A California Christmas

by Brenda Novak

  “You think viewer loyalty has been improved with me gone?” Emery asked.

  “If we hadn’t removed you, we would’ve received complaints. And we’re still working on your replacement, so we’re in a building stage. But you have no right to sue us,” she insisted. “That’s my point. You were no longer the right person for the job, and we should have the right to make that decision.”

  “I was doing an excellent job,” she argued. “There’s no way you can say I wasn’t. I was never late, I never missed a broadcast and I never received any disciplinary action. I worked hard and did everything I could to be a great anchor—and our ratings were better than ever.”

  “It just wasn’t working between you and Ethan anymore. Besides, it wasn’t just my decision. There was general agreement around here.”

  She sounded as though she was trying to convince herself of that. “I don’t believe it happened the way you’re trying to portray it, Heidi. I believe you’ve wanted to date Ethan for a long time and got jealous when we started seeing each other. Then he posted that video, and you saw it as your chance to get rid of me for good. But even if Ethan was interested in you, why would you ever want him? You’ve seen what he did to me. If you think you can trust a man like that, you’re mistaken.”

  “I don’t want to date Ethan,” she said.

  Emery knew better. She could not have mistaken the dirty looks she’d received once she and Ethan got together, nor the adoring looks Heidi had lavished on him. “Even Ethan knows how you feel about him. And he uses that to his advantage and laughs about it behind your back. I hate to be unkind—I know it can’t feel good to hear that—but it’s true.”

  Silence.

  “Aren’t you happy you decided to hire a guy like that back?” Emery asked.

  “Just drop the suit,” Heidi snapped, and disconnected.

  Emery was shaking when she let the hand holding her phone drop from her ear. It was difficult to believe she could win a suit against her former employer. They had so much more money and power and access to good lawyers. From what she could tell, slapping them with a lawsuit had acted like a whack to a beehive. The internal buzzing that it had started was probably quickly escalating into a deafening roar as they closed ranks and gathered all their firepower for the fight ahead.

  Before this thing was over, they’d make her doubt her ability as a news anchor; just what Heidi had said on the phone made her face sting as though she’d been slapped. And with so many people pointing a self-righteous finger at her, she was afraid shame would get the better of her, too. Maybe, in the end, the judge would side with the chorus of people who’d called her a slut online and told her she’d gotten exactly what she deserved.

  She let her breath go in a long exhale as she checked the time. She hadn’t specifically told Susan she was taking her lunch break, and she’d left her soup inside. But she hoped Susan would assume she’d started her thirty minutes off the clock, because she couldn’t make herself go back in right away.

  She kicked a rock across the alley. Had she made a mistake picking this fight? Would she regret it?

  She pulled up Dallas’s number and sent him a text.

  I just heard from the station.

  He hadn’t contacted her, as she’d hoped, but she was so drawn to him she couldn’t help contacting him. It felt as though she was caught in some kind of tractor beam—one she didn’t even want to escape. When she’d held him as he slept last night, she’d stayed awake for quite some time just reveling in the sensation of having him there in her arms. She found it deeply satisfying, which was bizarre. She couldn’t remember ever lying awake with Ethan for any reason other than concerns about her parents or planning what she was going to do for a particular story at work.

  She tried to tell herself she wasn’t falling in love—it couldn’t happen that fast. But she’d dated a lot of men and never felt quite as she did now...

  What did they say?

  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his response. She’d been afraid, after last night, that he might try to push her away simply because he struggled with intimacy, and he felt he’d let her get a little too close. She knew what’d happened last night—the time she’d spent in his bed, comforting him—wasn’t the type of thing he allowed just anyone.

  They’re trying to spin it a different way, change their reason for firing me.

  Don’t let them scare you. That they called you tells you they’re worried.

  Heidi had tried to convince her that she didn’t have grounds for the suit...

  They wouldn’t have bothered if they weren’t.

  His reasoning made sense. It was probably Heidi who’d initiated her firing, as Emery had always suspected—lobbied all those in upper management who had a say. And now that doing so had turned into a problem, Heidi was scrambling to cover her ass.

  Of course she was.

  But if the station had been served, Emery was fairly certain Ethan had been served, too. How was he taking the news?

  I’m afraid Ethan will do something to get revenge, like he did before when he was mad at me. Tell me again that I was right to pick this fight.

  They picked the fight. You’re only finishing it. And if he does anything, I’m going to have a little talk with him.

  After which Ethan would very likely have a broken jaw. Emery felt terrible for enjoying the image that conjured in her mind, but she couldn’t think of anyone who deserved to be punched in the face quite as much as he did.

  Maybe it wasn’t politically correct, but instead of telling Dallas she didn’t condone violence, she used the kiss blowing emoji to respond. She was grateful he was there to hold her hand through this and wanted to support him, too.

  You’ve been so good to me. I want you to know that I’m here for you, too. That if you’d like to talk about your father, what happened to your family or even what happened last night in the ice cream store, I’m more than willing.

  Thanks but it’s ancient history, so there’s nothing to say.

  She frowned at his response. It hadn’t felt like ancient history last night.

  Apparently, he could help her, but he couldn’t accept help. He preferred to internalize everything—lock it up and soldier on.

  Did that mean he’d never be able to open up enough to fall in love himself?

  * * *

  Dallas had spent the day driving to Santa Barbara for the tuxedos and was glad for the time alone. He’d said nothing about his father’s release from prison to his family—and would say nothing, least of all to Aiyana. That would only start her worrying about him, and she didn’t need anything else to worry about before her big day.

  He wished he could block Robert’s release from his own brain but, hard as he tried, he couldn’t get his father off his mind. Forty years had seemed as though it would last forever. He’d expected Robert to be in his late seventies when he got out. If he got out. Some people didn’t live that long. Dallas had been holding out hope that Robert would be one of them and that he’d never have to face the prospect he was suddenly faced with now.

  How was it that the bastard had been released seventeen years early? After what he’d done?

  Dallas’s jaw clenched as he pictured his father able to move about at will and interact with innocent people who had no idea what he was capable of. What if he married again? Would he tell his next wife what he’d done to the last one?

  His phone rang when he was about half an hour from home. It was nearly dinnertime. He could’ve returned earlier if only he’d made the effort, but he’d spent a couple of hours doing yoga at the beach. He did yoga as often as possible, especially when he couldn’t climb.

  He expected the call to be his mother, wondering where he was. But it was the owner of the gym where he worked—again. Dallas had been dodging Brian’s calls for over a week, which was unfair, both to Brian as his em
ployer and Brian as the father figure he’d come to be.

  This time he made himself pick up. “Hello?”

  “There you are. God, what does it take to get you to answer your phone?”

  “It’s possible I’ve been out climbing. Have you thought of that?”

  “No, because you’re in Silver Springs. You told me that your mother is getting married, and I’d bet my life on the fact that you wouldn’t miss it. You’ll be there until the big day is over.”

  Brian knew him too well. But he didn’t yet know about the contract Dallas had signed with Xtreme Climbing Apparel. Dallas had been hesitant to tell him. He wanted to wait until he could break the news in person. “That’s true. I’m trying to have some family time. So what’s the emergency?”

  “I want to find out if you’re going to buy the gym and take over for me or not. If you don’t want it, I need to find someone else. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

  “You’re not ready to retire quite yet,” Dallas said, hoping to God it was true. He was afraid to turn this opportunity away. If he didn’t perform as well as his competitors, he could lose his sponsor. Then where would he be?

  “I’m getting damn close,” Brian said. “Will you be able to make the commitment?”

  “You have to know now? It’s not only my mother’s wedding, it’s nearly Christmas.”

  “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  Nothing, really. Dallas was just trying to buy some time. “Can’t we talk about this when I return?” Even if he decided to train in Europe, he planned to go to Vegas first and spend a week or two with Brain.

  “Will you return? That’s the thing. I thought you were coming back in November.”

  “Some things came up this year.”

  “An unusually warm fall that allowed you to keep climbing? That’s the only thing that came up—until your mother’s wedding.”

  It was much more than that, but Dallas didn’t correct him. He was still holding out for a better time to talk to Brian. “I’ll be back in January.”

  “Is that a promise? I don’t want to waste my time waiting for you if you’re not going to come through. Maybe I should be looking at other options. You’re not the only climber in the world, Dallas.”

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “But you are one of the best,” he relented. “And you’re one hell of a coach. I like having you involved. But, damn, you don’t make it easy.”

  “We’ll talk about it in January.”

  “Why put it off? I’d like to go into the holidays with something concrete to tell Janet.”

  Dallas liked Brian’s wife. And the request was a fair one, but... “I can’t focus on such a big decision right now,” he said. “My father was just released from prison.”

  Brian was one of the few people he’d told about his background, probably because Brian had had an abusive father, too, and they went out for a beer so often when Dallas was in town that it would’ve been harder not to tell him.

  Still, Dallas hadn’t intended to mention the latest; it’d just come out.

  “You gotta be kidding me,” he said.

  “No.”

  “When? How?”

  “I have no idea. I just found out myself.” Before he left Silver Springs, he’d searched for the article Cain had referenced, hoping to glean more information, but it didn’t give an exact date. It’d merely indicated that Robert’s parole had been granted and he would, indeed, be released.

  “So where is he?”

  “That’s anyone’s guess. I can’t imagine he has the money to travel very far from San Quentin. Even if he worked the whole time he was incarcerated, what do they pay? Twenty cents an hour?”

  “That could add up to a small amount of seed money, given enough time. How far is Silver Springs from San Quentin?”

  “About a seven-hour drive. He could take a bus, I guess. But I can’t imagine why he would.”

  “To see you, of course. Who else has he got? Does he know Aiyana?”

  “Not personally, but he must’ve learned about her. He sent her a letter. Sent one to me, too, but it was delivered to my PO Box in Vegas.”

  “He might try to find you.”

  “He’d better not.”

  “What’d he say in the letter?”

  “Nothing, really. Just some bullshit to make him look less like the psychopath he must be.”

  “Did you ever think you’d hear from him?”

  “Not after so long.”

  “How will he get by and make a living?” Brian asked. “Does he have any family who will take care of him?”

  “None. He had a younger brother, but he and both parents are dead.” Since Robert had purchased the gun shortly after his parents were run off the road by a sleepy semi driver, Dallas had always believed their deaths might’ve contributed in some way—if only because they wouldn’t be around to help him pay back the money he’d stolen. He was used to his parents being around to give him anything he wanted.

  “No cousin? No uncle? That sort of thing?”

  “No one in our extended family would be happy to see him. They have their own lives, their own problems.” None of them had stepped up to take Dallas twenty-three years ago. No one had even stayed in touch with him. Why would they help Robert, especially after so long?

  “Okay, well, I guess I can let this other issue go another month.”

  Dallas felt the tension inside him uncoil ever so slightly. “That would be great. I’m sorry to leave you hanging, but if you could just give me a few more weeks, I’ll have an answer for you.”

  He sighed audibly. “You got it. For the record, you’d be crazy not to do it. I’m not making the offer just because I respect your ability and everyone around here likes you.”

  That statement confused Dallas. “Then why are you doing it?”

  “You have to ask?”

  “I’ve often wondered why you mess with me. It can’t be convenient that I’m gone half the year.”

  “I do it because I care about you, you knucklehead,” he said.

  Brian had been good to him. It was Brian’s friendship and employment over the years that had helped him remain centered—as much as he had remained centered. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”

  “Stop. I’m not saying this to make you feel indebted. I just...with your father out of prison, maybe you need to hear me say... Well, I want you to know that you don’t need anything he might have to offer, and what he did had nothing to do with you—wasn’t any kind of rejection, even though it has to feel that way. I would’ve been proud to have you as my son. I love you like a son,” he added, his voice suddenly gruff, and disconnected.

  Dallas pulled to the side of the road. He knew he and Brian were closer than most employers and employees, but he’d never expected Brian to feel quite this strongly.

  He chuckled as he recalled how quickly Brian had gotten off the phone. But the desire to laugh faded when he realized that Brian probably hadn’t hung up to save himself the awkwardness and embarrassment of saying something so uncharacteristically sentimental. He’d done it to save Dallas from feeling the need to respond.

  He’d just wanted Dallas to know that he had the love of a father, even if it wasn’t a biological one.

  20

  Seriously? You think you’ve got the grounds to sue me?

  Here it was: Ethan’s reaction. It had come by way of a bitter and angry text. But that was better than a bitter and angry phone call. At least this way she didn’t have to hear his voice.

  “What took you so long to react?” Emery muttered as she debated whether to respond. She’d just arrived home from work, changed her clothes and gone down to the kitchen. Liam and Bentley were in their rooms, doing homework, Aiyana was still at her office and Dallas was on his way back from Sa
nta Barbara. She planned to make dinner for the family so that she could feel as though she was contributing, and she wanted to get started on that right away.

  But Ethan’s text proved too provocative to ignore. She wrote back:

  I have grounds. You’re finally going to be held accountable for what you’ve done.

  I haven’t done anything, and there’s no way the station is going to let you get away with this. You’ll never be able to work in television again.

  She was afraid that was already true. And it wasn’t because of the lawsuit; it was because of him.

  I’m not trying to get away with anything. I’m determined to see justice done—that’s all. You humiliated me and purposely ruined my reputation and career. Did you honestly believe there’d be no consequences?

  You lost your job because you suck at it. Don’t blame me.

  You’re delusional! I’m a better newscaster than you ever were.

  You’re full of shit. I don’t know what I saw in you.

  Believe me, the feeling is mutual. And I was the one who dumped you, remember?

  She knew she shouldn’t add that last part. It was childish, petty. But she was so tired of taking his blows.

  I don’t care. You’re the one who’s missing out. It’s truly over between us. And I’m telling you right now—you’d better drop the suit.

  No way. I’m in it to win it, Ethan. After what you did, I won’t give up until justice has been served.

  You’re going after the wrong man.

  Is this where you tell me it was Tommy again?

  She added a laughing emoji.

  If you don’t drop this damn lawsuit, you’ll be sorry.

  Because you’ll try to take revenge? Like you did before, when you posted that video? I’ve talked to Tommy, Ethan. And Tommy has already spoken to my lawyer. He’s going to tell the truth.

  Leave Tommy out of this.

  You’re the one who dragged him into it!