Page 55 of A Winter Wish

Lexie set her tea down. “What, really?”

“Not all of it. But business loans aren’t easy—and your dad didn’t have a lot of savings.”

Lexie didn’t even know what he’d done before the company. Something in sales—she remembered that vaguely, and it was the line she’d parroted whenever she was asked what he did.

“From what I gather,” Ange continued, “and bear in mind this is all secondhand information, Mike and your dad started spending more time together after Richard moved to Bath.”

Just after he’d left Rachel’s mum, Lexie thought. After he’d abandoned another family.

“Anyway, Mike wanted a new venture, offered your dad some money, and your dad took the loan.”

Lexie tried to get her head around this. “But it was never co-owned?”

“Well. Mike owned ten percent up until about two years ago, but he sold the shares back to your dad then, so Richard owned the whole thing.”

“Why? Why did he sell his shares, I mean?”

“Well, the travel industry wasn’t doing too well then because of Covid, so I think Mike thought it might go bust—probably seemed like the right time to get out, get the money back.”

“But my dad didn’t think it would go bust?”

“Or hoped, at least,” Ange said, with a little smile.

It explained why there had been the subtle undercurrent with Mike, the sense that he wasn’t entirely happy with how things were currently panning out. He’d put down money on the company, helped start it. And now he had nothing—just a job on a very average salary. Though, to be fair, he didn’t actually seem to do a lot for that salary. “Why didn’t Richard leave the company to Mike? In part, at least?”

Ange tapped her fingers on Lexie’s desk. “Mike…Look, I’ve got nothing against the guy. But he checked out when it looked like things were going badly. He wants back in now, of course, but if it got tough, he’d be out again without a thought. Theo, on the other hand, worked every hour there was, even when his salary was cut. He and your dad were brilliant, refusing to give up even when it was impossible to carry on business as usual as a travel company. When things were starting to open back up again, they started up trips in England first, before the travel restrictions were lifted—were one of the first travel companies to do so. They worked within the rules, figured out how to make people feel safe. So it made sense to me when I found out that Richard had left Theo half the company—even if I’m not sure it has always made sense to Theo.”

Lexie frowned a bit at that. She’d never questioned whether Theo thought he deserved his share of the company—or maybe even more than that. But Ange was carrying on now.

“But there’s a reason he didn’t leave it wholly to Theo—or even to Mike and Theo.” She hesitated, then smiled in that kind way of hers. “I know you’re unlikely to believe me when I tell you this, but I think the company was always partly yours, in his head—right from the beginning.”

Lexie shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“No? The company was built for people who love to travel. For people who crave adventure, who want to get to know a place through celebrating there. Are you really telling me that doesn’t remind you of anyone?”

Lexie said nothing. She thought of how she had inadvertently grown up to keep the tradition of spending Christmas abroad, because it never felt right to spend it at home. She thought of Iceland again, and of how she’d felt like her dad had turned their family tradition of spending Christmas somewhere new each year into something that made money. But now, knowing the company better, she also knew that he likely could have made a lot more money if he hadn’t focused on supporting local businesses. It was just another thing she couldn’t quite work out about her dad.

Ange gave her another smile, and there was a tinge of sadness there now. “I’m not saying your dad was perfect. Far from it—if my son ever treated his children the way Richard treated you, I don’t know what I would do. But people are rarely black and white, are they?”

—

Theo came back downstairs around lunchtime and headed straight over to Lexie’s desk. “Hey.”

She offered him what she thought was a polite smile. “Hey.”

“You eaten yet?”

“No, why, is there a meeting?”

“Sort of. Come on.” He jerked his head to get her to follow him, then headed for the front door onto the street.

“What…?”

“We’re going for lunch,” Theo said, holding the door open for her.

“Um…”

“Come on,” he insisted, waggling the door a little for emphasis. “Ange?” Lexie followed the direction of Theo’s gaze to see Ange emerging from the back room. “I’m taking Lexie out for lunch to discuss a few things.”