Holly was glad she’d read up on the signs and symptoms that can occur when a person takes Adderall, because it was really coming in handy now. She’d originally thought it might help her find whoever was abusing the medication. She had no idea she’d end up explaining why it wasn’t good to take them unless they’d been prescribed by a doctor.
“Doctors need to know if you’re taking these pills because they want to make sure it won’t cause problems for your body,” Joe explained. “Which is why only doctors can give them to you, and why you can’t just go to the store and buy them.”
“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” Lucy said as she began to cry again and clutch at her father. “I really didn’t know.”
“I know, punkin. Which is why it’s always important to talk to us. If you’re struggling that much in school, we want to help you. There are other things you can do besides take pills,” her father explained.
“Okay,” she said nodding.
“Why don’t you go wash your face, Lucy,” he suggested. “It will help you calm down.”
The young girl nodded and jumped up from her chair before hurrying away.
“Wow,” Joe said as he turned toward everyone else. “I never saw that coming.”
“Me, neither,” Leslie admitted. “I’m just grateful to Holly for reaching out to us.”
“Holly, I don’t know if I can ever thank you enough,” Joe said
Holly waved her hand in a dismissive manner. “It’s fine. I was just doing what I thought was right.”
“Holly,” Joe said thinking. “What’s your last name?”
“Lewis,” she answered. “I live with Brigid and Linc Olsen.”
Joe nodded, but looked as though he was still thinking. “I know I’ve heard your name before,” he said as he struggled to remember.
Amber’s face turned red, and she looked guilty. Holly had a fairly good idea how and why he may have previously heard her name.
“It’s probably because I-” Holly began but Amber cut her off.
“Brigid does a lot for the sheriff’s department, and Holly’s mom was murdered a while back,” Amber said quickly.
“Maybe that’s where I’ve heard it,” he said. “I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m extremely grateful to you. If you hadn’t found us, Lucy might have gotten more pills from her friend. The conversation with Ana’s parents won’t be easy, but I’d rather it be this way than under worse circumstances, such as our little girls being in the hospital.”
Holly nodded. “I agree.”
“You just had to do something similar when you told us,” Leslie said. “Any tips on how to handle it?”
“Try to be understanding and gentle when you tell them. They probably won’t want to believe it,” Holly said.
“That’s for sure,” Joe said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Well, if you don’t need me anymore, I should probably head home,” Holly said as she finished her glass of lemonade.
“Do you need a ride?” Leslie asked. “We’d be more than happy to give you one.”
“No, that’s okay,” Holly said. “I really like the peaceful feeling I get riding my bike through town.” She stood up and everyone else stood up too.
“Come here, I need to hug you,” Leslie said as she pulled Holly into her arms. “I’m going to find a way to thank you for everything.”
“Yes, she’s right,” Joe said. “You definitely deserve it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Holly said, feeling uncomfortable. “I was just doing what I thought was right.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Amber said as she stepped away from the couch. Holly waved and said good bye to Joe and Leslie before she and Amber headed for the front door.
Amber opened the door for her and they stepped out onto the porch. “I owe you an apology,” Amber said as she shut the door behind her.
“It’s okay,” Holly said. “I understand.”
“No, you were right. I shouldn’t have put up that awful poster at school. Plus, I shouldn’t have been rude to you at the library or today. You were just trying to do what was right, and I see that now.” Amber looked down the street at the cars driving by.
“Thank you,” Holly said. “I appreciate that.”
“If you ever need anything, let me know,” Amber said. She looked like a different girl now. Her face wasn’t pinched in anger anymore. Instead she almost looked at ease.
“I will,” Holly said with a smile. “See you around?”
Amber nodded. ‘“Yeah, I’ll see you around. too.”
Holly walked down the steps and climbed on her bike as Amber stood thoughtfully on the porch, watching her ride away.
CHAPTER 21
“So what you’re saying is that Amber doesn’t hate you anymore? Is that right?” Wade asked. Holly and Wade were sitting in the backyard with Brigid and Linc. The dogs were running around, chasing each other and anything else they could find. Lucky had finally learned how to use the doggy door on his own and things were going much better with him.
“It would appear that way,” Holly said. “Which is pretty strange when you think about it.”
“I don’t think so. Once someone gets to know you, it would be impossible for them to hate you,” Brigid said from her nearby chair. “Totally impossible.”
“I agree,” Linc said as he stood up to get another log to put in the fire pit. “I don’t think you have a selfish bone in your body.”
“Thanks guys,” Holly said, embarrassed. “But I think you’re going overboard a little bit.”
“Nah,” Linc said. “You’re just being overly modest.”
“Now that it’s over, I bet you’re glad you didn’t call it quits,” Wade said as he interlaced his fingers with Holly’s.
“You’re right,” she admitted. “I can’t imagine what might have happened if those girls had taken the pills.” She shook her head as she tried to clear the thought of hospital beds and the possibility of far worse from her mind.
“I know,” Brigid said softly. “It’s frightening to think how it might have turned out.”
“Holly, didn’t you have a dream where your mom told you not to give up on the whole thing?” Linc asked as he sat back down in his chair.
Holly glanced at Wade before she answered. “Yeah, I did.” She hadn’t said anything to Wade because she didn’t want him to think she was crazy. After all, who does things because they dreamed their dead mother wanted them to?
“Maybe it was a sign,” Linc said shrugging. “Maybe she knew just how important it was for you to tell that girl’s family what she was doing or getting ready to do.”
“He’s got a point, Holly,” Brigid said. “We’ve had stranger things happen,” she said. “Remember the jewelry box?”
“That’s true,” Holly said. She turned and looked at Wade who seemed confused. “I’ll explain later,” she whispered, which seemed to satisfy him.
“When are Fiona and Brandon supposed to get here?” Linc asked as he used a stick to poke the fire. “I’m about ready to roast some marshmallows.”
“They’ll be here soon,” Brigid said. “Just be patient.”
“It’s been forever since I’ve had a real s’more,” Linc complained. “I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”
“Oh, quit your bellyaching,” Fiona said as she appeared from around the side of the house. “You try having to go to the bathroom all the time like I do, and we’ll see how fast you get somewhere,” she teased. Brigid stood up and went over to her sister to give her a hug. “Brandon’s bringing the chairs, and it seems you have more company,” Fiona explained.
“We do?” Linc asked, standing up.
“Yep. When we were getting out of the car, Leslie and Joe were pulling up. They had a big bag with them and some other stuff,” Fiona said with a shrug. “But I couldn’t stick around, because I need to use your bathroom.”
Brigid laughed as Brandon appeared with Leslie and Joe. “Looks like you’ve got visito
rs,” he said.
“I hope we’re not intruding,” Leslie said apologetically. “We just wanted to stop by and give this to Holly.”
“No, please. Sit down,” Brigid said as she pulled out two more chairs. “Nice to meet you, I’m Brigid,” she said as she shook their hands. Everyone introduced themselves before Joe and Leslie got to the reason for their visit.
“We just couldn’t let it go,” Joe said. “Holly did such a good deed, we felt as though she should be rewarded. I hope you don’t mind,” he said.
“I understand, and I agree,” Linc said. “What she did was above and beyond. That’s for sure.”
Holly squirmed uncomfortably in her chair while Wade reached over and squeezed her hand. She looked over at him and he smiled and whispered, “It’s okay.” He knew how much she disliked the focus to be on her.
Leslie walked over to Holly and handed her a big purple gift bag with soft blue tissue paper sticking out of it. “This is for you from all of us,” she said as she sat it down at her feet.
“Thank you,” Holly said. As she began to open it, Fiona came back and pulled up a chair. Everyone watched intently as Holly opened her gift.
The first thing she pulled out was a heavy dark blue sweater jacket. “Oh, this is so soft,” Holly said, surprised. It was thick and felt as though it would be nice and warm on the upcoming cool winter nights.
“That’s gorgeous!” cried Fiona, “Let me see it.” Holly passed it over and continued to dig in the bag. Next, she pulled out a sherpa lined throw blanket. On the other side of it was a soft material that was a rich, velvety purple.
“Lucy picked that out for you,” Leslie explained. “She’s big into soft fluffy blankets and feels everyone should have one.”
“It’s beautiful,” Holly said. “Tell her I really like it. She chose a good one.” Next, she reached into the bag and pulled out a metal drinking cup that was turquoise and had silver and purple glitter at the bottom. Her name had been written in silver on the top of it.
“Hey, you got one of those cups you’ve been wanting,” Brigid said with a smile. “And it really suits you.”
Holly looked over at Joe and Leslie. “I’ve been wanting one of these for a while now. Thank you,” she said.
They both smiled at her and nodded. “You’re almost done,” Joe said. “There’s a card in the bottom.”
Holly bent over and saw the envelope. She picked it up and undid the flap. Pulling out the card, she saw a beautiful landscape on the front. As she opened the card, two one hundred-dollar bills fell out onto her lap.
“Oh my gosh,” she said in surprise. “You really shouldn’t have. Here,” she said trying to hand the money back to them. “Please take these. You don’t have to do all this. Honest, I didn’t do it for any type of reward.”
“Please, we insist,” Leslie said. “It’s the least we can do.”
Holly leaned back and put the money in her pocket. “Well, thank you so much. I’m just glad I was able to help,” she explained.
“Which is why you deserve it. We’re going to go speak with Ana’s parents tomorrow morning, and we fully intend to let them know how much we all owe you. Leslie and I just wanted you to know that your good deed is deeply appreciated, and we hope you continue to help others out like you did us. You truly made an impact on our family and changed it for the better. We had no idea any of this was going on,” Joe explained.
“I’m just happy it worked out and someone was helped,” Holly said. “All I wanted was to make sure whoever was in trouble got the help they needed.”
“Then it seems like you accomplished what you set out to do,” Linc said. “Now, why don’t we all have some s’mores? Leslie and Joe, please join us.”
Everyone started looking for sticks to roast their marshmallows on while Linc got out the chocolate bars and graham crackers. They talked and laughed while they enjoyed their sweet treats.
“Oh! That reminds me,” Fiona said as she raised her hands in the air. “We have news, too.” She licked her fingers before picking up her purse. “We had an appointment at the doctor’s office today. They asked us if we wanted to know the baby’s gender,” she said as she pulled out a yellow envelope. “We told them we weren’t sure, so they put the results in this envelope.”
“Have you looked at them yet?” Brigid asked.
Brandon shook his head. “Not yet. We thought if we decided to, we’d do it with all of you,” he explained.
“Well, are you going to look at it?” Linc asked.
“Honestly, we aren’t sure,” Fiona said. “Part of us would kind of like to know, but since we don’t know if we’ll get to do this again, part of us wants to be surprised.” Fiona passed the envelope to Linc who held it up to the light of the fire as if he were trying to see what was inside.
“What do you really want, deep down?” Leslie asked.
Brandon and Fiona looked at each other. They seemed to communicate through their looks before Fiona finally said, “I don’t think we want to know.”
“Are you sure?” Linc asked.
Fiona and Brandon exchanged another look before Fiona said, “Yeah, I’m sure, but I’m afraid I’m going to cave in and sneak a look.”
“Well, I know a way to ensure you don’t peek,” Linc said as he turned the envelope over in his fingers.
“How?” Fiona asked.
“Are you truly sure you don’t want to know?” he asked.
“Positive,” Fiona said. “I just need to get rid of that envelope, so I’m not tempted.”
“Okay then,” Linc said right before he tossed the envelope in the fire. Everyone gasped and looked over toward Fiona who was watching with her mouth open as the paper went up in flames.
She sat there in stunned silence before she finally said, “Whew, thanks Linc. That’s one less thing I have to think about.” The relief that was written all over her face showed how much she’d been worrying about whether or not they should look in the envelope.
Everyone laughed as the tension dissipated. Holly looked around the fire pit and smiled. She wondered how she’d ever gotten so lucky to have this family. She had a feeling this wasn’t the last she’d see of Joe and Leslie. She and Wade were doing better than ever, and she was finally starting to feel as if she belonged with Brigid, Linc, Fiona, and Brandon. They may not have been the family she was born into, but they were her family nonetheless.
EPILOGUE
“Thank you so much for coming,” Leslie said as she opened the door for Holly.
Holly stepped inside the house and smiled. “It’s no trouble. After all, tutoring is something I seem to be good at.”
“I hope you can help Lucy. We talked after the whole pill situation, and Joe and I thought you would be the perfect person to help her. She’s struggling in a few subjects, but she really is a smart girl,” Leslie explained. “Follow me, I’ll take you to her.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Holly said as she followed Leslie. She led her to the dining room where Lucy had all of her books and papers spread out on the table.
“Hi, Holly,” Lucy said with a small smile. “I hope I’m not too dumb for you to help.”
“I doubt that,” Holly said as she took a seat next to her. “I haven’t tutored anyone yet who was a lost cause. I highly doubt that you’re going to be the first,” she explained.
“If you girls need anything, let me know,” Leslie said before ducking out of the room.
“Was your friend Ana mad at you?” Holly asked as she unzipped her backpack.
“Not really,” Lucy said. “I mean, she was at first, but when everything calmed down, she got over it. Which is good, because she’s my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do if she wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”
“That would be pretty tough,” Holly agreed. “But most of the time if you just give someone a little space to think about things, they calm down. I’m sure she realized that your family wasn’t doing something just to get her in trouble.”
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br /> “Right, I just wanted to tell the truth,” she said nodding.
“It’s always so much better to tell the truth and have someone mad for a little while than it is to lie and make things worse. Then you have to remember the lies you’ve told, and that can be a real problem,” Holly pointed out. “I’m glad you did the right thing.”
“Me too,” Lucy said.
“Hey dork,” Amber said as she came into the room. “Looks like Holly’s here to save your butt again,” she said teasing her little sister.
Lucy stuck her tongue out at her sister, and the girls laughed.
“I’m not going to save your butt, Lucy. You’re going to save yourself. I’m just going to show you how to do it,” Holly said.
“Yeah, so take that, Amber,” Lucy said defiantly.
“As much fun as it is to pick on the little dweeb, that’s not why I came in here,” Amber said as she turned to Holly. “I came in to ask you if you wanted to come to my pool party this weekend. It’s my birthday, and I’m going to have a few friends over. I thought you might like to come.”
“That’d be great!’ Holly said surprised. “But are you sure you want me there?”
“Yes, I do,” Amber said. “I know I was cruel to you before, but I get it now. You’re probably one of the most honest people I know. I need more people like that in my life. I’m not always known for making the best choices. I thought that maybe if I started hanging around people who did, they might rub off on me,” she said with a shy look.
“I’m not always that great,” Holly confessed. “I mess up too.”
“Yeah, but you know how to make it right,” Amber pointed out. “And that’s the important part.”
Holly shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. Or maybe I need to learn to live a little once in a while.”
“Well, I bet I can help you with that part. Between the two of us, maybe we can balance each other out,” she suggested.
Holly Lewis Mystery series Box Set Page 25
