Page 20 of Holding Holly
Somehow I get through the morning with no more pastry casualties. My head shouldn’t be this foggy: the bakery opens late Friday mornings, because they stay open later in the evening when people are stocking up for the weekend, so I was able to sleep in until seven-thirty. Of course, sleeping in the arms of my sexy new boyfriend meant it wasn’t exactly restful sleep. I was too revved up.
Last night was incredible. I couldn’t have wished for a more amazing first time. It felt like James and I were truly bonding, and?—
Dammit! The bread!
I save the loaves just in time, then call out to Gabe, “I’m taking my break now. The oven is all yours.”
“Thanks, Holly!”
Sneaking out behind the front counter, I’m able to splash two inches of coffee into my mug before the front bell rings. I duck out of the way so that Lizzie can serve the tall, ripped, kind of glamorous man who strolls in. He’s wearing a very fancy watch, and his button-down shirt clings to his frame in a way that suggests it’s custom-made.
Lizzie is always a smiley person, but there’s an extra twinkle in her eye as she pulls out a special order that has been set aside. The man waves goodbye and leaves, then Lizzie turns to me with a grin as she jots down a note in the green ledger I’ve noticed under the counter.
“Just as an FYI if you ever end up on counter duty, a lot of the Wolfes run a tab and just pay monthly. That was Kaden. They’re all tall and gorgeous. You’ll learn who’s who.”
“I’ve heard about the Wolfes.”
Lizzie nods. “Yeah, their family kind of…well, notrunsthe town…but they have a ton of land and businesses all around this part of the mountain. They don’t expect special treatment or anything, but…” She shrugs. “You know.”
“Yup. Got it.”
I grab my coat and head out to the benches between the parking lot at the back and the sidewalk out front. It’s a great little nook where you can get some fresh air, while still being sheltered from the wind thanks to the adjacent building.
I check my phone and see a message from my mother to call her back immediately. Normally my shoulders would slump at that information, but they’re too stiff from being hunched over baking the past few days. I crank the volume and call Mom on speaker so I can stretch out my shoulders and wrists.
“Hi, honey, how are you?”
“Pretty good. Just got a job at a bakery.” There’s never any point in telling Mom where I am, and she never asks. She’s off somewhere with the latest boyfriend. Come to think of it, I don’t really bother asking their names, same as she doesn’t ask where I am.
“That’s nice. You always did love working with your hands.”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
She sighs heavily. “I just thought you should know that your father is up for parole again.”
My arms freeze mid-stretch. “What?”
“I said?—”
“No, I heard you. I just thought his sentence was for at least thirty years.”
Mom sighs again. “Yes, but apparently prisons are overcrowded or something. I don’t know. I just thought I should warn you that there is a small chance that he might be up for parole in the next couple of months.”
“You haven’t given him my contact information, have you?”
“Of course not.” There’s a sharp inhale. “And I couldn’t, could I? The only information I have for you is this cell phone number.”
“Well, what do you expect?” I hear my voice getting higher, more agitated. “With my mother racing all over the world with the boyfriend of the week and my father in prison, I don’t exactly have a home base, do I?”
A pebble scuffs across the end of the alley, and I snap my head around to see a man turning away. All I see is his pant leg before he steps around the corner.
My heart sinks into my boots. Every single man in town wears jeans, some clean, some faded and worn. There’s only one man who wears navy slacks with a blue stripe down the side.
“Mom, I have to go.”
“Wait, honey. At least tell me you’re somewhere safe?”
“I’m in one of the safest places imaginable. Talk in a few weeks. Bye.”