinstate our order for next year.” She hung up her phone and looked at Lizzie, who had just walked in. “Food is on the way. Hopefully that will be the worst of it. Can you please confirm lunch and dinner?”

  “I’m on it.” Lizzie turned on her heel and disappeared through the door.

  Sophie plopped down in her chair. Through one of her office windows, she glimpsed snow flurries fluttering. This might end up being the prettiest, snowiest Christmas yet. Too bad she might have no Christmas to speak of at all. Her family was in tatters over everything that had come to light the day the will was read. Her mother wanted no part of celebrating. She was still too upset. Instead, she’d jetted off to Grand Cayman to spend the holiday drinking rum cocktails and lounging by the pool at a friend’s villa. Mindy wasn’t speaking to her at all. More than a dozen phone calls in five days had gone unreturned.

  At this rate, Sophie would end up going to Eden House by herself. Sophie’s preparations could very well be down the drain. Jake was wrong about a lot, but he might end up being right about one thing—decorating Eden House could very well have been a waste of time.

  The mere thought of Jake made Sophie’s stomach sour. It wasn’t that Sophie had been looking forward to the holiday with him. He’d made it clear how much he disliked it and didn’t care to participate. It was more that she’d looked forward to his being a part of her life this Christmas. There had been joy in knowing that she and her handsome Grinch had somehow miraculously found their way back to each other. Their future had been anything but sewn up, but there were glimmers of hope, and that was all she’d ever asked for.

  But no. That wasn’t the way things had played out. Although she would have far preferred to have learned about Emma while Gram was still alive, Sophie refused to blame the Jake situation on the will. He’d used it as an excuse to cut her out of his life. He’d been waiting for her to betray him, just so he could reaffirm his deep-seated belief that the people who mean the most ultimately let you down.

  She and Jake simply weren’t meant to be together, however much she wanted him and cared about him. It didn’t matter that the last few weeks had been the best of her life. Whatever he was feeling, it clearly wasn’t enough to make him want to stay in her life. It was just as true now as it had been years ago, but far more painful. She’d never find another love like Jake. The sooner she got used to it, the better.

  Burying herself in the business of Eden’s was the only thing that could save her now, so Sophie decided to walk the store, helping as needed. It was the sort of hands-on thing that Gram would have done in a pinch, and honestly it was a godsend. It kept Sophie so occupied that she worked right through lunch and well into the afternoon. She lent a hand at the gift wrapping station on the third floor, and helped customers at the perfume counter. She restocked gloves and scarves in ladies’ accessories, and folded sweaters in the men’s department. She forced a smile and soothed unruly customers by doling out discount shopping passes. By four thirty, her stomach rumbled so loudly that a woman standing a good fifteen feet away from her must have heard it, because she shot her a look. She needed food.

  She headed upstairs
to the employee lounge, discovering that dinner had not yet been delivered and that lunch had largely been decimated. She grabbed a wheat roll and a pat of butter and scarfed it down. At least it would hold her over a bit longer.

  She then trudged down the hall, so exhausted that she had to stop at Lizzie’s desk and sit for a minute. “I don’t know how my grandmother did it. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.” Sophie kicked off her shoes, another of her favorite Blahniks, Mary Janes in turquoise suede with an adorable scalloped edge.

  “I don’t know how either of you managed a whole day in heels.” Lizzie kicked her foot out from behind her desk to reveal a cute but sensible pair of black flats.

  “Most days I don’t even think about it.” Sophie tapped her bare feet on the floor. “Lizzie, can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “You were at Eden’s with my grandmother for five years before I worked here. You’ve seen a few of the ups and downs of the store. Do you think we can make it?”

  Just then, Reginald breezed in from the elevator, wearing a kelly green suit that made him look like a towering, flamboyant elf. “Is it time to go home yet? I have had the worst day. A child climbed into one of the window displays and it took nearly an hour to convince him to come out.”

  Lizzie checked her phone. “Sorry. Another two hours until closing.”

  Reginald shook his head and took the seat next to Sophie. “What are we talking about? And please tell me we’re gossiping about Barb and Mike in housewares. Those two? That’s a love connection if ever I have seen one.”

  Sophie laughed. “Sorry. No gossip. In fact, I had to go and get serious on poor Lizzie.”

  “We were discussing whether or not Eden’s can make it,” Lizzie said.

  Reginald crossed his legs and looked over at Sophie, past his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. “This business is a roller coaster. That is nothing new. The sooner you get used to it, the better.”