Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
J ack
I walked into the bakery and looked around. It was busy, and the associates behind the counter scurried to help everyone in line. I scanned the cases, and all the desserts looked delicious. I noted one woman behind the counter—an older woman with medium-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Was that her? Was that the woman Sierra saw?
“How can I help you?” She smiled, her blue eyes staring into mine. The same eyes Sierra had.
“I know this might sound crazy, but I must speak with you privately.”
“Excuse me?” Her brows furrowed.
“My name is Jack Atlas of Atlas Enterprises. Did you have a child you left in a church during midnight mass twenty-two years ago?”
The fright on her face told me she was Sierra’s mother.
“How—how do you know about that?”
“That’s why we need to speak privately,” I said.
“Come around here, and we’ll go into my office.”
I followed her to a small room, cramped with only a small desk and file cabinet.
“I’ll ask you again, Mr. Atlas. How do you know me and about that?”
“I can tell you’re frightened, and you don’t need to be. Your daughter, Sierra, is my assistant. She was here last week and saw you but doesn’t want to believe you could be her mother.”
“I knew it, but I thought I was crazy. She’s here in New York? My daughter?”
“Yes. As I said, she works for me, and I love her very much.”
“Does she know you’re here?”
“No. She doesn’t. And she’d kill me if she knew. She has a lot of issues thanks to you. Why did you abandon her in that church?”
She sunk into her chair and placed her hands over her face.
“I didn’t have a good life, and I was protecting her.”
“I get that, but instead of protecting her, you fucked up her life.”
“How? I knew that by leaving her in that church, she would be placed in a wonderful home with a couple who could have given her everything I couldn’t. I couldn’t even afford milk for her at the time, let alone Christmas presents. I wasn’t a good person back then. The only way I made money was by sleeping with men.”
“You were a prostitute?” My brows furrowed.
“I’m ashamed to admit it. That was long ago, and I have moved on with my life.”
“Without your daughter?”
“I didn’t have a choice. She didn’t need a prostitute for a mother. I tried to get out of that life after she was born, but I couldn’t. I was protecting her!”
A part of me felt sorry for her.
“Well, your daughter is here and lives with me and my daughter. You seem to have gotten your life together, and it’s the holidays. Maybe it’s time the two of you reconnected. She’s been waiting for you to return for twenty-two years.”
“I’m sure she hates my guts. She will never forgive me for abandoning her.”
“Maybe she will, or she won’t. That’s up to her. But you have to try.”
“I don’t know if I can.” She shook her head.
“None of us know if we can do anything unless we try.” I grabbed the notepad from her desk and a pen and wrote down my address. “This is my address. Come over tomorrow night around six o’clock. She’ll be there. Do you believe in the magic of the holidays?” I asked.
“I guess.”
“Then let the magic help you,” I said, not believing those words came from my mouth. “Now, I need all the cupcakes you have, in your case, boxed up.”
“You want them all?”
“Yes. Every last one of them.” I smiled. “By the way. What is your name?”
“Jeanine. Jeanine Knight.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jeanine.” I extended my hand.
After I left the bakery with three large boxes in my hand, I climbed into the back of the Escalade.
“What’s in the boxes, Jack?”
I opened one of the boxes, removed a holiday cupcake, and handed it to him.
“Holiday cupcakes, Eric.” I grinned.
His brows furrowed as he took it from me. “Wow. Thanks, Jack.”
“You’re welcome.”
I walked into the lobby of my office building and smiled as I took in all the Christmas décor that brightened up the space. Taking the elevator up to my office, I proudly walked down the halls as my staff stared at me. Daniel emerged from his office and stood in the doorway.
“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been looking for you, and Sierra said you were at a meeting.”
“I was out. Cupcake?” I smiled as I lifted the lid to one of the boxes.
“Are you joking?” His brows furrowed.
“No. Take one.” I grinned.
“What the hell happened to you?”
“Nothing, Daniel. We’re having a meeting in fifteen minutes. I want you to round up the staff on each floor and bring them up here. Do it now.”
“Okay.”
I stopped at Sierra’s desk, took a cupcake from the box, and set it down. Her brow arched as she stared at it.
“You bought cupcakes?”
“I sure did. Look how cute it is with the Santa on top of it.” I walked into my office.
“Jack Atlas, what has gotten into you?” She demanded, stepping into my office.
“Relax, sweetheart.” I turned and kissed her forehead.
“Sweetheart? What the hell?”
“What? You don’t like me calling you that?” I smirked.
“I didn’t say that. I’m just in shock.”
“Don’t be.” I placed my finger under her chin. “I’m having a staff meeting in a few minutes. Daniel is gathering everyone up from the floors.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see.”
“Everyone is up here, Jack,” Daniel said.
“Okay. Thanks, Daniel.”
I walked over to a large area where my staff was gathered. It was tight, but everyone was here.
“I have an announcement to make, and I think it will please each of you. It is the holiday season, and I want everyone’s desks decorated. Feel free to bring in anything you want: garland, a small tree, wreaths, or any holiday décor you want. I will be calling in a company to decorate the rest of the offices, and a large Christmas tree will be displayed on each floor for all of you to enjoy. We will also be having a company Christmas party that my assistant will organize. I will send a memo once we have a place and date. And you will all be getting Christmas bonuses this year.”
Everyone cheered and clapped.
“Thank you for listening. Now, everyone can return to work.”
“What is wrong with you?” Sierra gripped my arm.
“I’m embracing the holiday spirit, sweetheart.” I smiled.
“Stop calling me that, Jack,” she spat through gritted teeth. “Have you gone and lost your mind?”
“Perhaps I have. Maybe you should, too.” I winked. “Start calling places for a Christmas party. I know it’s last minute, but throw my name in, and you should be able to find a place.”
“Oh, my God. I can’t believe this!” She stomped away, and I chuckled.
She wouldn’t talk to me the rest of the day. I needed to tell her about what happened to me yesterday, but I wouldn’t tell her about her mother. Maybe it was wrong of me. She’d find out when she showed up at our home tomorrow night. I didn’t want to run the risk of her leaving.
“Every place in New York is booked, Jack.” Sierra popped her head into my office with an attitude.
“Then we’ll have it at the house.” I reached into my desk and pulled out the business card of a caterer I knew. “Call him and tell him it’s for me.”
She walked in, ripped the card out of my hand, and stomped out of my office. Something about the way she did it turned me on. I pulled my phone from my pocket and called my father.
“Hello, son.”
“Hi, Dad. How would you like to spend a few hours with your granddaughter?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. If you and Gabriela don’t have plans this evening.”
“We’d love to. We can take her out to dinner and look at all the Christmas lights.”
“Sounds like a good plan. She’ll enjoy it. Can you pick her up around four at my house?”
“You bet. Thank you, Jack.”
“I’ll see you later, Dad.”
I glanced at my watch; it was almost time for Sierra to pick Ellie up from school. Grabbing my coat, I put it on and stood at her desk.
“I’m going with you to pick Ellie up.”
“Why?” she scowled.
“Why not? Let’s go.”
“Don’t you have work to do?” she asked as we headed to the elevators. I smiled as I saw some of my associates had already decorated their desks.
“I have a lot of work to do, but it can wait.”
After arriving home, I took Ellie to the couch with me and sat down.
“Remember how your grandpa was here the other night for dinner?”
“Yeah.”
“He and Gabriela are stopping by soon to take you to dinner and to see all the Christmas lights.”
“Excuse me?” Sierra’s brows raised.
I held up my finger to her.
“Are you okay with that?” I asked my daughter.
“Yeah.”
“He wants to get to know you, and I want you to get to know him. He is your grandfather.”
“Okay, Daddy. Did you see where the elf was today?”
“No, I didn’t,” I lied. “Where did you find him?”
“In your office. He was working on your computer.” She giggled.
My eyes widened. “That silly elf. He’s probably getting ready for Christmas. Go upstairs, and I’ll be up in a minute to help you change before your grandfather gets here.”
“Okay.” She climbed off my lap and ran up the stairs.
Sierra stood there, shaking her finger at me, trying to get the words out she wanted me to hear.
I stood up, gripped her hips, and pressed my lips against hers.
“We need to talk about some things.”
“Damn right, we do, Jack. What is going on? You told your father he’d never be a part of Ellie’s life, and now you’re sending her to dinner with him?” She pushed my hands off her hips. “You’ve been acting like a lunatic all day.”
“And I have reasons for that. I’m going to explain the reasons to you once Ellie leaves. Now, calm down.” I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. “Everything is going to be okay.”
My father and Gabriela arrived and took Ellie.
“You be good for Grandpa and Gabriela.”
“She can call me Gigi.” Gabriela smiled.
“I will, Daddy. Bye. Bye, Sierra.”
“Bye, Ellie.” She waved.
The second I shut the door, I turned, and Sierra stood there with her arms folded and a scowl on her face. “Spill it now, Jack!”
“First, I’m going to pour you a nice glass of wine, a bourbon for me, and we’ll sit and talk.”
“I can pour my own damn wine.” She went into the kitchen.
Sighing, I poured myself a bourbon. Sierra walked into the living room and sat on the couch. I told her what happened to me yesterday on the bench. Then I told her about my conversation with Everly.
“That is really bizarre, Jack.”
“I know. I thought I was having a mental breakdown. I met with my father this morning after I dropped you at the office. We talked over breakfast. It’s time to put the past to rest and all the hatred. It’s consumed my life for far too long. My grandfather was right about the holidays, and I let it sink in.”
“Well, I’m happy you’ve resolved your issues. But you went and turned the tables on me. Just because you’ve had this epiphany doesn’t mean I have. I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Sierra, do you love me?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Answer my question. Do you love me?”
“Jack—I—I”
“It’s that hard for you to answer me? Well, guess what?” I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I love you. I’m so in love with you that I can’t see straight.”
“You are?”
“Yes.” I let go of her hand, brought mine to her face, and cradled it. “I love you, Sierra Knight, and I would like you to do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend.”
A smile crossed her face as tears filled her eyes. “I love you too, Jack. I was just too afraid to say it in case you didn’t feel the same about me.”
I leaned in and kissed her soft lips before wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into me. “Thank you, sweetheart. You have no idea how much that means to me. See, there’s magic in the holidays, after all.” I broke our embrace and smiled. “We’ve been too blinded to see the beauty of it all.” My thumb swept across her cheek.
“Well, I’m happy you’ve reconciled and set aside your differences with your father. But, the holidays still represent many bad memories for me.”
“This year, we’re starting over as if we’re experiencing Christmas for the first time—just you, Ellie, and I. I never want my daughter to view the holidays as holiday hell. I want every year to be as special as the last.”
“How did we get here?” she asked.
“The magic of the holidays, I guess.” A smile crossed my lips. “Did you call the caterer?”
“Yes. He’s available on Friday the 20 th . He was booked on the 21 st with another party.”
“Friday, the 20 th it is then. Send out a memo to the staff tomorrow with our address.”
“Our address?”
“The one requirement of being my girlfriend is that you have to move in with me permanently.”
“Are you serious, Jack?”
“Yes, sweetheart. We’ll pack up your apartment this weekend and get you moved out. Don’t worry about your lease. I’ll take care of it.”
“God, I love you so much.” She threw her arms around me.
“I love you too.”