Holly's Heart Collection Two

by Beverly Lewis

  Chapter 17

  I did myself a favor and didn’t check on Andie before I went to bed, even though I was very curious. I figured what I didn’t know wouldn’t hurt as much. Besides, if she’d gone to meet Rico, there was only one thing I could do, down on my knees!

  In my prayer, I didn’t want to include a P. S. to God about Sean Hamilton, though. I was torn between feeling betrayed and knowing inside that Sean was probably the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  He certainly wasn’t an immature, obnoxious flirt like Jared Wilkins. And I couldn’t imagine him ever acting spoiled or using Scripture to get his own way like Danny Myers.

  There was one problem, though. A thousand miles separated Sean’s home from mine. Long-distance romances were for the birds, and once I got back to Dressel Hills this fact would hit me for sure. I didn’t have to pray about something so foolish. Sean Hamilton, like it or not, would just have to stick with my original decision.

  I was starting to doze off when I thought of Andie again. What if she hadn’t gone out to the beach with Rico? What if she was actually sound asleep in her room?

  Tired but inquisitive, I hurried to check. The moonlight played on the floor near her bed and for a minute, I thought she was curled up there. Maybe praying?

  A closer look told the truth. Andie was not in her room as I’d hoped. Now I wished I’d stayed in bed. Troubled, I pulled back her covers and lay down, resting my head on her pillow. I stared at the lighthouse painting on the wall across the room.

  “Dear Lord,” I whispered into the darkness, “I can’t handle this thing with Andie. It’s just too heavy.”

  My tears rolled onto her pillow. “Please watch over my friend, wherever she is right now. If she’s in trouble, will you help her? I’m glad you always stay awake and never have to sleep, because I’m too exhausted to wait up all night, even though I wish I could. Good night, Lord, and thanks. Amen.”

  A peace settled over me, and I fell asleep in Andie’s bed.

  The next morning when I awakened, I looked around. No sign of Andie. Then, going to my room, I found her snuggled down in my bed, mouth hanging open in a perfectly relaxed state. Okay, I thought, relieved. She’s back, safe and sound.

  After a quick shower, I had breakfast with Daddy and Saundra while Andie and Tyler slept in. Daddy seemed to be in a big hurry to leave for the office.

  “It’s Saturday, Daddy. Can’t you stay home?” I pleaded.

  “Someone’s got to work,” he said, reminding me that he’d taken off yesterday.

  “What’s wrong with two days off in a row?” I asked.

  “All play and no work makes for a lousy retirement,” he teased. When he finished his granola and grapefruit, Daddy made a beeline down the hall.

  Saundra shook her head. “What will it take to slow that man down?”

  “Well, it looks like you can’t make him, and I sure can’t….” I buttered my toast, wondering what those lab tests had shown. Surely they weren’t anything to worry about, or else Daddy’s doctor would have ordered bed rest or something else drastic.

  Saundra began to clear the table while I was still eating, but suddenly she sat down. “Have you given that perm any more thought?” she asked.

  “A little.” I reached for the strawberry jam.

  “Well, I have plenty of time today. If you’d like, I could drive you over to Marcie’s. Afterward, we could pick up some sandwiches and have a picnic on the beach.”

  I twirled the perm thing around in my brain. If it turned out fabulous like the girl at Universal Studios, I’d be going home looking like a zillion bucks. “Let me think about it some more, okay?”

  “Oh, sure,” Saundra said. “We’ve got all next week.”

  Daddy hustled through the kitchen carrying his black leather briefcase. I hurried to catch up with him. “Wait a minute,” I called. He turned around and let me kiss him good-bye. “I love you,” I said. “Hurry home.”

  “You’re a darling girl, Holly. I’ll see you tonight.”

  A few minutes later, Tyler clumped into the kitchen looking like something the cat dragged in. “What’s for breakfast?” he asked, his auburn hair sticking out all over.

  “You’re a little late, dear,” Saundra said. “But…what would you like?”

  He pulled out a chair and fell into it with a thud. “I could go for some waffles,” he said, yawning.

  Saundra had just cleaned up her now-spotless kitchen and put everything away, and here was Tyler requesting a full-blown breakfast. I wondered how his mom would react to the request.

  “Waffles or French toast?” she asked.

  His reply was, “Waffles, with a side of scrambled eggs.”

  This was so unbelievable. Saundra instantly set to work creating a made-to-order breakfast. She glanced at me from the counter where she was measuring the waffle mix. “What about Andie? Do you think she’d like something to eat?”

  “I’ll check.” I dashed to the stairs to see if Andie was still in her former zombie state.

  When I got downstairs, I looked for Andie in my room. She’d already made my bed and picked up her clothes. I figured she was back in her own room, so I hurried to the door and knocked. “Andie, you up?”

  “Come in,” she said. Her voice sounded muddled, like she’d been crying.

  I went in and closed the door behind me. “Are you okay?”

  She sat on her unmade bed, her arms crisscrossed in front of her. “Not really.” She sighed. “It’s just…” Her voice trailed off.

  “What’s wrong?” I sat at the foot of the huge bed, facing her. That’s when I noticed she was trembling.

  She pulled the covers around her. “Oh, Holly.”

  I rushed to her side.

  She could hardly talk for the tears. “It’s…it’s Rico. And…you were right.”

  “Shh,” I said, stroking her back. “Just relax.” But deep inside I was starting to suspect what I might be right about.

  “Rico…uh, we…” She coughed, still crying. “I went to his beach party last night. After his band played awhile, he said he wanted to talk to me. Somewhere private.”

  Yikes, such bad news.

  I tried to listen, eager to help her through whatever seemed to be upsetting her. “What happened?”

  She sniffled and reached for a tissue. “We were walking down the beach, holding hands, when he started kissing me.”

  “You actually let him?”

  She nodded slowly, watching me, testing to see if I was going to totally freak out or keep listening. I opted to listen because it was obvious Andie needed a friend.

  She started talking again. “His breath smelled like beer. I pulled away, but he wanted me to sit on the beach with him.”

  “What did you do?”

  “His speech was slurred. I should’ve known better than to be alone with him.”

  “You’re saying he was drunk? Oh, Andie.”

  She nodded. “I was so scared. I pushed him away and said that you were expecting me here. Then I ran home as fast as I could.”

  “Let me get you more tissues,” I said, worried sick about her.

  Andie blew her nose, taking deep breaths. “You knew all along, Holly. Rico was no good.” She shivered.

  I put my arm around her, and she leaned her head on my shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Uh-huh,” she whispered. “Nothing worse happened.”

  “Thank goodness,” I said, realizing how risky the whole situation had been. “I was praying for you late last night.”

  “In my bed?” She blinked her big brown eyes, smiling. “You’re a wonderful friend, Holly, and I promise I won’t make you cover for me ever again.”

  “That’s good, because I was running out of lies. Actually, I hated the deceit,” I confessed. “And I wish I had confided in your mom about all this.”

  She nodded. “I know how you must’ve felt, Holly. It was my fault you didn’t…. I made you promise, remember?” She flung her arms
around me.

  After a quiet moment, I began to pray. “Dear Lord, thanks so much for protecting Andie. Forgive us both for our faithless words, and help us remember this very hard lesson. Amen.”

  After the prayer, I tried not to think what might’ve happened to her out there—if God hadn’t answered my prayers.

  “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “You’re not the only one,” she said, smiling through her tears.

  I heard Saundra calling, announcing brunch.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Do you want some waffles?”

  “Sounds good.” She hopped off the bed. Together we went upstairs, my friend and I, both equally thankful for the end to the Rico nightmare.

  LITTLE WHITE LIES

  Chapter 18

  Andie was pouring syrup over her second waffle when the phone rang. Tyler leaped out of his chair, fully awake now, and grabbed the phone. When he’d said “Hello,” he listened for a moment, then said, “For you, Mom.”

  “I wonder who that could be,” Saundra said, making her way across the spacious kitchen.

  I sat at the table, watching Tyler and Andie chow down, tuning out Saundra’s conversation. But suddenly I realized her voice sounded strained. Really tense. And when I looked at her, I noticed that her face had turned chalk white.

  She was clutching the phone with both hands. “Yes, yes…oh dear, this can’t be. I’ll come right away. Yes, I’ll meet you there.”

  Hands trembling, Saundra hung up the phone. “Your father collapsed at work,” she told me. “He’s being rushed to the hospital.

  I gasped. “Is it his heart?”

  Tyler held his fork in midair, staring up at his mother.

  She said no more but headed down the hallway. I followed at her heels, right into her luxurious bedroom. “I want to go with you, Saundra,” I stated.

  “I need you to stay with Tyler, dear.”

  “What about Andie? Let her stay with him.”

  She shook her head. “No, no, it’ll work out much better if you’re here.” And she literally shooed me out of her way.

  “Please don’t do this,” I cried outside her door. “Please, Saundra, he’s my father.”

  My emotions went crazy—anger and terror mixed together. Anger at Saundra for shutting me out, and absolute, total fright for Daddy and his condition.

  How could she do this? How could she make me stay home while Daddy was probably having a heart attack…possibly dying. What a wicked stepmother!

  I sobbed, replaying his words to me this morning. You’re a darling girl, Holly…I’ll see you tonight. What if those were his last words to me? What if I never saw Daddy alive again?

  I choked back the tears. Back in the kitchen, Tyler was staring at his half-empty plate. “Somebody better pray,” he said, sniffling.

  “Let’s go into the living room,” I said, leading the way. Tyler and Andie followed. It was Andie who offered to pray for Daddy, and I knew she did it out of love for me. Her prayer was a powerful one, and it took some of the sting away.

  Just as she said “Amen,” Saundra flew through the house, grabbing up a sweater from the closet in the entryway. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

  “The second you know?” I pleaded.

  “Yes, dear,” she said.

  So, I had Saundra’s word on it. Not nearly as good as being there myself, but it would have to do. Saundra was stubborn sometimes, and since I was a guest in her house, I couldn’t actually throw a fit about it, could I?

  The three of us stood in front of the window watching Saundra’s white sports car back out of the driveway. I glanced down at Tyler. Big tears rolled down his cheeks. “I hope Daddy doesn’t die,” he sobbed. “He’s the only real father I ever had.”

  Kneeling down, I threw my arms around him and drew him near. “I know,” I said, trying to swallow the huge lump in my throat. “I know.”

  It seemed important for me to be strong for him, letting his fears, and his tears, pour onto my shoulder.

  Conscious of the passage of time, I felt the air going in and out of my nose, the pounding of my pulse—I was aware of Tyler’s little body heaving against mine. And of something else.

  Andie. She wrapped her arms around both Tyler and me. It was the dearest thing she could’ve done.

  When the phone rang, I was the first to break up our huddle. I dashed to the kitchen. “Hello?”

  “Holly, I just heard the news.” It was Sean. “My older brother works with your dad. He just called. Are you all right?”

  I couldn’t speak. Hearing Sean talk about Daddy and what had just happened made me want to cry.

  “Holly?”

  “It’s just…so…”

  “I’m praying,” he said in a whisper. “We all are.”

  I didn’t know who “we” meant, but I figured his family was. “Thanks,” I squeaked out.

  “Anything I can do?” he asked gently.

  “Yes…there is. Can you hold on a second?”

  I covered the phone and called to Tyler, “Will your mom freak out if I show up at the hospital after all?”

  “She’ll get over it,” he said. “She wasn’t thinking clearly, that’s all.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Andie piped up. “You go, Holly. I’ll stay here with Tyler.” Her eyes were serious, almost sad.

  I turned back toward the phone. “Sean? I was wondering, would you mind driving me to see my dad? At the hospital?”

  “Unfortunately I’m not old enough to drive passengers yet, but I’ll get a cab and ride with you. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, max.”

  “Thanks.” He said good-bye, and I hung up.

  I leaned against the kitchen wall, hoping and praying Daddy was going to be all right. Then, remembering what Saundra had said about Daddy’s prayer list, I felt compelled to locate his Bible. Hurrying to their room, I found it lying on the lamp table beside the bed.

  Reverently, I turned to the back pages. There, I found his prayer list. Tears clouded my vision and I struggled to see through the blur. Saundra’s name was number one!

  I thought of the many years I’d prayed for Daddy’s salvation. And God had answered. Now, Daddy’s desire was to see his wife come to know Jesus, too.

  I decided to leave his Bible here at home where it belonged…where he belonged.

  When Sean arrived, he came to the front door and rang the bell. He was wearing beige khakis and a light blue shirt. His warm smile comforted me.

  Sean waited for me to say good-bye to Tyler and Andie. “I’ll call the minute I know something,” I promised.

  Tyler stood on tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “Tell Dad I’m praying for him.”

  Thrilled to hear these words, I hugged my stepbrother. “You better believe I will.”

  Outside, Sean opened the taxi’s back door for me before hurrying around to get in on the other side.

  We rode in silence for a while. Then, looking concerned, Sean asked if Saundra had told me about Daddy’s condition.

  “Apparently he had a small attack about a year and a half ago. She didn’t say much more.”

  He nodded. “How did Saundra take the news about your dad…today?”

  “Frazzled, like she didn’t know what to do first,” I said, remembering how she’d hurried to her bedroom and then out to the closet to get her sweater and purse. “She’s probably in denial.”

  “We need to pray for her,” he said quietly.

  “Sometimes things like this pull people toward Christ,” I said, remembering how Daddy had reacted to his sister’s death.

  “And your dad has several prayer partners who are remembering Saundra right now.”

  I looked over at him. “Are you one of them?”

  His face lit up. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  “I have to be honest with you,” I said hesitantly. “When I first met Saundra, I couldn’t stand her. She really bugged me. Everything at the house—her clothes, the way she t
alked—had to be perfect. But since then, I’ve discovered another side to her. She’s so caring, she’d give you the shoes off her feet, I think. Not that she doesn’t have a zillion pairs.”

  He laughed at that.

  “You know what I mean,” I said.

  We went for several miles without talking. But the closer we got to the hospital, the more I realized the seriousness of Daddy’s situation.

  Childhood memories began to flood back. Especially the times when Carrie and I were little. Daddy would read to us on Sunday afternoons. We’d snuggle into a big comfortable chair together in his upstairs study while he read the old classics aloud. Books like Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. To our delight, he would change his voice to match each character.

  And there were those still, magical nights in deep summer when Daddy and I sang in harmony on the porch swing late into the night. Dear memories, never to be forgotten. How I loved my father. I loved him in spite of his leaving us. In spite of the divorce.

  Quickly, I reached for my purse and pulled out a tissue, staring out my window. But Sean had seen the tears, and against my will my eyes filled to the brim.

  “Hey, are you okay?” he asked tenderly.

  I tried to reassure him, forcing a weak smile. “It’s so scary to think that Daddy might…”

  Sean reached over and took my hand, not saying more. His hand enveloped mine, and despite the fact that he’d asked me to be his girlfriend last night, I knew this gesture was meant to be purely comforting, nothing more.

  We rode in silence as I composed myself, and a short time later the hospital came into view. The driver let us out at the main entrance. Inside, Sean asked for directions to the cardiac unit, and after a quick elevator ride, we arrived on the fourth floor. The smell of antiseptic was strong as the elevator door opened. I hated the thought of Daddy being here.

  I told the nurse behind the counter who I was. “My father is Robert Meredith.”

  Without blinking an eye, she said, “Come right this way.” We followed her to a private waiting area around the corner and down the hall.

  Saundra looked up with a tearstained face. “Oh, Holly…” She stood up and rushed over. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Spying Sean, she thanked him for getting a taxi for me. “I’m sorry I left you at home that way,” she said, still holding my hands. “It was just such a frightening time, I—”