Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
J ack
I climbed into the back of the Escalade and looked at Eric.
“How was Ellie after school?” I asked.
“Excited. She had a wonderful day and can’t wait to go back.” He smiled.
“Good. Good to hear. I need you to take me to Asher Remington’s home.”
“Okay, Jack.”
When I arrived at Asher’s house, I rang the doorbell. He opened it with a smile and extended his hand.
“Good to see you, Jack.”
“Good to see you too, Asher.”
“Let’s go into the living room. Everly will be down in a minute. Judging by the sound of your voice earlier, I believe you need this.” He handed me a bourbon.
“Thank you. I definitely need this.”
“Jack, it’s good to see you.” Everly smiled as she hugged me.
“You too, Everly. Thanks for seeing me.”
“Asher told me a little bit about your phone conversation. Who did you see?”
“My grandfather, but he died before I was born. I’d never met him, but I’d seen pictures.”
“Spirits have a way of coming to those who are in the midst of a crisis. Are you in the midst of a crisis?”
“I guess you can say that.”
“Then that’s the reason he came to you. Spirits are overly active this time of year. The holidays bring comfort to them. Some try to resolve what they couldn’t in life or try to get their loved ones to resolve what they’re going through. It’s the one time of year when the spirits and the living reach out to each other. That’s the magic of the holidays. They like to linger where and when they were happiest the most. They feel our grief as much as we do. Did he offer you advice?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“Then I suggest you think about that advice and take it.” She smiled. “He came to you for a reason. Life is too short to hold grudges, Jack.”
“Who said I’m holding grudges?”
“You are.” A smile crossed her lips. “Open up your heart and let it all in.”
“That’s what he said to me.”
“I know.” I noticed her eyes diverting to the corner of the room.
“Thanks, Everly.”
“You’re welcome, Jack.”
After I finished my bourbon and talked to Asher for a while, I left and went home. When I walked through the door, Ellie ran to me, throwing her arms around my legs. I picked her up and held her tight.
“How was school today?”
“Great. I can’t wait to go back.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” I kissed her and carried her into the kitchen.
“Hi.” Sierra smiled. “How was your meeting?”
“It was good. Very informative.”
“Dinner is in the warming oven. I’m going to give Ellie a quick bath. It’s almost bedtime.”
“Okay. I’ll be up to tuck her in after I eat.”
I pulled the plate filled with baked chicken, roasted potatoes, and broiled asparagus from the warming oven and took it to the table. As I ate, I thought about how my father never really spoke much of his father. I never gave it much thought, but now, I was curious because the man told me he wasn’t the best father he could have been.
After I finished, I rinsed off my plate, put it in the dishwasher, and headed upstairs to look at Ellie’s room. The walls were painted light pink, and all the moldings were painted white. I smiled because it was starting to look like a room fit for a little girl. The furniture would be delivered next week, and the room will be completed.
“Looks great in here, doesn’t it?” Sierra said from behind.
“Yeah, it does. What about all this plastic covering the furniture?”
“The painters are coming back tomorrow to take it off. Ellie either has to sleep with us tonight or in one of the other rooms.”
“She’ll sleep in our bed tonight,” I said.
“Okay, but first, we have to open our whiskey bottles.” Sierra grinned.
“We’ll do that after we put her to bed.”
“I love my new room, Daddy.”
“I’m happy to hear that, sweetheart.” I picked her up. “Is that a new nightgown?”
“Yeah. It has kitties on it. I want a cat.”
“Well, I’m not sure about that. This is an animal-free home.”
“Oh, please, Daddy.” She hugged me tight, and I looked at Sierra as she shrugged her shoulders.
I put Ellie in our bed and told her we’d be right back. Walking down the stairs, Sierra and I grabbed our advent calendars, took out the second whiskey bottle, and clanked them together.
“Did you do the elf?” I asked her.
“Shit. I’ll do it now.”
“No. Let me. I have an idea.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with Jack Atlas?” Her brows furrowed, and I chuckled.
I grabbed the elf, took him into my office, and set him up in front of my computer. I grabbed the pad of sticky notes and a pen and wrote on several of them, placing them all around the elf.
“Make the toys? Make the cookies? Help Santa fill his sack? What the hell is going on with you?” Sierra asked.
“Nothing.” I winked. “Let’s go to bed.” I hooked my arm around her.
“You’re scaring me, Jack Atlas.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of, Sierra.” I kissed the side of her head as we walked up the stairs.
As I lay in bed, Sierra and Ellie were sound asleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about the visitor I had today. No matter how hard I tried, the thoughts remained. I stared at my daughter, her little hand across my chest, and thought about Christmas. I hadn’t been there for her during the holiday season since she’d been born. My only gift to her was a savings account, in which I had deposited money into the last three years. I had done the same thing my father did to me. I had become my father without even realizing it. We learn from our parents. I suspect my father learned from his, and it was time to break the cycle.
The following morning, after we dropped Ellie off at school, I had Eric drop Sierra at the office.
“I have a meeting I need to get to. I’ll be in later.”
“There is no meeting on your schedule, Jack.”
I reached over and brushed a strand of her hair from her face with a smile.
“I forgot to tell you about it yesterday.”
Her brows furrowed. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately, and I don’t like it. Somehow, it’ll come back on me.”
“No, it won’t.” I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Go on. I’ll see you later.”
As soon as she climbed out of the Escalade, Eric turned and looked at me.
“You’re in love with her, Jack.”
“I know I am, Eric. Take me to The Pierre.”
“Isn’t that where your father is staying?”
“Yes. It is.”
I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to my father.
“I’m on my way to see you. Let’s meet in the restaurant for breakfast. We need to talk.”
“I’ll get dressed now and meet you down there, son.”
When I walked through the doors of The Pierre, I headed to Perrine, where I saw my father sitting at a table.
“Can I help you?” the hostess asked.
“I’m meeting my father for breakfast. I see him at that table over there.” I gestured.
Walking over, I removed my coat and sat down across from him.
“I was surprised when I got your text,” my father spoke.
“What was my grandfather like? You rarely spoke of him.”
“My father? Why are you suddenly interested in him?”
“Dad, just tell me.” I sighed.
The server walked over and poured some coffee into the cup beside me. We ordered our breakfast and continued our conversation.
“He was barely around. He and your grandmother traveled often, leaving me home with the staff. We weren’t close if that’s what you’re asking. I resented him for never being around.”
“Did he like the holidays?”
“Yeah. It was the only time of year he was a decent man. He would go on and on about the magic of it all. Why are you asking me all of this?”
“Because he visited me yesterday.”
My father chuckled. “You have gone and lost your mind, son.”
“Perhaps. After you left my office yesterday, I went for a walk, grabbed a coffee, and sat on a bench to think. This man wearing a long black coat and black fedora sat next to me.”
“A long black coat?” His brows furrowed.
“Yes. I noticed the top button was missing.”
His face went pale as he stared at me.
“He told me he wasn’t the best father he could have been and went on and on about the magic of the holiday season and how it brings families together. He knew my name, Dad. When I looked over, he was gone. I remember you showing me pictures of him when I was a child. When I returned to the office, I Googled him, and his picture popped up. It was definitely the man who sat beside me on that bench.”
“He always loved that black coat, and when the top button went missing, my mother was supposed to sew a new one on, but she had trouble finding the exact button. He died in that coat on the street of a massive heart attack. His fedora was found a few feet away from him. Jack, I’m having a hard time believing any of this.”
“Well, it happened. I thought I was having a mental breakdown, but then I went and spoke to Everly Remington. You know she sees things.”
“I’m aware of her gifts.”
“She confirmed it was him. Listen, Dad. I’m here to tell you that you were a shit father. But I guess your father wasn’t much better, and they say we learn from our parents. But today, I’m breaking the cycle. I want to be the best father I can to my little girl.”
“From what I can see, you already are, son.”
“I’ve spent too many holidays on the hate train, and it stops now. I won’t do that to my child. The holidays are about forgiveness, and a part of me wants to forgive you, but it’s going to take time. It won’t happen overnight.”
“That’s all I ask, Jack. I am truly sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you over the years.”
“And a part of me believes you. You weren’t the only one in a bad place after Mom died.”
“I know, son, and I’m so sorry.”
“I will be your best man at your wedding if you still want me to be.”
“Of course I do. Nothing would make me happier.”
“Then consider it done. You can be a part of Ellie’s life. She already lost her mother, and we’re all she has left.”
“Thank you, Jack. I want nothing more. What about Sierra? Have you told her that you love her?”
“Not yet. I’m waiting for the right time. The problem is, after what she experienced, she hates the holidays as much as I do, and I need to find a way to change that for her.”
“I’m confident you’ll find a way.” He smiled. “Are you still playing the piano?”
“Yeah. I am. You should hear the way Ellie sings. I’ve never heard a little girl sing as well as she does. She has a talent, Dad—a raw and pure talent.”
“I’d love to hear her sometime.”
“I’ll have you and Gabriela over again for dinner, and we can start over. By the way, did you find a penthouse yet?”
“We did over on Park Avenue. It was a little more than I wanted to spend, but Gabriela fell in love with it the second she stepped off the elevator. We close next week, and it’s ours.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up. “I have another stop to make before I head to the office. Breakfast is on you.” I smirked.
He stood up and hugged me. “Thank you, son. It was good talking to you.”
“You too, Dad.”
I walked out of the hotel and down the street, where Eric was pulled up along the curb.
“The office?” he asked.
“No. I need you to look up the address to a bakery called Sweet Sensations.”
“Okay. Why do you want to go there?”
“I have some business to take care of.”