The Solstice Mistletoe Effect (12 page)

Maybe they can teach you some manners. This so-called

partner of your uncle’s certainly hasn’t been successful.”

Sigrid’s mouth formed a thin line in a face red with anger.

Jakob just stared at her, tears rolling down his face.

Seconds later, he bolted from the room, his small feet

sounding loud on the stairs as he ran toward his bedroom.

“That’s enough!” But Magnus’s exclamation was too late

to reassure Jakob.

“How dare you yell at your future wife like that!” Mr.

Carstens was red in the face. “It’s bad enough she has to

come here and ask you to marry her instead of you manning

up and doing what’s right. You should be on your knees with

gratitude that she’s willing to accept you despite all your

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shortcomings and idiotic choices. I expect you to accept her

proposal without question and stop this charade.”

Lance had known that Mr. Carstens didn’t like him. But

telling Magnus to marry this woman while Lance was sitting

at the same table was too much. Lance’s old fear of not being

enough reared its ugly head with a vengeance, and he felt

weak. Magnus had obviously received an attractive offer from

Stockholm University, an offer he’d never told Lance about.

Was he about to say yes to the temptation of returning to do

“real science”? His parents and Sigrid certainly seemed to

think so.

Where did that leave Lance and Jakob? Nothing tied

them to Mistletoe, Wyoming, but they didn’t have another

place to go. Had Magnus considered bringing them to

Stockholm?

Magnus clearly hadn’t said no to the university’s offer.

Would he say no to Sigrid’s proposal? Accepting it would

enable him to lead a normal life, focus on his science, and do

the work he wanted to do. Add to that his family’s and

Sigrid’s determination that they get married, and who knew

what Magnus was going to do?

His lover hadn’t moved, staring into space.

Lance couldn’t take it anymore. He got up without

saying a word and followed Jakob upstairs. Maybe he could

try and console the boy. Who was he kidding? He needed

support and consolation himself, but wasn’t going to get it

any time soon.

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MAGNUS had never been blindsided like this in his life. He

was totally numb and couldn’t bring himself to speak. Where

was he even going to start? How did he tell a woman who

was totally deluded that he wasn’t going to do what she

expected? For that matter, how was he going to make his

parents understand that he was serious about his life

choices and that nothing they did was going to change his

decision? He’d told all of them before, and they hadn’t

listened. What could he possibly say that would make a

change now?

“Well, aren’t you going to apologize to Sigrid?” His

father’s voice pulled Magnus from his thoughts.

“Huh? What do you mean, apologize?” Magnus had

trouble staying in his seat. He wanted to go after Lance and

Jakob, tell them he loved them, and pack their bags so they

could leave. But he also knew that this situation had to be

resolved first. Even if they wouldn’t listen to him, he owed it

to

himself

and

Lance

to

try

and

rectify

this

misunderstanding.

“Don’t be stupid, Son!” Magnus’s father hit the table

with a fist. “I’ve about had it with you. You’re treating your

future wife like she isn’t even in the room. And you’re asking

me what to apologize about?”

“Excuse me for correcting you, ‘Father’, but you have no

right to call Sigrid my future wife. She may have proposed to

me in a very unexpected and unwelcome way, but I haven’t

said yes. And just for the record, I don’t have any intention

of saying yes at any time in the future. So there’s no reason

for you to call her my future wife. Am I making myself clear?”

Magnus hated being this confrontational in a family setting,

but being nice about it hadn’t gotten him anywhere, had it?

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“Has anything I’ve said in the last few days even

registered with you?” Magnus’s father sneered. “Let me

repeat the most important part. Since Mikkel’s death, you’ve

become solely responsible for the continuation of this family.

And we need and want more than one grandson. Lance isn’t

going to be able to give you more children.”

“I can’t believe you’re bringing this up again after what I

told you the other day. I’m serious: if you don’t stop, I will

take Lance and Jakob elsewhere for our summer break.”

Magnus paused for effect.

His father took a deep breath, while his mother visibly

paled and covered her mouth with a shaking hand.

“You wouldn’t!” Magnus’s father got even redder in the

face.

“Watch me! I’ve had it with your interference in my life.

We either agree on a truce right now, or your stupidity will

deprive you and Mother of the opportunity to see your

grandson.” Magnus stared at his father until the older man

lowered his eyes in acquiescence. “I want to hear the words,

Father.”

“All right.” His father gnashed his teeth but nodded. “I

will not bring this up again during your visit.”

That was probably as good as it was going to get, and

Magnus was going to take what he could get. He had a

feeling he’d have to deal with his father again. The man

wasn’t one to give up easily.

An audible gasp from his left made Magnus turn his

head toward Sigrid. The woman had the gall to look shocked.

Okay, one more to deal with before he could go and try to

salvage his life.

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“As for you, Sigrid, I’ll tell you this with as much clarity

as I can muster. I am not interested in a personal

relationship with you. I never was, and I never will be.”

Magnus was ready to leave and had risen from his chair by

the time Sigrid replied.

“But we’ve always gotten along so well. All those

letters….” Sigrid looked honestly confused. Could she really

be that dense?

“Those letters were always initiated by you. I never

responded with anything but answers to your professional

questions. Your attempts at a more personal relationship

were clear, but I ignored them.” Magnus shook his head.

“Why didn’t you get the message?”

“Maybe because I didn’t think there was a message?”

Sigrid looked angry. “You could have said something, you

know?”

“What could I possibly have said that would have made

you believe me?” Magnus had had enough. He needed to go

upstairs.

“A simple ‘no’ would have been enough.” Sigrid looked

as though she believed this, her mouth forming a stubborn

line.

“I doubt that very much. You’re having trouble

understanding the more elaborate ‘no’ I’m confronting you

with now.” The woman could believe whatever she wanted as

far as Magnus was concerned. “And now, if you’ll excuse me,

I have personal business to attend to. I have a family to save

from falling apart.”

Magnus left the room without looking back once. He

could only hope that it wasn’t too late to reassure Lance and

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Jakob that he was never going to leave them. He loved them

both, so why would he ever leave them?

But when he arrived upstairs, Jakob wasn’t in his room.

His heart beating in his chest, Magnus ran across the

hallway and tore open the door to his and Lance’s bedroom.

It was just as empty. A quick check in the wardrobe

confirmed his worst suspicions. One of their travel bags was

gone, and so were some of Lance’s clothes.

What the hell was he going to do now?

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Chapter Ten

LANCE started walking upstairs when he saw Jakob curled

up on the top step. Shit, he needed to get the boy out of

harm’s way if he was this affected by the situation.

“It’ll be all right.” Lance scooped Jakob up and held him

tightly against his chest.

“I don’t like that woman. Is she really going to marry

Uncle Magnus?” Jakob’s eyes were red-rimmed. “What about

us?”

“I don’t know what Magnus is going to do. I’m sorry you

had to hear all that. But I’m going to make sure that nothing

bad is going to happen to you. We’ll stay together, no matter

what.” Lance wished he really felt as certain as he sounded.

Quiet sobbing was his answer. Jakob rested his head

against Lance’s shoulder and let the tears flow. Lance

wanted to break down and cry with him. But he couldn’t. He

had to be strong for Jakob’s sake.

Lance walked to his and Magnus’s bedroom and started

packing a travel bag with some essentials. When he was

done, he walked over into Jakob’s room and repeated the

process, adding some of the boy’s clothing. Returning to the

hallway, he could still hear the others arguing downstairs. It

was time to get out of here.

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He made his way downstairs, and they left the house

without being noticed. Once outside, Lance started walking,

Jakob in one arm and the travel bag slung across his other

shoulder. They wouldn’t make it very far like this, so he

pulled out his cell and called the taxi service they’d used

before. At least everyone here spoke English.

By the time they got into the car and the driver asked

for their destination, Lance had figured out a basic plan.

They needed a hotel for the night, and the best source of

information was the taxi driver, since Lance had no idea

what hotel to go for. There were bound to be lots of tourists

in Stockholm for the Midsummer Eve celebrations, so most

of them were bound to be fully booked.

He was pleasantly surprised when the driver informed

him that most Swedish people celebrated outside the city

and that drew most tourists away from the city. He

suggested they try the largest hotel in Stockholm, because

they’d almost certainly have at least one room available.

Once that was settled, Lance leaned back into the

comfortable seat of the taxi, his right arm tight around

Jakob’s shoulders. The boy had finally stopped sobbing

when they had gotten into the car and now snuggled into

Lance’s side, eyes closed and breathing more or less quietly.

Hearing Sigrid propose to Magnus, all self-assured of his

acceptance, had been bad enough. The points in her favor—a

career in Magnus’s scientific field and the approval of

Magnus’s parents—were massive. The lack of a reaction from

Magnus had been devastating, and when Sigrid started

belittling Jakob, Lance had had enough. Yes, Magnus had

reacted, but it was too little too late as far as Lance was

concerned.

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Not sure about anything anymore, he hoped the night

away would give him some time to think things through. The

hotel wasn’t too far away from the Skansen Open Air

Museum where they had planned to attend the festivities on

Friday. He suspected that Jakob could do with a distraction,

and having some fun might be good for Lance as well.

The Clarion Hotel Sign was an impressive building. Its

ten floors had a glass and black granite exterior, and Lance

was glad he had his credit card with him. This was not going

to be cheap.

Luckily, there still was a room left, even if it was an

expensive suite. Lance couldn’t get himself to care. He wasn’t

going to sleep in the street. They made their way upstairs

and quickly settled in for the night. Jakob was bone tired

and was asleep before Lance could slip on the boy’s pajamas.

Once Jakob was safely tucked into the double bed, Lance

took care of his own needs. He took a quick shower and put

on a pair of clean shorts and a T-shirt. He didn’t have any

pajamas, since he normally slept in the nude.

When he lay down next to Jakob, there was a soft

rustling sound from under his pillow, and a sweet fragrance