Page 2 of One More Yule Log
“Oh, I’m sorry. I mean, I’m happy to take an order, but I really can’t—”
“But you have to!” Olivia’s lower lip began to quiver. “My daddy used to make one every year for my dad, but then Dad died and…” She trailed off, sniffling.
No fair. She had, or she’d had, two dads. God knew, he supported queer folks because he was one. His heart melted a little, but the sound of the mixer straining because Alice had tossed chocolate chips in made himstop before he opened his mouth.
“I’m so sorry, Olivia. I am. I just don’t have time. Would you like a cupcake? It’s on me.”
She stared at him, her dark eyes liquid with tears. “No, thank you. Are you sure you can’t help me?”
“I don’t—” When a tear broke free and ran down her cheek, he sighed. “Let me look at my calendar, okay? What kind of cupcake would you like while you wait?”
“I like strawberry.”
“And Fran?”
Fran gave him a gentle, knowing smile. “Salted caramel, please.” She pulled out her wallet to hand him a ten.
“You got it.” Cupcakes got passed out, change made, and Gray found his feet taking him to the office in order to look at his schedule. Looked like he was going to teach Olivia how to make a Yule log cake.
God, he was a sucker.
* * *
“Hey,Mr. Nightingale, can I get you to sign these forms before you go?”
Ben stopped at the door to his office, trying not to roll his eyes at his assistant, Lila. “Of course. What am I looking at?”
“There’s a new contract that Ian worked out that just needs you to countersign, and a price reduction on that house and studio combo in Silt.”
“Okay, sure.” He took the papers from her, reading through the contract terms super fast. He was lucky he was a speed reader, because he was leaving early so he could take Olivia on some errand she wanted to run that was “very, very important.”
He was already running late for that.
Ben scrawled his signature, his head throbbing a bit. He hated all of this admin crap. Heck, he hated having to go into an office every day. He was no mover and shaker.
“Have a good afternoon, Lila.”
“You too.” She whisked the paper away, her heels clicking. No one in the Roaring Fork valley wore such formal stuff to work, even in banks and law offices. Lila liked to be just so.
He ducked out of his office, trying to get out quickly. Which, of course, meant his business partner, Craig Dobson, caught him as he slipped down the hall.
“Ben! There you are. I was calling your office. Hey, we need to talk about the holiday party we’re throwing for the clients. We’ve done well this year.”
He counted to eight. He was trying for ten, but he knew better than to leave Craig that much time. “Sure. Of course. Get with Lila. We can meet about it on Monday, okay? I have to do a thing at school with Liv.”
“Oh, man, good luck. I’ll see you bright and early Monday?”
“You know it.” There. He practically ran out the door. Ever since Dale passed he’d been a not-so-silent partner at the real estate office. God, he wished he was still the house husband who did the household finances and occasionally typed up contracts.
He missed having time with Olivia. Family time.
Today he would try to fix some of that.
The drive home took longer than he wanted, thanks to the usual Friday pileup of traffic through Glenwood, but he thought they would have plenty of time to do whatever it was Olivia had planned.
“Liv, honey? I’m home!” he called out.
The house echoed with him, but that was it. No one answered.
