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“And what about our distributors, our bottlers? People we’ve done business with for years. We can’t just turn our backs on everyone.”
My grandfather smiles. “They’re all on board.”
Realization dawns on me. The renegotiations of contracts. Bottlers not calling me back. Distributors acting cagey when trying to place product. “You have them all in place? That’s why they were avoiding me. Not because they thought they could take advantage of the new guy…”
My grandfather nods. “Yes, Cash. They all know you will be the head of this. But like I said, I kept the circle tight, and it was only those who needed to know. You didn’t need to know before, but now you do. Just keep going forward as if it’s business as usual. We’ll have our business meetings here with Charles so no one suspects a thing, and when the time is right…”
“In July,” I interject.
“Yes. In July, we announce the new company. My retirement and the closure of James Liquors. And the new era.Bristol’s Hope. Whiskey is only the beginning son. Landry and I have many plans.”
I shake my head in awe. “You named the company after my mother?”
After another shot of oxygen, my grandfather nods. “Merry Christmas, son.”
“Wait, Pa, one last thing. Chase…he’s been meeting with Dad. Do you have any idea why?”
My grandfather shakes his head. I’m not sure why I thought he would.
I try to explain. “He found out about his birth mother and the uh, circumstances of his birth.”
“What circumstances?”
My hands inadvertently ball into fists just having to utter the words. “How our father took advantage of our nanny.”
My grandfather shakes his head. “Whoever told you that?”
I feel like I’d known it my whole life. I can’t even remember who ‘told’ me. I was three when Chasewas born, so I can’t exactly remember things clearly but Carter certainly could. He was ten.
“Chase’s mother was not the nanny. She was someone else. And it’s not my story to tell. But believe me, it’s not something to uncover. Let this dog lie, Cash. Get your brother to drop it. Only more pain and heartache will come of it.”
“Pa, he thinks he’s the product of rape. It can’t be worse than that.”
“Well, we should certainly clearthatup. But the answer to who his mother is will provide no comfort. She’s not someone who ever wanted him, and it will not be a warm reunion. Figure out a way to get him off this search. Believe me, it will only end in devastation for everyone.”
So much for a merry Christmas. I’d come in here looking to provide my grandfather with answers, and instead walked out with more secrets than I can carry. A new business, the demise of the old one, a fake merger, and an unknown mother—I leave my grandfather’s room feeling both lighter and heavier than when I entered.
