Extrait

Ridge stood on the parking lot of Holiday Toys and watched the sexiest man he’d ever seen… including the Greek twins… walk toward the glass-enclosed bus stop in front of the family toy store, his heart beating a merengue rhythm in his chest. 

It was the store where Ridge had been assigned to serve his penance as one of Santa’s helpers for the holiday season. It was the store he’d cursed all day, and until the very moment he walked out of the breakroom and ran into the Jolly Old Elf with the mesmerizing eyes, he’d hated it. The eyes had stopped Ridge dead in his tracks and left him speechless. 

He watched Cris board the bus, and then Ridge walked over to Patsy’s old Impala he’d borrowed, giving her the use of his BMW until after Christmas. If he was to play the part of a common man, he was going to play it for the Oscar. He’d be the best photography elf anyone had ever seen. 

Ridge made the quick decision to substitute one of his personal cameras for the piece of crap he was shown at the store when he had to actually interview for the job. The company had been in the family for years, but if Ridge wanted his trust fund back, JD was going to make him grovel for it.

“Son, you’ve fucked around, and I’ve held my tongue. Your mother said you needed time to find your place in the family, so I’ve waited to say anything or press a course of action with you, looking for a sign that you care about this family’s business. 

“Elliot has always been interested in the company, but you… you have interests that have nothing to do with this family’s legacy. I’ve kept my mouth shut and waited for you to pursue them because I hoped to see you have a passion for anything, but so far, nothing but yourself. 

“Your pictures are good, great even, but instead of trying to become a serious photographer, trying to be the best you can be, you’ve chosen to become a playboy. I just can’t allow it any longer, Eldridge.

“I’ve frozen your trust. You have one thousand dollars in your checking account right now, and your credit cards are shut down. Here’s an address for an apartment you’ll have access to until January first… your birthday. 

“On January second, there will be an executive meeting at Holiday Toys’ headquarters, and I hope to hell by then you’ve learned how to conduct yourself as a proper member of this family. If not, I’m not sure how you’ll ever make a life for yourself without your mother and I watching over you. It’s time to grow up, Peter Pan,” his father told him on Thanksgiving afternoon.

Ridge was frozen to his spot in the sitting room after his father left him alone, unsure which way was up. When Leo Holiday walked into the room and looked around, his hands shoved into the pocket of his jeans, Ridge heard a laugh. “You look like you just got shot out of a cannon, Grandson,” the older man told him.

“Was he serious with that shit? He’s cutting me off and kicking me out?” Ridge asked, unable to move from the couch.

His grandfather’s raucous laughter wasn’t appreciated. The larger-than-life man sat down and placed a hand on Ridge’s shoulder. “You got off easy, young man. When your father was twenty-five, I dumped him out in South Philly with nothing but his driver’s license. He had one year to prove he was worthy of working for me, and I didn’t look back when I drove away.

“Of course, your grandma was pissed at me, and didn’t speak to me for the entire year, until your father was home and managing the downtown store, but it made him take a second look at what we were trying to accomplish in the family. Helped him make up his mind about his future accomplishments, too.

“Your father is why we partner with several of the youth clubs around Philly and donate a ton of toys for the holiday season. He worked his way around a few community centers that year, getting a first-hand look at how hard the struggle is for a lot of people, especially families.

“After that, your dad came home and worked his ass off for the company, first as the manager of the downtown store, then moved up to the corporate level. I easily gave in when he requested donations for the charities where he’d worked over the time he was on his own. Made me damn proud to know him. 

“Your brother didn’t need such a harsh lesson, because he’s always been invested in the business, working at various stores around town from when he was sixteen until going off to college, which is why he’s the COO. You, however, have enjoyed the fruits of our labor, and you don’t want to contribute to the collective benefit.

“It’s time to sink or swim, Eldridge,” his grandfather told him before he kissed his temple and left the room. Ridge was stunned, but he wasn’t going to let down his family. It just might take him a little longer to figure it out. 

Meeting Cris and the others earlier in the evening had been an eye-opening experience. The handsome man was taking care of a sister, having lost their parents in what sounded like a robbery/homicide.