I spent the whole day at Rick’s hoping that Holly would show up, but she didn’t. Not only did she not come home that day, but she never once called me or even sent me a text. I wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to me, but I just got the sense that she was avoiding me. Did that mean that I enjoyed our dinner out more than she did? It wasn’t a date or anything, but her avoidance hurt me more than it should have. Also, it was confusing. She’d never avoided me before, and she’d certainly never ignored me.
I went to work that day wondering if perhaps I should try and set her up with someone at the station. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, though. I walked around looking at all the guys in a new light. Could any of these guys be a potential boyfriend for Holly? They were great guys, but suddenly nobody seemed right for her. She deserved someone that treated her with respect. Someone that saw her for who she really was. I was just worried that Rick was going to keep asking me to set her up. I’d have to tell Rick that nobody was good enough. He would understand.
I spotted Kenny sitting at the table looking ill. If he was at work then it meant he wasn’t sick from the flu but sick from too much drinking. He would never miss a day of work simply because he’d had a good time the night before. That had always been the way he conducted himself. I admired him. I wasn’t sure I would want to be at work with a severe hangover, and by the looks of it, his was very bad that morning. I poked him, and he looked up at me and groaned.
“Coffee, please,” he said.
“What am I? Your waiter?”
“Coffee and a tall glass of water, and a painkiller. Please,” he croaked.
I laughed. “You’re lucky I want a cup myself.”
I walked over and poured us each a cup of coffee, and took it back over to the table along with a glass of water. When I got back, his head was back on the table.
“I have everything except a painkiller.”
He lifted his head slowly. He took a large sip of water before reaching for the coffee. “Thanks, Xavier. Wow, my head is pounding. Today is going to be rough.”
“First day back after a break and you look like this? That wasn’t smart.” Since when had I become the sort of guy that always did things by the book? A few years ago I would’ve been in the exact position as Kenny. I used to love going out and having a good time.
“Let me guess, you had a good night’s rest?” he teased. “You look a little too refreshed.”
I smiled and took a cup of my coffee. “As a matter of fact, yes, I did. It was wonderful. And that’s exactly what you should’ve done. At least you have pants on.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s one good thing. No pants and a hangover from hell wouldn’t have been a good combination.”
“You’re hilarious. Well, tell me the hangover was at least worth it.”
He smiled. “It was so worth it. I met the most amazing woman last night.”
I groaned. “Another one? You seem to meet a lot of those. If they’re so amazing why don’t you ever see them again?”
“Actually, I might see this one again.”
“What? Wow, I’ve never heard you say that again. Oh, wait, isn’t your rule that you’ll see them twice and no more?”
“You’ve been listening. Yeah, that’s the rule. But I might even see her more than that. We’ll see. I was, as you can probably tell, very drunk yesterday, so my memory is hazy. But from what I can remember, she was incredible. And I remember thinking that about her early in the night when my head was completely clear. We had the best time. And, I know this is going to sound strange, but we couldn’t stop talking. It’s not often I meet someone that I can talk to like that. Usually, it’s more about the physical side of things. I usually spend most of the time thinking about getting the girl into bed. But it was different with this one. She was gorgeous, but she also had a personality to go with it.”
“So you didn’t sleep with her?” I asked. I hadn’t heard Kenny talk about a girl like this before.
He laughed. “Well, of course, I slept with her. Like I said, she was amazing.”
I shook my head. “Some things will never change.”
“So, how about you then? What did you get up to with your weekend off?”
“I actually spent the weekend at Rick’s.”
“Not again.”
“Again. But it was cool.”
“Cool? What did you do?”
“Ah, we were getting the garage ready. Turning it back into a bedroom. Oh, I didn’t tell you. Guess who’s back in town? Holly. Rick’s daughter. Remember her?”
“Holly? Little Holly?”
“The very one.”
Kenny laughed. “How could I forget? Poor girl used to get teased so much. You were always sticking up for her; I remember that. Wow, I haven’t seen her in a long time. Is she still walking around with those big glasses of hers? They were always falling down her face. Man, that girl was such a nerd.”
“She’s not a nerd.”
“A dork, then.”
“She’s not a dork.”
“Oh come on, you have to admit she’s ridiculous. I’m assuming she’s the same if you’re sticking up for her. You always had a soft spot for her. I still remember that one time at school when she fell down the stairs. Her dress went flying. Her books went flying. You weren’t there that day. Everyone gathered around her to laugh.”
“Did anyone help her?”
“I don’t think so. It was just too funny. I’ve never seen anyone fall like that.”
I shook my head. “Seriously? That’s not nice. Can you imagine everyone crowded around you laughing? That’s not cool at all. She had enough to worry about at the time, and all she needed was a friend. I had no idea that even happened.”
Kenny waved his hand. “Hey, you can’t get mad at me. I wouldn’t just stand at laugh at her now. But I was a kid then. You know what it was like. We were all kids.”
I felt myself get more and more worked up at the thought of Holly lying on the floor while everyone laughed at her and I had to tell myself to calm down. It wasn’t worth getting upset about. It was years ago, and things were different now.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
“Wow, you really still feel protective over that girl, huh?”
I shrugged. “I can’t help myself. She’s a sweet kid. Anyway, we better finish our coffee and get started on our work. Today is going to be a long day. I hope you’re sleeping in tonight.”
“I’m going to crash the moment I get home. It’s the only thing seeing me through this day. The thought of my bed waiting for me at home. But what about tomorrow night? Are you free?”
“Tomorrow? What’s happening tomorrow? Haven’t you had enough of going out?” I asked.
“Are you really asking me that question? When would I ever have enough of going out? Of course not! I’ll be fine by tomorrow and raring to go again. You know me. Come on, why don’t you come with me this time? I told you I’m not going to rest until you say yes to me. And I’m not even going to a club, just a bar in town. Why don’t you come and have a few drinks with me? Come on it will be fun.”
I almost said no. It was a natural reaction for me to say no to Kenny whenever he asked me out. But then I thought about Holly and realized I was thinking about her too much. It wasn’t right for me to get so worked up about her. Perhaps the best thing for me to do at the moment was to go out and meet someone. Rick was right; I was never going to meet anyone if I didn’t at least make an effort.
I finished the rest of my coffee and stood up.
“Come on, let’s go to work. And yeah, I’ll come with you tomorrow night.”
Kenny looked up in surprise. “Seriously? Wow, I didn’t expect you to actually say yes.”
I laughed. “Yeah, well it’s only because I want to you stop asking.”
He chuckled. “I knew I’d wear you down eventually. Do we have to go to work now? What if I crawl under this table and take a nap?”
“No way. You’re coming w
ith me. If I’m coming to a bar with you tomorrow night, then you’re going to suffer with me today.”
He groaned. “That’s so not fair.”
“Yeah, well, life isn’t fair,” I said and helped him up. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of his pale face as we made our way over to start our day. It was going to be a long day for Kenny.
Chapter Twelve
Holly
“Morning, my angel,” my father said as I woke up that morning. He handed me a cup of tea and toast, and I smiled sleepily at him.
“I could get used to this, you know. I might just end up staying here forever if you keep waking me up like this.”
“That’s the plan.”
I chuckled. “Thanks again for letting me stay here while I sort my life out again. I thought I’d feel like a failure but to be honest, I’m starting to enjoy the feeling of being relaxed for a change.”
He grinned. “That’s exactly what I wanted you to feel. Stress is not good. You’ll find a great job soon enough. For now, it’s good to just relax and enjoy yourself. You’re too young to be stressed. Trust me, I speak from experience. These years are going to go by so fast, so don’t waste them on worrying about things that are out of your control. Just trust in God, and everything will fall into place. Now, speaking of God, do you want to come to the church with me this morning? I’ve been telling everyone that you’re back and they all want the chance to see you again. If we don’t go there, they’re probably all going to hang around snooping until they see you.”
I laughed. “I’m like an animal at a zoo or something. I’m not that impressive to look at. But yeah, that sounds great, Dad. I’ll definitely come along this morning. I’d love to see everyone.”
“Wonderful!”
I finished my breakfast and tea and then got ready for a morning with my father. It was a Tuesday so the congregation wouldn’t be there, but the church office was always brimming with workers. It was a big church, and the people that worked there were like one big family. I hadn’t seen them since I’d left, so it would be nice to see them again. I had promised myself that I would join a church in my new city, but I’d always been too busy to attend. For the past few years, I had brought home work with me almost every weekend. And when I didn’t have work, I would be too exhausted to do anything else but catch up on some well-deserved sleep. I went to church three times during the entire time I had been away, but it never felt right. It simply didn’t match up to the one from home, and without my father talking, I didn’t feel the same. My father was an incredibly good speaker. He was a reserved man in his usual life, but as soon as he got up to speak at the church, he became a new man. Everyone loved him because he was energetic and positive, and he preached in a way that made you feel like you could relate to him. He was born for this job.
My father and I made our way to his office to drop off a few things, and he took me around to see his secretary, who squealed with delight when she saw me. Polly was a sweet old lady. She was nice to everyone, but she had a soft spot for my father, whom she had always treated like she did her own children. Because of that, she had always looked at me as her granddaughter. She’d always taken great delight that her name was Polly while mine was Holly, saying that the two of us were simply meant to be in each other’s lives. When my mother died, she was the sole reason that we continued to eat well every night. She made sure that she brought casseroles around every night so that the family got fed. For someone her age, she was very impressive in her energy, and the moment she saw me, she jumped right out of her seat and came to embrace me. She hugged me tightly, kissed me on both cheeks, and then stood arm’s length from me to assess me.
“Holly! Look at you. You’re a sight to behold. I always knew that you were going to grow up to be so beautiful. A late bloomer, that’s for sure. My daughter was the same. When she hit her mid-twenties, she suddenly turned into this absolute beauty. You are just absolutely wonderful to look at.”
I blushed. “Oh, Polly, I’ve missed you. Thank you so much. I’m sure I’m just the same as when I left, though.”
“No, you have blossomed. Although, you could use a little fattening up. I’m simply going to have to bring over a casserole one of these days.”
I grinned. “I have no problem with that. I’ve missed your cooking.”
“It’s good to have you back. The place is just not the same without you, and your father is not the same without you. Look at how happy he is to have you around.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll get sick of me soon enough. But I’m making the most of being home for sure.”
“Good. You must. You youngsters always work yourself to the bone, and it’s just not good for anyone to work that hard. Will we be seeing more of you?”
“Absolutely!”
“Good. Oh dear, there’s my phone. See you soon, lovely Holly.”
I chuckled and walked over to my father.
“Oh, I’ve missed her. Is she still as energetic as before? She certainly seems to be.”
“She is. She puts all of us to shame. If there’s anyone that loves life, it’s her. Come on; let’s take you to Theresa. She’s been dying to see you too.”
Theresa was another office worker that had worked at the church for a very long time. She was a tall, rather large woman, with a smile that never seemed to fade. It made me feel sad that I had worked at a place that had taken mine away for so long.
“Holly! Look at you! All grown up.”
I chuckled. Did I really look so different? Everyone seemed to be so surprised when they saw me. I hadn’t left that long ago, and I was sure I still looked the same. Sure, I didn’t have those dorky glasses on anymore, and I probably held myself a little more confidently, but people were treating me like I was a brand-new person.
“Theresa, it’s so good to see you again.”
“Oh, it’s so good to see you too. What a sight for sore eyes you are. Rick, you must be so proud of your little girl.”
My father beamed. “I am.”
It was nice to be surrounded by such happy people for a change. I hadn’t felt this good around a group of people in a very long time. I forgot how good it felt to be in such positive company. I spent some time talking to Theresa and telling her about what I had been up to for the past few years. My father kept boasting about the things that I had achieved, and I realized how lucky I was to have a father who was so proud of me.
“Now, are you dating? I’m assuming a girl like you has the men just running after her.”
I laughed. “Nope. I’m single.”
“You are? Well, that’s good, then.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because I have just the man for you. My son Ryan just got back from a job overseas. He’s a fine young man, and I definitely think that the two of you would get along just great. Now, would you like me to set you up?”
I laughed. Theresa was not the type of woman that beat around the bush. She always told you exactly where she stood with things. The question was so direct that I didn’t even have the chance to feel embarrassed by it.
“Theresa, we have to get going. I’m sure Holly will think about your proposal, but the poor girl has just arrived. Let’s give her time to breathe.”
“You’ll think about it at least?”
“I sure will,” I said as I followed my dad out.
The moment we were out of earshot, my father rolled his eyes and looked at me. “Theresa is a great girl, but she’s always trying to set that boy up.”
“Is there something wrong with him?” I asked.
My father shook his head. “No, he’s a good guy, but he has a very large ego, which, as you know, is not something I’m very fond of.”
I chuckled as I remembered my father’s words from when I was younger. “Ego is just Edging God Out,” I said as the words came back to me.
My father beamed. “You remember!”
“How could I forget? So corny.”
“Well, corny or n
ot, you remembered, so I’m obviously doing my job well.”
“You are doing your job well,” I said.
“Holly, I don’t mean to spring this on you, but one of the ladies called me this morning to say that they were a staff member short in the children’s wing. Is there any chance you can help out for a few hours? This was not the reason I brought you here though, so if you can’t, I do understand.”
“Are you kidding? I’d love to help.”
“Thanks, my girl,” he said and took me over to see the children.
Geraldine, one of the newer staff members that I hadn’t yet met, came over to introduce herself to me and took me around to meet all the kids. They were delightful, and I was more than happy to spend some time with them. I used to help out in the children’s wing a lot when I was younger, and I’d always found myself connecting to them. They’d asked me once to work for them full time, but I didn’t want to give up my dream of becoming a civil engineer. I was still happy with my choice in life, but I wished now that I had at least made more time to help out in my spare time. Being here with these kids made me realize just how good it felt to give something back to those less fortunate.
“You’ve got a great way with them,” Geraldine said to me a little later that morning.
“You think?”
“Oh yeah. Not everyone can do this. I’ve seen so many people come and go. It always amazes me to see these super confident people that work so well with adults feel completely intimidated by the children. But you’re very soft-spoken, and the children definitely seem to flock to you in a way I don’t often see.”
I smiled. “Thank you so much. That’s nice of you to say. Well, I’m staying with my father for a while, and I’m in between jobs, so if you ever need me to help out, I’d be more than happy to.”
She grinned. “I might take you up on that offer. We need someone like you here.”
I stayed in the children’s wing longer than my father had asked me to. He kept coming to see if everything was okay, but I think he could see that I was more than happy to help out. The kids were unbelievably sweet, and they left me with such a happy feeling inside my heart.
Dirty Stepbrother - A Firefighter Romance (The Maxwell Family) Page 7
