“Really? I didn’t know that. Aw, Holly, that’s so sweet of you,” I teased.
“I was young. I don’t care now.”
“Ouch,” I said, and we both laughed. I’d forgotten how easy it was to talk to her. It was even easier now that she was older and our humor was on the same level.
I couldn’t help but feel disappointed when Rick came back in bearing a tray of sandwiches and milky cups of tea. I thought of asking him for a beer, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. We ate lunch together in the garage and then Rick said he wanted to set Holly up inside considering she couldn’t sleep in a room that had just been painted.
“Want to come with me, Holly? We can continue with the painting later. Also, Eleanor from next door said she wanted us to go over quickly. She’s been dying to see you again. You know what she’s like. If we don’t go and see her, she’s only going to come and bother us later. Such a nosy lady.”
Holly laughed. “Eleanor? Oh wow, I haven’t thought about her in ages. Yeah, it will be nice to see her.”
“Xavier, I don’t mind if you want to call it a day. You must be exhausted, and this is your day off. I feel bad keeping you for this long in the first place,” Rick said to me. “I didn’t realize it would be so much work.”
I shook my head. “I don’t mind at all. Honestly. Anyway, we’re almost done here so I might as well finish up so that the paint can dry overnight. We can see in the morning then if it needs another coat. I’ll stay here for a while longer and finish up by myself. I honestly don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?” Rick asked.
“I’m sure.”
“I’ll bring some more tea later,” Rick said, and I tried not to groan.
“Thank you!”
They left the garage, and I continued working on the room. I had a sudden desire to get the room perfect for her and to make sure that she got her own space soon. I knew she was happy to see her father, but I was also sure that she felt strange about coming home again. It had been so nice to see her again. If it had been in a different life, I might have even asked her out to dinner. But that wasn’t the life that was set out for me. She was still Little Holly, my stepsister, and that was all it was ever going to be.
Chapter Eight
Holly
I woke up late that Saturday morning. I’d lived in such a busy part of town for so long that it felt strange to sleep in such a quiet area. It had been odd at first, and the silence had actually seemed loud to me. But it hadn’t taken me long to get used to it again, and I liked waking up without the rush of people and cars outside my bedroom window. I’d only been home for a night, and already I felt myself easing back into my old ways. After a quick shower, I went to find my father who was busy in the kitchen. He smiled when he saw me.
“Hey, sleepy head. Have a good sleep?”
“Morning, Dad. Yeah, I slept so well. It’s so quiet around here.”
“Far cry from city life, I’m guessing.”
“Yeah. Very different. It’s nice, though. I feel a lot more refreshed. Oh, and guess what? My old boss called me last night.”
“What for?”
I chuckled as I recalled the conversation from the night before. “Well, turns out their work is piling up, and they’re all starting to stress. He asked if I wouldn’t consider coming back. He promised that things would be different and that he would up my pay.”
“Oh wow. I knew they’d lose it without you. So, what are you going to do? I hope you said no.”
I’d considered saying yes. It had been nice to hear him apologize to me and to speak to me like a human being for the first time since joining. But the moment I’d imagined myself walking back into those offices, I knew that my time with them was done.
I nodded. “Oh, I definitely said no. I know what those people are like. They just don’t want to put in the hard work. It wouldn’t take long for them to go back to the way they were before. I said no. But it was wonderful to at least see that they finally realized what a hard worker I was before.”
“I’m glad, my darling. You deserve better than them. Onwards and upwards for you. So, how about some breakfast? I was thinking of making pancakes.”
“Pancakes? I thought you were an oats and honey sort of guy?”
“Angel, I woke up hours ago. My oats are long gone. I could go for a pancake snack.”
I chuckled. “Oh wow, I really slept in for a long time, huh?” I looked at the clock and groaned. “Oh no. It’s even later than I thought. I know I like sleeping and all, but I also don’t want to sleep my whole day away.”
“Nonsense. Your body obviously needs it. I’m glad you are getting some sleep.”
“Thanks, Dad, and pancakes sound great. Can I help?”
“You can do no such thing. Sit down and I’ll be right out. I already started on the batter.”
I smiled as I walked over to the living room. My father didn’t want me to lift a hand. I would eventually have to start insisting, but for now, it felt nice to have someone look after me for a change. I knew he was enjoying it too. I could hear him whistling to himself in the kitchen. When he came out, he put a plate of pancakes in the middle of the table and a bowl of blueberries and some whipped cream. He walked back to the kitchen and came back in with some tea. When I’d moved out, I’d never started my day without a cup of coffee, but now that I was home I wanted nothing more than a cup of my father’s tea.
“Wow, this is better than a restaurant. Have you considered starting a B&B?”
He laughed. “I don’t want strangers in my house. Only my daughter.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“And soon enough you’ll have your own space. I’m sure that sofa is not all that comfortable to sleep on.”
“Actually, it’s surprisingly nice. I’ve been sleeping perfectly well on it. I’m surprised I didn’t wake up though, considering the kitchen is so close.”
“I know. I was afraid that I was making so much noise too. But you were dead to the world.”
I chuckled. “Sounds like me. So, I was thinking of going out to look for some jobs tomorrow. I’m not sure where to start looking, but I might as well start soon.”
“You only just finished this one job. There’s no rush to jump back into another one. Honestly, Holly, why don’t you just take a bit of time off? It might be good for you.”
“Yeah, you might be right. I’m terrible when it comes to not working, though. But maybe it’s exactly what I need to sort my head out.”
“Good for you. People work too hard these days and forget how important it is to just relax. Remember the story of the two-hundred-year-old man,” he said.
I chuckled. “Yes, I remember. A stress-free life is a long life.”
“Exactly. So, enjoying the pancakes?”
“Loving them.”
“Good. Me too. It’s nice to get out of my routine a bit too. Before you got here, I felt like I was doing the same things every day. This is a nice change. Oh, and Xavier should be on his way soon. He’s going to help me finish up that room for you. Will you be staying here for the day?”
I hadn’t planned on going anywhere that day, but the thought of seeing Xavier again put me in a slight panic. I hadn’t been able to get him out of my mind. There was something about those green eyes and the way that he looked at me. I knew he saw me as just a sister so it made it even harder that I couldn’t stop thinking about him in a way that I shouldn’t. It was better if I didn’t see him too much.
“Actually, I need to go out and do some shopping today. There are a few things that I want to get. A few things that I forgot I would need when I was here. Unless, of course, you need me to stay and help?” I asked even though I knew my dad would tell me that they were fine.
“Nonsense. You don’t need to help at all. We have it all under control. Go out and do your shopping and take a bit of time out for yourself. Do you need money?”
I chuckled. I felt like I’d been transported back to my youth. “That
’s okay, Dad. I have money. Let me know if there is anything you need. I’ll have my phone on me.”
“Just some milk, my darling, if you can.”
“Milk. Got it. Call me if you think of anything else.”
“I will. But milk should be fine.”
I ate quickly, showered, and headed out before Xavier arrived. Thankfully my father didn’t seem to notice that I was in such a hurry to get out. I drove to a new mall that had opened up while I had been away, and wasn’t surprised to see that it was already packed. No matter where in the world you went, a big mall (especially one that was as new as this one) was always thriving with people. I didn’t actually have anything to buy, so I just wandered through the mall, looking at all the different shops and wondered what to get for myself.
I heard someone call my name but didn’t think much of it. I assumed there were other Holly’s around. The voice got louder though, and when I turned around, I was surprised to see the smiling face of my old school friend. I had thought the voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
“Andrea! Oh my goodness, it’s so good to see you again. I’m so sorry; I wasn’t ignoring you. I just assumed you weren’t calling out after me. I’m walking around in my own world here.”
She gave me a big hug and smiled at me. Andrea and I had gotten along well at school, and we’d graduated high school together with promises of keeping in touch. But just like with everyone else, it hadn’t taken long for the emails and phone calls to stop. She hadn’t changed much. Still the happy, smiling face that I always remembered.
“Oh, Holly. It’s so good to see you. Wow, you’ve changed.”
“I have? I was just thinking that you haven’t changed at all. Which trust me, is a good thing.”
“Few gray hairs, actually. Who knew they came so early? The perils of having such dark hair I suppose. Well, you have certainly changed. You look gorgeous. Not that you weren’t gorgeous before, of course. But let me tell you something, the outside definitely matches the inside now. I always thought you would be the type of person to blossom later in life and I was definitely right. Beautiful.”
“Okay, I have missed you,” I said and laughed. “I could really benefit from this sort of positivity in my life on a daily basis. Just what I needed to hear. Thank you. I still feel like the same Holly as before, though. So nice to bump into you here. Nice mall. Wish we had this when we were growing up.”
“I know! It’s great, isn’t it? I actually work here. I’m on a quick break to stretch my legs. I like to take a few breaks throughout the day rather than one long lunch break. It cuts the day a bit and makes it a bit less boring. Just our luck that I took a break the moment you decided to walk by.”
“You work here? Aw, that’s great news.”
“Tell me you’re back for good!” she said.
The last I’d heard from Andrea was that she was job hunting, but that was a few years ago. I was glad to see that she had finally found work. She’d never seemed too sure about what she wanted in life and hadn’t been to college. I felt bad telling her that I just quit my civil engineering job just because I had been unhappy there. I didn’t want her to think that I was boasting.
“Oh, I’m in between jobs,” I said without going into detail. “So who knows how long I’ll be here. Might be for good. I’m just playing it by ear for now. It’s kind of nice not to have everything all planned out for a change.”
“Ah, that’s good. I was worried you were going to say you were just here for the weekend or something. I would love the chance to catch up with you. I feel like the two of us could talk for days and still not catch up properly.”
“Same here. It’s been way too long.”
“Aw, look at the time. I better go. They don’t like me staying away too long. But please, can we meet up soon? Do you still have the same number?”
“I think so. Although, I’m not sure. I might have changed it a few years ago actually, so I’m not sure which one you have. Here, let me give it to you,” I said and read out my number while she punched it into her phone. She grinned.
“Wonderful. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we can make a plan. I’m so excited. You have completely made my day. And to think, I was feeling sad about having to work on a Saturday.”
I walked away from the exchange with Andrea feeling good. Andrea had always been a good friend to me. She was one of the very few people at school that had never bullied me or judged me. She’d always just accepted me for who I was. Perhaps moving back wasn’t such a bad thing after all. I could really use a friend like Andrea in my life.
Chapter Nine
Xavier
I was looking forward to seeing Holly again. More than I thought I would. I didn’t always find it easy to talk to people. I wasn’t one of those people that felt comfortable with everyone, and I often found myself stuttering and unable to find my words. I’d always preferred to be around people that I knew rather than strangers. I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Holly considering I hadn’t seen her in such a long time. Then again, she’d always been very accepting of people and had a way of making people feel comfortable at being themselves around her. It didn’t harm that she was so easy on the eye now too.
I made my way over the house and frowned when I saw that her car wasn’t there. For a brief moment, I panicked and thought that perhaps she’d decided to take her old job back. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much. Probably just because I wanted a bit more of a chance to hang out with her. I was interested to know more about this new Holly that had blossomed so drastically since the last time that I had seen her. As I was about to walk in, I saw Rick walking out. He waved at me.
“Hello. I heard your bike. I’m heading straight to the garage, actually.”
“Hi, Rick. Where’s Holly? I see her car isn’t here.”
“Oh, she’s just gone to the mall for the day. I told her that we could get along without her. I felt bad putting the poor girl to work right away like that. She’s such a hard worker, and I just want her to try to relax a bit more.”
“She’s a hard worker all right. She puts us all to shame. Ah, look—so ,she’s going to check out the new mall. I hate that place.”
Rick laughed. “You and me both. It doesn’t really matter how big they make those malls. It’s always the same sorts of shops over and over again. Not appealing to me at all. But I’m sure it will be nice for Holly to see something new.”
We made our way to the garage and looked around. We’d done a surprisingly good job with the paint for a group of people that weren’t painters. It actually didn’t need much more work other than some touching up. We immediately got started.
“Thanks again for coming on your day off, Xavier. I always feel so bad asking.”
“I don’t know why you feel bad. I’m the one that said I wanted to help. Anyway, if it was a problem, I’d let you know. Trust me; this is much more relaxing than work. I’d rather paint a wall than fight a fire for a few days.”
“That’s true. Well, I appreciate it regardless.”
We got to work, chatting the way we usually did. I now realized why it was always so easy to talk to Holly. She obviously got it from her father. I’d always found Rick one of the easiest people to speak to. He had a way of really listening to what I had to say. Most people now days just wanted to talk about themselves and spent very little time making the time for others. It was what made this so different. I knew why my mother had fallen for this man.
“So, Xavier, I hope you don’t mind me getting a little personal here, but I was thinking about you the other night.”
I turned to look at him. “Uh oh. That doesn’t sound too good.”
He laughed. “Nah, it’s nothing serious. But I was just wondering if you’ve met anyone? You’re a good-looking man, but I haven’t seen you with a girl in a long time.”
I chuckled. “Glad to know you think I’m good looking. But it’s not you that I want to think that way.”
&nbs
p; He rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, I bet all the girls are after you. I mean, you’re the dream. You’re good looking; you’re good with your hands; you’re kind. You’re a fireman for goodness’ sake.”
“Well, girls are obviously fussy these days. No, no girlfriend at the moment. I just haven’t really found anyone I guess.”
“Have you been looking?”
“Not really.”
“They’re not going to come if you don’t go looking.”
“I know. Kenny keeps asking me to go out with him, but I’m just not really into the whole club scene anymore.”
“I suppose that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What about online dating? I hear that’s all the rage.”
I chuckled. “Is that what you’re trying?”
He looked horrified. “No.”
“Rick, you know I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to date again. I wouldn’t hold it against you or anything. I don’t expect you to be single forever, and I know Mom wouldn’t want you to either.”
“Yeah, I know. But listen, how have you managed to turn this around to be about me? Sneaky. So, no dating then?”
“Not at the moment. I’m obviously not opposed to it, so if you find someone, send her my way.”
“I’ll do that. Do you ever think about settling down? There’s a lot to be said for married life, you know. People knock it but if you find the right person, it really is something special.”
He sounded more like a father than a friend at the moment. Kenny just wanted me to get laid. Rick wanted me to get married. I shook my head.
“Settle down? No, I don’t think that’s really the right thing for me right now. Maybe one day but I’m definitely not ready.”
“Hmm, I thought the same thing until I met your mother. You’ll see. It will just happen when you least expect it. Love is a funny thing. I had two wonderful women in my life, both taken away from me. And yes, I do consider my first wife leaving me as a loss, because I did love her. So very much. Sometimes I get angry because of the loss, and the thought of being alone. Other times, I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to have such amazing women in my life. Most of the times, I’m grateful. There is no point in life without experiencing love. You’ll see you . . . you’ll find it. And when you do, you’ll know it.”
Dirty Stepbrother - A Firefighter Romance (The Maxwell Family) Page 5
