A Hamilton Family Christmas - Donna Kauffman Page 0,82

time of year after all. “Ho ho ho,” she murmured. Then kissed her very own personal Santa Claus. Best Christmas present ever.

Epilogue

Trevor Hamilton held the door to Gallagher’s open for Emma, then followed her in.

“Lovely place,” Emma said. “I don’t think I ever got over to Willow Creek when I lived up here.”

“I haven’t been here since I was a lot younger. Pretty cool little Civil War town.”

Trevor felt his wife’s hand in his and squeezed. He was still a little bit wary about today’s meeting, but was admittedly excited to finally have the chance to learn the rest of the story. He’d discovered the secret that Lionel had been hiding all along…and it had nothing to do with his personal heritage. He was, in fact, a Hamilton, through and through. He’d yet to really decide if that changed anything inside of him. It didn’t feel that way. When he’d decided, four years ago, almost to the day, when he’d met Emma out at Lionel’s big mountain mansion, that he really didn’t need to know where he’d come from, that it was where he was going that was important…that hadn’t changed in the years that had passed.

But he’d loved his great-aunt Tru more than anything, and if she truly had a descendant…Hamilton or Haversham, well, that mattered to him. He might have decided he didn’t want the burden and expectations that went along with taking on any aspect of his family’s empire, including all the wealth attached to it…but that didn’t mean someone else, someone who rightfully had claim to some part of it, would do the same. So, for Trudy’s sake, and that of her possible heir, he’d do whatever was necessary to see that person had the chance to make that decision.

A big man with thick dark hair, a ready smile, and twinkling blue eyes met them as they entered the dining area. It was early, before hours, so they were the only ones inside the restaurant.

“Sean Gallagher,” the man said, extending his big hand for a quick shake. “I’m really glad you two could make the time for this.”

Trevor smiled. “I would have made time, but it worked out well.”

“How is your great-uncle?” This came from a tiny brunette, who appeared out from behind the restaurant’s owner. “Hi, I’m Holly Bennett.”

Trevor shook her hand. “He’s not doing all that well, but at his age, it’s to be expected. Thank you for asking.”

Sean gestured to a table where coffee was waiting, along with a few loaves of homemade bread, along with butter and a variety of jams. “Why don’t we have a seat, make ourselves comfortable.”

It was hard not to be. Sean had created a warm, very inviting atmosphere here. He pulled out Emma’s chair, then seated himself next to her. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Lionel,” he said once they were all settled. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about all of this. And I’m not sure how he’d take the news. On the one hand, he cherished his wife, and I’d like to think that he’d want to know that she’d had a son. That she’d left something of herself behind. On the other hand, I won’t lie. He’s a greedy, selfish, controlling old man. Was even as a young man. And I’m not entirely sure he’d like knowing that anyone else had a claim on her, on him, or anything else. No matter why or how they’d come to be on this earth.”

“What are you proposing then?” Sean asked.

Trevor sighed and raked his hand through his hair. Emma rubbed his knee and he took the comfort he always did in her steady reassurance. “I saw him yesterday. He’s still of sound mind, at least as sound as it’s always been, but his patience for things, for people, for life in general, has deteriorated badly. He’s…never been an easy man. But now—”

“He’s almost impossible,” Emma put in. She squeezed his knee. “Sorry,” she said to him, then looked at Sean and Holly. “But it’s true. He’s a miserable, crotchety old man, who is very frustrated by the limitations his age and illness have placed on him. It’s not dignified and he’s all about retaining his dignity. I think…” She trailed off, glanced at Trevor, then back at them and said, “To be honest, the only thing that has ever made him feel vulnerable in his life, I think, was his wife. Trudy. And maybe now that he is where he is…I think