“Every person you know is represented by a character in that book.”
“Which one are you?”
“Nephew Fred, of course. I’m happy and live to make other people happy.”
“I suppose you think I’m Scrooge?”
Oh God. Colton sank back into his chair and dropped his forehead into his hands. He’d read the book a hundred times and seen the various movie adaptations just as many, but he’d never truly understood it. Not even when she called him out for it during their date . . . It has less to do with Christmas and more to do with an unwillingness to interfere for the greater good. To sacrifice for the sake of others.
She was right. Scrooge was selfish and scared, only willing to change for his own benefit and only when threatened with a cold, lonely death.
But Gretchen? She was fearless. Ready to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Steadfast and loyal, unwilling to be swayed from her values, even when she’d spent her life being ignored, mocked, and rejected for them.
No, Gretchen was nothing like Scrooge.
She was Fred.
So what did that make him? How many times had Colton told himself that he’d built this house, this wealth, this career for his family? To make their lives easier after years of struggle and hardships? It was all a lie. Everything he’d ever done had been out of fear. The fear of ever again having to be that kid who pretended he hadn’t overheard his mother crying and his father promising that he’d find another job, that they’d buy another house one day. The kid who’d secretly eaten less so his siblings wouldn’t have to go to bed hungry.
Shame thickened his voice as he finally looked up at his friends again. “I called her a coward. I said she was selfish.”
The guys emitted a collective moan. “Please tell me that’s not true,” Mack said, pinching his nose. Noah got a hard look on his face and started to leave. Vlad grabbed him and hauled him back.
“I told her she was just using the situation as an excuse to do what she was always going to do . . . run away.”
“I swear, it never ceases to amaze me how badly we can screw up even after all this time reading the manuals.” Malcolm sighed.
Colton looked at Jack. “When is her plane leaving?”
“I don’t know. She only said that she was afraid she was going to be late.”
“I have to stop her. I have to talk to her.” He stood again, intending to dash out the door if necessary.
His father held him back with a hand to the chest. “Son, slow down. You can’t just go running off when you don’t even know where she is. She has to come home at some point. When she gets home, apologize to her.”
“It’s going to take more than an apology. She deserves more than that.”
Vlad grinned. “She deserves a grand gesture.”
Colton looked his friends in the eye, one by one, and nodded. Yes. A grand gesture. A big one.
He faced the room again. “I could plead guilty.”
Okay, so, the response wasn’t quite what he’d expected.
“Are you insane?” his father hollered.
“That solves nothing, Colton,” Desiree said. “Not to mention that it would open you up to a civil lawsuit as well.”
“I’m serious. I could hold a press conference right now and announce that I’m guilty, I did it, and then they would have no choice but to let the charges stand, and then there is no reason for Gretchen to do this.”
Jack suddenly laughed.
Colton shot him a glare. “What the hell is so funny?”
“The fact that she predicted you would do that exact thing. That’s why she didn’t tell you about this. She didn’t want you to play hero.”
“He’s not going to play the hero.” Buck pointed directly at Colton. “You are not pleading guilty.”
“But you could threaten to.”
Once again, silence descended as every head swiveled to Vlad, who’d quietly voiced the idea.
“What do you mean?”
“Beat Evan at his own game,” Vlad explained. “Tell him you’re going to plead guilty and tell the entire world that he was blackmailing Gretchen unless he rips up that contract.”
Jack advanced on quick steps. “Even if Evan isn’t receptive to it, Frasier and Diane will be. They’ll do anything to avoid public scandal and humiliation. Especially now.”
Colton stood. “It might work.”
“Uh, no, it won’t,” Buck said. “It only works if Colton is serious about following through with pleading guilty, which he’s not. Because, as we’ve established, that would be batshit fucking insane unless he’s willing to risk his entire career for her.”