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Lance felt his jaw drop as his uncle strolled past him and through the double doors into the community hall. His feet had turned to blocks of ice, frozen to the cement.
“I’m so sorry, dude,” Frankie said, coming up beside him. He leaned back slightly, as if afraid Lance was going to start swinging. “He totally cornered me and began yelling. I’m not good under pressure. I’ve got an ulcer that could burst.” He rubbed his stomach and frowned.
“He can’t…” Lance’s mind was working at a slower pace than usual. He rubbed his chin, willing the words to come. “He can’t do it. I won’t let him.”
Finally, his feet unfroze and he hurdled after his uncle. Bursting into the hall, he skidded to a halt. The lights had been brightened so all the room was illuminated. A handful of people stood on the small stage next to the band, his uncle among them. Lance raced to the stage as they handed Matthias the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your hospitality,” his uncle began.
He smiled warmly at the crowd, the deep wrinkles growing in his cheeks and jowls. It wasn’t an expression Lance saw much from his uncle; smiles were saved for only times of deepest sympathy. He’d seen one of those when his uncle had broken the news to him about his father’s death.
“My mother loved this town,” he went on to say. “She grew up here, eventually married my father, and moved to the cities. But she never forgot New Hope. Which was why she created the New Hope foundation and supported it well pass her death, God rest her soul.”
A splattering of applause followed his words. Lance looked at the crowd to see Gemma, Chloe, and Laurie standing at the front. Gemma was looking at him, concern flickering in her eyes. It hit him that he hadn’t had the chance to tell her how he really felt about her. And now, his uncle was going to take it away forever.
Uncle Matthias passed the microphone to his other hand and cleared his throat. “Barkley & Barkley was proud to fund the foundation for a handful of years after mother’s trust ran out. And I’m also proud to say that I am happy your town has thrived. Driving here tonight, I saw what love has been poured out into every stone of this community. Love is what keeps you running. You will be around for many more decades because of that love.”
This was the moment. Lance could feel it.
“But it is with deepest regrets that I must announce the closing of the New Hope Foundation.” A gasp went through the crowd, followed by harsh whispers scattered throughout. “My nephew has been running the numbers here for the past few weeks and I am confident that New Hope will remain the bright and warm town it has always been.”
Lance could feel a hundred eyes land on him all at once. He hazarded a glance in Gemma’s direction. What he saw was neither hatred nor shock. Her face wore a blank mask as she stared at him, void of any emotion. A jolt went through his stomach, piercing his insides.
“Thank you, lovely ladies and gentlemen.” Uncle Matthias, seemingly oblivious of the trauma he’d just inflicted, waved with a big smile. “The Barkley family will always be grateful for the role you have played in our legacy.”
He left the mic in the hands of the speechless band leader and limped off the stage, cane in hand. As he passed Lance, he patted him on the shoulder with a growl that told him he had failed. Despite all his plans, he’d lost everything in one day. There was no going back.
He turned to Gemma, hoping to at least apologize before he slunk out the back. Their eyes met and he opened his mouth to call her name, but she turned before he could get the words out. Chloe and Laurie surrounded her with their loving embrace and they walked into the grieving crowd, leaving him to choke on his apology.
Chapter Twelve
Gemma threw the pillow as hard as she could against the wall where it landed with a dull thud. It slid down to the floor and she picked it up again, feeling slightly guilty fo
r the violent outburst on her innocent pillow shams. It was Christmas Eve and hardly the right time to be throwing fits.
“He knew the whole time,” she growled, hugging the pillow tight. “Lance knew his uncle was going to shut us down the whole time and he said nothing. He lied to us. He lied to me.”
Katherine sat quietly on the sofa stirring a teaspoon of honey into her chamomile tea. She patted the spot next to her and waited for her daughter to sit. “I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it, darling. He probably knew how you’d react.”
“But he could’ve warned me.” Gemma blinked back her tears. She’d shed plenty of those last night. “I was going on and on about this big Christmas surprise I had for you, and all along he was planning on firing me. Now I’ll never be able to afford that trip.”
Katherine tilted her head to one side. Her blonde hair had been pulled back in a messy bun and last night’s makeup was slightly smeared under her eyes. “What trip?”
Gemma moaned. “Our trip to Europe. I was going to surprise you with the tickets tomorrow for Christmas. My bonus was all I needed to finish saving, but now I have to worry about paying my bills. There’s no way I can buy them now. There goes our dream down the drain. All thanks to Lance Barkley.”
Her mother held out her arms and Gemma gratefully sunk into them. After a few moments of silence, Katherine smiled and patted her head. “You know, Europe was never my dream. I’m perfectly content sitting in your living room, drinking tea.”
Gemma looked up at her. “But we’ve talking about it forever. You always said you wanted to go.”
“I said I wanted to go with you,” Katherine agreed with a nod. “But that was because it was your dream. You don’t need to kill yourself to make it come true. I’m happy wherever you are.”
She straightened up and blew out a lung full of air. “But I wanted to do something special for you. Ever since the cancer…” She blinked back tears again.
“I know, baby. You’ve been trying to care for me ever since I got the news. But you don’t need to spend your life worrying about me. That’s my job. You’ve got to take care of yourself right now. Do something better with that money. We’ll still have each other at the end of the day, no matter where you live or what job you do.”
Gemma smiled. Despite the horrible evening and the sleepless night, she was beginning to feel a little more hope for the future. Sure, she was out of a job. But she had skills. There were even headhunters who wanted her to apply for their jobs. She’d be fine at the end of the day.
Katherine grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I guess you’ll be calling that headhunter back from L.A.”
