Page 9 of Holding Holly

5

JAMES

Ilike to start every morning with a drive all around the main area of Old Hemlock Valley. Cruising past the highway on-ramp, looping around town, then going through a few of the larger streets. It’s a fast way to see if anything is out of place.

On the rare occasion something is up at a house, there will be five extra vehicles already parked it. Or people will see my truck and come running out to flag me down. I think that’s happened exactly twice since I’ve been here.

I drop into The Bakery on Main to grab a coffee and bagel, but Holly is in the back, so I don’t see her. Once outside, I balance my coffee on the hood of the Austins’ Jeep that Holly has parked out front.

Taking out a pad of parking tickets, I rip one off and write on the back of it:Hope your first day is going well. Dinner tonight? I’ll text you later.I don’t bother signing it. She’ll know who it is. Who else would be using parking tickets as scrap paper?

The rest of the day is fairly uneventful, except for the special on at the sandwich place, and getting an extra bag of kettle chips for half price. I wait until early afternoon when I’m in the office to send Holly the promised text.

Hey, gorgeous. Where would you like to have dinner tonight? I’d love to hear about your first day.

I force myself to answer a bunch of emails before checking my phone again.

Holly: I’d love to see you, but I’m exhausted – full day on my feet after not sleeping well in a new house, plus I need to pick up groceries because there isn’t anything in the house :(

What if you send me a list of essentials and I’ll grab them for you. Then I’ll cook for you at the Austins’ tonight. Early dinner, straight to bed.

The second I send the message, I realize howthatsounds.

To bed to sleep! Because we’re all wholesome as wholesome can be around here.

Holly: LOL! That would be amazing, thank you. Maybe I can sneak in a half hour nap before you arrive.

If you nap on the couch and leave the front door unlocked, I can start cooking while you rest.

Holly: Wonderful. Thank you.

Holly: I’m kinda surprised the town cop is suggesting I leave my door unlocked, LOL.

For an hour or two in the late afternoon? I’m not worried.

Holly: Great. Thanks!

I catch up on some paperwork, then take care of Holly’s list of basics: eggs, cereal, frozen chicken fingers, that sort of thing. Not the most interesting food, but I’m sure she’s going for things she can throw together in a hurry after baking all day.

It’s only four-thirty when I get to the Austin place, and sure enough, Holly is out cold on the couch. She looks like an angel, with her hair fanned out around her, those perfect rose lips slightly parted as she breathes deeply. My heart swells just from looking at her, and I quickly tear myself away, not wanting anything else to swell while I’m staring.

I stock the fridge as quietly as possible, then begin to cook. About half an hour later, I hear soft rustling from the living room. “Mmm…smells good.”

“You’ve got another twenty minutes of nap time, missy.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Looking toward the couch, Holly is stretching with her eyes still closed. Then she burrows back under the blanket like an adorable squirrel.

I’m searching for bowls when I hear her at the door to the kitchen. “Wow. You really cook. What’s this?”

“A light Thai curry with beef, red pepper and onion over rice. All the garlic and ginger is energizing, so you’ll be well fueled for tomorrow.”

Her perfect lips fall slightly open as she stares. “You’re making me energy food?”

“Yes. Now get your cute little butt to the table, please.”

She waits until I’ve set the bowls down to give me a big hug. “Thank you, James. Nobody’s ever really cooked like this for me before.”

I wait until we’re sitting at the table blowing on spoonfuls of curry to ask, “Do your parents live around here?”

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