Comfort And Joy. Fern Michaels

were all over the place as she stared at her old friend. “I thought the store was doing well. How could I have been so wrong? What are you going to do?”

      “What can I do? Josh’s mind is made up—he’s leaving because he’s fed up. I have to admire his spunk. He gave it his best shot, and I just kept fouling up everything he did. Now all my chickens are coming home to roost.”

      “For heaven’s sake, Angus, Josh is your son. You can’t let him leave under these conditions. You have to make this right. There’s nothing in this world more important than family. If you don’t take a stand now, you’ll never get Josh back. What’s so hard about saying you’re sorry, that you made mistakes? You can’t just let Eagle’s close their doors. Eagle’s is an institution in this town. Shame on you, Angus Eagle. I’m going to bed now. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I have therapy at seven o’clock.”

      “Eva, wait. Help me out here.”

      “Oh, no. It doesn’t work that way. You’re the only one who can make this right. I’m willing to cancel that lifetime lease and renegotiate a new one. In fact, I insist. I’ll call my lawyer in the morning.”

      “That’s a drop in the bucket, Eva. The gift-wrapping shop was never about money. In the beginning it was a courtesy to our customers. You’re the one who turned it into a money-maker. Then Josh wanted to use the gift wrap department space to outfit a safari department. He said it was the ‘in’ thing. I’m ashamed to admit I laughed at him. Two days later, I heard a group of men on the golf course talking about all the gear they’d just purchased because they were going on safari. One of the men poked my arm and said Eagle’s didn’t even know what a safari was. Even then, I couldn’t see it. I guess I am a dried-up old fart, just like Josh said I was.”

      “Yes, Angus, I guess you are just one big gas bubble. I certainly don’t envy you.”

      Eva struggled to her feet as she leaned heavily on her cane. She knew she’d been sitting too long. She could hardly wait to get to her room so she could ring the nurse to ask for a bag of frozen peas. She moved off as she tried to figure out how she was going to tell her daughter what Angus had just shared with her.

      Christmas this year was going to be bittersweet, she thought.

      When Eva woke the following morning the first thing she saw was Angus Eagle standing in the open doorway. “How long have you been standing there, Angus?” she gasped.

      “About an hour. You snore. I thought only men snored. Can I come in and sit down? I didn’t sleep all night. I’ve been walking up and down the halls and I’m getting tired.”

      “For heaven’s sake, come in and sit down. For your information, everyone snores, even children.” Eva pushed the button on the remote to raise her bed. She wished she had a cup of coffee.

      “I asked a nurse to bring us some coffee. I hope that was okay. Listen, Eva, you were always so grounded. I assume you still are. That’s one of the things I always admired about you. I need your help and I’m not ashamed to be asking, either. For me to give in now, to give up total control when we’re just months from closing our doors seems a bit silly to me. Josh won’t buy into it. You know that old saying—too little, too late. You know as well as I do that the Christmas season revenues can carry a store for a whole year. We depend on that revenue. What should I do?”

      “Angus, I know nothing about the retail business. My only claim to fame is I know how to gift wrap packages. I think you should talk to my daughter. She seems to have an eye and ear to the business. In the past she spent hours and hours telling me all the things wrong with the store. And I know for a fact she dropped dozens of suggestions in Eagle’s suggestion box on the second floor because she thought if you had more foot traffic, she would have more gifts to wrap. We had a really bad summer, everyone was buying from the discount houses. That’s something else you didn’t take into consideration. They popped up all over town like mushrooms. For the record, all of Angie’s suggestions were ignored.”

      Angus’s voice was desperate when he asked, “Will your daughter talk to me?”

      “Of course she’ll talk to you. What kind of child do you think I raised? It’s your son she won’t talk to. But when I tell her he really isn’t her enemy, that you are, well, I don’t know for sure. There’s no doubt about it, Angus, you’re standing knee-deep in a mess. Of your own making, I might add.”

      “I know that, Eva. Help me out here.”

      “Put yourself in your son’s shoes. What would you like your father to do? How would you handle it?”

      Angus shrugged. “Josh said I never listened to him. It’s true. All of a sudden, I’m going to listen now, when it’s too late? Maybe there’s a way to help him without him knowing I’m helping.”

      “Spit it out, Angus. How? I suspect you have some groveling to do first, my friend. Call him at the store. Ask him to come here to see you. That’s a first step. By the way, Angus, how long are you here for?”

      Angus grimaced. “Today or tomorrow. I’ve been here a week but I stayed in my room because I didn’t want anyone to know I was here. I simply didn’t want to socialize. I wish I had known you were here, Eva. When are you leaving?”

      “Tomorrow, I think. I’ll have a home health aide for two weeks. She’ll come by three times a week and help with my therapy. The rest is up to me. We can talk on the phone if you like.”

      “I’d like that. I really would.”

      “How are you going to get home, Angus?”

      “I’ll call a car service. I don’t want to bother Josh. I’m surprised he hasn’t moved out of the house. I’ll have to stay out of his way.”

      “This is not right, Angus. Angie is going to come by this morning with donuts and coffee. She does that every morning. She can give you a ride home if they discharge you today. You can talk to her then.”

      Eva almost felt sorry for her old friend as he made his way to the door. Almost. Angus looked back, his face filled with pain. For some reason Eva thought the pain was more mental than physical. Once, this wonderful man had literally saved her financial life. Maybe with the help of her daughter, she could return the favor. How that would come about, she had no clue. Well, she thought briskly, I can think about that while I’m having my therapy. Perhaps thinking about Angus will help to alleviate the pain of therapy.

      By nine o’clock Eva had finished her therapy, eaten a light breakfast, and showered before she slowly made her way to the sunroom, where she flopped down on a chair, her forehead beaded with perspiration from her efforts. She could hardly wait for Angie and the delicious coffee she was addicted to. Not to mention the donuts.

      Eva looked around, acknowledging the other patients who were waiting for their turn in the therapy room. There was no sign of Angus. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. She leaned back and closed her eyes, her thoughts going in all directions.

      Fifteen minutes later, Eva’s eyes popped open when she felt a light touch to her shoulder. “Morning, Mom. Did you have a good night?”

      “I did have a good night. Angie, I need to talk to you. Pass out your donuts and coffee and hurry back here.” Seeing the alarm on her daughter’s face, she hastened to add, “It’s not about me. I’m fine. Hurry, Angie.”

      A few minutes later, worry lines were etched on Angie’s face as she settled herself next to her mother. She shook her head when her mother offered her a jelly-filled donut. “What? Tell me, Mom.”

      “It’s the store, Angie. Angus and I spoke last night after you left. When I woke up this morning, he was standing in my doorway waiting for me to wake up. It’s not good, Angie. Let me tell it all to you the way Angus told it to me. Don’t interrupt me, either.”

      Angie listened, her facial expressions going from anger to disbelief to sadness. When her mother finished, the only thing she could think