“Thanks, but I’m fine. I’m just tired, I guess,” he said to her, then smiled.
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen you smile this much in a year.”
Again they all laughed, and Sarah blushed.
He had to let her know he was not interested in her, not in the way she wanted. It was hard to date with a young daughter. He did not want Holly to get attached to any of the few women he’d dated, and she did crave a woman’s attention. He’d never introduced her to them, and he wanted to keep it that way. His job was to raise her and keep her from getting hurt. Then, when she was in college or married, he’d worry about his own love life. When she spent the night with Roxie or Kayla, those were his nights to venture out as an adult man and enjoy the company of a woman. He was not dead, despite what his daughter thought.
Dead, like Laura. She had been his first true mature love, but there’d been times in their marriage that Daniel thought she was more in love with her career than with him and Holly. And this was playing a big role in the way he was raising Holly. He could not encourage a musical career in any way. It had cost him a wife and Holly a mother. He knew he was strict, but she would thank him for this when she was older, or so he told himself. Though sometimes he wondered if he was just putting a good face on his own fears and desires.
“So, Holly, how is the practicing going?” Sarah asked. “I have seen the posters everywhere, and it’s going to be the best musical yet. And I cannot believe you’re the star of the show.”
Ivy looked at Daniel.
“Holly is not the star,” he said to Sarah. “I have told her she’s way too young to get involved in the music business. She spends too much time with those women at The Upside.”
Holly’s eyes filled with tears. “Dad! You are so mean! I have to perform in the musical, I just have to. My life depends on it.” She let the tears fall, which Daniel thought unusual.
“We can discuss this when we get home. We’re here to have lunch, okay?” he said to her, knowing his voice was stern, but when it came to all the music garbage, he had to be stern.
The twangy waitress showed up, holding a tray above her head and a stand in the other. “Yummies are here,” she announced in her bright, perky voice.
She placed their plates in front of them. “You’ll love the quiche. Mama used our eggs from the hens this morning. Fresh as you can get.”
Ivy and Sarah had both ordered the spinach quiche.
“Thank you,” Sarah said politely. “I’m sure it’s delicious.”
Ivy, on the other hand, wished she had ordered a rare hamburger, but quiche seemed so ladies-who-lunch–like that she had told the waitress she would have the same as Sarah. She had never been one of “those” types, not that there was anything wrong with them. It just was not who she was. And really, she thought as she sliced into her lunch, after eight years of what she had gone through, who, exactly, was she?
Unsure, but ready to start the process of discovery, she bit into the quiche, and it was indeed excellent. She would take back that rare-hamburger thought.
“Holly, eat your sandwich, okay? Now is not the time to sulk,” Daniel said. He’d ordered a cheeseburger, medium rare, Ivy had noticed.
Sarah took a bite of her quiche. “This is fantastic. I think I have found my new favorite restaurant. How’s your cheeseburger, Daniel?”
He had a mouthful of food, so he nodded up and down, and muttered something that sounded like, “Good.”
“I didn’t know you were a singer,” Ivy said to make polite conversation.
Holly looked at her dad. “I’m not.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Holly, that’s enough. Ivy is trying to be polite to you,” Daniel admonished.
“I’m sorry, I guess this is a touchy subject,” Ivy offered, looking at Holly. The girl rolled her eyes, but directed her gaze to her father. Ivy got what she was trying to convey.
“It is. Dad hates music. Hates me singing. Hates everything,” Holly said. She took a bite of her club sandwich and sent glaring daggers at her father.
“This was a bad idea. We should have stayed home. You can’t act like this in public. If you want me to stop treating you like a little kid, you need to stop acting like one.”
All eyes went to Daniel.
He shook his head. “I did not mean that the way it came out.” He inhaled and exhaled. “She’s eleven, I realize that, much too young to begin a singing career. I want her to stay a kid as long as possible.”
“Your father means he does not want you to grow up too soon,” Sarah explained to Holly. “Am I right, Daniel?” She smiled at him, and Ivy saw she had a speck of the spinach in her front tooth.
Ivy was trying not to laugh, but she could not help herself. She bit the insides of her cheeks, but could not keep it together. “Sarah, can you come with me to the ladies’ room? Now?”
Sarah looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “Now?”
“Yes, now.”
They both got up and went to the ladies’ room. As soon as they closed the door, Ivy burst out laughing. “Sarah, you have a giant gob of spinach on your teeth. If you’re trying to impress Mr. Greenwood, you need to rinse your mouth.”
Sarah looked in the mirror. “Oh, my Gawd! How embarrassing! I don’t think I can go back out there now.” She cupped her hands under the water and sloshed it around in her mouth, spitting the offending piece of spinach into the sink.
“Yes, you can. We can’t just stay in the bathroom while they eat.”
“Of course you’re right. I just feel like an idiot. It’s obvious I like the guy.”
It was, and Ivy did not have the heart to tell her that she was sure the feelings were not reciprocated.
“Let’s finish lunch. We’ll worry about that another time” was all she could say. He might like Sarah. Who was she to say? She had been out of the romance market way too long to know what the acceptable signals were now. Maybe she would Google it tonight, just for fun. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed with guilt. She had gone almost an hour without thinking about the family she had so tragically lost.
But wasn’t that the point?
Back at the table, Ivy did her best to make conversation that was not offensive to anyone. “Daniel, how long have you worked at The Upside?”
“I have been there since the beginning.”
“Dad’s the manager,” Holly said, finally out of her bad mood.
“I’m impressed,” Ivy said.
“Yes, I have been to The Willows for dinner, and the grounds throughout are a treat to the eyes,” Sarah gushed, then turned to Ivy. “That’s one of the fine dining restaurants at The Upside.”
Ivy nodded. “Yes, I have been there a few times.” Did Sarah know that her father had built The Upside and still owned the restaurant and the other two there? She was not sure, but she did not want to say anything . . . just in case.
“Have you tried it yet, Daniel?” Ivy asked. She was curious, and she knew Sarah would relish the info.
“No, I have not had the pleasure, but I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.”
“Can you take me with you?” Holly asked. “I have never been to a fancy restaurant.” She seemed to be in a better mood, her anger toward her father forgotten for the moment.
“We can do that for your twelfth birthday if you want,” Daniel said, and he knew she would hold him to it. “I’ll make reservations as soon as we get home.”
“When is your birthday?” Ivy asked.
“It’s the crappiest day ever. It’s New Year’s Eve.”
“Holly, enough with the language,” Daniel said, but he had a slight smile when he spoke.
“The biggest party of the year,” Sarah added. “I think it’s a perfect day to have a birthday. Wherever you go, you know there’s going to be a party.”
Holly seemed to be thinking, then spoke up. “That’s true. I guess I never thought about it like that. Dad, can Roxie and Kayla go, too?”
“Sure, w
hy not?” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “We’ll have a party of our own.”
“Can Ms. Anderson come? Please, please, please.”
Ivy saw Daniel’s discomfort, but she could not help smiling.
“Absolutely,” he said. “And would you like to join us as well, Ivy? The more, the merrier, I always say.”
Ivy watched Sarah. One minute she thought she had a date, sort of, and in the next, she was deflated like a day-old party balloon.
“Oh no, I couldn’t, really.” Ivy wanted to give Sarah half a chance with Daniel.
“I insist you come along, since you were kind enough to let Holly use your phone and look after her.”
She smiled. This was not going as planned.
“That’d be a great idea. Ivy, please come with us. I want you to meet Roxie and Kayla. They’re my BFFs.”
Ivy raised her brow in question. “BFFs?”
“Where have you been? You mean you don’t know what a BFF is?” Sarah asked, apparently stunned; then she realized what she had said.
Ivy felt tears well up in her eyes. Crud, she thought. This was not the time or place, but she couldn’t help it. She used her napkin to blot her tears. “Sorry, I have been . . . out of touch for a while.” She directed her attention to Holly. “What exactly is a BFF? I would love to know.” She gave her a big smile, just to let her know she was okay with whatever it was.
“It’s best friends forever, and we have been friends since we were little kids,” Holly explained; then she asked Ivy, “Do you have a BFF?”
Ivy smiled. “I’ll let you in on a secret. Ms. Anderson and I were best friends all through high school. We had a few adventures ourselves back in the day, didn’t we?” Ivy looked to Sarah for confirmation.
Sarah blushed. “We were quite the handful, and that’s all I’m going to admit to,” she said.
Ivy smiled again. Sarah did not want to advertise their past, and she agreed. Those were their memories, and now was not the time to share them, especially with an eleven-year-old.
Chapter 22
Surprised when Daniel picked up the lunch tab, Ivy thanked him, feeling awkward and not knowing why. It was not like he hadn’t paid for Sarah’s, too. He was just being polite, she guessed, even though she had questioned his behavior earlier. It wasn’t like she had been out socially and had anyone to compare him to. She had no clue what one considered acceptable etiquette in today’s dating world. And she was not in the dating market. Definitely not. Sarah was, and as her friend, she could help her by making sure Sarah had some alone time with Daniel Greenwood.
They left the café together and walked to their cars, parked behind the restaurant. “Thanks again for lunch. It was a treat, for sure,” Ivy said to Daniel. “I’m not sure about New Year’s Eve, though.” She gave a wan smile to Holly. “I . . . Well, it’s been a long time since I have celebrated New Year’s Eve.” There was so much more to be said, and maybe she would, another time; it was tough trying to explain her life to a child, and in front of her father. “I have been somewhat of a recluse.”
“No, you are not getting out of this,” Sarah informed her. “We will all celebrate Holly’s birthday, together. You can meet her friends, and we’ll have a great time, won’t we?” Sarah said, her lovesick gaze settling on Daniel.
Ivy thought she was doing her a favor by trying to back out, but apparently she was wrong.
“Yes, please come with us, Ivy. I really would like for you to meet my friends. Right, Dad?”
Daniel shook his head and tugged at his daughter’s long ponytail. “Yes, we’d enjoy your company, along with Ms. Anderson’s, of course. I’m sure Holly and the girls will supply us with plenty of entertainment.”
Ivy tried to catch Sarah’s eye so she could give her some kind of hint or signal, but Sarah never looked her way, standing there all doe-eyed over Daniel. Really, come to think of it, it would not matter if she was there or not. The fact that it was Holly’s birthday, and she had planned to invite her friends, meant that there would not be much of a chance for Sarah to establish any kind of relationship with Daniel. If that was to happen, it would happen with or without Ivy’s help.
Remembering that she was going to try to live her life and move forward, she decided she would go to the birthday celebration. And maybe, by then, she would be able to arrange for the tab to be on the house without embarrassing Daniel. After all, it was her father’s restaurant.
It would be entertaining, to say the least. Holly was quite a little spitfire, and Ivy had already become quite fond of the girl.
“Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll go. Thanks for inviting me,” she added, realizing her social etiquette was a bit rusty. She would ask Sarah about an appropriate gift for Holly’s birthday. She would know, given the fact she spent so much time with the adorable little girl.
“We’ll both look forward to it, then. Holly has to get back home now to study, don’t you?” he asked his daughter.
Her face paled, but two bright patches of red dotted her cheeks. “I hate math. I’m sorry, Ms. Anderson. I can’t help it. I just don’t get it, and I want a tutor, but Dad won’t let me have one. He’s very adamant about that. Right?” Holly looked at her dad.
He took her hand in his. “Let’s not start, okay? We’ve had a nice lunch. I’ll let you call Roxie later. Maybe,” he told her. “But studies first.”
Holly’s face brightened. Her face was quite expressive. “Excellent!” She beamed. “Not the study part,” she added immediately. “I’ll try, Ms. Anderson, I promise.”
“I know this, and your test score shows so much improvement,” Sarah said. “I’m very pleased with Holly’s efforts. She excels in so many other areas.”
Ivy knew that Sarah had said this for Daniel’s benefit. Maybe he wouldn’t be quite so hard on his daughter. Though after witnessing them together, Ivy was sure Daniel’s parenting skills were up to par. He might be a tad too strict, but it was not her place to interfere. If Sarah suspected that Holly’s home life was anything other than having a stern father who wanted what he thought was best for his daughter, surely she would have intervened by now?
“See? I told you I was studying,” Holly confirmed.
“I know you’re trying, kiddo. Now we’d best let Ms. Anderson and Ivy get on with their day. I’m sure they have a lot to catch up on,” Daniel said. “Thanks for inviting us to join you. It’s been . . . interesting.”
Sarah gazed up at Daniel, but his attention was on Ivy, and Ivy had to admit that she was strangely flattered by his obvious interest. The past twenty-four hours had been eye-opening, to say the least, though just this thought brought on a renewed wave of guilt. She knew that would continue to happen if she were to move forward. She expected no less, as she was human. It would be tough, and she would do her very best to live life to its fullest.
The process had begun when she had answered her door last night. And there was no going back.
“Yes, we do. It’s been a very long time,” Sarah replied. “I’ll see you Monday, Holly.” She gave the little girl a hug, then held her hand out to Daniel. “I’ll see you soon?” She said this as though it were a question.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Actually, I’d like a minute of your time, if you don’t mind?”
Sarah’s perfectly peach complexion glowed with longing. “Not at all. Ivy, Holly, could you give us a minute? There’s nothing like the present,” she said cheerfully.
“Of course. Holly, would you like to go to Baubles?” Ivy asked. “It’s just down the block,” Ivy said, before she remembered that fateful day so many years ago when she had planned to shop there for Elizabeth and James. To this day, she had never been inside the unique store. Now, with her new attitude, and partly in gratitude for what Holly, unknowingly, had done for her, Ivy thought it a good place to start a new friendship with Holly, even though she was sad that she had never taken her own children there to shop.
“Really? Can I go, Dad?” she asked her father.<
br />
“Sure. Meet me back here in twenty minutes, if that’s okay with Ivy?”
“Absolutely,” Ivy confirmed.
She reached for Holly’s hand and found it to be a perfect fit in her own.
Chapter 23
The day was turning out to be way cooler than Holly had anticipated. Whatever had turned her dad into Mr. Nice Guy, she did not know, but she liked him so much more this way.
She really liked Ivy and could not wait to tell Roxie and Kayla about her. She is the bomb!
Holly was unsure why her dad had asked Ms. Anderson for a private chat, but she didn’t really care. Holly now knew that her math grade was improving; and even though she was grounded, she had made a new friend. She wanted to tell Ivy about the Christmas musical.
As they walked down Main Street, hand in hand, Holly peered inside the windows of the shops as they passed. Some had already begun decorating for Christmas, even though it wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. Weird, but she didn’t care. Maybe she would talk her dad into a real Christmas tree this year. They’d never decorated for Thanksgiving, so maybe she could push her luck and try for Christmas.
“So, was Ms. Anderson as cool as she is now when you all were in high school?” Holly asked. “She’s the best teacher I have had.”
Ivy laughed. “She was the most popular girl in school, so I suppose that would qualify as cool.”
“I think she kinda likes my dad,” Holly said as they entered Baubles.
Inside the store were a variety of unique toys, games, and items made by local artisans. Wooden puzzles, rocking horses, spinning tops, but Holly was too old for that stuff. Holly spotted a display of glittery crossbody bags and picked up an aqua-blue one, with silver sequins in the shape of a dolphin. She peered inside, then put it down and picked up a bright red hair barrette, with a matching headband. “This is pretty,” she said, and placed both items back on the display rack.
“Red is my favorite color,” Ivy told her. “What about yours?”
“Pink and purple. And I totally love anything that sparkles. So, do you think Ms. Anderson is crushing on my dad?”
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