“It does, Sam. More than you’ll ever know.”
~~~~~
“No, I can’t wait three days for delivery,” Holly said, her teeth clenched so tightly her jaw ached. “I don’t see my customers being very satisfied if there’s no food to serve them, do you?”
“I am sorry about this, Mrs. McGinty, but our shipment was short and we have to service our largest customers first,” one of her suppliers was explaining. “Being a businesswoman yourself, you understand that you have to go with the flow.”
“With the most profit, you mean.”
“If you want to put it that bluntly, yes.” He’d given up all pretense of trying to placate her. “If you can’t wait the three days, then I suppose you could find another supplier. Not that there are many to choose from in our area. You’ll probably have to contract with someone out of Grand Rapids or Detroit, which will cost you more and cut into your profits. It’s entirely up to you, Ma’am.”
“I guess I’ll wait then, won’t I?” she snapped. “In the meantime I guess I’d better find something to tide us over until we get our delivery. Have a great day.”
Holly slammed the phone down and then laid her head on the desk wanting to scream. Or cry. Maybe both. This particular company offered the best prices on meat around, no matter how large or small the restaurant was, and they knew it. They also took advantage of it. It wasn’t the first time they’d done this to her, leaving her no choice but to scour sale ads to try and minimize her losses. But buying anything retail, no matter how good the sale, cut into the profits in a big way.
“Again?” Lyle asked from the doorway. He’d been the one to let her know the delivery truck hadn’t arrived yet. He’d also been with her long enough to know what the problem was.
“Again.” She didn’t raise her head for a moment, but when she did, she’d made a decision. “Do you still want to buy it?” From the way his eyes lit up, she knew she there was no need to elaborate.
“Yes.”
She named her terms. A ten-year land contract with a substantial down payment, and monthly payments that ensured she wouldn’t need to work for a couple of years.
“I’ll go to the bank first thing in the morning,” he promised, rubbing his hands together like an excited child. “Thank you, Holly.”
“Let’s see if you feel that way after going through this a few times,” she muttered, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. She watched Lyle come further into her office.
“That part of it won’t be a whole lot of fun,” he acknowledged. “But it won’t be so bad for me, Holly. I’ve got a wife to help look after our kids and the house. I don’t have all of the responsibility.”
“That‘s true. And you’re right. After a while, being the only one responsible for everything gets to be too much.” Did it ever. “It’s getting so I don’t even want to get out of bed the mornings I have to open.”
“I know.”
“You do?” she asked, looking at him sharply.
“You used to be enthused when you got here. Now you just seem- I don’t know. Resigned, I guess.” She nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes. That’s a good word for the way I feel. Resigned. So if you want to take this monkey off my back, it’s yours.”
“I do. I love this place.”
“I know.” Which is more than she ever did. At first she’d looked at it as a challenge, and then as a means to an end. She could make more money owning a successful business than with any of the other choices open to her. Unless she went back to college anyway.
“You’re sure about this?”
“Positive.”
“What will you do?”
“Take a couple of years off and just be a mom. Maybe take some classes through the local school and learn some new skills. Then I’ll try my best to get a job as a teacher’s aide so I can work while the boys are in school, and have summers and vacations off.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Yeah it does.” A great plan. “I’ll talk to my lawyer in the morning. Shall we shoot for the middle of November?” About six weeks away. That would give her time to make sure everything was in order so that Lyle could just slide right in and take over without a hitch. The timing would also allow her to enjoy the holidays without the weight of the restaurant on her shoulders.
“If I can get the financing.” But they knew he would. She was asking less than market price, and anyone could see that it was a sound business.
“I’ll have the accountant get the financial statements ready for you to take to the bank. In fact, I’d better call him right now so you can pick up first thing tomorrow.” She raised her brows. “Shall I tell him you’ll be keeping him on as your accountant?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll let him know.” Lyle turned to go back to work.
“Lyle?”
“Yes.”
“Can we keep this quiet until everything is settled?”
“No problem.” He paused for a moment, then asked hesitantly, “Can I tell Marie?” Holly chuckled.
“Of course you can tell your wife. If you don’t, you’ll probably be sleeping on the sofa for a while.”
~~~~~
Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Holly felt like she would burst if she couldn’t tell someone her secret. But she wasn’t one to put the cart ahead of the horse. Until the bank loan was approved, and all the papers signed, there was always the chance that the deal could fall through. No, better to just keep quiet until it was done.
She spent her days working even more closely with Lyle, going over aspects of the business that she’d always taken care of herself. She considered him a friend, and wanted him as prepared as possible for when he took charge of McGinty’s.
Sometimes it felt like she was floating on air. Even having to get up in what many people considered the middle of the night didn’t bother her quite so much now that she could see an end to it. Less than a month and she’d be free.
Not quite four weeks.
Twenty-six days.
And then, for a while anyway, she could just be a mom. That’s really all she’d ever wanted to be, she thought as she prepared the weekly baked goods order.
“Four more times,” she murmured with a smile. “I only have to do this four more times.” Holly could have danced with glee, but managed to contain her joy long enough to finish filling out the form.
“Hey, Holly, you’ve got company out front,” one of the waitresses said, peeking into the office then hurrying back to work.
“Thanks, Beth,” she called, pushing away from the desk and walking quickly to the dining room, where she expected to see Sam. She tried not to be disappointed to see Jess Mulholland holding four month old Kate on her lap.
“Jess, this is a surprise,” Holly said with a smile, slipping into the booth across from her.
“Well, we’re meeting Dan for lunch so I thought I’d come early and see if you were free for coffee before he gets here. Is this a good time?” Jess asked with a smile.
“Actually, it is. I just finished placing an order and am more than ready for a break.” She reached across the table and stroked Kate’s cheek, eliciting a toothless grin.
“Want to hold her?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She reached across for the baby. “Sometimes I really miss having one of these around.”
“Well, next time she’s wanting to play at two in the morning, I’ll give you a call and you can come get her,” Jess offered, adoration in her eyes as she gazed at her daughter.
“Thanks. I appreciate the thought.”
Beth filled their coffee cups, and Holly automatically pushed hers toward the center of the table as she cooed at Kate.
“So. What do you think of this mess with Ed,” Jess finally asked, toying with her napkin. Holly had wondered if that might have been the reason for the visit.
“I have to admit I’ve been worried. B
ut Sam told me that the guys have hired a private investigator, and some body guards. I’m sure he’ll be okay.” She hoped.
“Me, too. Maybe.” Holly glanced up and noticed for the first time how worried Jess was. She reached across the table and covered her hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“It just brings back bad memories, I guess,” she said softly. “I don’t want anyone else I care about to be hurt.”
“Jess-”
Holly knew the story. Of how, on the night they’d returned from their honeymoon, Jess’ first husband had been murdered…by Dan’s own brother. And how, after Bruce Mulholland had turned himself in, Jess had gone to the jail with every intention of killing him, then herself. But Ed Winslow had somehow known and prevented it. Then he’d had Emma summoned, which ultimately saved Jess’ life. Dan, feeling responsible for what his brother had done to her, tried to make amends.
Sometimes, when she thought about it, Holly was rather amazed at how everything turned out. Jess and Dan brought together first by tragedy, then by necessity when her former father-in-law threatened to take her baby. But there was no doubt that the two of them were very much in love now, no matter how strange their beginning had been.
“I know they’re taking every precaution but I can’t help but worry.”
“Everyone is worried, Jess. But they’ve hired the best. I know that Sam did a lot of calling around to make sure.”
“Called who?” she heard Sam himself ask. Holly turned to find both him and Dan approaching their table and, she smiled as he sat down beside her.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Dan said, kissing his wife as he slid into the booth beside her.
“Who did I call?” Sam wanted to know, kissing Holly’s temple as he reached down to chuck Kate under the chin. He wrapped his arm around Holly’s shoulders and pulled her close.
“We were just talking about the effort you and your cohorts have put in trying to keep Ed safe,” Jess explained, snuggling against her husband. She glanced at Sam. “And Holly said that you made all of the calls to find bodyguards and private detectives.”
“Yes I did,” Sam agreed, making faces at the baby, obviously delighting in her smiles. “Isn’t that right, Kate? Poor Uncle Sam is always the overworked one, isn’t he?”
“Da,” Kate answered enthusiastically.
“Oh no he isn’t,” Sam teased, letting Holly go and removing the baby from her arms. He lifted Kate high above his head and she squealed with glee. “Da is not overworked in any way. And if that’s the story he’s been feeding you, he’s just pulling your leg.” Her only response to that was to drool on Sam’s forehead. Everyone chuckled as Sam set Kate on the edge of the table and allowed Holly to clean him up with a napkin.
“See what you get for lying to helpless children?” Dan murmured, opening a menu.
“I think she was just too choked up for words.”
Holly loved how good Sam was with children, of all ages. He was wonderful with her boys, and sweet and gentle with Kate. Perfect father material. She knew she flushed just thinking about it, not knowing what the future had in store for the two of them. Sure he said he was serious, but that didn’t have to mean a lifetime commitment.
“Choked up is right. She’s too small to try to swallow that load of bull.”
“Enough, boys,” Jess said with a grin. “Play nice.”
“Uncle Sam is always nice isn’t he, Katie, my love?”
“Da.” Sam sighed heavily.
“We’re going to have to work on that limited vocabulary of yours, young lady.”
~~~~~
“Why don’t we have a celebration?” Lyle asked, excitement lighting his eyes.
“A celebration?” Holly repeated, still in shock as she stared at the papers in her hands. While she’d been waiting and anticipating Lyle’s loan being approved, she was surprised to find that she felt a twinge of sadness. But that was probably a normal reaction. The restaurant had, after all, been a major part of her life for a very long time.
“We’re closed on Sunday nights. We could invite all of our friends and family, and announce it then.” Obviously he had put some thought into the idea and Holly felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Oh, she hoped he knew what he was letting himself in for. “Of course I’ll pay for the cost of food and drinks.”
“You will not,” she told him. “I will cover the cost of this. After all, in about three weeks, I’m going to be a wealthy woman.” She did finally give in, grinning from ear-to-ear. Though she might not be wealthy wealthy, she would certainly not be hurting for a while.
“Thank you, Holly,” Lyle said, smiling back. “So we’ll keep it a secret until then?”
“Yes, we will,” she promised, not sure how she’d be able to keep the information from Sam. But, unlike Marie, Sam was not her spouse. He wasn’t even her fiancé, and so she didn’t feel right about saying anything. “I’ll even call Denny Baker at the paper and invite him.”
“What will you tell him?”
“That we’ll have an important announcement, and that some of the area’s most prominent business people will be attending. That’ll get him here for sure,” she said with a chuckle, then sobered. Sam’s friends, now hers, would most likely come. But that wasn’t a guarantee. Holly shrugged. Even if Sam was the only one who could attend, he was still a prominent businessperson. So was she, for the moment.
“So. A week from this Sunday?”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll call the printers and order invitations. We should be able to have them in the mail by Friday.” She hoped it would be more than enough notice to attend a small party over a week away.
“I can’t tell you what this means to me, Holly,” Lyle said quietly, his eyes bright. She got to her feet, walked over to him and gave him a hug.
“I know, and I’m glad, Lyle. I’m glad this is what you want, and that it makes you so happy.” And she was.
~~~~~
“What’s the party for?” Sam asked, holding Holly close as they sat on his porch swing. The sun was going down, the sky a riot of pink and lavender. Zack and Billy were inside watching the latest cartoon rental, so he had her all to himself for the next ninety minutes or so. Except for checking on the boys occasionally anyway.
“Oh- Just a kind of business thing,” she hedged. Sam raised his eyebrows and looked at her closely.
“Oh. That kind of thing, huh?” Holly couldn’t quite meet his eyes.
“It’s not like other businesses don’t have…things going on sometimes.” He could feel her begin to squirm and he couldn’t resist teasing a bit.
“Of course they do. And you wouldn’t have been in business this long without things cropping up from time to time. Is this like an annual thing, or more along the lines of a semi-annual or one-time event?”
“Not really.”
“Not really an annual thing?” She nodded her head, eyes downcast. “Semi-annual?” Sam was having a tough time keeping a straight face.
“No. Not really.”
“Is this the first of its kind?”
“Sort of.”
“You’re not going to tell me why you‘re having this party, are you?” He kissed her nose when she looked up at him hesitantly.
“I promised I wouldn’t.”
“Then I wouldn’t dream of making you break a promise.”
“Thank you.” She sighed again, tucking her head under his chin. Sam hugged her closer.
“I don’t suppose you’d tell me if I guessed?” Another sigh was followed by several moments of silence.
“Hmm. Well, that didn’t exactly come up when I made the promise so-” She shook her head. “I can’t, Sam. I wish I could, but I can’t. It would still be going back on my word.”
“Know what?” he asked, kissing her hair.
“What?”
“I really love you. Know what else?”
“What?”
“I already k
now.” He felt her shoulders start to shake. “What’s so funny?”
“You. I love you, too, but I’m not falling for that old trick. I can’t tell you.”
“I’m not asking you to, you turkey. Lyle said something about it when I was in this afternoon.”
“Yeah, right. You weren’t there this afternoon.”
“I most certainly was. I stopped in on my way to an appointment and you, young lady, were out mailing invitations for the party. I couldn’t wait for you to get back and told Lyle to not mention I was there because I knew you’d be heartbroken at having missed me- Hey!”
He jumped when she started to tickle him but easily captured her hands, bringing them up and pressing his lips to her palms.
“So are you excited at the prospect of being a lady of leisure?”
“You really do know,” Holly murmured, surprised he wasn't offended.
“I really do.”
“You brat. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What do you think I just did?” She laughed.
“No. I mean earlier.” Sam shrugged.
“Hmm. I guess because it’s so much fun to tease you.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Is that a threat or a promise?”
“Well, I'm sure you’ve already figured out I don’t break promises so I suppose you could take it that way. Of course, you could take it as a threat too.' He could see the corners of her lips twitching but she managed to hold back a smile as she said, "I guess I'll leave the choice up to you.”
“That’s one of the things I admire most about you.”
“What?”
“That air of mystery. You’re never quite sure what you’re talking about so neither am I.” Holly burst out laughing and pulled one of her hands away so she could cuff his arm.
“You’re rotten.”
“I know, but you love me anyway.”
“Yes I do,” she agreed, settling back against his shoulder. They sat quietly for a while, rocking slowly back and forth, the soft creak of the chains blending in nicely with the other night sounds.
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