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Unknown:

Change of plans.

Meet me at my house at 7.

207 Dawson Road.

Me:

Okay.

I’ll be there.

I wantedto take it as a good sign that he was willing to talk to me, but I wasn’t so sure. Things hadn’t exactly been going my way over the past few days. There were still no leads on my father’s case—at least, none that Detective Joyner was willing to share with us. They had agreed to release Dad’s body, but it wouldn’t be until later in the week.

Thankfully, that gave us more time to plan his memorial, even though I wasn’t really feeling the need to remember my father and all the not-so-wonderful things he’d done. So, I let Mom and Rooks handle all the arrangements, and Ford and I spent the day at my shop. I still had a ton of unpacking to do, and it was a much-needed distraction from Holt and our looming conversation.

I had so many things I wanted to say to him. I just prayed that he would give me a chance to say them, and I hoped that he would understand why I did what I did. I tried not to obsess over it too much and focused on getting my displays completed. I was already days behind, and if I didn’t push it, I would have to delay my grand opening—which was pretty inevitable at thispoint. There was just too much that needed to be done and zero time to do it.

After working for as long as I could, I gathered up my things, and Ford and I headed back to the hotel. I took a shower and tried to find something suitable to wear. I was trying on my third pair of jeans when Mom popped her head in and asked, “How’s it going?”

“Not great.” I glanced at myself in the mirror as I groaned, “I have nothing to wear.”

“You look beautiful, Tal.” Mom stepped further into the room. “But then, you always do.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not. You really do look beautiful.”

“So, you think the sweater is okay?”

“I think it’s perfect, not that it really matters. Holt was never the kind to care about what you were wearing.”

“I just want things to go well.”

“I know you do, and I’m sure they will. You just have to be patient and give him time to process it all.”

I was still upset with her for lying to me, but she was my mother. She was the one I’d always turned to for things like this, so it was out of instinct that I told her, “I really hope you’re right because I don’t think I could stand to lose him again.”

“Just tell him the truth and hope for the best. That’s all you can do.”

“You’re right.” I glanced over at the clock, and when I saw the time, I gasped, “I better get going. Are you sure you’re okay with watching Ford?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “We’re going to go downstairs and have some dinner with Rooks, and then we’ll watch a movie or something.”

“Okay. Just be careful, and if anything seems off…”

“I know. I know.” She gave me a pat. “We’ll be fine. Now, off you go.”

“Okay. Okay. I’m going.”

I grabbed my purse, and after telling Ford goodbye, I rushed downstairs and out to my car. I put in Holt’s address, and then, I was on my way. I was a bundle of nerves, but not in bad way. No matter what the outcome, I was ready to sort things out with him.

It had been too long.

Too much wasted time.

Good, bad, or ugly, it was time to move forward.

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