It was really too bad because she was a beautiful woman. If she had a different personality, and if they’d clicked rather than biting each other’s heads off, maybe he would’ve asked her out.
He stared over at his phone. He had yet to tell his family he wasn’t coming home for Christmas. He knew Skylar would try to convince him to come, but he just couldn’t.
After Sebastian got engaged to Genevieve and announced he was stepping down as president of Schultz Chocolate, Gus had let a glimmer of hope shine through that it might be his turn, that their father might choose him to take Sebastian’s place. But that hadn’t happened. Dad’s announcement that Skylar would be president had felt like a ton of bricks landed on his chest, heavy and crushing. Just further evidence that his father would never believe in him.
He couldn’t really blame his dad, though. He’d been a screw-up for far too long and had too many brushes with the law to count. But he had truly been getting his life back in order and trying to prove that to his family. Until one stupid drunken mistake at a bar had landed him in a lawsuit and away from the company he loved. Gus knew that was the reason Dad had chosen Skylar over him.
Feeling hopeless, disappointed, and betrayed, he’d walked away from his family that night two months ago. And he hadn’t looked back.
He picked up his phone and stared at it, then opened the contacts and dialed his sister.
“Gus!” Skylar answered on the first ring. “I’m so glad you called. How are you?”
“I’m okay,” he replied.
“Are you still at Adelia’s?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He could hear talking in the background. “Where are you?”
She paused. “Schultz Chocolate Christmas party.”
Her reply felt like a knife to the gut. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry, Gus. Should I not have mentioned it?”
“It’s fine.”
“When are you getting in?” she asked.
“I’m … not coming home for Christmas.” There. He’d said it.
“What? Why?”
“You know why.”
“Gus, this is ridiculous. You missed Thanksgiving. You missed my thirtieth birthday party.”
He still felt awful about that. “I know. I’m sorry. Did you get my flowers?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t the same as having you here.”
This call was already more painful than he expected it to be.
“Did you tell Bash you aren’t coming?”
“No.” He didn’t bring up the fact that he hadn’t spoken to Sebastian in two months.
“It’s Christmas, Gus. We’re your family. We should be together.”
“I can’t right now.”
The other end of the phone was suddenly silent.
“Are you still there?” he asked.
She sniffled. “Yeah, I shut myself in a conference room so I could hear you better.” Another sniffle.
His heart sank at the sound. He was the worst brother ever.
“Sky, please don’t cry.”
“I hate that this is happening. I hate that you’re so far away. I hate that I got the job you wanted.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Okay, maybe I don’t hate the job.”
He could almost hear her smiling. “Listen, I don’t begrudge you the position. You’re great at what you do, and you deserve it.”
“But—”
“Dad wants me to prove that I’ve changed, but he won’t give me a chance. I know I slipped up last summer and brought a lot of negative press to the company and the family, but I thought after four months, he might actually give me a shot. Being passed over again was a slap in the face.”
“I really believe Dad wants you home and in this company again. The more time that passes after that whole debacle with Milton, and the more he sees you’ve changed, the better things will get. You’ll see.”
“I wish I had your confidence in this situation.”
“Coming home for Christmas would be a great first step.”
He’d already taken a first step and a second and a third. Every day since June, he’d chosen the better path, stayed out of bars and clubs, away from women. He’d been sober and focused on business, trying to get back on track. All Dad saw was the old him, drunk and stumbling from a bar after threatening Milton Hanley, Skylar’s despicable ex. But Dad hadn’t been there to hear all the crass things Milton had said about Skylar, and he would never repeat them to his father either. It was Milton’s lawsuit against him that had made Dad lose more faith in him and ask that he stay away from the company for a while. Even after their attorney had hashed out a settlement with Milton’s and the whole nasty thing was behind him, it still hung over him like a dark cloud. His resentment festered within, and he wasn’t sure how to get past it.
“Sorry, Sky. Not going to happen.”
“Please, Gus. It won’t feel like Christmas without all of us here.”
“I don’t like disappointing you—”
“Then don’t.”
“But I have to do what I think is right for me. And right now, this is it.”
“Well, at least tell me you’ll be with Adelia for Christmas. I don’t want you to be alone.”
“I won’t be alone.” He heard a resigned sigh and the sound of talking again.
“I better get back to the party.”
“Yeah, you should.”
“Merry Christmas, Gus.”
“Merry Christmas, Sky.”
After they hung up, he stared at his phone, trying to decide if he would call Sebastian. He hadn’t heard a peep from his brother in all the time he’d been gone. And though he knew Sebastian was getting settled in Montana with Genevieve and getting ready for their wedding, he had at least expected a text or phone call. Not that he’d reached out either, but this wasn’t normal for his brother. Sebastian was always the one who looked out for him over the years, checked in on him, cleaned up after all his messes. But maybe Sebastian had tired of all that and had finally given up on him.
He tossed his phone on the couch cushion and stood, wandering to the kitchen for something to snack on.
A soft knock summoned him to the door, where he found Adelia holding a few envelopes in her hand.
“These came for you earlier.”
He took them from her. “Thanks.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come have some dessert with us?” She nodded across the yard toward her party. “Cherry delight. Your mom’s recipe.”
He smiled, knowing that was Adelia’s favorite. “No, thanks,” he replied.
Adelia reached out and rested her hands on Gus’s shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. “Is this the life you envision for yourself? Living in my pool house, moping around, feeling sorry for yourself every day? Because I know you were meant for more than this, Augustus Schultz, and I want you to come back to the land of the living.”
He reached up and squeezed her forearms. “Not today, Deals.”
“Okay, but you are coming out for New Year’s with me. I won’t take no for an answer.”
He rolled his eyes.