Dear?
“My name is Kara,” Kara said, “and I’m engaged to Rob, so this is very much my business.”
Danielle narrowed her blue eyes until all Kara could see was a silvery glitter. “And how long do you think that’s going to last?” she asked sweetly. “He’s brought other girls home before and they’re usually gone by the New Year. If he holds true to form, this is the last time we’ll see you.”
Kara didn’t know what to say in response, but Rob spoke up. “Kara’s special.”
“Yeah,” Avery said. “She’s not a mean girl.”
Kara glanced at Rob’s sister appreciatively. “Thank you Avery.”
Danielle shot a venomous look in Avery’s direction. Eleanor watched this byplay with a complicated look on her face. Rob’s father, who was distracted by an incoming text, missed the entire interplay completely.
A heavy silence settled over the table.
“How’d you like your presents?” Kara asked Avery.
Avery gave her a look. “We don’t open our presents until Boxing Day,” she said.
“Really? So what do you do all day on Christmas?”
Avery shrugged. “Mostly we eat and watch old movies.”
And that’s what they’d ended up doing, much to Kara’s dismay. But she had another chance to observe everyone and what she saw was interesting.
William kept sneaking glances at Eleanor and his expression was very sad.
Is he contemplating divorcing her? Kara wondered.
“Have your father and Eleanor been fighting,” she finally asked Rob as she stood in the solarium and watched the snow fall.
“They were mismatched from the get-go,” he said.
“Who said?”
Rob seemed taken aback by that. “They were from two different worlds,” he said.
“You said they met on a plane ride? Was your father riding in coach or had she gotten an upgrade?”
Rob’s lips thinned. “You are such a snob,” she said, and tried to take the sting out of the accusation with a small laugh.
“She knew he was moody. She married him anyway.”
“Spoken like a true romantic,” she said. And then she remembered the kisses from the night before and how they had made her tingle.
“Peace,” she said, holding out her hands. “I’m just looking at things the way an outsider would.”
He grew still at that. “What do you see?”
Kara shook her head.
“You have to tell me.”
“This is just my opinion,” she said.
“I’m listening.”
“It’s not Eleanor who’s trying to undermine your company. She loves your father, and she’s been trying to be a good stepmother to you and Avery ever since she married him. But now because of your Uncle Jake, your father thinks that she’s the one going to the press with stories about his illness, affecting the stock price and generally undercutting him.”
“What’s my Uncle Jake have to do with it?”
Kara glanced over to where Jake, William, and Eleanor still sat at the main table. Jake was telling some sort of anecdote and people were roaring with appreciation.
“He’s your mother’s brother, right?”
“Stepbrother,” he said.
“So, which parent connected him to your mother?”
“Her father.”
“Not Grandpa Jim.”
“No, his name was Clarence.”
“So, when Clarence died, who inherited?”
Rob thought a minute. “My mother got the bulk of the estate. Jake got the house in Denver and some stock.”
“And he never resented it? Never complained that he should have gotten a bigger share?”
A strange expression crossed Rob’s face.”
“I’ve always thought he made his money in stocks.”
“But you never checked?”
“Why would I?” Rob said, sounding impatient.
“The details that are coming out about your family business. It never occurred to you to think that they might be coming out from a family member.”
“He’s not really family,” Rob said.
“Does he know that?” Kara asked. “Where does he live? What kind of car does he drive?”
“You sound awfully status conscious for someone who complains she doesn’t care much about money.”
“You sound mad,” Kara said.
“I like my uncle.”
“He works hard at making you like him,” she said. “He’s taken on the role of ‘fun uncle’ and he’s probably been playing it your whole life. I bet he was the one who bought you your first drink.”
Rob got a funny look on his face and Kara pressed on. “He probably gave you your first cigar and taught you how to smoke it.”
“It was a joint,” Rob said. “Jake always has great weed.”
Kara nodded. “Did he ever take you to a strip club?”
Rob looked away. “Once.”
“And did everyone know him there?”
“Yes.”
They fell silent as Rob contemplated what she was saying.
“He’s got expensive tastes,” Kara added. “That watch of his probably cost as much as your car.”
“It was a birthday gift from my dad.”
“Your dad is close to him?”
“Like brothers.”
“Then why didn’t your father ever bring him into the family business?”
“My father keeps business and family and friends as separate as he can.”
“Except for you.”
“Yeah,” he said. “He’s been grooming me to take over since I was little.”
“Who introduced you to Danielle?”
“Jake did,” Rob said, sounding surprised. He turned back to look at Jake.
After lunch, Danielle approached Kara as Rob was talking to Leo and Avery, who were explaining the rules of the game they were playing.
On instinct, Kara pressed the “record” button on her phone and nonchalantly set it aside.
“Hey Kara,” Danielle said. “I think we got off on the wrong foot.”
“That’s my fault,” Kara said to disarm her. “I’m still a little insecure.”
Danielle smiled. “You don’t strike me as insecure,” she said. “I think you’re a manipulative little bitch.”
Kara felt the words like a slap but didn’t answer her, curious about what else she would say.
“I don’t know what your game is, but if you think you can come in here and disrupt things, you have another think coming.”
“I’m not interested in the family business,” ‘Kara said.
“That’s good,” Danielle said, “because it’s not going to be the family business much longer.”
“Really?” Kara said. “Is this inside trader information?”
Danielle shook her head. “Everybody knows there’s a hostile takeover in the works.”
Kara took a stab in the dark. “Who’s backing Jake?” she asked. ‘He doesn’t have enough money for a move like that.”
Danielle looked taken aback.
“You’d be surprised how many friends Jake has,” she said.
“I’m an econ major,” Kara said. “I’ve seen this sort of play before. Jake will get the raiders in, but the minute they have what they want, they’ll toss him aside.”
Danielle shrugged. “Maybe. But he’ll cash out.”
Gotcha, Kara thought, desperately hoping that what she was thinking wasn’t showing on her face. “Well good luck with that,”’ she said and turned away.
And that’s when Danielle noticed the phone sitting on the chair next to Kara.
“You bitch,” she said venomously and made a grab for the phone. Kara scooted backwards so violently the chair nearly tipped over.
Everyone in the room looked towards them.
“Rob?” Kara called. He instantly rose and came over. “What’s going on?”
Danielle’s face was a blank mask as she
considered her options. She finally settled on throwing Jake under the bus.
“It was Jake’s idea,” she said. “All I did was give him bits of information.”
Rob looked at her. “What are you talking about?”
Danielle didn’t answer.
“Yes, Danielle, what are you talking about,” William said as he joined the little group.
Behind him, Kara could see Jake putting things together and heading for the door.
“Don’t let Jake leave,” she said to Rob, who immediately headed for his uncle.
William’s attention was solely focused on Danielle.
“What are you talking about Danielle?” he asked.
“It was Jake’s idea,” she said again.
There was a loud crash that diverted everyone’s attention to the doorway where Rob and Jake were engaged in a fist fight.
Granpa Jim pulled out his cell phone and punched in three numbers as Eleanor and Angela tried to pull the two men apart. In the process, Angela got a fist to her chin.
“Mom,” Leo cried, and launched himself at Jake, tackling him at the knees and distracting him just long enough for Rob to land a knock-out blow. He went down heavily.
Danielle looked like she wanted to bolt, but Granpa Jim stood up and announced that he’d called the police.
Kara looked at Danielle. She suddenly had big fat tears in her eyes. Kara wondered if she was sincerely sorry or just mad that her scheme had been uncovered.
“You’ll need this for the police,” Kara said, and handed her phone to William. He nodded his thanks.
After that, everyone sat around staring at each other for what felt like an eternity before the police arrived. William and Jim met them at the door and spoke to them for a long time.
Afterwards, they took Danielle and Jake away and everyone started talking again, adrenalized by what had happened.
She saw William go over to Eleanor and say something to her that made her face light up. She threw her arms around him in a big hug and he hugged her back.
She smiled inwardly.
“You’re amazing,” Rob said as he sat down beside her and took her hand.
She didn’t pull away. It felt good to have her hand resting in his. She was suddenly sorry that their little adventure was over. She’d grown to care about his family.
She’d grown to care about him.
“Glad to be of service,” she said. In response, he lifted her hand and kissed it.
“You’ve been so much more,” he said.
Kara looked at him. “It’s been fun,” she said. “Except for the part about your uncle being a crook.”
Rob looked sad. “I don’t understand what he was up to.”
“Jealousy,” Kara said. “Envy. Greed.”
“He nearly destroyed the family.”
“Your family is strong,” Kara said. “Look at your dad and Eleanor. They’re going to thrive.”
Rob looked over at his father and stepmother.
“I want to thrive too,” he said.
“You will,” she said.
“I don’t want this to be our last date,” he said.
Kara smiled. “I’ve been paid through Boxing Day,” she said. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
She was trying to keep her tone light but inside, her heart was racing madly.
At first being with Rob had been a wonderful bit of make-believe. She’d enjoyed stepping into his world of privilege. But after the day they’d spent at the bakery coming up with presents for his family, she’d learned so much about him and begin to feel so much closer to him. She had never though she could actually care about someone like him and the idea that he would care about her stunned her.
“I know we sort of got off on the wrong foot. I know I’ve been kind of a jerk. But I can do better. With you I can be better.”
Kara listened, afraid to say anything that would break the fragile spell. “I figured you’d just come in and do some acting and I’d pay you and we’d go our separate ways.”
“Pay you” landed between them and Kara’s face warmed. She was still very conflicted about taking the money. He’d done his best to convince her the money was no big thing, but it still bothered her. Taking money for her time still sounded like prostitution to her.
Rob saw her face change and hastened to add.
‘I didn’t think I was buying you Kara.”
“It still seems pretty transactional,” she said. “Like you’d never be able to believe my feelings are real and not motivated by some…mercantile thoughts.”
“I know you’re not like that,” he said. ‘You’re not like that at all.”
He fell silent for a bit.
“My dad likes you.”
“That was the idea, wasn’t it? To have your family fall in love with me?”
“It was,” he said. ‘I just never thought that in the process I would fall in love with you too.”
He said the ‘L word,’ Kara thought.
“Love is a pretty big word,” she said. “And it’s only been a week since we said more than one word to each other.”
“We’ve always known each other,” he said. “Even before we started talking.”
It was true, Kara realized. She felt like she’d known him all her life.
The wishing well, Kara thought. This is what I wished for.
They were holding hands when Avery bounced over to the couch and slumped down next to them. She looked at their clasped hands.
“I thought you were just pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend,” she said.
“Why would you think that?” Kara asked.
“Because you weren’t doing all those things flirty girls do when they’re with their boyfriends.”
“Maybe we just don’t like to make a show of it,” Rob said.
Avery scoffed. Kara realized Rob’s sister was a lot like Jane Austen. She might not have been dating herself, but she was sitting around and watching everyone.
Kara stayed until nearly midnight and refused Eleanor’s invitation to stay in the house that night. “We have loads of extra space,” she said. “And there are clean sheets on the bed in Rob’s room.”
Kara blushed but demurred.
Rob had driven her home and the two had made out like teenagers in the front of his SUV. Finally she’d pulled away. “Until tomorrow,” she said.
As she slipped out the door, Rob said her name softly. She turned back.
“I love you.”
Best Christmas present ever, Kara thought.
Epilogue
In the end, Kara gave Rob back his two thousand dollars, though she kept the fifty and the Sephora gift certificate. (Avery had loved the certificate he got her for Christmas and proclaimed him the best brother ever.)
As the new semester started, Kara was surprised to find her tuition already paid for and upon investigation learned that William had been responsible. When she called to thank him, he told her to think of the money as a consulting fee, pointing out that he’d saved her company and that he actually owed her far more.
She was very grateful and told him so.
“Get good grades,” he’d said gruffly. Rob and Kara continued to date and in the spring, after graduation, he proposed. They married in the fall, exchanging simple gold rings they’d bought on Etsy. Ms. Woo came with Bernie Park and they seemed to have a great time at the reception, dancing like teenagers and toasting each other with champagne. By the following Christmas, the two had announced their own engagement. Ms. Woo hired a pastry chef from Portland and turned over the business to Kara, who ran her foundation business on the side.
And they all lived happily ever after in Hopeful, Colorado.
Orange Bubble Loaf
At the Good Wish Bakery, Jennie Woo makes this delicious “monkey bread” variation from scratch. But for home bakers, it’s okay to cheat and use frozen bread dough.
Ingredients:
2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 jar of dried orange peel, around 1.5 ounces 2 round 9-inch cake pans Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine the sugar and dried orange peel in a shallow bowl.
Cut the thawed bread dough into pieces about an inch square and then roll each square into a little ball.
Dip the dough balls into the melted butter, then roll in the sugar orange mixture until coated.
Place the “bubble” into the pan.
Cover with a clean dish towel and set in a warm place until the dough has risen and doubled in volume.
Bake at 325 until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
If freezing, slightly under bake the bread so that when the bubble loaf is reheated, it won’t get too toasty.
One loaf’s worth of dough “bubbles” will fit into one pan.
Five Spice Sugar Cookies
This spicy cookie is a year-round favorite at the Good Wish bakery, but they seem especially festive when paired with a cup of hot chocolate. Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup flour
2 ¾ tsp. Chinese Five-Spice Powder
Dash salt
1 stick (half a cup) unsalted butter
½ cup super-fine sugar *
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
*If you don’t have super-fine sugar on hand, put ½ cup plus 1 tsp. of granulated sugar into a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds. Voila, ½ cup of super-fine sugar.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the flour, spice, and salt in a mediumsize bowl, stirring with a whisk to make sure there are no clumps.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Mix in the unbeaten egg.
Add the vanilla extract and blend thoroughly.
Stir in the flour/spice mixture to make a soft dough.
Shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Roll out the chilled dough until it is about a quarter-inch thick, and then cut into shapes.
Place the cookie shapes on a cookie sheet that’s lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Bake on the center rack about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
Country Wishes Page 52
