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.
The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates
91
“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
The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates
92
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?
The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates
93
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.
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.
The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates
91
“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
The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates
92
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?
The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates
93
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.
Similar Books
