Flipped! (Spinning Hills Romance 1)

by Ines Saint

  “Lame.” Sam didn’t look up. “And you see why we need you for vocals,” he said to Dan.

  “Yeah.” Dan picked up where Johnny left off. “Take four down and pass ’em around, twenty-six messed-up houses on Sam’s books.”

  Johnny banged on the drums again, and Sam tried to bite back a smile. “Whatever.”

  “So, why’d you do it?” Dan asked. It was as good a time as any.

  Sam sighed, put his guitar down, and grabbed a water bottle from a cooler, looking like he didn’t want to talk about it and wouldn’t know where to begin anyway.

  “The crazies are coming,” Johnny supplied.

  Sam shook his head and grinned. “Jake calls them the crazies.”

  Dan lifted an eyebrow.

  “Our school district earned an excellent rating this year,” Sam said, as if that explained everything.

  “And?”

  “And—” Sam gulped some water. “Houses here are now in demand.” He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “The big realty companies just started setting up shop. Parents looking for excellent school districts will follow.”

  “And who does Jake call the crazies? The Realtors?” Dan asked.

  “The parents,” Johnny supplied. “You gotta come to one of Jake’s Little League games. Some of them are hilarious.”

  “It won’t be funny when they want to take over everything. The Little League, the PTO, fund-raisers . . . makes you wish we were just an okay school district again.”

  “So was this a strategic business decision, ’cause prices will soon go up, or a way of keeping the, er, crazies out?”

  “I think it’s illegal to keep the whack-jobs out. I’m pretty sure there’s something about it in the Fair Housing Act,” Sam joked. “But if demand goes up like I think it will, I’ll make a killing. I just need to stay the course.”

  “It’s doable.” Dan grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and tossed one to Johnny.

  “That reminds me—” Johnny caught the bottle. “I was thinking you should sell the Craftsman back to Holly so you can take on five houses, instead of four. I’ll take on five if you do,” he challenged.

  They were back to this? He should’ve known Johnny hadn’t given up. He never did when it came to the people he loved. Usually, that was a good thing. Dan cut him a look. “I can’t.”

  “Why? It’s just a house to you.”

  “You tell us who this girl you keep harping about is and I’ll tell you why,” Dan shot back.

  Sam laughed and the corner of Johnny’s lip curled up in one corner.

  “Look, I can sell it to her when I’m done, but I need to see this through. And why are you so intent on taking up her cause, anyway?”

  Johnny looked him in the eye. “’Cause I like her. A lot.”

  Dan shook his head and spoke without thinking. “Yeah, well, you should think twice before getting involved with a woman like that.”

  Sam whistled low.

  “A woman like what?” Johnny stood up.

  Dan knew he was about to step in it, but he wouldn’t back down. Johnny had always been too easygoing and optimistic for his own good. “She shows a general lack of judgment. Can you believe I caught her trespassing again?”

  Both Sam and Johnny looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

  “Yeah,” he continued, encouraged by their stunned silence. “Think about it a moment. She’s a single mom who hangs out on a Friday night instead of staying home with her kid. She lives in a basement and walks around at night looking like a freak. She calls herself a nose, runs an empty shop, and thinks she can take on projects that are clearly over her head.”

  The moment he finished, he knew he’d sounded too harsh. He tried to lighten it up, if only to get Johnny to listen. “Holly Bell—she sounds like one of Santa’s elves. And she’s Crystal’s daughter. You think I’m messed up and she only babysat me a few years. Imagine what a lifetime of Crystal would do to a person.” He grinned.

  “Dan, you know Crystal died, right?”

  The smile slid right off his face.

  “I don’t care if you have a problem with me, but what’s your problem with my mother?” A woman’s angry voice came from the top of the stairs.

  All three brothers whipped around to see Holly and her little girl standing there. Nobody said anything. The little girl shifted her feet, and Holly looked down at her. She then stood up straight and looked at Dan. “You’re clueless and ignorant, but the fact that you don’t have better things to do with your time than sit around bad-mouthing women is your problem, not mine. I’d set you straight, but I don’t owe you any explanations.”

  With that, she turned on her heel and left, but not before the little girl wrinkled her brow and puckered her lips at Dan. “Mom’s right, you’re a mean blister in the keister.”

  “He’s worse. He’s just a giant keister.”

  “Yeah. Only the Santa elf part was nice.”

  Holly slammed the door on her way out, not caring that it was Sam’s door. What does Dan Amador know about me, anyway? He knows nothing. Nothing! I’ve had enough of hypercritical, bigheaded men. Having lived with two was enough! Listening to them leads to nothing but self-doubt and—

  “Holly,” Dan called after her. “I’m sorry.”

  She whirled around. “I know. You’re sorry I was standing there!” “No. I’m sorry about your mother. I didn’t know, and I didn’t mean what I said about her. That was my lame attempt at a joke.” He took a step closer and looked down at Ella. “I’m also sorry your daughter heard all of that. Ella, is it? I’m so sorry.”

  Did he even realize he wasn’t apologizing over what he’d said about her? Ella turned her nose up at him and they both walked away.

  Dan went back inside. Sam wouldn’t look at him, and Johnny would look, but not talk, a rarity. Dan paced the room. He’d never felt like a lowlife before. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling. “I’m sorry. How the hell was I supposed to know she was here?” he said, looking up.

  “You’re going to have to find a way to make it up to her,” Johnny said.

  “I apologized.”

  “I heard and it wasn’t enough. Make it up to her or forget about the festival. They can find someone else.”

  “Hey, he didn’t know about Crystal,” Sam said to Johnny. “He’ll apologize again. You know he will. You can’t just decide we won’t participate.”

  “An apology isn’t enough. I don’t know what’s come over him, but if he doesn’t make it up to her somehow—”

  Dan swore under his breath. “This about the house again? ’Cause I already told you—”

  “It’s not about the house. It’s about you. You don’t come around enough to know anything about the people in our lives, so I don’t know what makes you think you have a say.”

  Sam sighed and laid his guitar down and Dan turned and left. He’d wanted to tell Johnny to shove the festival. It had just been an excuse for him to check on Sam, anyway. But Johnny’s words had left him cold. He’d apologize to Holly again, and Johnny would get over the whole thing soon enough.

  Dan was carting trim and molding from the Craftsman to Sam’s truck when he ran into Ruby Meriwether and Ella walking up the sidewalk. The older woman looked the same as ever. Long silver hair tied back in a pigtail, long bangs, long skirt.

  He didn’t know what to do. He’d known Ruby his whole life, but she was probably mad at him, too. He hadn’t stopped by the café, not looking forward to the tongue-lashing he might receive from the three women who owned it. He and his brothers had been on the receiving end of their wrath many times, when they’d catch them doing something they deemed too dangerous.

  Before he could think of something to say, Ruby suddenly pulled him down by his shirt collars and gave him a big hug. He was surprised at how relieved he felt. He lifted her off her feet, the way he and his brothers began doing when they’d gotten tall enough and wanted to show off. It always made her laugh. He’d never try it with Rosa or She
rry. One would have a fit over the audacity and the other would happily knee him in the groin. “I’m so sorry about Crystal, Ruby. I didn’t know,” he whispered into her ear as he put her down.

  Ruby patted his cheek and sighed, her eyes misty.

  “Grandma!” the little girl protested.

  Dan stuck his right hand out, hoping to shake Ella’s hand. Ella ignored his hand and looked up at him with a furious flash in her eyes. He felt his own widen. There was a stunning resemblance between Holly and her daughter. It made him smile. The little girl’s eyes were lighter and her hair was blond, but curls were springing out every which way. Her eyes got squinty. He squinted at her, too, and she scrunched up her face. And sneezed. Right into his hand.

  “Ella!” Ruby scolded.

  “It was an accident,” he said.

  Ruby didn’t look convinced. “Well, we do think she’s getting the flu. We’re coming back from the doctor’s office.”

  “You look a lot like your mom,” Dan said, attempting to show the little girl he wasn’t a monster. “Except her hair is black and her eyes are brighter.”

  Ella un-scrunched her face, but didn’t lose her squint. “You’re mean, even if you think my mommy is pretty. I think she’s pretty, too.”

  “I . . .” What the hell was he supposed to say to that? If he denied it, he’d look like an even bigger jerk. “I’m very sorry about the other day, Ella. I know you won’t believe me, but I really am.” He looked at Ruby. “I’m guessing you’ve heard?”

  Ruby patted Ella’s back. “Run on over to the backyard and play a bit, before you’re too unwell to be outside. I’ll be there in a moment.” Ella sneezed again and half-walked, half-skipped toward the back. Ruby looked up at him. “I heard. And I know you didn’t know about Crystal. You have two brothers, after all, and men don’t communicate the way women do.”

  “And you’re not mad about . . . the other things I said?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m not happy or pleased with you by any means, but I’m not angry.” Ruby studied him a long moment before gracing him with a knowing smile. “I know you, Dan. And I know what you’re about. But you have a thing or two coming to you. Mark my words.”

  Dan grinned. “Hey, I thought I’d be banned from the bakery for life. I’ll take the thing or two coming my way over that any day.” Ruby had always been kind to him. He’d been thinking of Holly as the nut who’d given him the scar above his eyebrow, not Ruby’s granddaughter. Or Leo’s cousin. He really would have to make things right with Holly.

  “You still like fruitcake?” Ruby asked. Dan nodded. “When are you coming by? Rosa and Sherry want to see you, too.”

  Dan smiled. “Tell them I’ll stop by soon.”

  Ruby hesitated. “Speaking of people you haven’t seen . . .”

  He stiffened. There were lots of people he hadn’t visited, but only one who would make Ruby hesitate before speaking.

  “Marianne’s been saying that you haven’t been by to see her at all.”

  “We’ll run into each other sooner or later and we’ll chat then. It’s no big deal.”

  Ruby put her hand on his arm and didn’t speak again until he looked at her. “I haven’t seen you in years, Dan, and I know it’s not my place to say anything personal to you, but it’s me, and I have to.” She paused, looked back to make sure Ella was okay, and continued. “I don’t think you should visit Marianne to appease her or anyone else. I think you need to calmly and directly tell her why you don’t feel you owe it to her. She won’t listen, but it’ll do you a world of good and it will do your brothers no harm.” She let him go. “But that’s all I’ll say to you on the subject. I promise. So stop by the bakery and make three old women who love you happy.”

  It was late, but Dan didn’t want to go back to his brother’s place. Johnny wasn’t speaking to him and a non-speaking Johnny was enough to drive a man mad. He also couldn’t figure out how he’d make it up to Holly. And as much as he’d thought Marianne no longer had any influence on his mood, the thought of her going around town and complaining about him, again, made him angry.

  Dan took a sledgehammer to the wall between the master bedroom and a small, useless bedroom on the second floor. He began hammering and tearing away, the force of it sating him. An hour later he was spent and somewhat at peace. He was about to take out the studs when he noticed something jammed in a small, perfect nook. He dug it out and was excited to see it was a brittle, yellowed envelope. The front side read, To Miranda McDowell. The back wasn’t sealed. A thrill ran down his spine.

  As impatient as he was to open it, Dan stilled, knowing that the one person who might be as thrilled as he was at this discovery was right next door. And she hated him.

  Dan stared at the envelope, a buzz running down his arm, his fingers itching to open it.

  Holly had looked disappointed when she’d told him she’d never found out why the McDowells sold the house so soon after it was built. She’d probably be eager to discover the contents of the letter. Not that he knew anything about her. Johnny was right about that.

  Dan slid a finger along the envelope. The contents might be a way into Holly’s good graces and a way to show Johnny he was sorry, without actually having to say the words.

  No, he didn’t come around often enough to know every detail about their lives. But he stayed away, in part, for them. Something his brothers would never understand.

  He stood at the kitchen window and looked toward the basement next door. The curtains were open and the light was on. Ella was coloring at the table. Holly was cleaning the kitchen. They looked so normal.

  He went to knock on her basement door before he could talk himself out of it.

  CHAPTER 5

  Holly opened the door, holding a scruffy, barking, medium-sized mutt. She took one look at him and slammed the door in his face. He guessed she was still leaning against it, so he called out, “I found a letter addressed to Miranda McDowell inside one of the walls.” The door creaked open and Holly peeked out. He held up the envelope, and she stared at it as if it were the Hope Diamond. She stuck out a hand.

  He almost held back, but he couldn’t, not with such anticipation radiating from her. He handed it to her. “Don’t tell me what it says. I want to read it myself,” she said before turning and trying to shut the door in his face with her foot. His eyes slipped down when he held the door open. She wore a navy T-shirt and gray yoga pants that outlined a trim waist and a perfect butt. Disappointed in himself for noticing any part of her anatomy after all they’d been through, he jerked his head up.

  Noticing the door hadn’t shut, she glanced back at him. “Don’t worry. This nutty, basement-dwelling, irresponsible mom is also a history buff. I know how to handle old paper.”

  “I haven’t read it yet. I thought we could read it together.”

  She stared at him. “You want to read it together.” There was no tone to her voice, nothing by which he could gauge her reaction. Was she grateful? Appalled he wanted to read it with her? “Why?” she asked.

  “I know I insulted you, but I have a scar that will remind me of you for the rest of my life. All I’m asking is we read a letter together and call it even.”

  Guilt moved across her features, and she spontaneously reached up to brush a finger across the scar. He stared at her a moment, stunned at the response her light touch caused.

  “You won’t be scarred for life, and you had a hand in everything that happened,” she said, snatching her hand away. “Now tell me the truth. Why did you bring the letter here?”

  He shook his head. “I, uh, wanted to share it with someone who’d understand why it’s meaningful.” It was only one-third of the truth, but it was true nonetheless.

  “Why don’t I believe you?”

  “It’s the scar. It makes me look dishonest,” he answered, trying guilt again.

  “Go away.”

  “Wait.” He looked into her eyes. “Your mother taught me how to play checkers and how to rea
d a map. She’d tell me about all the places she wanted to visit, and then we’d go to the library to read up on them. I hate that no one told me she was gone, and I hate that my lame joke about her hurt you. And I ran into your grandmother today. Hurting you also hurt her. Plus you’re Leo’s cousin, and Leo and I go way back.”

  Holly stared at Dan Amador. The judgmental, self-righteous jerk seemed to be telling the truth, but still she couldn’t trust him. He despised her, after all. “Is that the whole truth?”

  Dan hesitated. “Two-thirds of it. I promise.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’ll tell you as soon as we read the letter together.”

  Ella looked out the door. She took one look at Dan and ran down the hallway. Dan frowned at that. Holly looked into his gray eyes. The remorse he was describing was reflected there.

  She wanted to read the letter, and technically, it was his. It didn’t matter what he really thought about her. His opinion meant nothing to her. Because he meant nothing to her. She broke eye contact.

  “Leo doesn’t know what happened, so please don’t bring it up when you see him. I don’t want to drag anyone else into this. I only vented with Ruby and I asked Ella to just keep it between us. Now sit your butt down. We’ll read the letter together, and then you’re out of here,” she commanded. He didn’t deserve politeness.

  “You mean, sit my keister down?” Dan wanted to thank her for not telling Leo what he’d said, but he knew she didn’t want to be thanked because she hadn’t done it for him.

  He sat down and took a good look around the apartment. The L-shaped kitchen fit a small island. Plenty of cedar cabinets lined the walls. White Corian countertops and a glass backsplash reflected light and further brightened it up. The dining area was next, followed by a family room. Large casement windows that would let plenty of natural light in during the day. White trim and neutral walls and furniture with colorful kid’s art and throw pillows completed the bright and airy look.