by Kim Law
“You need to get that stick out of your ass and sit down and eat like the rest of us.”
He gaped at his mother. She’d never said anything like that to him.
His brothers stood a little straighter, as well. They stared at Zack over his mother’s head.
It would be comical, the three of them looking terrified of the seventy-five-year-old woman all dressed in green, if he wasn’t afraid he was about to get a frozen chicken casserole thrown at his head.
“It was your decision to leave early,” she told him. “Get off your high horse because I had a good time without you. And if you can’t stand the fact that Holly was with another man all weekend, then you shouldn’t be here now.”
“I have no issues with Holly being with another man.” All weekend? “She can date who she wants.”
He tried to hold on to his anger at his mother, but he knew she was right. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Nor had Cody and Nick. And—he supposed—neither had Holly. As she’d pointed out, they hadn’t promised each other anything. The funny thing was, he’d thought all along that he was the one not promising. It had never occurred to him that she had been doing it too.
Still, the woman could have at least waited more than twenty-four hours before hooking up with someone else.
His mom turned to him, bringing a finger up in the air to point straight at his face. “You should be in Sugar Springs, convincing her to give you a chance. I can’t believe you just up and left like that.” Her voice was heated with anger. “I raised you better than to hide behind your feelings. What were you thinking, Zachary? You pushed the woman you love right into another man’s arms.”
He stood there with his mouth hanging open. Finally he managed to pull his jaw up off the floor. “I don’t love her, Mother.”
He couldn’t love her. How stupid would that be?
“You’re too scared to live,” she accused.
“I live just fine. I love my life.”
He loved his job. He loved his penthouse.
He loved that he didn’t have to worry about a woman walking out on him when he least expected it.
But he didn’t love having this conversation in front of his brothers.
To look at them, they didn’t care for it either. They shuffled their feet where they stood, staring at anything but the two of them.
“I need grandbabies,” his mother declared. “I need you to quit hiding behind your job, and give me grandbabies to love before I’m too old.” She stopped the lecture long enough to smile winningly over at Cody. “At least I have Candy and Kendra now. They’re my surrogate grandkids.” Her finger came back up and shook at Zack. “But that does not let you off the hook.”
“She didn’t want me,” he roared suddenly. He was sick to death of this conversation.
His mother went quiet.
“She wanted you,” she said, her voice less sure.
He shook his head. “She didn’t, Mom. We’re just friends. That’s all we’ve ever been.”
Then pity fell in his mother’s soft eyes, and he couldn’t take it anymore. She knew him well enough to know his words for the lie that they were. They were not just friends. Not on his side, anyway.
He glanced at his brothers. “Thanks for seeing that she got home.” Then at his mother. “I’ll see you next Sunday.”
And then he headed back to work.
At least there he could hide his sorrows by billing his client an exorbitant fee.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Holly glanced into one of her many mirrors and smoothed her hand over her hair as she waited for her family to arrive. It was time for the big reveal. And she was terrified.
They’d all gathered at the house first, and Brian had just texted her to let her know they were heading her way. No one knew what she planned to show them, but to hear him say it, they were all excited to find out.
Kyndall had been out to the studio before, so she had an idea. She’d seen the mirrors in the living room. She would suspect today would involve those. Also, everyone knew Holly sold pieces at the consignment store. It had been referred to as her “little hobby” for years.
But her hobby was so much more than that, and today she intended to make them see it.
She glanced in the mirror once more. Her hair was twisted into a sophisticated knot, and she had on a lovely summer dress of turquoise eyelet with a white shrug and matching jewelry. She even had on strappy sandals that were color coordinated. She looked quite presentable.
Not that it really mattered to her family, but after finishing here, she would head off to meet with Jane, the real estate agent, to sign a lease for the empty storefront. So yeah, this was important. She wanted to come across as professional. Serious. This was the start of her career.
No more being the breezy little sister who had no purpose in life.
She dabbed on a fresh application of lipstick and rubbed her lips together, then nodded in the mirror. Win or lose, she was ready to go. Ready to show who she was.
Gravel crunched and doors slammed, and Holly stepped to the front door of the cabin.
Her mother was first up the stairs. She stopped at the sight of Holly standing in the doorway. Her eyes took in her daughter from head to toe. Without a word, Holly could tell that her mother got it. This wasn’t some stunt or “another wild hair” like they thought running off to Chicago had been. Holly had something important to share with them today.
“Everything okay?” her mother asked carefully. She’d been tiptoeing around Holly since Zack had left. They hadn’t talked about it yet, mostly because Holly had made up excuses and found something else to do if she thought Zack so much as ran through her mother’s mind. But Holly was aware that her heartbreak was showing. How could it not?
She nodded. Everything was great.
And really it was. She was a new woman today. Missing Zack had been put on the back burner.
Erika, Jillian, and Kyndall all reached the porch behind Holly’s mother. Excitement burned in their eyes to find out what Holly had to show them. The men hadn’t made it out of the yard. Patrick and the boys had come from church, and were still in their slacks and dress shirts. They reminded her of Zack when he’d first shown up.
“You look so pretty, Aunt Holly,” Kyndall gushed. She and her parents were also dressed for church.
Jillian had gotten stuck manning the tour office that morning so Patrick had taken the boys without her, and Holly’s parents had been busy overseeing departing guests. Brian had probably just come from some woman’s bed.
Yet they’d all made time for her when she’d asked them for it. That meant a lot.
“Thank you, Kyndall.” She smiled at the girl. “I’m trying to look professional.”
The women all nodded. “You do,” her mother assured her.
Brian was at the bottom of the steps looking up, but he didn’t say anything. He simply eyed her carefully. Holly got the impression he didn’t approve of her new, improved look. All grown up and everything.
“So what’s this about, kid?” Patrick was the one to finally ask.
Holly wet her lips, and Brian gave her an encouraging nod.
It was about her new life.
“I’ve been doing something for a few years now,” she began, “and I thought it was time to show you. I also intend to take it to the next level. I wanted to talk to you all about that today.”
Brian was not yet aware of her store plans. She caught a raised brow at her words.
With little fanfare, she stepped back and invited her family in.
She’d moved several of her best pieces from the bedroom to display in the front of the house.
“Oh my,” she heard her mother whisper as she made her way in. The words were spoken in awe.
Everyone else crowded in behind her mother, and Holly stepped in l
ast. She twisted her hands together with nerves. It wasn’t a large room, and with eleven additional people inside, it was hard to really take everything in. But Holly saw that they were doing just that. She had the lights on and shining bright. The whole room glowed.
“When did you . . .” Patrick began, but then shook his head in confusion. He turned to take in another piece. And then another. “This is . . .”
“Art,” Jillian supplied. She looked at Holly. “This is incredible work. I had no idea.”
“Me either,” Holly’s mother whispered.
“Oh my gawd, Aunt Holly,” Kyndall whispered in tween marvel. “This is what I want to do instead of the flowerpots.”
Holly laughed softly, moved at the girl’s words. “You stick with your flowerpots, hon. You’ll make them just as terrific.”
Kyndall continued looking around, her face mesmerized by the work.
“There’s more in the bedroom,” Holly stated. “And the even bigger announcement I have is that I’ll be opening my own store soon.”
Her mother’s eyes rounded.
“I’m signing a lease today. That empty property on the square. I tried to sell these in Chicago, but no one wanted them.”
“They’re idiots,” Patrick supplied without pause.
“Yeah.” Holly nodded. “That’s what I’ve decided. Plus, these belong here. I’m a Sugar Springs girl. My mirrors should be too.”
Holly’s dad wasn’t a man of many words, and that moment was no different. He stepped to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m proud of you.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
She was a daddy’s girl. Always had been. To have him proud meant a lot.
“Thanks, Dad.” Her voice barely registered as she snuggled into his side. “That also means I won’t be working at any of the family businesses anymore,” she whispered. Those words elicited as much anxiety as showing them her art had to begin with.
“Of course you won’t,” her dad stated firmly.
No one else spoke. They were all too busy staring at the pieces surrounding them.
After several more minutes, everyone moving throughout the room and in and out of her bedroom, Erika stood before Holly. “I need the price of that one, please.” She pointed to one of Holly’s favorites. It was currently showcased on an easel sitting in front of the TV.
“I wanted that one!” Jillian hustled back into the room. “I planned to ask for it myself, but I was being polite. Not begging immediately. No fair. You jumped the gun.”
“I saw something I wanted.” Erika pasted on a superior look. “If I wait, I may not get it.”
“I want it,” Jillian demanded.
Holly watched her sisters-in-law argue over her work, and her heart grew a couple sizes larger. They were not doing this simply to make her feel better. They wanted that mirror.
“I can make a second,” Holly snuck in through a tiny opening in their words.
Two heads swiveled in her direction.
“Not exactly the same,” she added. “I don’t do the same design more than once. But I can work with whichever of you doesn’t take this one, and we can come up with something similar.”
“Then I want the new piece,” both women said at once.
Holly gaped, mouth open in shock, and saw Brian’s wide, proud smile pointed her way. Then she laughed. There had been nothing at all to worry about with this bunch. Probably not with the public either. Her store would be a success.
Erika and Jillian fought for a few minutes longer, good-naturedly of course, and Holly’s mother came over to take her hand.
“I had no idea,” she said.
Holly nodded. The lump in her throat made it hard to speak.
“Why didn’t you ever tell us?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t know what you’d think. If I was good enough.”
“Baby.” Her mom shook her head. “I should have known you were out here creating something special. You’ve always been my unique one. The one I always knew would find her way.”
The words poked at a vulnerable spot inside Holly’s heart. The last few days had been hard. The additional rejection from Chicago, realizing she was in love with Zack. Zack leaving.
Her deciding to open herself up to the world.
She was barely hanging on.
Her mom cupped Holly’s cheek. “Are you okay, sweetheart? With everything? I know you cared a lot about Zack.”
Tears threatened to return. The back of her nose burned.
Then she shook her head and her eyes began to leak. “I’m fine,” she lied, her voice cracking on the words.
“Oh, baby.” Her mother pulled her into her arms and stroked Holly’s back.
“Mom,” Holly whispered. She wished she wasn’t in the middle of her whole family, crying over Zack. But then, where was there a better place to do it? “It hurts.”
“I’m know, sweetie,” her mother cooed.
“I’m going to kick his ass,” Brian pronounced.
Holly peeked up through the blur of tears and saw Patrick and Rodney step up beside Brian. The sight of her three gorgeous, angry brothers made her laugh. They would kick his ass. If she’d let them. They would do anything for her.
“He did nothing wrong,” she told them. “Never promised a thing. I just wanted more.”
“He shouldn’t have—”
“It was both of us,” she interrupted Brian. “You will not kick his ass.”
All three of her brothers’ jaws tensed, identically, and Holly almost laughed again. It was nice that they had her back.
“I’d rather you save your strength for helping me move all these mirrors to my store. It’ll be a better use of your time and efforts.”
Because Zack was gone. And she had to move on.
“I could do both,” Brian suggested.
“You’re the best, Brian. But no.” There would be no kicking of Zack’s anything.
Brian gave her a wink. “Of course I am, kiddo. But you’re pretty tough to top yourself.”
A smile spread wide. She was. And she knew it. She may not be perfect, but she had a lot going for her. A lot that Zack should have been able to see. He was missing out.
Or so she kept telling herself.
In actuality, she felt like she was the one missing out. She’d considered calling him more than once over the last few days. Just to see how he was doing. If he was thinking of her. At all.
But then she’d reminded herself that he could have called too.
It wasn’t like they’d left things in a heated argument. They’d hooked up, and she’d let him go without stifling him with clinginess. The moment had been a little tense, yeah, but no reason two reasonable adults couldn’t still talk to each other if they wanted to.
Only, she doubted he wanted to. He also probably already had this week’s date lined up, and if Holly knew about it, she would want to drive to Atlanta and kick his butt herself.
She shoved thoughts of Zack from her mind and motioned to the door. “My appointment with Jane is in fifteen minutes. You all stay as long as you want, but I need to run.”
Excitement washed through her. This was it.
But before she could get to the door, her phone rang. And with unfailing hope that it was Zack, she pulled it from her pocket. It was a number with the same area code as his. Her heart thudded.
“Is it him?” Her mom asked. Nerves tensed her mother’s face at the same time they gouged a path through Holly’s insides.
“I’ll still go kick his ass,” Brian mumbled.
Holly put her hand on his arm as if to stop him from leaving, as she continued to stare at the phone. “It’s an Atlanta number.”
They all gave her a tight smile. Her brothers’ were more of a grimace, but it was their way of being sup
portive. “We’ll give you some privacy.”
“Thanks.”
Everyone stepped onto her tiny porch, and she headed to the windows overlooking the river. She brought the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Marshall?” a smart, Southern voice said in her ear. “I’m so glad I caught you today. I’m Ashley Summers.” The woman paused a moment before adding, “Mr. Winston’s friend.”
Mr. Winston’s friend?
Jealousy took hold, but just as quickly let go. Zack’s friend? From Atlanta? The friend he’d e-mailed her portfolio to.
“Yes,” Holly stumbled over the word. “This is Ms. Marshall. What can I do for you?”
“Oh my, Ms. Marshall . . . is it okay if I call you Holly?”
“Sure.” Holly nodded as if the woman could see her. “Yeah.”
“Great. And please, call me Ashley. I just wanted to call and let you know how much my manager and I love your work. Really, we love it. It’s unique and original, and the talent is clear. You’re a brilliant artist, Holly. Brilliant.”
Holly dropped to a seat.
She had someone on the phone who loved her work.
“We’d love to sell your pieces if you’d allow us. We want to give you your own room. Seriously, the work is stupendous.”
Holly’s mouth opened but no words came out.
Someone wanted to showcase her work.
Because of Zack. He’d done this.
Then a tear slipped onto her cheek. She wanted to call and tell him, but she knew she wouldn’t. They may have pretended to part as friends, but they weren’t. She loved him. He didn’t love her.
She couldn’t share the best day of her life with him.
And then she remembered her appointment. She glanced at the time. She had to go.
“Holly?” Ashley spoke in her ear. “Did you hear me? Oh, please tell me we aren’t too late.”
“I . . .” They were too late. “Actually, Ms. . . . Ashley. I’m on my way right now to sign a lease for my own store.”
“Then let us be your Atlanta outlet.”
The woman didn’t miss a beat. Holly appreciated that.
