Page 39 of A Christmas Negotiation

“Dad? Why didn’t you ever tell me this? And why are you doing the same thing to me?”

“Because it made me stronger to be tested like that,” his dad snapped. “It made me a better lawyer.”

Jeremy wanted to laugh, but this was all striking him as incredibly sad. If only they’d had this conversation ten or fifteen years ago. He might be in a very different place. “You don’t have to be miserable to be strong. That all comes from within as far as I’m concerned.”

“It’s the only way I know, Jeremy. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”

Jeremy approached his dad’s desk. “Dad. I love you. I hope you know that. I love you even though you make it very difficult some days. But I can’t work with you anymore. Either you step aside or I do. I’ll leave it up to you.”

His mom came up behind him. “Son. Do you really want to do that? Close this door on your career?”

He turned to her and placed his hand on her arm. He really did love her. “My career isn’t going anywhere. But at the rate we’re going, the three of us aren’t going to be much of a family. The situation at work has been bad enough, but we need to talk about how things went south after Kelsey left me. I didn’t feel supported. And I never took the time to think about how unhappy it made me until I talked to a friend about it.” Isabel had shown him so much in such a short amount of time. How had she done that?

“You never told us you felt that way. I thought we were supportive.”

“I should have said something. I know that now. I shouldn’t have kept it bottled in. But you were not supportive. You were embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed for you. The things Kelsey said about you were horrible. No mother wants her son to go through that. To experience that kind of betrayal.”

“But you never really said those things to me. All I heard were the things your friends were telling you.”

Jeremy’s mom frowned and her eyes grew misty. “I didn’t?”

He shook his head. “You didn’t.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. You and your father are the most important things to me in the entire world. I love you. I love you both.”

Jeremy returned his mom’s hug. “I love you guys, too. Hopefully that can save us.” As soon as the words left his lips, he realized that they weren’t really his. They were Isabel’s. From the night they met.I believe that love is the only thing that saves anyone.

The thought of Isabel sent goose bumps racing over the surface of his skin and that was when he realized it—he loved her. As improbable as it was, he’d fallen in love with her. Could love save him? Was it as simple as that? Was it meant for him? He’d spent the last few years so unhappy, convinced that his empty existence was something he must learn to accept. A fact of life. But did it really have to be that way? He wanted to believe that it didn’t.

“Are we going to see you for the tree-trimming party?” his mom asked. “I look forward to it all year.”

Jeremy was determined to keep building bridges, not tearing them down. He wanted to be the sort of man who made connections, not destroyed them. “My only problem is that I’d like to bring a date. Isabel Blackwell.”

His dad’s eyes became as large as dinner plates. “Excuse me?”

Jeremy wasn’t about to go into a long, drawn-out explanation. He wasn’t even certain Isabel would accept the invitation. “Yes, Dad. We actually had a brief romantic relationship before the case started. I never said anything because I thought it wouldn’t be a problem. And honestly, it wasn’t, until you decided to try to drag her through the mud today.”

Jeremy’s mother’s face was full of horror. “Oh. Well, that’s awkward, isn’t it?”

Honestly, it couldn’t be any more uncomfortable for Jeremy than anything else he’d endured with his parents. “It doesn’t have to be if Dad apologizes.”

“You have to apologize,” his mother blurted. “Otherwise, it’ll ruin Christmas.”

“You can’t ruin Christmas, Dad.”

Full of resignation, his father nodded. “I will apologize. First thing.”

Jeremy could be content with that. “Then I will do my best to convince her to come.”

Jeremy said his goodbyes to his parents, then marched down the hall, feeling as though a weight had been lifted. He’d finally said his piece with his family and the world hadn’t ended. In fact, it had gone quite well.

Just then, his phone rang. He plucked it from his pocket and answered, striding down the hall.

“Yes?”

“Jeremy. It’s Ben.”