Holly and Ivy

by Fern Michaels

  Holly cowered in the backseat like a frightened animal. “Yes.”

  He drove slowly because he wanted to talk to her. “You will not go to Miss Carol’s or Roxie’s, is that understood?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Is that all you have to say?” He was very angry.

  “Yes,” she said again, only this time she added just a tinge of snottiness to her one-word answer.

  “That woman probably thought you were crazy, or, at the very least, thinks I’m crazy, a rotten father. Don’t you ever think before you act?” He held his right hand in the air and kept his left hand tightly on the steering wheel. “Of course you don’t, or I wouldn’t have to hunt you down like some wild-ass animal.”

  “I’m not an animal! But you treat me like one!” Holly shouted. Since she was in trouble, she might as well make the most of it.

  “What did you say?” Daniel Greenwood asked in a low, menacing tone.

  “You said I acted like an animal, and I said you treat me like one, all caged up! I cannot believe how mean you are! I wish you had died instead of Mom!” Holly screamed as loudly as she could. And then she began to cry loudly, and she did not care. At that moment, she hated her dad with all of her heart and soul, and he probably hated her, too.

  Daniel took a calming breath. He wanted to teach her a lesson, but this was not the right way. It was never the right way with this kid. “As soon as you get home, I want you to shower and go to bed. I do not want to hear the slightest sound out of you. Do you understand that, Holly? You’re almost twelve years old, and I think it’s time you grew up a bit. Tomorrow you will spend the entire day studying your math.”

  In the backseat, Holly continued to cry, but she nodded that she had understood him. It was times like this that he almost hated Laura for leaving him behind with this responsibility.

  As soon as he pulled into the driveway, he’d barely come to a complete stop before Holly jumped out of the car. She raced in through the front door, which he’d left unlocked. Careless, but there was not much crime in Pine City. Still, he should have known better. He pulled his truck into the garage.

  Inside, he could hear the shower running in Holly’s bathroom. At least she was following his orders. Not sure how long that would last, he grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and headed for his den. He’d spent the day going over a new set of plans for the second phase of the new condos that were scheduled for groundbreaking next spring. While his part would not happen until the building was almost complete, the design, ordering, and general planning on such a large scale took time. They were calling the new condos The Bright Side. He liked it, and it made sense, given that most of the residents were at least fifty-five. He had his eye on a condo, but he did not meet the age requirement yet. He liked The Upside, liked the people he worked with, and was happiest when he was working. Home was totally different.

  Every day, Holly looked more and more like her mother. She was thin like Laura. Her gold hair hung down to her waist, just like her mother’s had. She was a good kid, and he knew he was hard on her, but he had his reasons. When she was older, she would thank him, he had convinced himself. For now, he’d be lucky if she even spoke to him.

  Did she really wish he’d died instead of her mother? He knew she was upset and did not really mean that, but it hurt to think that she even had the thought. He knew he’d been harsh with her, but it’s what fathers do. How else would she learn to get by in the world? Look what had happened to her mother. One minute she was on the brink of an exciting career; then, without warning, she died a very tragic death.

  Daniel would do everything in his power to prevent his daughter from making the same mistake. No matter how mistaken or misguided he might be, he was doing the best he could, but sometimes, he thought, it was not good enough.

  He’d allowed her to have dinner with Roxie, and she had taken advantage of not only her friends, but him, too. She had to learn that actions have consequences. He would make sure she spent the entire weekend studying. In the kitchen, where he could keep an eye on her. If left alone in her room, who knew what she would try?

  Holly was lucky the woman had been nice enough to let her use the telephone. Crime was pretty nonexistent in the area, but still, he had to teach Holly to be cautious and not take unnecessary chances. Otherwise she would end up just like her mother. In spite of what Holly thought, she was his daughter, and he truly wanted what was best for her.

  Tomorrow he’d call Miss Carol and explain whatever involvement Holly had in The Upside’s annual Christmas musical was not going to happen. She was a kid, she could sing pretty well, but he felt sure they would find some other talent to take its place. Holly knew how he felt about Christmas, and about music, and she had gone behind his back, anyway. He really should ground her for the remainder of the school year. He could keep an eye on her then. She could read and watch TV and study her math. He wanted straight A’s next semester, would accept nothing less.

  As soon as he heard her turn off the water, he tossed back the rest of his beer and turned the lights out. He would stop by her room before she went to sleep.

  * * *

  He saw the light beneath her door and knocked. He waited for her reply, but did not get one. “Holly?” he asked, and tapped on the door again.

  “Come in.”

  He pushed the door aside and saw she was curled up in the fetal position on her twin bed, her back to the wall. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. She rolled over so that her back faced him.

  “Holly, turn around and look at me when I speak to you.” He took a deep breath. He was tired and did not feel like playing games.

  “Holly,” he said again, this time in his sternest voice.

  She rolled over, but refused to look at him.

  Daniel sat down on the edge of her bed. She pulled her knees closer to her chest. “I’m not going to hurt you, so stop acting like this.” He pointed to the way she was curled up and shoved against the wall, so she was as far away from him as she could get without actually leaving the room.

  She sighed, but didn’t say anything. He could not force her to talk, but he could force her to listen. “Look at me when I speak to you,” he said again.

  Holly opened her eyes, and he saw they were brimming with tears.

  “You cannot go behind my back and do whatever you want. Do you get that?”

  She nodded.

  “Then explain tonight. I was humiliated going to a stranger’s house to find you there, acting like I was the bad guy. I allowed you to miss the study time I’d mandated the night before. I know you like to hang out with Roxie and Kayla, and I gave you permission to stay for pizza and to study. Jen Pellegrino was worried sick when she could not find you. Not only are you in trouble, but your friends are grounded, too. Do you get what I’m saying?”

  He was frustrated. She stared right through him, and he was not sure if even a single word was getting through to her. “Answer me, Holly.”

  She pushed herself into a sitting position, pulling the blankets up to her chin. “Yes, I get it. I am not stupid, like you think. I am sorry, okay?”

  Daniel shook his head and stood up. “I’m responsible for you, Holly. You have to follow the rules. Life is full of rules, and if you are not taught when you’re young, you’ll never amount to a hill of beans. It’s important that you do exactly as I say. Do you think you can follow the rules? Do I have to hire a babysitter to stay with you when I’m gone?”

  “I would love a babysitter. At least I’d have someone to talk to. Living in a house with only you is like living in a house with no one else. Dad.”

  “I can arrange it, if that is what you want.”

  “Do whatever you want, I don’t care anymore. You don’t care what I want, so why should I bother to care what you want?” Holly said, her voice thick with unshed tears.

  “You had better get some sleep. Study time comes early,” Daniel said as he stood up and stretched.

  “Tomorrow is Sa
turday.”

  “I’m quite aware of that. Now get some rest. I’ll see you first thing in the morning. Set your alarm just like it’s a school day.” And on that note, totally oblivious to the effect his bullheadedness was having on his daughter, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  He felt like the meanest man alive, and he was sure Holly thought he was, too. But she was all he had. If something happened to her, he would simply go mad.

  Chapter 16

  Ivy could not get the image out of her mind of Holly following her father to his truck. She had given up on the soothing tea and made a pot of strong coffee. She was sure he was the same man she had seen at the cemetery this morning. Why he was there, she could only guess; most likely, he was employed there, given the way he was dressed.

  She had never seen him in any of the shops downtown, but that did not mean a thing. He might work in Asheville, for all she knew. She had been out of the social scene for eight years, so who knew? She tried to remember if Holly had given her last name, or if the father had, but if either did, she could not recall what it was. If she had a last name, she could do a local Google search. She could call Rebecca, but it was already too late, as Thomas and Jacob were in elementary school. Thomas was in fifth grade, the same grade Holly was in. Maybe tomorrow she would poke around, see what she could find out about the girl.

  The girl had been so sweet, but she had also been frightened. Was she afraid of her father? If Ivy gave it her best guess, she would say that she was, but she did not want to jump to conclusions. Kids at that age were very emotional and just beginning to mature, and it was especially tough for girls. She knew, as she had been a handful herself when she had not gotten her way. She smiled, remembering how her father would always talk with her, and he would discuss her punishment and why he had to do what he did. He’d never laid a hand on her, but she had been grounded more than once, and had had her car taken away the summer before her senior year for sneaking to Orlando, Florida, with a group of friends. She had very much deserved to have her car taken away.

  Years later, she told her dad how bad she had felt sneaking off and causing him to worry, but she had had too much fun to care at the time. A lesson learned, she thought. She had been seventeen years old. At eleven, she could not imagine not being close with her father, and her mother, too, when she was alive. Holly said she was very young when her mother died. She spoke very casually about her, as though she were simply an acquaintance from the past.

  Ivy had her own issues, and getting involved in someone else’s problems was not her style. Still, she could not help but feel bad for Holly. She was an exceptionally beautiful young girl, and Ivy wondered what Elizabeth would have looked like if she had lived. Tears filled her eyes, and she let them fall. For the first time since the accident, she felt that her tears were cleansing, as though this was a final cycle to cleanse the last bit of sadness from her soul.

  Her dad was right, as usual. She needed to start living again. While her heart would be forever broken for the family she loved and lost, she knew that if she was to have any kind of future, she would have to do a complete about-face.

  Today had been a sad day, a very sad day, but it was also a good start. She had had that one drink, tossed all the booze down the drain, and deleted the Saucey app from her phone and her computer. Pathetic, but necessary at the time. And she would have to struggle to keep a positive attitude, but she would give it her best shot. When she put her heart and soul into something, she did not back down. Prior to the accident, she had never been a quitter. And she did not intend to go back to the way she had been the last eight years.

  Was she finished grieving for her family? Never! Could she begin to move forward? Yes, but one step at a time. She would start by visiting her father tomorrow. He’d been through hell and back, too, first losing his wife after a long illness, then having his two grandchildren snatched away in the blink of an eye; yet she had only thought of her loss and how badly she was hurting. It was time to take her father’s advice and start living again. It might not be pretty at times, she was willing to accept that, but she would try nonetheless.

  For John, for Elizabeth, and for James.

  Chapter 17

  “Tell me you’re joking?” Carol said. She usually did not talk on her cell phone when she was driving, but this news was so stunning, she had made an exception to her own rule. “Why in the world would you keep this a secret?”

  Carol Bishop and Maxine Hammond had been best friends for the past few years. Both widows, and both having had careers in the field of music, they’d hit it off instantly when they’d met at an association meeting right after they’d bought their homes at The Upside.

  “I wanted it to be a surprise, but if her father isn’t going to allow her to sing, what’s the point?” Maxine asked. “Paul is doing this as a personal favor, you know?”

  Carol rolled her eyes. Every male in the world either owed Maxine a favor or wanted a favor. “Of course, and it will be worth his time, we both know that,” Carol said. “I think she’s much better than Jackie Evancho, don’t you?”

  “Absolutely. And a nice girl, to boot. I would hate to see her become a success and have it ruin her as it has so many young people. Elvis, for one. I still can’t believe he’s gone. Every time I visit Graceland, I expect him to be lurking around a corner.”

  Carol chuckled into the phone. “I’d advise you to keep those thoughts to yourself before someone thinks you’re a candidate for the loony bin.”

  “You know what a fan I am. I saw him three times in concert. To this day, I have never heard anyone who can top him,” Maxine crooned, her love for the dead icon more than obvious.

  “There is always someone better out there. It’s not like it used to be. There are a lot of opportunities for singers now. America’s Got Talent. The Voice. I bet if Elvis had a chance like that, we would have heard him belting his songs out a lot sooner. I’m driving now, so I need to pay attention. I’ll make a few phone calls when I get home. Do not cancel Paul . . . just yet.”

  “I won’t, but work fast—will you?—as you know how busy he is,” Maxine added. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

  Carol ended the call and focused on her driving. She wasn’t all that fond of driving, let alone talking on the phone while she did so. Too dangerous, especially in the mountains, but fortunately, she was not on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

  Ten minutes later, she drove through the gatehouse and waved at the attendant. She weaved around three roundabouts before turning onto her street. As soon as she parked her car, she hurried inside. She had to find out exactly why Daniel was not going to let Holly participate in the musical this year. She had thought something was off yesterday when Holly showed up, warmed up, then seemed in such a hurry to leave. While she could not force Daniel to let his daughter perform, she could at least give it a try.

  In the kitchen, she found her address book and looked up his phone number. She dialed his number and crossed her fingers. After the sixth ring, she hung up. It was Saturday. Maybe he and Holly were running errands. Whatever the case, she would continue to try to get him on the phone. To her way of thinking, this business with Holly was too important just to ignore. The girl had a phenomenal talent, one that had to be nurtured. And Holly simply loved to sing. To take away her singing would be like cutting off an arm or a leg.

  If asked, Carol would guess that Daniel thought Holly was too young to expose her talent just yet. Maybe he wanted to wait until she was older. What a talent the world would miss if he did not allow Holly to use and develop her gift.

  But he was her father, and Carol respected that. If he felt Holly was not ready, then maybe next year or the year after. However, having Paul Larson in the audience was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  Maxine was right. He wouldn’t bother if it were a waste of time. Carol suspected Maxine and Paul had been an item back in the day, and this was the main reason he was traveling all the way from New
York City. Maybe there was a rekindling romance in the air? Maxine usually told her these things. Maxine was still quite a looker, with her shiny red hair and green eyes. She still had the figure of a forty-year-old, too. Possibly Helen or Barbara would know. Quickly she dialed Helen’s number.

  Helen picked up on the first ring.

  “It’s me, listen. I have a question and do not interrupt me.” Carol did not bother with a hello. They were way past that now.

  “All right,” Helen said. “Shoot.”

  “Has Maxine mentioned anything about a boyfriend? We all know she’s always on the hunt, but she usually tells us.”

  “Not one word. Why?” Helen asked. “Do you have someone in mind? Remember, she is not the only one available.”

  Carol laughed into the phone. In their seventies, and all widowed, they were still looking for the perfect man. In fact, all four of them—herself, Maxine, Helen, and Barbara—were known throughout their gated community as The Matchmakers. They just had not found the perfect men for themselves.

  “How could I possibly forget? It’s all we’ve talked about lately,” Carol said. “She’s invited a friend from New York to the Christmas musical. I was just curious, given that it is a male friend.”

  “Not a word to me, but if she even hints at the possibility, I’ll let you know. After that, we can grill her over lunch. I think it’s my turn to host this week,” Helen said.

  * * *

  Every week, they had lunch on Wednesday. For the first year after they’d met, they’d gone to all the local eateries, usually one of the three restaurants at The Upside, but sometimes they would all travel to Asheville, but none of them cared for the drive. When Helen suggested they take turns hosting their luncheons, they’d all jumped at the idea. And they’d made it fun. Each week, they would pick a theme out of the box they used to collect suggestions in, and whoever’s turn it was that week would draw a suggestion from the box and start working. And they went the full Monty, too. Not only were their luncheons’ food themed, they were also decorated to fit the theme, and at the end of each month, they would vote on who did the best job, and that lucky person got to skip a week if they chose to do so. So far, none of them had ever skipped her turn. It was fun, and it gave them all something to look forward to in the middle of the week, when a lot of the planned activities at The Upside were ones they chose not to participate in. There were many to choose from: rumba classes, aerobics, and yoga. They’d tried the aroma-therapy class, and all agreed it gave them a headache. There was also Latin dancing the first Saturday of the month, which they all attended because The Silver Foxes, a group of single men, also attended, and all were excellent dancers. They were all friends, but nothing had happened in the romance department.