Sarah nodded. “You’re right, but I feel an obligation to Holly. She’s a good girl, and I’m sure this note was written in a moment of anger. Otherwise, if these things were true, which I know for a fact they’re not, I would be obligated to report him to the authorities if I suspected there was any kind of abuse, verbal or emotional.”
“The least I can do is take the note to Daniel,” Ivy persisted. “That way, you won’t have to look at him. Can’t you have a conference over the phone?”
Sarah wiped the condensation from her glass with a napkin. “I can, though it’s not your responsibility. Besides, I’ll have to face him sooner or later.”
“Shouldn’t he know about this note now, rather than later?” Ivy asked again. Even if its contents were just the words of an angry little girl, he still needed to know—if anything, just so he could explain her mother’s death to Holly. And it was certainly necessary for him to do that as soon as possible. Just look at the result already of his not having done so.
“Yes, you’re right. I wish he would explain to Holly what happened to her mother. Poor child, she’s so needy right now,” Sarah said. “So if you want to take the note to Daniel, go ahead. Tell him you found it.”
“I can do that now, if you’ll give me his address,” Ivy offered.
Sarah got up and opened a couple of drawers before she found a pen and a slip of paper. She wrote down the number. “He’s likely to ground Holly until she’s a senior citizen, once he sees this. Though, with luck, this could be the opening he needs in order to tell Holly what happened to her mother. I’m so sorry that you have to go through this.”
Ivy was, too, but today was a fresh start, a new beginning, and it had been anything but dull. Since she had found the note, Ivy felt obligated to give it to Daniel, despite her mixed feelings about him. It would also give her an excuse to give Holly her gift when she arrived.
“I’ll drop it off on my way home.”
“If you insist, though I can take care of this on Monday. It’s been an eye-opening day, to say the least,” Sarah observed dryly.
“I’ll call you later,” Ivy said. She took her glass to the sink and rinsed it. Confronting Daniel and Holly could be therapeutic for her, and for Holly. She hoped it was positive for everyone involved.
“Yes, do. I’m anxious to hear Daniel’s explanation for keeping Laura’s cause of death to himself. I can’t believe Holly has not found this out on her own yet.”
“It’s not a topic easily talked about, trust me on that. He has his reasons, I’m sure, though that is not really an excuse.” Ivy thought about her words. They aptly applied to her as well. She had kept James’s and Elizabeth’s rooms locked up all these years for her own protection. Maybe Daniel Greenwood simply wanted to protect his daughter?
“It’s not, but talk with him if you can. You two have a lot in common, so maybe it will help you both,” Sarah said, forever thinking of others.
“I’ll touch base later,” Ivy said. She gave her friend a quick hug and, together, they walked to the front door.
* * *
As soon as Ivy left Sarah’s house, Ivy’s hands began to tremble. They shook more and more, the closer to Daniel’s house she got. She scanned the address again when she turned down a long drive that led to a two-story house painted a pale yellow, with dark green shutters. Though it was late fall, the grass was still a bright summer green, the shrubs were well tended, and Ivy saw tubs filled with annuals in the colors of autumn. Deep golds, browns, burgundies, and reds. Knowing Daniel’s profession, she had expected nothing less. She took the bag from Baubles, along with the note, got out of the car, and walked down a beautiful stone path leading to the front door.
She knocked lightly and waited, her heart hammering in her chest. The door opened, and Ivy smiled. Holly had answered, and she did not look like an unhappy, abused child.
“Hi, Ivy,” Holly said, and stood aside so she could open the door all the way.
“Is your dad home?” Ivy asked. She did not want to come inside, unless he was there.
“Yep, he’s in his den. He practically lives there. I’ll go get him. Come on in,” Holly said.
Ivy stood inside the entrance, surprised to see pots of greenery, vases with bright blooms placed strategically on shelves, tall topiaries flanking both sides of the entryway. From what she saw, the inside of the house was as meticulous as the outside. Then she remembered Holly telling her that Daniel folded his socks, and she could not help but smile.
“Ivy,” Daniel said, startling her.
Here goes. “I came by to give this to Holly.” She held out the paper bag. “Just a little something,” she added.
Holly, who stood beside her dad, took the bag, peered inside, and squealed with delight. “Thank you so much! I was afraid someone would buy them before Dad had a chance to. I’m going to put them on, I’ll be right back,” Holly said, then quickly gave Ivy a hug before racing down a long hallway.
“Come inside, please,” he said. “I was about to pour myself a cup of coffee.”
Ivy did not say anything as she followed him to the kitchen. Windows overlooked the lawn in back, which was as neatly manicured as the front lawn. Baskets of hanging flowers swayed in the late-afternoon breeze. Definitely not what she had expected. Daniel motioned for her to sit down. A math book and papers were spread across the tabletop. Ivy smiled.
“Holly is still studying, I take it,” she said as Daniel slid her papers and book aside and placed a cup of coffee in front of Ivy.
“She just finished. She’s all excited because I told her she could call Roxie,” Daniel explained as he took the seat across from her.
After Ivy showed him the note she found, she was sure Daniel would not be allowing Holly to use the phone, but it is what it is, and he needed to see this. “I saw how much she admired the barrette set, and bought it for her. I hope you don’t mind, but that’s not my main reason for coming over.”
“Is this about Sarah? I know you’re friends with her. She’s a supernice woman, a great teacher, but I—”
“It’s not about Sarah. It’s Holly.” She took the note from her purse and handed it to him. She watched as he read it.
His dark brows slanted in a frown. “Where did you get this?” he asked her.
“I found it on the floor at Baubles when I returned to get Holly’s gift. I thought you needed to see this.”
Daniel nodded. “I do, and thank you for coming all the way over here to give me the note.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He peered around the corner before he continued. “Of course this isn’t true. You would not be here if you thought I was some sort of . . . crazy psycho.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Ivy stated, but remained silent. She wanted to give him a chance to explain, if he chose to do so, even though this was not her problem, and he really did not owe her an explanation.
“Glad this didn’t scare you away,” he said. “It’s a bit complicated for me and Holly.”
“Why is that? I know it’s none of my business, and you can tell me to back off,” Ivy said.
“No, you’re fine. Really. I need to talk about Holly’s mother.”
“Don’t you think Holly should be part of this conversation? I know what happened, Daniel. It’s beyond horrific, but she needs to know.”
His jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. “Do you really know? One day, you’re a family, and in a matter of minutes, everything you have planned, worked for, hoped for, is crushed. You cannot begin to imagine how tough it’s been. Raising a child who wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
“Had Laura taken a different career path, she would be here now, and we would not be discussing why Holly is writing notes about her crazy home life. The details of which, in the main, are completely untrue.”
Running footsteps put a stop to her response before it began.
Holly had taken her hair out of a ponytail. Her long, golden, shimmery, and bronzed hair reached her waist; the
sparkly barrette and headband highlighted her already beautiful head of hair. “I love it!” she exclaimed, then hurried over to give Ivy a hug. “Thank you so much for this.” Holly touched the headband.
“You’re welcome. I wasn’t sure they’d still be there, so I took the liberty of purchasing them before someone else beat me to it,” Ivy said, and that was true.
“Holly, why don’t you take your books to your room, and come back and sit with us. There is something we need to talk about.”
Chapter 27
Daniel knew that this day was coming, and he dreaded it. Now he had to face the facts. Holly needed to know what had happened to Laura. His telling her she had died suddenly and in a tragic manner was true, and those words had stuck in his daughter’s mind. It was up to him to explain exactly what he’d meant when he used those words.
She had an active imagination, true. But if she really thought him to be the crazy person she described in her note, he had to dispel the idea that he was holding her captive, and Holly certainly needed to know there were consequences when accusations like those in her note were made. Fortunately for him, he knew they were not true, as did anyone who knew him at all.
“Am I in trouble?” Holly asked as soon as she returned to the kitchen.
“Have a seat,” Daniel said. “We need to have a talk.”
Holly looked at Ivy. “Now? With company?”
“Ivy is welcome to hear what I’m about to say. That is, if she wants.” Daniel looked over at Ivy.
She shrugged, opening her eyes a bit wider, but said nothing. He gave a slight nod.
Daniel took the note from his back pocket and gave it to Holly. “Ivy found this on the floor at the store.”
Holly turned red, then white, when she saw her note. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her face like two silvery rivers. “I’m sorry,” she said in a whisper.
“No, Holly, I am sorry,” Daniel said.
She looked at him, waiting for an explanation. “If I had told you the truth a long time ago, you would not be writing notes like this. It’s my fault. You know I would never hurt you in any way, right?”
Holly’s red-barretted head bobbed up and down.
“I have always wanted what’s best for you, and maybe I’m a bit too strict sometimes.” He held up his hand. “Don’t say anything. I know I am strict most of the time.” He glanced at Ivy, who waited patiently for his explanation. She looked slightly uncomfortable. This was a family matter, he knew, but for some odd reason, he needed Ivy to hear his explanation, too.
“You were so young when your mother died. You already know that. Your mother was a wonderful woman, and she loved you very much, no doubt about it, but she also loved her career.” Daniel paused, unsure if his words were coming out as they should, but he went on. “She had gone to Charlotte to audition for a Broadway musical.”
Holly’s eyes doubled in size. “What?”
“She had received a callback from a famous producer, but she had to go to Charlotte for the final audition. So she went to Charlotte.”
“And she never came back? She didn’t want me? And you just pretended she died so you wouldn’t hurt my feelings?” Holly asked, her voice high-pitched.
“No, Holly.”
“Just tell her what happened, Daniel,” Ivy suggested.
“You’re right, Ivy. Laura booked a flight to Charlotte, went on her audition, and was on the return flight home when the plane crashed.”
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Tears gushed down Ivy’s face, for she knew firsthand what Daniel had experienced.
“Oh, my God!” Holly said, breaking the ominous silence.
Daniel nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Holly asked, her face displaying myriad expressions.
“I don’t know. I suppose, in my own way, I was trying to protect you.”
“Dad, is this why you won’t let me have a computer?” Holly asked.
Ivy gave him a little half smile.
“No.”
“So what did she do? Was she an actress?” Holly asked, her curiosity aroused.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Your mother was a singer. She had a beautiful voice.”
Holly’s jaw literally fell open. She stared at him, but she did not say a word.
“I need to go,” Ivy said. “I told my father I’d stop over.” She stood to leave, and Daniel touched her arm. “Thanks, Ivy, for, you know”—he looked at the note—“bringing this to my attention. And for thinking of Holly. It means a lot. To both of us.”
“It does?” Holly asked in typical eleven-year-old fashion.
Ivy laughed, and so did he. He had not felt much genuine laughter in a very, very long time. He liked the way it made him feel. He liked the way his daughter looked at him when he laughed. And he liked the way he felt when Ivy was near him.
“Yes, it does,” he finally answered, never taking his eyes from Ivy. “More than you know.”
“Oh,” Holly said, smiling. “So how did it happen?” His daughter’s question brought the past back full force, putting a halt to any thoughts he currently had of asking Ivy to stay for dinner.
“I really do need to go,” Ivy said. “Holly, I’ll look forward to your party, and maybe I’ll see you before then?” she told Holly as she walked toward the door.
“Can she, Dad?”
“Of course she can.” Daniel paused and decided there was no time like the present, words that had been preached to him on more than one occasion by his good friend and coworker, Jay Johnson. “Would you like to go to Ollie’s with us tonight? For pizza?” Daniel asked before he could call back the words.
Ivy stopped and turned to look at him. He knew his face was coloring; he just wasn’t sure if it was red or white. Either way, he was toast.
“Ollie’s, huh?” Ivy asked. “Pizza.”
“You have never been to Ollie’s?” Holly asked. “They have the best pizza in Pine City. And subs, too, right Dad?”
Ivy seemed to be considering his invitation. “Only on one condition.”
“Okay. And what would that be?” he asked, a bit tense.
“That Holly wears her hair down and keeps her sparkles on,” Ivy said teasingly.
“Holly?” Daniel looked at his daughter. “Your call.”
“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll keep my sparkles on! Eating out twice in one day? OMG, I cannot wait to tell this to Roxie. Can I call her now?”
Shifting the mood from morose to excited in a matter of seconds, Daniel gave up. “You can call. Ten minutes, and not a minute more. Got it?” he said as Holly practically flew out of her chair.
“Yes, you can set the timer, and does this mean you’re going with us, Ivy? I will even wear a dress, if you want,” Holly said.
“Yes, and no, you do not have to wear a dress.”
“Woo-hoo!” Holly shouted. Before she ran out of the kitchen to call Roxie, she gave Ivy a hug; then she gave her dad the biggest, brightest smile he’d seen on her face in a very long time. His chest swelled with love for this beautiful little girl who was his daughter. And he had to admit, if only to himself, he was just a little bit too excited about going to Ollie’s for pizza.
Chapter 28
In a hundred years, Ivy could never have predicted the events of the first day of her new life. If anyone had told her as little as forty-eight hours ago that she would be going out to dinner with a man and his daughter, she would have told them they were crazy.
Her thoughts were all over the place as she drove to her dad’s house. She had completely forgotten exactly why she was going to his house, though he’d be glad to see her out and about, no matter her reason. Fifteen minutes later, she parked her Mercedes next to her father’s red Corvette. When did this happen? Maybe it isn’t his, she thought as she got out of the car, taking the keys with her. Out of habit, her father always kept the doors locked. He’d once told her it was habit from when her mother was ill. If, God forbid, someone tried to
get into the house, her mother would at least be able to call the police. His reasoning was that if someone tried to force the door, she would know that it could not be him. To this day, Lila and Rebecca still had keys to the house, even though Lila had moved to Raleigh years ago and no longer needed them. It had not made much sense then, and it still didn’t, but she understood habits and how hard they were to break.
She slipped her key into the lock, turned the knob, and called out. “Dad! It’s me. You decent?” She smiled at the image her words brought forth.
“In the kitchen,” he said.
Despite his great wealth, her father had never updated the kitchen. The same white side-by-side refrigerator, the stove with those next-to-impossible-to-cook-with electric burners, and the dishwasher that had broken years ago were exactly as before. A small parlor-style table, with three wrought-iron chairs, remained by the window that looked out on the mountains, in all their brilliant fall colors. Not many changes in the kitchen.
Her father wore a pair of faded jeans and a Duke sweatshirt, along with a floral-patterned apron. She was briefly reminded of the waitress at The Blackberry Café. The image made her laugh out loud.
Her dad turned to her. “Ivy Fine, you look”—he gave her a quick once-over—“happy as a lark. It’s good to see you out and about,” he added, giving her a peck on the cheek.
“And you look, well, silly,” she said, smiling. “What’s with the apron? And what smells so good? I did not know you still cooked for yourself. I thought you went to all those fine restaurants you own.”
“Thanks for the compliment. This was your mom’s apron, as you well know. I guess I’m a bit of a sentimental old fool, still wearing it. I’m making beef Wellington. It’s quite an undertaking.”
“I’m impressed. A big deal for just one person,” Ivy remarked.
“Margaret’s coming over for dinner. She’s picking up her car.”
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