by Jill Sanders
Alex had smiled and been polite to him every time he’d seen her, but he hadn’t worked up enough nerve to actually talk to her, not after what his mother had done to her and her husband.
He knew he needed to bury the hatchet with her and Grant, but he just couldn’t bring himself to step up yet. One night when he’d been going to Mama’s, he’d seen Alex and her family sitting in the diner laughing, and he’d walked home and eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead. He knew it was chicken of him, but he just wasn’t ready. He had a stop to make first. He needed to make the hour drive up to see his mother before he left town for good.
The next day he woke up and dressed in his finest suit. When he walked outside, instead of getting into his silver Hyundai, he uncovered the Mustang and walked into the garage to retrieve the keys. When he came back out, Holly was standing there in a pretty sun dress.
“Going for a drive?”
He nodded. “Going to church?”
She looked down at her dress. “Yes, they have a luncheon every Sunday that I’ve been avoiding for a while.”
He looked at her. “What do you say you avoid it for another day?”
She looked up at him. “I’d love to.” She smiled as he walked over and opened the passenger side.
“I’ll warn you, I’m heading up to visit my mother.” He saw her step falter. Then she laughed.
“It’s still preferable to listening to a bunch of mothers talk about how perfect their kids are as they run around screaming and getting dirty.”
He smiled and nodded. “You may be singing a different tune on the drive home.”
She smiled. “Can we have the top down? I have a scarf.” She pulled a scarf out of her bag and started to tie her hair up.
He laughed. “Why not.” He flipped the locks on the old top and pushed it down. He had to admit, the car drove like a dream as he pulled out of town. They saw several people driving into town on their way out. Holly waved and smiled at each one she recognized.
“Tell me you’re not going to sell this beauty.” She turned to him.
“I wasn’t going to. Actually, I’d thought of selling my Hyundai and taking this one for myself.”
She smiled. “You should. After all the work you’ve done on it.” She rubbed her hands over the leather interior. “Besides, I’ll bet it runs better than the Hyundai.”
He nodded. “It does so far.”
He really enjoyed the power the old car had, and when he hit the highway, he opened the car up to see how it handled and was happily surprised that it still felt like it was gliding across the pavement when it hit top speed.
“I saw that the sign in front of the house was gone. Did you sell the house?”
He glanced over at her without saying a word.
She frowned. “It’s such a nice place. It deserves a young family with kids and dogs.”
“Dogs?” He looked over at her.
“Sure. I always wanted brothers or sisters and dogs.” She looked over at him. “Didn’t you want pets?”
There had been a time when he’d asked for a puppy for Christmas, but his mother was anti-pets, and he’d stopped asking once she’d explained that animals wrecked the house.
“I guess so. It would have never been allowed and so I stopped asking. What kind of dog?” He looked over at her.
“I always wanted a beagle. They’re so cute when they’re little.” She smiled and he couldn’t stop himself from living in her dream as she continued to talk about it.
When they drove up to the state-run facility less than an hour later, his mood had changed. He’d been so nervous about his visit with his mother, but talking to Holly during the drive had washed away all his nerves and replaced it with an inner peace. He couldn’t explain the change fully.
He parked the car and helped her out. She removed her scarf and shook her hair back into place. It looked perfect. She looked perfect.
“Here.” She reached up and ran her hands through his hair. “You need a haircut.” She smiled as she straightened his hair.
“Yeah.” He frowned, instantly thinking about what his mother would say. She’d always gotten on his case about growing his hair too long. “I suppose I should have…”
“You’ll be fine. You look very handsome.” She took his hand. “If you want, I’ll stay out here?”
He shook his head. “No, I’d rather not go it alone.”
She nodded. “I always got along with your mother. Your folks were my godparents, you know.”
“So you said.” He smiled down at her and squeezed her hand.
They checked in at the main desk where the nurse informed him which room his mother was in. When they walked up the stairs, he couldn’t control the shaking he felt. She must have picked up on it because her hand tightened around his.
He knocked on the door and his mother opened it. She looked a lot thinner. She must have lost fifty pounds. Her hair had turned from a warm blonde to a dark gray. There were new lines under her eyes and she wore no makeup.
“Travis?” Her eyes lit up. “Is that you?” She reached out and grabbed him. “Oh, my baby has come back to me.” She pulled him into a hug and memories flooded his mind. His arms went around the woman whose only sin, other than trying to commit murder, had been trying to give her son everything he’d ever desired.
·
Chapter Fifteen
Holly stood back in the hallway and watched Travis engulf his mother in his arms. She saw his mother’s eyes light up when she saw her standing behind him.
“Holly Bridles? Oh, this is a treat. Come on in you two.” She walked over and hugged her quickly then motioned for them to walk into her small room. There was a single bed against one wall, a small kitchen area, and a large flat-screen television on the wall, which had been put on mute.
“How are they treating you here, Mom?” Travis asked as he walked in, looking around.
“Oh, you know how it is.” She looked at him and smiled. “They think I’m crazy.” She smiled at Holly who smiled back. “They won’t let me have knives or glass or other sharp objects.” She held up a cup with tea in it. “Plastic.” She shook her head. “Your father would have a fit if he knew I was forced to eat off of something more suitable for picnics.” She sat down and glanced towards the television again. “But other than that, I’m having a blast. I get to play Bingo every Tuesday night. Cards are two times a week and we have arts and crafts on Fridays. There’s even a movie night.” She said all this while keeping her eyes on the television set.
“Mom,” Travis said and waited until his mother turned her eyes back to him. “I don’t know if someone has told you.” He reached across the table and looked at their joined hands. Holly stood inside the doorway, not wanting to make a move. “Dad died a few months ago.”
His mother glanced at him. “Oh, they told me alright. Lies.” She shook her head. “Can you believe it? We’ll have a good laugh about it when I get out of here.”
“Mother—” he started again, but she started talking about something else. The conversation kept turning weirder and less than a half an hour later, she asked them to leave so she could watch her show.
“I never miss Jeopardy,” she said, patting Holly’s hand. “Roy always gets the answers right, but since he’s back home I’ll have to guess them all myself.” She smiled and hugged Travis’ mother. “Now, you tell your mother ‘hi’ for me. Katie was one of my best friends, you know.”
Holly nodded. She’d known that her mother and Travis’ mom had been friends for a while. That’s how they had ended up being her godparents.
“Mom,” Travis said, taking her attention. “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine. Anything I need, all I have to do is ask.” She patted her son’s arm while her eyes darted to the set. “Now, you tell your father to come up here and visit me. I haven’t seen him for a while.”
He nodded and she watched some of the color leave his face.
When they walked outside, the heat of the day hit them full force.
“Would you mind if we went for a drive?” he asked, sitting behind the wheel.
“I’d love to.” She tied the scarf around her hair again and tucked the long strands behind her glasses so they wouldn’t fly in her face.
“We can grab some food first, if you want.”
She nodded. “There’s a small place just there.” She pointed across the street to a small family diner.
It wasn’t as cozy as Mama’s, but the food was tolerable. They ate in silence, and she couldn’t help but notice that his mood had changed.
They left the diner and drove down the winding back roads that would eventually lead them to Fairplay. She enjoyed the cool breeze on her face and the silence in the air as the tall pines flew by them.
When he pulled off a side road, she didn’t complain, knowing it led up to a point where you could overlook a large river and field just outside of town. As the car climbed the back roads. She rested her head against the headrest.
He pulled the car to a stop a few feet from the overlook and turned off the engine.
“She’s the same,” he said, still looking at the view. “I had thought…” He swallowed. “I thought she would have changed, become more crazy somehow.”
Holly looked over at him and tried not to show her feelings.
“Other than thinking Dad is still alive…I guess I always knew there was something off about her growing up. I’ve just been in denial.” He shook his head and glanced over at her.
“She loves you.” She smiled. “I wasn’t that close with her. I know that most everyone in town still thinks of her fondly.”
He laughed and shook his head. “You know, I’ve heard that Alex and her sisters have visited her.”
Holly smiled. “I would have been surprised if they hadn’t. I’ve been there myself.”
“You?” He turned and looked at her. “You’ve been there before today?”
She nodded. “My mother came up to visit shortly after she was moved there. We bought her the bed and television. They used to be best friends.”
He nodded and brushed the scarf off her head. “You’ve messed up your hair.” He used his fingers to tame it. She knew it was a helpless case, but didn’t care since she was enjoying the cool breeze and the crisp night air. “I love the feel of it.” He was looking at her hair as his fingers brushed it away from her face. She closed her eyes, wishing that he would never stop.
“I’m glad you came with me today.” He leaned closer to her and she held her breath as his lips touched hers. The kiss was different than before. It was slow and soft and spoke of promises that would come.
When he pulled her closer to him, she went willingly and wrapped her arms around his neck. She’d missed the feeling of him, his sweet taste, the smell of him next to her. As he pulled back, she looked up into his dark eyes and felt her heart melt.
“Holly…” He brushed a wild strand of her hair that had gotten caught in the night air. “There’s no guarantee that I won’t end up nuts like my mother.”
She shook her head and laughed. “Every family has a crazy person. My uncle thinks he’s the lost heir to the Hearst fortune.” She smiled.
She watched his lips curl into a smile. “I’ve finally decided what I’m going to do.” He leaned back and tucked her close to his shoulder. She rested her head there and watched the sun sink lower, casting hues of purple and bright pinks across the night sky.
“Oh?”
He nodded. “I’m going to go to school.”
She felt her heart sink. Here he was, holding her in his arms and talking about leaving again. She wanted to smack him, but instead she closed her eyes as tears threatened to escape.
“I figure I can earn my degree in less than two years, since I have most of my basic credits out of the way thanks to my dad’s persistence.” He chuckled. “Then I plan on using my inheritance to start my own construction company. I’ll do it all. Design, build, and sell. I think I’ll start with a small housing project.” He wrapped his arm tighter around her when she shivered. She didn’t want to tell him she wasn’t cold, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say anything just yet. “I know these are all just plans, but I was kind of hoping…” He pulled back and lifted her chin until she looked up into his eyes. “I was hoping you’d take a chance on me, anyway.”
She blinked a few times. His dark eyes searched hers. “Travis?” She licked her lips, unsure of what it was he was saying.
“I’d like to stay in Fairplay, take online classes, open a business, and live in my parents’ house with you. I’d like to get a dog—no—make it two dogs. We wouldn’t want them to get lonely.” He smiled and cupped her face. “I’d like to raise a couple kids as well.” He smiled. “If you’ll have me and my crazy past.”
She blinked and swallowed. “Of course I will.” She smiled.
“Holly, there’s just one more thing.” He pulled her closer and looked deep into her eyes. “I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Only you.” He waited.
“I love you, too. Only you.” She smiled and pulled his head down to hers and kissed him.
·
Epilogue
Travis stood outside of the store and helped cut the blue ribbon. Cheers rose up and he reached across and pulled Holly down into a deep kiss, only to hear more cheers.
When he pulled back, she was smiling up at him. “Shall we open up for business?”
He nodded and pulled her back upright. “Holly’s is now open for business,” he called out to the crowd.
They walked into the new store hand in hand, and he stopped at the threshold and kissed her again. “For luck,” he said to the crowd before they flooded the store. They all laughed.
He stood back, and Holly and her new employees busied themselves with taking orders and helping customers. There was a band playing softly on the stage near the back as people grabbed seats and enjoyed their desserts and drinks.
He’d grabbed a seat near the front so he could watch Holly as she worked. It still got to him how much energy she had.
“It looks like Holly’s is a success.” He looked up to see Alex and Grant standing in front of his table. He stood and nodded.
“Looks like it.” He looked at his shoes, something he had done around them since his return.
“We just wanted to tell you,” Alex said, reaching out and taking his hand, “that we don’t blame you.” He looked up quickly into both of their eyes. Alex smiled and he remembered all the good times they’d had together. Gone were all the bad memories, all the horrors he’d caused her.
“I have this,” Grant said, pulling out a letter and handing it to him. “It’s from your dad. He wanted me to give it to you on opening day.” He nodded around to the crowd.
When Travis reached out and took it, Grant held his hand out for him to shake. He hesitated for a second, then looked into his eyes and saw no hard feelings and shook the man’s hand without remorse.
“You found yourself a good man,” he said, looking over to Alex, who laughed.
“Yeah, go figure.” She smiled and held onto her husband. “You’ve got a pretty sweet treat.” She nodded towards Holly. “Don’t let that one get away from you.”
He smiled. “She’s mine for life, as soon as we can plan it.”
They smiled and nodded then walked over to where their family sat near the stage.
He sat down and looked at the envelope in his hands. Flipping it over, he opened it and pulled out the note.
Travis,
Thank you. You don’t know how much it means to me knowing that you’ve grown into the man I always knew you would be. There’s more than one reason I started this project and if everything has gone according to my dreams, you know the reason I chose the bookstore.
Healing takes place on so many different levels. Holly has and will always be the daughter we never had. When I started this project a few days ago, I go
t word from my doctor that I had a inoperable brain aneurysm. Son, I want you to know that I wouldn’t have changed a thing, except to have you by my side and hold you one last time.
You’ve made me the proudest man on Earth and in heaven.
p.s. Stop by and see your mother sometime. She may be off, but she loves you.
Never forget that I love you.
When he looked up from the letter, he felt tears slip down his face. Then Holly was there holding him and he knew that he was right where he belonged.
·Roping Ryan—Coming soon
Prologue
Ryan jumped back as he watched a dozen dark figures flood out of the cemetery. He was tackled from behind and hit the ground with a groan as his hands were yanked behind his head. Shouts and screams could be heard over his head as he felt cold metal slap around his wrists.
“You’re in a lot of trouble, son.” Someone said over him. When he tried to turn his head to see who was talking, his face was shoved back into the dirt. “Don’t move until I say so.” He was quickly frisked, then pulled to his feet.
He shook the dirt from his face and looked around the old cemetery. He’d come out here to drink his problems away with a six pack of the cheapest beer he could get his hands on. He’d barely started the first beer and now he watched as his beer spilled out into the ground.
“I didn’t do anything,” he insisted the second he stood up.
The heavy police officer laughed. “The hell you didn’t.” He got in his face. “Where’s Roberts?”
“Who?” Ryan looked at the older man.
“Don’t play games with me, son. We know you set up a meeting tonight to meet him. So, where is he?”
“Listen, you’ve got the wrong guy,” Ryan started to say, only to be yanked back a foot by the cop holding him.
“You’d best think long and hard about your answer. It could mean the difference between life in prison and life in prison.” He laughed.