Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Leo sat at the kitchen table, arms crossed, leaning back on his chair. Anything to give him extra space away from his father, who sat at the other end of the table. His leg bounced with the frequency of a fully charged drill. The plan might have formed in his mind, but anger continued to simmer, and one wrong move would bring it back at a roar. Dean sat at his side, elbows perched on his knees, ready to intervene as necessary. David had gone to pick up Chinese food for dinner—that Glen had clearly forgotten in all his misguided excitement—and taken the others with them, so there were no witnesses to any forthcoming bloodshed.
Glen leaned forward, hands clasped in front of him on the table, unclasping, clasping again, unclasping …
It was the opening Leo needed. “Give us the business.” Unfortunately, any attempt at diplomacy had long since left him. “Or are you going to continue your attempt to hypnotize us with your hand trick there?”
Glen released his hands, placing his palms on the table. “I’m sorry.”
The foreign words sailed across the table, landing in a puddle. “Right. Because that brings back Andie’s desk.”
Glen’s jaw clenched and Leo prepared himself for a blowout, but no other signs of anger came. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you both these past twelve years.” The words might have come out strained, but they had full volume.
Leo’s chair landed back on four legs.
Glen rubbed his jaw, ran a hand through his hair. “I may have been too harsh.”
“May have?” Dean scoffed.
Glen addressed his youngest. “Okay. I have been.”
Leo glanced back and forth between the two, revisiting the cannabis theory.
“And then Leo got sick and I didn’t handle that well.”
“You think? You told me I was lying when I told you I couldn’t hear.”
To his surprise, Glen nodded. “I was worried. I didn’t know how your future would be affected, if you could still be successful.”
Leo’s back molars clanked together.
“I was wrong to worry.” Glen continued. “You’ve both done a lot of good work atoning for your past mistakes and overcoming the obstacles life put in the way. I’ve ignored them all.”
Understatement of the year. The words were long overdue, but instead of bringing comfort, it demanded more answers. Leo had needed this while he’d been recovering and adjusting to life with hearing loss, or at any point in the years that followed. “Why?”
The air in the dining room was thick with tension, but none of the participants cared much. This conversation was always going to require a high level of strain. “That’s a tougher answer. My father was always tough on me. Your mistake was not a small one, and I foolishly kept the monetary bottom line of what you lost and cost me in the front of my mind. Along with the pressure to be perfect.” He held Leo’s gaze, a rare vulnerability on his face. “A dollar amount you made up for over and over again.”
Leo tried to absorb the words, but after so long, it came with part shock, part disbelief. And yet, deep inside, the sixteen-year-old version of him took a much-needed deep breath.
Glen taped his fingers lightly on the table. “The image of those broken plates, I still see them. I had worked so hard to acquire them and they were gone, just like that, a good deal lost. You two absolutely deserved your punishment back then. You don’t deserve it now. I should have done things differently, created a goal for you to rise up to, if for no other reason than to allow myself to let go.”
“So do it now. Or are you still going to fight me on the business?”
Glen shifted in his seat, fidgeting, and if this conversation didn’t come with a boatload of emotions, Leo would revel in his father’s discomfort. “I think we can discuss logistics and create a plan.”
“And what does that mean?”
Beside him, Dean leaned forward, arms on the table.
“It means that Dentz Antiques was meant to be a family business, and I’m not going to end that line.”
It wasn’t the business on a platter like Leo would have preferred, but he still got his win. Dentz Antiques would remain in the family. For once in his life he didn’t wait for things to be handed to him, even if he could admit the situation created the avalanche. He’d finally get his chance to take his rightful spot as owner, the spot he’d worked hard for.
Relief wanted to take over but couldn’t. The price paid for this transition was too high for this long-overdue moment to be what it should have been.
“I can’t forgive you for what you did to Andie.”
“I know. I plan to fix that.” Glen reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone. “I’m calling McFadden again.”
Leo scoffed. “Again? It’s Christmas Eve.”
“Again. I made a mistake. And I’ll fix that mistake. Either McFadden will understand, or I’ll lose a buyer. But I’m not continuing to lose my sons over this.” He rose, then turned back to the table. “You said you found pictures in the drawer?”
Leo nodded. “Yeah, and a letter addressed to Andie.”
The words seemed to wash over Glen, settle in somewhere deep. “I shouldn’t have touched it. The French Polish you’d done had been just so exquisite. Well, Andie deserves the work and her desk back.” Glen walked away, heading out to the porch to make his call.
Dean angled toward Leo. “What do you think, partner? Do we have our win?”
Leo studied his brother, and the confident way he held himself. Dean gave Leo a chance to back out and change his mind. And whatever Leo decided, Dean would be there. “Yeah, we have our win and our namesake.”
“And Dad?”
Outside, Glen paced, free hand in his hair, voice muffled by being outside. No gloating smile, no lighthearted anything. Glen was there to do business.
“Dad’s on probation.”
“Only fair. He’s had us there for twelve years.”
Glen returned after awhile, a tentative smile on his face. “McFadden isn’t happy, but he understands. They’re having a family celebration now. We can pick it up in the morning. And Andie’s items are still there.”
Leo breathed out in relief. He had the urge to cross the room and hug his father. Not yet. Not after everything that happened.
“So tomorrow we will get it back and return it to Andie. She’ll decide if she wants any further work done.” He doubted it, after everything she’d want to be on the next flight out to Ohio.
“We will. After Jodie leaves, I’d like you two to meet me at the shop. But the decision is yours.”
Glen tried to leave, but Leo called out.
“What for?”
“Fixing another one of my mistakes. I’m asking for a favor I don’t deserve; you’ll have to join me to find out.”
“He did what?” Sarah’s eyes bulged as she finished off Andie’s other refrozen ice cream. “I’ll kick him! How could he let your desk get sold?”
Andie had finished half her ice cream and it hadn’t help freeze her heart or numb her pain like it was supposed to. “I don’t know. He tried to blame his father, and Glen is the drama instigator over there. But how do you accidentally sell a desk that’s not for sale?”
Sarah shook her head. “Should we leave bad reviews online? Something along the lines of ‘don’t use them for repairs, they’ll sell your stuff instead.’”
Andie set the carton on the coffee table and curled up. “They don’t officially do repairs. Not sure how much it will affect them.”
“Then we’ll say something else. There are a million and one ways to tank a business.”
“None of this will bring my desk back.” It still didn’t seem real, and yet a piece had been carved out of her. “Besides, Glen isn’t selling to his sons, so Leo will probably be working someplace new soon.”
“Perfect, we’ll save our review for then.”
Andie clutched a pillow and gave her friend a half smile. She wanted to have the fire and anger that Sarah had, wanted to feel the need for vengeance. All she had was an aching heart in more ways than one.
Sarah put down her ice cream and curled up next to Andie. “You really liked him.”
That aching heart constricted. She hated herself for it, but she couldn’t deny how close she’d been to falling and how rough the rug being pulled from under felt. “Yeah, I did.”
“Then we’ll egg his car or change his locks or cover his door with yellow caution tape.”
A small laugh climbed up in Andie but refused to be released. “Thank you for being here.”
Sarah covered Andie’s hand with her own. “Of course. Anytime. Though it might take a bit to get to you out in Ohio.”
Andie turned her hand around to hold onto Sarah. “I’m not going to Ohio.”
Sarah pulled back; eyes wide. “What? What else happened?”
Andie straightened, clutching the pillow to her. A real smile tugged at her lips. “The temple offered.”
Sarah squealed and wrapped Andie up in a hug. “Congrats! I get to keep my bestie close by!”
Andie held tight to Sarah. “Thank you. Leo’s niece went to that preschool, they had such good things to say. And then I saw the offer waiting for me, like it was meant to be.”
“Of course it was. They’d be foolish not to want you. And that will give Leo a chance to win you back.”
Andie groaned and pulled away. “Too late for that.”
“It is really?”
Andie glanced to the empty corner, where her desk should still be. “Most definitely.”
Leo stood in the dark workroom, breathing in the smells of wood and polish. The smell of home. He’d been coming here since he was a small kid, helping his grandfather sand down a repair job, testing legs. It had always been in his blood. Now it would continue to be his future.
They’d eaten dinner and exchanged gifts and stayed until Jodie’s family had gone home. Then the three remaining men got into their respective cars and met at the workshop. Leo had arrived first, basking in the silence and solitude. It begged him to text the others, lock the doors, and keep this moment for himself. He didn’t. The only reason he was there, and not at a bar or banging down Andie’s door, was his father’s request.
He pulled out his phone, waking it to the thread of texts with Andie he’d been staring at, trying to figure out what he could possibly say. I’m sorry. I’m going to fix this. He stared at the words, hesitating. Until he had the desk back in his hands, he wasn’t confident in either his father or McFadden. He deleted the second statement and sent the sorry.
Dean’s muffled voice alerted him to the end of his solitude, followed by the hum of the lights as they clicked on and flooded the space.
His father said something in response before coming into view; eyes trained straight ahead. He passed Leo, heading straight to the corner.
“No way,” Dean breathed.
Leo could hardly believe it himself. If he wore glasses, he’d take them off and check the lenses. But there they stood as their father approached the busted clock and put his hand on it. He faced his sons and Leo couldn’t deny the note of apprehension on his face, filling the room with an unsettled energy. As though all three men and each antique item held their breath. “Tonight, we fix this. Together.”
Dean audibly sucked in air, his gaze burning the side of Leo’s cheek.
Leo stared at Glen, his feet moving toward the clock before he fully realized he planned to. “Seriously?”
Glen’s smile was tentative and cautious. “Seriously. It’s long overdue. And I’m tired of having this busted up old thing in a corner.”
Dean appeared beside Leo, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s tear this baby apart!”
“We’re missing a few pieces. I know we can get the exterior looking good, Leo has proven that time and time again. The working clock pieces are another story.”
A switch clicked in Leo. “I might have an answer for that.” He moved to the other end of the work area, the region his father rarely ventured, and dug out Rose’s old clock. She’d given this relic to him for a chance at a new life, and now he’d be able to tell her he’d had that chance. The pieces would be nearly the same size, it might work.
“What’s that?” Glen asked.
Leo held it up. “From our long-time customer Rose, to be fixed or to help another item be fixed, as long as it helped bring more good memories to life.”
Dean chuckled and Leo found his lips curving, along with his father’s. Leo expected Glen to take it from him, do the inspection, even though Glen rarely did more than light repair work.
“I think we can manage that. But what do you think? Will it work for this grandfather clock? Or is it worth repairing?” Glen said.
Leo nearly stumbled back. He’d never been given this level of input. It soothed old hurts, a stitch on an old wound, and he began to fear it had a lot to do with Andie’s accusations. Still, Leo inspected the smaller clock and compared it to the bigger one. He took his time, going into repair mode, doing what he did best.
“This old clock might be worth a repair, but it’s not going to yield much more than sentimental appreciation. The strongest pieces match what was damaged in the grandfather clock. I’d say there’s a high chance it’s going to work.”
Glen patted Leo on the back. “Then let’s do it.”
“There’s glass that needs replacing.”
“I’m well aware. We’ll get there later if we don’t have options here.”
The three of them got to work. They moved the grandfather clock to the workbench, removed the remaining broken pieces. In addition to what had been damaged, the years of neglect had taken its toll. It needed the full repair, from sanding down worn wood, to varnish, to finding the right spare parts for the splintered wood. They worked into the night, surprising Leo by being able to relax and joke as they worked. He still checked his phone, more than he should have, but his family wisely didn’t comment. No new messages from Andie came through.
Glen took direction, allowed Leo to be in charge. It shifted things deep down, the praise he had so desperately wanted. Andie truly had been right all along, and he’d find a way to make it up to her, starting with ensuring her desk would be returned in the repaired state he promised her. He wanted to tell her, all of it, but forced himself to wait.
The time had clicked past 2 AM when they’d finished all they could. Glue from the repairs still needed to dry, and the whole thing would need a good sanding and fresh coat of varnish. They’d have to order replacement glass, which they expected. Thanks to Rose’s item and their hard work, the clock ticked in the workspace once again.
Glen wrapped one arm around Leo, the other around Dean. “The three of us make a good team, I’m sorry it took me this long to appreciate it.”
“Don’t get soppy on me, or I’ll break another plate.”
Leo braced for his father to stiffen, instead Glen laughed and rustled Dean’s hair. “You would do that, too, wouldn’t you, if it would serve a purpose of helping others.”
Leo took it in. The clock on its way to even better shape than it had been before. He’d fixed a mistake from his past. Now he needed to fix the current one.
“Can we get Andie’s desk now?”
Glen patted Leo’s back. “It’s too early. This girl really means something to you, doesn’t she?”
“He brought her home for Chanukah—of course she does,” Dean said.
A twinkle in Glen’s eyes made Leo’s stomach twitch. No longer an estranged parent, and a hint that underneath it all he never had been. “He brought her because Millie initiated it.”
Yeah, his parents had been on to him. Not that any of that mattered now. “Yes. Andie does mean something to me. She has for some time.” He didn’t know the real Andie before, had only been intrigued by her beauty and her kind demeaner. But he knew her now. Knew that her kindness came from the biggest heart he’d ever seen. How she somehow managed to see the positive side of things, even when life handed her a crappy share. She brought fun wherever she went. And he wanted that spark in his life for a long, long time to come.
“I see how you look at her. If we can fix this, I suspect we’ll have a new addition to our family gatherings.”
It should have been too much, but Leo couldn’t deny it felt right. He wanted action, he needed it. “So let’s get her desk back.”
“Soon. Get some sleep. We’ll reconvene in the morning.”
“It’s already morning,” Dean said.
“Later morning. Normal hours morning.” Glen turned to Leo. “I really am sorry. For everything.”
Leo nodded. He wasn’t about to jump into a fatherly hug. But he could accept the strength needed for everything that had transpired since the afternoon. He held out a hand. “Lucky for you, I’ve been taught how to hold a grudge.”
Glen laughed ruefully and shook Leo’s hand.