Tempting Love on Holly Lane (Island County Book 5)

by Karice Bolton

  “Oh, thank you. Muppet’s cage is still in the rental car. Keys are on that barrel thing your sister insists is a table.”

  “I assume that’s my cue to go get it?” My lips puckered into a pout when I realized my mom felt that was an obvious unsaid and began nuzzling her bird.

  Maddie rushed to my side and held in a giggle.

  “Here, let me help you with these,” she said, reaching for the biggest one.

  “Why, thank you. That’s so kind of you.”

  We hauled the suitcases upstairs and took a momentary breather before I ran outside to the car to bring in the cage. I was stunned to see how large it was for one bird. As I was finagling the home away from home for Muppet, my sister came up behind me and nearly scared me to death.

  “Is it just me or is she worse than usual?” My sister hissed.

  “I was thinking the same thing.” I stumbled backward once the cage became free. “I owe you big time.”

  “It’s just a shame the tea store is so busy the day before Thanksgiving or I’d be able to spend more time with them tomorrow.” She flashed an evil grin.

  “I thought we were closing early tomorrow.” I chuckled.

  “Not anymore.”

  As we walked into the house, the oven was chiming and my mom was petting her bird.

  “How long has it been dinging?” I asked.

  “Oh, just a couple of minutes,” my dad assured me.

  My sister scurried to the kitchen to take out the macaroni and cheese as I stood in the living room with the birdcage.

  “Anywhere in particular you want this?” I asked.

  “Away from the window. Muppet can’t handle a draft, and this house is certainly old and drafty.”

  “Actually, the house has been completely reinsulated and the windows have all been replaced.”

  Unlike my home, so I can’t wait to hear what she’ll say about that.

  “Let’s put Muppet here.” She moved a table directly in front of the television and smiled.

  “But it will block the television.” My brows knitted together in confusion.

  “Muppet loves to watch TLC, and she’s working on her vocabulary.”

  “Of course she is.” I smiled and plopped the cage on the table.

  “How often does Muppet stay in her cage?” I asked.

  “She tells me when she wants private time.” The bird nuzzled my mom’s chin, and I glanced at my dad, who seemed to be in his own world.

  “Makes sense.” I nodded.

  “Dinner’s ready to eat now,” Maddie said, poking her head around the corner. “Unless you want to head to Holly’s first.”

  “Nope. I, for one, don’t want soggy breadcrumbs. Come on, Dad.” I looped my arm around his and nearly dragged him into the kitchen. “Look how cute this table setting is.”

  “The candles are nice, but the flame might scare Muppet,” my mom said, standing at the table, which was Dad’s signal to blow them out.

  “Muppet’s going to be at the table?” I asked.

  “Of course. Where else would Muppet be?”

  “The cage?” I asked.

  “No. She’s feeling social right now. Muppet’s had a long day of travel.”

  “It’s best to just let the bird do what she wants. Then she doesn’t spend the entire time squawking,” my dad said, taking a seat at the table. “It’s more peaceful that way.”

  I studied him, not sure if he was talking about Mom or Muppet.

  “I’ve been craving mac and cheese since Maddie said she was making it this morning,” I told Maddie, taking a seat next to Dad.

  “It does smell good.” My mom smiled.

  Finally! The woman had something nice to say.

  “It’s just a shame you’re always so rushed with owning your own business. You don’t have time to really get in the kitchen and make a decent meal,” my mom continued.

  My jaw dropped to the table, but I was able to scrape it up as Maddie’s eyes widened. Thanksgiving dinner was going to be so much fun.

  “Some would be impressed that Maddie is a successful business woman who owns her own home, cooks dinner, entertains demanding out-of-town guests, and manages to do it all with a smile.” I grinned a toothy grin.

  “Oh, honey, I didn’t mean to imply that what your sister has accomplished isn’t special. I just wish she had someone to share it with.” She took a bite of the pasta. “This is delicious, though.”

  “Even for a casserole?” I asked dryly.

  “Exactly.” My mom nodded.

  “It’s amazing.” My sister yawned. “It’s not even six o’clock and I’m exhausted.”

  “I bet you are.” I nodded. “This is the best mac and cheese ever, Sis.”

  Maddie took a bite and moaned. “It is pretty good.”

  I glanced over at my mom, my sister’s gaze following.

  “Uh, Mom,” I whispered.

  “Yes, dear?” She asked, taking a bite.

  “Is Muppet potty-trained?”

  “Don’t be silly. She’s a bird.”

  “Obviously.” My sister chuckled. My dad glanced at my mom’s shoulder and rolled his eyes.

  “Muppet shit on your shoulder again.” Dad kept eating.

  I think in this instance, what blew me away were two things.

  The first was that not only did my dad keep eating, but so did my mom. It literally would make my head explode if I thought about it too long, so I just slid my plate closer to me and kept munching while my sister kept in more laughter.

  The second thing I noticed was far more chilling.

  I didn’t want to become like my parents. I didn’t want to be married to someone who was okay with me sitting at a dinner table with shit on my shoulder.

  I didn’t want a marriage to be a marathon unless both people were actively participating. For the first time ever, I realized my dad had checked out. When? I didn’t know, but he was long gone. What bothered me even more than his not being present was that was that my mom hadn’t even noticed.

  So here we sat, a few days before Thanksgiving, as a family pretending to be something we weren’t. This wasn’t exactly the revelation I wanted to unfold.

  No. I liked believing that my parents were not only in it for the long haul, but that they were enjoying the years that passed by. How did I not see this, or was it a recent development?

  A chill shot through me. Maybe I recognized this about my parents for longer than I realized.

  But they’d been married for thirty-seven years. It felt like the room was getting tinier by the second. I looked over at Maddie, and it was like she’d just been hit in the head with the same thought as me.

  Suddenly, the idea of taking them to my cabin didn’t seem so bad. Anything to shake up this mood settling around the table. Maybe that was all I was noticing. Maybe they were tired from all the travel. Goodness knows, traveling with a feathered pet couldn’t be easy.

  After my mom finished her meal, she got up and rinsed her plate with Muppet still firmly planted on her shoulder.

  “This was an amazing meal,” my dad said, sitting back in the chair.

  “Glad you liked it,” Maddie said, smiling.

  “Do you still want to go to the cabin?” I asked.

  “Absolutely,” my mom said. “Just let me change and toss this in the washing machine.”

  Muppet started squawking, and I was actually grateful for the interruption. Once my mom made her way up the stairs, I glanced at my sister, who was finishing her last couple of bites.

  “Is everything okay with you guys?” I asked my dad.

  “Totally fine. Why do you ask?” He scowled.

  “Things just seem . . . different. Mom’s more uptight than usual, and I think she’s obsessed.” I kept my eyes on my dad, and his expression fell.

  “I hate that bird,” my dad grumbled. “I’m about to retire, and now I have to share our house with a cackling cockatoo. She treats that thing better than me.”

  “Have
you told her how you feel?” I asked, glancing at my sister.

  “And sound like a man jealous of a bird?” He shook his head. “I’d like to keep what little dignity I have to myself, if nothing else.”

  “She does seem to be preoccupied,” I agreed.

  “It’s crazy. She walks the bird more than anyone has ever walked a dog. She cuddles it and talks to it. I used to think she was talking to me, and now I know better. I love your mother more than life itself, but Muppet has got to learn her place.”

  My sister giggled.

  “You need to talk to Mom,” my sister said. “Cockatoos live for a very long time.”

  Dad let out a sigh. “We’ll see about that.”

  “I’m ready,” my mom called from the foyer.

  Muppet was sitting on my mom’s shoulder, waiting for our response.

  “Mom, I think you should leave Muppet here.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Please?” I asked. “I just got the floors done and I have new furniture. I already saw what the bird did to your clothes.”

  “It’s Holly’s house,” my dad agreed. “If she doesn’t want you to bring Muppet, respect her wishes.”

  “Why didn’t anyone worry about that for my house?” Maddie laughed as we moved out of the kitchen. “I didn’t get an option to keep Muppet in Illinois.”

  My mom looked disgruntled but didn’t argue. Instead, she placed Muppet in the oversized birdcage and gave it kisses.

  “Maybe it’s too late at night,” my mom offered. “You were right. We can go see your house tomorrow.”

  I shook my head. “Nope. You wanted to see my place, you get to see it. Muppet will be fine.”

  My dad grinned, knowing he’d get a few minutes’ peace without the bird.

  “Fine.” My mom strapped her purse over her shoulder and glanced at my sister, who had already put on her coat.

  “I’ll meet you over there,” I told them, giving my dad a hug.

  “We’re not all riding over together?” my mom asked.

  I gave her a quick kiss.

  “Nope. I’m not coming back here tonight. I’ll be staying at my place.” I slid a look at my sister, who was grinning.

  “See you there, honey.”

  “See ya.” I bounded out of the house, excited to get back to my home. Since it had been finished, I’d barely been able to spend time in it.

  Halfway to my house, a downpour began and I really couldn’t wait to snuggle inside.

  I pulled into my driveway, darted out of my car, dashed up the steps to my house, plugged in the Christmas lights, put on some Christmas music, and lit a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off my house. I barely had time to put my purse in my bedroom before they knocked on the front door.

  Except that when I opened the door, it wasn’t my family staring at me. It was Nick.

  “Saw your lights and solo car in the drive and thought you might like some company.” His devilish grin nearly did me in, but headlights that came up behind him quickly dashed those hopes.

  “My parents wanted to see my house.” I smiled and nodded toward the car that pulled up.

  “My timing is impeccable.” His brow arched.

  “You know, we could probably use some levity.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked, gliding into the room.

  “My parents are acting weird. My dad blames my mom’s new pet.”

  “The bird?” he asked, and I nodded.

  “He feels she spends more time with her feathered friend and gives it more attention than him. He’s probably right.”

  “Now that is a marital issue you don’t hear every day.” He grinned and brushed away a piece of stray hair that caught in my eyelashes.

  His gaze fastened on mine and a shiver ran down my spine, which I quickly shook off.

  “There’s definitely more behind it, but that’s all I’ve managed to piece together so far,” I told him.

  “Maybe they just need to spend some time together away from the bird,” he suggested.

  “Agreed, but my mom almost had a fit that Muppet couldn’t come over tonight.” I shook my head. “Very weird.”

  I heard the car doors shut, one at a time, and took a deep breath.

  “What does your dad do for a living?”

  “He’s worked for the same company for twenty-five years. Honestly, he always traveled a lot, so I think my mom got used to building a life without him, but he’s going to be retiring soon.”

  I glanced out my window.

  “I think Muppet is her way to get back at him for all the times he was away.”

  “You think?” I whispered, watching them trundle toward the porch.

  “It’s just a guess.”

  I opened the door before they had a chance to knock, and my mom’s eyes immediately gravitated to Nick.

  “Who is this?” my mom asked, a smile spreading across her lips.

  “This is my pesky neighbor from across the street. His name’s Nick.”

  My dad smiled and nodded, taking Nick’s hand and shaking it.

  “Nice to meet you,” my dad said, coming inside my home. “It’s nice to know she’s got someone across the street to look out for her.”

  “I do my best,” Nick said, grinning.

  I punched his arm and he didn’t even flinch.

  It was actually nice to have Nick here as a distraction. Instead of my mom picking apart my home, she was focusing on the man in front of her.

  “Are you single?” my mom asked as Maddie shut the door and sighed loudly.

  “You can’t get any more single than Nick,” I said.

  My mom looked around the room as silence filled the space.

  I loved everything about my little cabin, and I really hoped that whatever was about to come out of her mouth didn’t make me regret having them over tonight.

  “The furniture is lovely,” my mom said, craning her neck to get a better look at the chair. “It fits perfectly.”

  It felt like the biggest weight had been lifted, and I let out a huge sigh of relief as Nick squeezed my shoulder.

  “Thank you. Nick actually designed and built the furniture.”

  “You’re a talented young man,” my father said, and I stifled a laugh. Nick was well into his thirties.

  “Thanks. I’ve been lucky to find customers.”

  “This isn’t luck, son. This is talent,” my dad said, walking over to the coffee table.

  “The man knows how to use power tools.” My sister laughed, and I shot her a death stare.

  “Well, I had my worries about you picking up and moving clear across the country, but I have to say this place is as cute as a button.” My mom smiled and held out her arms for a hug.

  She was back to her old self.

  “Thanks, Mom. I love it here.” I squeezed her back. “I still have more to do, but it already feels like home.”

  “You never struck me as a city girl,” my mom said, taking a step back before eyeing Nick. “You always reminded me of someone who would excel in a small town.”

  My sister chuckled behind me. Mom was up to her old tricks.

  “I think this place might be a little too small to raise a family, but it certainly fits you now.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I grumbled, feeling like I was in third grade. “Anyway, would anyone like a slice of pie? I bought blackberry.”

  “I’d love some.” Dad rubbed his hands together before pinching my mom’s rear, and Nick’s eyes widened.

  “Great. I’ll dish us up some.” I walked past Nick, and as his hand slid to do the same, I smacked him.

  “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” Nick asked my parents.

  “We were just going to walk around town,” my mom informed him. “Take in the sights.”

  “Do you like being on the water?” Nick asked.

  “We do.” My dad nodded.

  “Well, one of my good buddies has a boat, and I know he’d love to take you around tomo
rrow, show you some of the coves we’re famous for. The weather’s supposed to be great for sailing. Chilly, but calm.” Nick glanced at me, and I couldn’t help but feel that familiar flutter.

  My mom and dad looked at each other, and my mom nodded. “That would actually be a lot of fun.”

  “You wouldn’t be able to take Muppet,” Maddie told her.

  “I know that.” My mom furrowed her brows like it was my sister who was the crazy one.

  “My friend actually rents his boat for overnight stays in the harbor too. Anyway, I’ll give him a call. When I spoke with him this morning, he still had an opening.”

  “That’s so sweet of you.” I walked the pie over to the dining table while my parents took a seat, and I could hear them excitedly talking about the next day’s adventures. Nick was a miracle worker. “Would you like a slice?”

  He was already at the door with the phone to his ear to call his friend. He shook his head and closed the door behind him. I watched him pace along the porch, smiling and laughing as he spoke to his friend.

  “He’s a really nice man,” my mom said, taking the first bite of pie.

  “He is.” I nodded in agreement. “There isn’t a mean bone in his body.”

  My mom’s eyes stayed on mine as I took a bite of the pie.

  “What?” I asked, trying to slide all emotion from my expression.

  “Nothing, dear.”

  I glanced out the window, and Nick motioned for me to come on the porch.

  “I’ll be right back,” I told my family before scooting outside.

  I motioned for him to move away from the window, which he did.

  “It’s all set.” He grinned. “My friend is going to make it special, romantic. We’ll get the fire back between those two.”

  “That was really sweet of you.” I looked up into his gaze.

  “I’d imagine it takes the pressure off you and your sister too.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “Oh, I think I do. Your mom’s on her best behavior.”

  “You can tell?”

  “Yup.”

  “Do you want to come in for some pie?” I pointed behind me, and Nick smiled.

  “I’m good. Enjoy your family while they’re here. Jack will be at dock in the main marina at eleven tomorrow. If you need anything over the holiday, let me know.” His eyes fell to my lips, and I swallowed down the desire to feel his mouth against mine again.