Chapter Five
Xander
Mealtimes at the LeBlanc-Broussard household were always a bit crazy. But things escalated to another level entirely during the Christmas season. My parents and grandparents started celebrating almost as soon as Bailey did. There were no carols throughout the house, and they hadn’t decorated the place fully, but little bits were popping up everywhere—red candles on the mantelpiece, mistletoe hanging in random spots, and everything smelled like cinnamon.
“All right, everyone,” Isabeau said, coming out with a tray of finger foods. “Dinner’s going to be a while, so let’s all dig in with this. Oh good, Xander, you’ve arrived. Lovely.”
I stood in the doorway. I had no idea how I always managed to be late to family gatherings, but I was starting to accept it as a fact.
“Bella, I have something for you,” I called to my niece, who hadn’t noticed me yet.
She turned around, and her face exploded in a huge smile. “You brought my favorite hot chocolate.”
“Yes, I did.”
She ran toward me, snatching the drink from my hands before I could tell her it was hot. But she was a smart girl and held it from the very top of the cup.
“And you put marshmallows in it, too, just the way I like it.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t dare bring you the wrong order,” I told her.
“That’s why I love you, Uncle Xander.”
I’d never tire of watching this little girl look at me like I’d hung the moon. I had no idea what I did to deserve this kind of affection from her, but I welcomed it.
The entire family was here, sitting on the couches in front of the ancient fireplace, the fire already crackling. It was my favorite part of the house. I lived in a penthouse in a modern building because I liked all the amenities, but I couldn’t deny that this home had its charm.
I grabbed a slice of po’ boy and immediately inhaled it.
“This is delicious, Isabeau.” Since my grandmothers used to be chefs, every single snack they made was out-of-this-world good. My brothers and I had been very spoiled growing up. “And this is for you two.” I handed them the box of pralines Bailey gave me.
“Excellent!” Celine exclaimed as I sat down.
Isabeau sat on the empty armchair next to mine. “So, I take it that you met Bailey and Avery?”
“I did.”
“What did you think?”
“I’m going to keep an eye on it” was all I replied. I didn’t want to get into any details with them.
“Hm,” Isabeau said. “That’s corporate talk.”
“That shit doesn’t fly here,” Celine said.
I just stared at her as Isabeau laughed. “Oh, Celine, I told you not to try and use kids’ language. Sounds ridiculous when you do it.”
“I know, right? But I wanted to try it.” Celine grinned. “Anyway, let’s not nag him. He’s got plenty of things on his mind. Besides, we can always ask Avery and Bailey. See what gossip they’ve got.”
“You’d gossip about me?” I inquired.
“Not you , specifically. Just this whole situation.” Isabeau winked at me, then turned to Celine. “Let’s check on dinner.”
After the two of them left the room, my brother Julian took the spot Celine had vacated. His girlfriend, Georgie, then sat on his lap. These two were inseparable. I still couldn’t believe that he’d actually gotten engaged. He’d been determined for so long that he was a bachelor for life that I’d actually started to believe him.
Georgie kissed the side of his neck and said, “I’m going to let you talk to your brother, okay? Bella said she wants to show me something in the kitchen. Your grandmothers apparently taught her some new trick.”
“Sure, babe, you go,” he said, his eyes following her as she left the room.
Then he turned to me as Anthony and Beckett joined us too. Our youngest brothers ran the bakeries and music venues and an assortment of other things. They were very good at splitting their focus among the various branches. Unlike them, I was very good at one thing only: numbers. They tended to take everything in stride and always said that being so rigid would be my downfall. I didn’t think my way was better than theirs, just that different things worked for different people.
“We need updates. You managed to successfully brush off the grandmothers but not us,” Julian said.
“Updates on what?” I asked, confused.
“I can’t believe you’re obsessing over the confectionery business. It’s not even a business,” Anthony said.
“That’s the problem. I don’t like that we’ve got so many side things going on that don’t make money. It’s making us lose focus.”
Julian cocked a brow. “Dude, the Orleans Conglomerate’s been around for decades. A pet project that doesn’t make money isn’t the end of the world.”
“Besides, the pralines are damn good,” Beckett chimed in.
“That’s beside the point,” I said. “And this is where you and I differ. I like the numbers to be as clean as possible. Making a profit makes us all happy.”
“You’re hopeless,” Beckett said. “Why don’t you relax a little? Christmas is around the corner. Don’t be so tense. Bad for the heart, I heard.”
“Dude, seriously,” Julian cut in. “Some things aren’t supposed to improve. For example, when I realized that my decision to change the supplier for our float’s decorations would actually put Georgie’s business in danger, I just changed course.”
I cocked a brow. “What do you mean? You didn’t check all the suppliers and prices to choose the best?”
“Jesus Christ,” Beckett muttered.
Anthony just shook his head. “Dude, it’s a float. We sponsor it for Mardi Gras.”
“You’re too much of a control freak for your own good,” Julian continued.
“You met Avery and Bailey, right? They do a good job,” Anthony said. “I like them.”
“Of course they do a good job. I’m not questioning that. And I haven’t met Avery, only Bailey. She’s doing things she shouldn’t even be doing. It’s a waste of her time.”
Anthony fixated on me. “Why don’t you just shut down the operation, then?”
“I promised the grandmothers that I’d leave it running for this Christmas,” I instantly replied.
“There’s more to it,” Anthony said. “You’re just not saying it.”
“I think a new owner would bring on a different team. I don’t want to leave Bailey and her sister out of a job before Christmas,” I admitted.
“Aha, he is human!” Beckett exclaimed. “You know, I was doubting that for a second. Thought he might be a robot or something.”
Anthony stared at me and then threw his head back, laughing so loudly that most of the room turned to look at him.
“What’s so funny?” Zachary asked. He was stoking the fire.
“We’ll fill you in later,” Anthony said before focusing on me.
Beckett pointed a finger in my direction. “You wouldn’t usually give a rat’s ass about any of this. Am I totally wrong to think that Bailey’s gotten under your skin?”
“You’re very off base,” I told him in a blasé tone. “If I deem it necessary, I will shut down the business.”
“Ha! No, I’m not off base. Damn, I didn’t expect this.”
“I call bullshit,” Julian said. “I bet you’re not going to shut down anything.”
“I need you to fill me in now,” Zachary said, joining our group.
“Damn, man. Not one word,” I warned the others. “Just nip this in the bud.”
“Ha ha, you wish,” Beckett interrupted. “That’s not how gossip works. And this is just simply too good.”
“What’s happening?” Zachary asked.
“You know how Xander’s newest obsession is the confectionery business?”
Zachary blinked at me. “I wasn’t even aware that was an actual business. Don’t we give all those pralines away for charity?”
“Well, long story short,” Beckett said, “he’s mellowing out.”
I groaned. “I’m not. And this conversation is getting out of hand.”
Zachary looked at the rest of our brothers, then at me. “If you intended to close it, I’m surprised you haven’t done it already.”
“Yeah, but he likes Bailey far too much,” Beckett added.
“Wait, Bailey. Let me think... Oh yeah! She’s hot. Both of them are, though,” Zachary said.
“Does everyone know the sisters besides me?” I asked.
“Yes,” my brothers answered in unison.
“That’s because we’re always here at the open house event, and you’ve missed it for the past few years,” Zachary explained.
I frowned. “There are too many things happening during the Christmas season. I can’t keep up with everything.”
“So, what’s your plan?” Zachary asked.
“I’ll let the business run as it is over the Christmas season and keep an eye on things.” Why everyone was making such a big deal out of this was beyond me. There was nothing personal about it. Yes, Bailey was hot, but one thing had nothing to do with the other.
“Meaning Bailey,” Beckett said. “Dude, you’re obtuse.”
“What?” I asked.
“You heard me. You’re obtuse.”
“I meant keep an eye on the confectionery.” I sighed. “You’re not going to let me live this down, will you?”
“No chance, and if he does, the rest of us are here to remind you. By the way, thank you for confirming it,” Anthony said triumphantly.
I decided not to take the bait and went back to explaining my plan. “In January, after the dust settles, I’ll decide. But in the meantime, I’ll contact some potential businesses that could be interested in buying off the branch. Just to gauge interest.”
“Smart,” Anthony replied.
“Why, thank you for the compliment,” I told him. “Now, are you all done busting my balls?”
“Hmm,” Zachary said, turning to the others. “We’re on very thin ice here. If we keep giving him shit, he’s going to explode. And that’s going to take all the fun out of it.”
Zachary always had an uncanny feeling about situations. I liked busting my brothers’ balls and could take it in return, but he was on the money with this one.
“Yeah, judging by the look on his face, you’re 100 percent right,” Anthony said.
Beckett glanced around. “When did everyone disappear? And where?”
“The kitchen, probably,” Julian muttered.
“Let’s see what they’re up to.”
“Isabeau and Celine probably finished preparing dinner and everyone has already started eating,” I offered.
“Let’s go. I wouldn’t want you to be left starving,” Beckett said.
That had never happened in the LeBlanc-Broussard household, but you never knew with my family. We were all big on food.
As we went to the kitchen, my mind wandered to Bailey again. I knew I was right about the future of the confectionery business, but I’d gone about it all wrong. She was pissed at me—for good reason—and I felt guilty. Besides, this wasn’t the right way to conduct business, even if my family owned it. I wanted to make it up to her, and I knew exactly how to do it.