“All right, buddy. Time for a new diaper, some jammies, and a nice big bottle. We should really take a bath tonight, but Daddy’s going to skip that.” I lay him on the changing table and get to work. “What do you think of Hollis? She’s nice, right?” He coos. “I know, and she’s beautiful.” I manage to wrangle a clean diaper on him and some pajamas. I even get them buttoned correctly on the first try. “Look at that. Daddy’s getting the hang of this,” I tell him, picking him up and kissing his cheek. “Now, time for a bottle and then lights out for you.”
“Need any help?” Hollis asks.
I look up to find her in a pair of flannel pajama pants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and her hair is in a knot on the top of her head. No makeup, no fanfare, and I was so unbelievably wrong. She’s just as sexy in this get-up as she would be in lingerie.
I’m fucked.
“I think I’m good. Help yourself to a beer, or whatever you want. I’m just going to mix him up a bottle.”
“Do you mind if I hold him while you do that?”
“Sure.” She holds out her arms, and I pass Milo to her. His eyes are wide open as he takes her in. I can only imagine what’s going through his mind. It’s not the first time I’ve wondered if my son can understand the crazy shit I tell him each day. Only today, not so crazy, I spoke the truth. From the way he’s staring up at her, the way she’s captured his attention, I’d say it’s safe to say that my son is just as enthralled with the lovely Hollis as I am.
Like father, like son.
Quickly, I mix up a bottle, grab a bib, and a blanket. “Thanks,” I say, reaching for my son.
“I can do it.” She reaches for the bottle.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I want to. Go do… dad things.” She chuckles. “Fold some laundry or take a long hot shower, or just sit and watch. I don’t mind. He’s such a cutie.” She coos that last part down to my son. He gives her a toothless grin. My boy knows how to turn on the charm.
She reaches for the bottle, bib, and blanket, and I let her take them. I watch in fascination as she heads to the couch and gets settled with Milo on her lap. She’s a natural and looks as though she’s done this countless times.
“You look like you’ve had some practice,” I say, both hands braced on the island as I look toward where she’s sitting in the living.
“A little. I did some babysitting in high school.”
“Thank you.” I nod toward her and my son.
“Go. Find something to do that you don’t usually have time to do or sit down. You’re making me nervous. I promise he’s in good hands.”
“Right. I’m going. I do have about three loads of laundry to fold and put away.”
“Good. Go. We’re just fine.”
I watch them for a little while longer before heading to my room to fold the mountain of laundry I’ve not gotten around to folding. Once that’s done, I change the sheets on my bed and decide to do the same to Milo’s. That’s where Hollis finds me.
“Hey,” she whispers.
“Hi. Looks like you have the magic touch.”
“He’s in a food coma.” She laughs softly.
“I’m almost done putting a new sheet on his bed.” I finish what I’m doing and turn to face her.
“Just lay him down?”
“Yes.” Carefully, she places my son in his crib. Then, she does something that knocks the wind from my chest. I watch her as she kisses her index and middle fingers, then softly presses them to his forehead.
“Sweet dreams, sweet boy,” she says, her voice soft and gentle.
I have to push my hands into the pockets of my jeans to keep from kissing her. The urge is strong, but I fight it. Instead, I step up to the crib and lean over, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Love you, son.” When I stand back up, she’s there. Right there. We stare at each other, a current passing between us. Neither of us willing to move in fear of breaking the connection.
“I think I’ll take that beer now,” she says and rushes from the room.
I count to ten, and then twenty, then thirty before I leave the room and follow after her. I find her in the kitchen with two beers, one in each hand. She hands me one and takes a long pull from the other. She grimaces.
“I’m not much of a beer drinker,” she confesses.
“No? What’s your drink of choice?” I ask, taking a sip of my own. I move to the living room, hoping she’ll follow me. I’m not disappointed when she takes the seat on the opposite end of the couch. Not close enough, but she’s not hidden behind her door either, so I’ll take what I can get.
“Fruity. I prefer to not taste the alcohol.”
“Got it.” She smiles, and I don’t want things to grow awkward, so I begin. “I enlisted in the Army when I was eighteen. I was young and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I knew that I didn’t want to go to college, that just wasn’t for me. So, when a recruiter came to my high school and talked to my senior class, it just felt right. I enlisted. My parents, although worried, supported me. Turns out, I loved it. I was good at it, and I met my brothers-in-arms. Those are relationships I will never forget.”
“That had to be hard being away from your family.”
“It was, but as time went on, it became my normal. I found out that I loved the Army. It gave me a sense of pride fighting for my country.”
“It’s very honorable.”
I nod. Her praise warms something inside me. “Anyway, I would come home on leave. Most of the time, for a couple of weeks, max. My last leave of absence, Chase and I met up, and we pretty much got hammered. I lost track of the number of shots and drinks we had. It wasn’t something we often did, but I was going away for at least nine months, so we made the best of our last night together.”
“No judgment zone, Colton. We’ve all done things we regret.”
“Yeah, but I can’t regret that night. It gave me Milo.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh.”
I go on to tell her how I told Laura that my name was Chase. I don’t stop until we get to the present. Me being a single father to a little boy whose mother signed her rights away to him.
“Wow.”
“Yeah, so now you know.”
“You’re a good man, Colton Callahan.”
“He’s my son. There is no other option but for me to try and be both mom and dad for him, and love him unconditionally.”
“Thank you for telling me. For trusting me with your past.”
“I’m not going to push you, but I want you to know that you can trust me.”
She gives me a weak smile. “It’s late. I should get to bed.” She stands, and downs the rest of her beer, with yet another grimace. “That is truly awful.”
“You didn’t have to finish it.”
“Isn’t that alcohol abuse?” she asks with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
“That it is, Hollis. That it is. Thank you for tonight. For putting up with my crazy family, your help with Milo, and listening.”
“Anytime. Goodnight, Colton.” She stops in the kitchen and tosses her bottle in the trash, then disappears into the laundry room.
I stare after her long after she’s gone. I’m disappointed our night was cut short. I could have spent the entire night talking to her. I don’t want to push her, but I want to know her. It’s more of a need at this point. I want to know what makes her who she is. I spent my entire adult life in the Army. We strive for discipline and patience. Let’s just hope I still have that skill set in me. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t fight it.
Hollis Taylor is quickly becoming my addiction.
Chapter 6
Hollis
I keep myself busy, submerging myself in my work throughout the next few days, even though I can hear Colton and Milo move around on the other side of the wall. The rest of his furniture was delivered Monday, and he stayed home that morning to oversee the job. His place is now equipped with a complete living room, kitchen, and bedroom furni
ture, as well as a few more things for Milo. This place is really starting to look like a home.
Even though we’re two separate homes.
The temperatures are starting to dip, and now I see the disadvantage of moving to the Midwest. Southern California left my skin tanned and thin to the elements, not really prepared for what November in Missouri brings.
First stop today: the strip mall for some warmer clothes.
I hop into my car, noting Colton is already gone for the day. He usually takes off around seven, dropping Milo off at Gabby’s sister’s house before heading to work. I’ve heard a lot about the gym in the last week, especially from Gabby. She talked to her boss, Harrison, who’s married to her sister, Gwen, and he’s agreed to update the website. I sent him a mock-up of a new site yesterday but haven’t heard back yet. The wait is killing me.
The first place I stop is a boutique for women. The lady behind the counter greets me the second I walk through the door, asking if she can be of any assistance. “I’m just looking,” I tell her as I glance around the store.
I’m not really a big fan of shopping. I never have been one of those girls who likes to browse and try on everything and anything. I’m more practical. Come in, get what you need, and get out before the credit card starts to smoke. Fortunately, I don’t need much today. A few sweaters to go with my leggings and jeans, a coat and gloves, and maybe a pair of warmer boots since my ballet flats probably aren’t going to cut it in the Missouri winter.
I head over to a display of sweaters and check the price. They’re a little higher than I’d like to spend, but this is a small, locally owned boutique. I decide I can spend a little extra on a sweater here and find one in a soft blue and gray. The material is thick, promising to keep me toasty this winter, so I find my size and decide to buy it. I glance around a little more, finding all sorts of cute items that would look great paired with skinny jeans or leggings. I promise myself I’ll come back when the budget allows a little more wiggle room for clothing expenses. Right now, I need to stick to the basics until another job or two comes my way.
As I head to the register, I come across a display of gloves and scarves. My eyes immediately fall on a set of black and gray mittens, hat, and scarf. A smile falls on my lips as I think about my grandma and all the times I found her knitting or crocheting. Of course, when I was younger, I didn’t find it cool to wear a handmade hat or scarf, but now? I’d give anything to have something handmade with her love in every stitch.
“Those are made by Estelle Brown. She spends all of her time knitting those items and even infant hats that she donates to the local hospital maternity ward,” the lady states as I gaze at the big display of warmth.
When I spy the price tag, I gasp. “These are really underpriced,” I tell her, shocked by the low number on the tag.
The lady laughs. “Tell me about it. I’ve tried to get her to raise her prices, but she refuses. Estelle says everyone who needs them shouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get them. She doesn’t charge for her time to make them. That covers the material and what little markup we have to sell them on her behalf.”
Another smile spreads across my lips as I add the hat, gloves, and scarf set to my small stack of purchases, as well as a second pair of red and navy gloves. Placing my items on the counter, I grab my wallet and pull out some cash. I don’t use my debit card unless I have to. I’ve found that having a set amount of cash is a great way to keep me on task and on budget.
“Forty-five sixteen,” she says as I hand her a few bills to cover my total. Today’s purchases definitely took a chunk out of my planned spending, but that’s okay. It was worth it. “Thank you,” she adds as she hands me my bag. “Stop by again soon!”
“I will,” I tell her and know that it’s the truth. This boutique is definitely a place I’d love to shop at again in the near future. “Thank you,” I reply before slipping out the door and heading to my car.
My plan to visit a few of the other stores in the strip mall proceeds, but I don’t spend any money there. Instead, I find myself heading over to that secondhand store I found a lot of my great furniture pieces at. There was a huge clothing section too, and I’m anxious to see what sorts of treasures I find there.
The moment I walk through the door, the owner greets me by name and offers me a smile. It’s one of the best parts about living in a small town. Back in California, no one took the time to remember your name, let alone your shopping style.
“I’m so glad you’re here! I just took in a new consignment, and there is this great aged lantern. I instantly thought of you and the bookshelf,” she says as she retrieves the medium-sized wooden and glass piece from behind the counter. “I was just pricing it to put on the shelf.”
My eyes are glued to the rustic piece, and I know she’s right. This decoration would look fabulous sitting on my bookcase, maybe with some ivy and a battery-operated candle inside. “I love it,” I whisper, reaching for the lantern when she sets it in front of me.
“I was going to put six ninety-five on it,” she says.
“That’s a great price,” I reply with a smile.
“I’m so glad my husband, Herb, here last time,” she says. “He got you all set at home with your new things, right?”
Nodding frantically, I reply, “He did. I offered to pay him for his time, but he refused to take it. I’m willing to pay for any delivery fee,” I insist.
She waves her hand in dismissal. “No, dear, that’s not necessary. Herb is always willing to help out, especially delivering some furniture to a young woman who doesn’t have a truck to haul it.”
“Well, I definitely appreciate it.” I look back down at the lantern, wishing it was something I could get today, but if I’m going to be successful in my new home, I need to stick to my lists and allowance.
“Are you looking for anything special today?” she asks, sorting through a few more items and adding price tags.
“I was going to check out your selection of winter coats and sweaters.”
“There’s several over on the far wall, and I’m sure there’s a few in your size. Do you want help?”
“No, thank you. I’ll just go take a look.”
“Let me know if you need anything. Oh, and there’s a changing room in the back if you need it,” she says before turning her attention back to her task.
I make my way through the shop, eventually coming across the women’s clothes section. The first thing I find is a rack of jeans and slacks. Beside it, a rack of sweaters and long-sleeved shirts in all colors and sizes. Zeroing in on my size, I find several I like, but ultimately decide to try on four. Before I head back to the dressing room, I find her display of coats. There’s a few leather ones, but I’m not really a leather kinda girl. So I pick a navy blue Columbia puffer coat that’s marked at only fourteen ninety-five and make my way to the back.
Each sweater I try on fits well enough to buy, and at only about seven dollars each, it’s almost a crime not to get them. The coat is a tad on the big side, but by the time I layer for the winter, I’m sure it’ll be a perfect fit.
Happy with my purchases, I head to the front with my four new sweaters and coat. “I’m loving that coat,” Jeanette says, ringing up my new-to-me clothes. “Oh, and the deal of the week is buy one, get one half off. So, two of the sweaters are fifty percent off,” she adds with a smile.
“Can’t beat that deal,” I reply, digging out a few more bills.
“It’s mix or match. If you want something else, you get it half off, since you’re getting the coat,” she adds, folding the sweaters and setting them aside.
I glance around, wondering if there’s anything else I should purchase. When my eyes fall back on the lantern, a grin spreads across my lips. “I’ll take the lantern,” I tell her.
“Excellent choice,” she replies, grabbing the lantern and some newspaper.
We chitchat about the predicted cold front coming in before the Thanksgiving holiday, while Jeanette w
raps up the lantern to protect it. When she gives me my total, which is considerably less than I expected to pay, I hand her some cash to cover the amount and take my two bags of goodies from the counter.
“It was a pleasure seeing you again, Hollis. Stop by anytime. I run different deals all the time to keep inventory moving, so if you’re ever looking for anything in particular, come here first,” Jeanette boasts with a wave.
“I will, thanks,” I tell her as I head to the door.
Outside, the mid-November air is brisk and dry, so I speed-walk to my car and fire it up as soon as I’m inside. I also pull my new coat from the bag and slip it on, instantly appreciating the warmth that wraps around me. I sit for a few minutes, wondering where my next stop will be. I still have a little money left and want to grab some boots, so I guess I’ll head out toward the supercenter to see what they have in stock.
Just before I go to pull from my parking spot, my cell phone rings. I dig it from my purse and find a local number I don’t recognize. “Hello?”
“Hey, is this Hollis?”
“This is,” I reply, already recognizing the voice on the other end.
“It’s Gabby,” she says.
“Hi, how are you?”
“I’m good. Listen, I’m at the gym and just had a meeting with Harrison about the website. Are you available soon for a quick meeting?”
My heart starts to dance in my chest with excitement. Past experiences tell me, a meeting request is usually a very good thing. “Yeah, sure, anytime. I’m just running a few errands now.”
“Yeah? Well, would you want to stop by after your errands? I don’t want to rush you, but Harrison’s afternoon schedule is open so he can go to a doctor’s appointment with my sister. He’s got a little time before he leaves,” she tells me.
“Yeah, sure! I can come right now, actually,” I reply, feeling that familiar anticipation of potential work bubbling up inside me.
“Really? I mean, if you’re sure,” she says, the smile evident in her voice.
“I’m sure. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 60