Holly's Heart Collection Three (32 page)

Turning, I looked out over the front lawn, which was covered with several inches of powdery snow. Stephie was patting the head on the snowman, packing the snow down. Colorado snow didn’t have much moisture content, and most of the time, we used buckets filled with water to help make our snowballs and snowmen. Wet snows usually came in the early spring. Those were the best for snow forts and snowmen.

“Come help us,” Carrie called to me.

“Okay, just a minute.” I ran inside to get some waterproof mittens. The phone rang while I was rummaging around in the hall closet, searching. “I’ll get it,” I called to Mom, who was still surveying the scene of the accident.

Hurrying to the kitchen phone, I picked it up. “Hello?”

“Holly-Heart, it’s good to hear your voice.” It was Daddy. “How’s my number-one girl?”

“Hey,” I said, pleased to hear from him. “I tried to call you earlier.” I leaned around the corner of the kitchen, checking to see if Mom could hear my end of the conversation.

“Oh, really?” he said. “That’s interesting, I believe we may have been trying to call you around the same time.”

“How’s Saundra?” I asked. “And Tyler?” Tyler was my stepbrother, Saundra’s son.

“Fine, fine, everyone’s doing well here. And you? How’s Carrie?”

I chuckled. “She’s outside making a snowman.”

“Sounds like she’s having fun. With her stepsister, no doubt.”

“Yeah.” I felt funny about springing the custody thing on him now, within earshot of Mom. This wasn’t the time.

“So . . . were you calling about something in particular?” he asked.

“Well, I really want to talk to you . . .”

There was awkward silence between us. Then he spoke. “You don’t feel free to talk?”

“Not really.”

“I understand,” he said. “Well, when it’s convenient, why don’t you call me collect? You have my office number, don’t you?”

“It’s in my wallet.”

“I’ll be around the house tomorrow and in and out of the office on Monday, so keep trying if you don’t get me right away.”

“Okay.”

I thought he was about to hang up, but then he said, “Sean Hamilton’s brother mentioned something interesting to me yesterday at work.” I knew Sean’s older brother worked with Daddy. In fact, he’d been one of the ones who’d first talked to Daddy about God.

“I think I know what you’re going to say.” I crept toward the dining room to check on Mom’s whereabouts. It seemed she’d gone upstairs. Maybe to lie down.

“Your mother’s going to have another child.” He said it frankly, almost without feeling, as though it were just another financial fact or sales projection.

“Yeah, in April. And that’s kind of why I wanted to talk to you.” I’d found my opportunity. Mom was safely upstairs; Uncle Jack was still outside with the rest of the family. “Do you think I could come out there for a while?”

“Now? During the school year?”

“Well, maybe not right away, but soon?”

He paused for a moment. “Are you asking if you can come here to live, Holly-Heart?”

“I . . . I guess I am.” It was strange. Now that the words were out, I wasn’t so sure. “For part of the year, at least.”

“Is everything okay there? I mean, are you happy?”

“Well, no, not really.”

“Is this something your mother and I need to discuss?”

I wasn’t going to get Mom involved. “That’s not necessary. Besides, Mom’s busy these days. I wouldn’t want to upset her.”

“I see.” He sighed. “Is this idea partly because of the new baby? Is that why you want to come out?”

“It got me thinking, I guess you could say.”

“Are you and your mother getting along all right?”

Now it was my turn to exhale. “We aren’t fighting, if that’s what you mean. We just don’t . . . we don’t really ever talk the way we used to. And . . . and she kept her pregnancy a secret from me all this time.” In some ways, I felt better sharing this with him. But in another way, I felt like I was betraying my family here.

“A secret, you say?”

“Right.” No way was I going to complain about the cozy marriage Mom had settled into with Uncle Jack. There was no reason to mention my feelings about any of that. Daddy was a Christian now, and he and Saundra were doing okay, too. The old days of fantasizing about Daddy and Mom getting back together were past. Besides, the fantasy was just that—a fantasy.

“Well, I’m wondering if things won’t change for you once the new baby arrives. You’re one big happy family now.”

Yeah, right,
I thought.
Guess he’s not wild about my moving out there.

“I wish you’d let me come,” I said softly, feeling hurt.

“Let you? I’d love to have you. Don’t you know that, Holly? But things like this aren’t decided in an instant of anger, or whatever it is you’re feeling, dear. Why don’t you think about it . . . pray about it, too, and we’ll talk later.”

He’s putting me off.

“I won’t change my mind,” I vowed.

“Please think it over?” he said.

“I’ll tell Carrie you said hi.”

“Yes, do that. Good-bye now.”

Usually I would say “I love you,” but the words didn’t feel natural today. Not at all.

I hung up, heavyhearted. Daddy had seemed hesitant on the phone. He hadn’t responded the way I thought he might. I was more than disappointed. His lukewarm response had thrown a wrench into all my plans.

I’d have to find another way to convince him.

Soon.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH

Chapter 10

All day Saturday I kept my conversation with Jared about his publisher uncle a secret from Mom and Uncle Jack. In many ways, I wanted to savor the information—keep it to myself. Not out of revenge, though. Well, then again, maybe it was.

I purposely showered and dried my hair early in the evening so I’d have uninterrupted time to read my new book.

Tricia’s Secret Journey
had grabbed me on the first page and wouldn’t let me go. Even when Kayla called, I could hardly pull myself away from it.

“Hey, Kayla. What’s up?”

“Remember, Paula and I told you we’d call?”

“Right.”

“So what’s going on with you? Are you really thinking of moving to California?”

“Nothing’s decided yet.”

“Oh, Holly, we don’t want to go through this moving thing again with you.” She was referring to last year, when Uncle Jack had announced he was moving us to Denver. Depressing days for all of us.

“This won’t be traumatic, I promise. If I can get my dad to consent to it, you’ll be happy for me. Won’t you?”

“You’ve talked to your dad already?” She sounded frantic.

“A few hours ago.”

“And? What’s he think about it?”

I sighed. “I’d rather not say.”

“So it didn’t go well? Is that what you mean?”

“Look, Kayla, I really shouldn’t be discussing this with any one. Do you understand?”

“Sure, but don’t worry about us spreading it around,” she said. “You have our word of honor.”

“Thanks.” I was dying to get back to my book.

“Oh, Holly, something else. This has nothing to do with you and your dad. I was just wondering if you know . . . well, that is, I thought you might have an idea if . . .” She stopped.

“What is it, Kayla? What’re you asking me?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just so hard. I hope your stepbrother isn’t anywhere nearby. Is he?”

I glanced around, even leaned over the stair railing and looked down. “Nope. It’s all clear.”

“Okay, here goes,” she said. “Does Stan have a girlfriend?”

“Stan?” I giggled. “I was right. You’re still crazy about him.”

“Oh, Holly, please, please, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Especially not—”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” I reassured her. “As for girlfriends, Andie was his last, and of course, they stopped hanging out last summer.”

“I’m so relieved.”

“Relax, Kayla. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Well, I better get going. My mom wants to use the phone.”

“Okay, well, tell Paula hey for me.”

“I will. See you at church tomorrow.”

“Yep. Bye.”

Bingo! Kayla wanted Stan to ask her out. Now, instead of dying to get back to my book, I was thinking of ways to “help” my brousin get the message. Without telling him in so many words, of course. Kayla would have my neck. I’d have to be very discreet.

But once my thoughts about getting Kayla and Stan together faded, I curled up in bed with my book. I found myself absolutely absorbed with the main character, Tricia Joellyn. She was so much like me, had most of the same problems in life, and more than anything wanted to get away from her present family and live with her dad for a while. And the amazing thing was that Tricia’s dad wasn’t all that enthusiastic about her joint custody idea, either. Just like Daddy. In fact, the reason why Tricia called an attorney after the initial talk with her dad was the very reason I’d secretly considered making a phone call to the law firm where my mom had worked as a paralegal before she got remarried.

My reason? I felt rejected, and I wanted my father to know I was serious. Getting an attorney involved didn’t have to mean I was becoming hostile. I certainly hoped Mom or Uncle Jack wouldn’t see it that way.

Monday, I would make the call from a pay phone during lunch. No one would ever have to know.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH

Chapter 11

Jared came right in and sat down beside me in Sunday school the next day—like he owned me or something. Danny Myers sure didn’t like it. At least, that’s how it looked from where I sat, catching his annoyed expression.

Actually, Danny seemed rather forsaken these days without a girlfriend—namely, Kayla. Being the studious sophomore that he was, I had figured he didn’t care much about the boy-girl thing anymore. But evidently I was wrong.

“Hanging in there?” Jared whispered to me.

“Why shouldn’t I be?”

“I’m talking about the California thing.”

I looked him square in the eyes. “I
know
what you’re talking about, Jared.”

He must’ve gotten the message that I didn’t want to discuss it. Not here, in front of everyone. Abruptly, he changed the subject. “How’s your story coming?”

“Haven’t written another word.”

He looked surprised. “I thought you wanted to get published . . . again.”

“I do, it’s just . . . well, everything’s happening at once.”

Our teacher came in then, and Jared said no more about either matter. Still, I felt strange sitting next to him, knowing that Sean would be coming to see me. We’d be having our first real date in just over three weeks!

On Monday, Paula and Kayla surrounded me at my locker first thing. They were worried about my custody plans. Both of them.

“Look, it’s not like I’m divorcing my mom or anything,” I explained.

“Who’s not divorcing who?” It was Andie.

Stunned, I turned around. The twins were silent, too.

“Well, excu-use me, I can tell when I’ve stumbled into unwanted territory.” She spun away on her heel.

“Andie! Come back!” I called to her.

And she did. In a flash. “What’s going on?”

Of course, I had to tell her. There was no way around it. I couldn’t shut out my very best friend forever. So I quickly summarized the state I was in, leaving out the secret phone call I planned to make during lunch.

“This is craziness,” Andie yelped. “I can’t believe you’d go to such measures—to get attention, no less.”

“You’re wrong,” I snapped. “That’s not what this is about.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” She rolled her eyes at the twins, who were doing everything they could to support my decision by staying calm.

“Holly’s going through some rough waters right now,” Paula said, putting her arm around my shoulders.

Andie laughed. “Hey, welcome to life.”

“She’s in need of encouragement,” Kayla piped up, “not . . . not—”

“Not what I have to say?” Andie asked. “Is that what you mean?”

“Calm down.” I grabbed her arm the way she always did to me. “Your opinion counts, honest. Please don’t freak out about this. If everything goes as planned, I’ll be back here in time for the last half of summer.”

“Huh?” Andie said. “You actually want to leave in the middle of the school year?”

“It’s really very complicated,” I said. “Besides, I don’t think any of you understand what’s going on with me. Read my lips, there are
eight people
living under one roof at my house. Soon to be nine. Does that mean anything to you guys?”

The twins stared at me, blinking their long eyelashes.

Andie sighed. “Like I said before, what’s the big deal?”

“It’s crowded at my house, and I can’t think. I’m losing my privacy just when I have a chance to be a book author.”

“A what?” Andie hadn’t heard. “When did this happen?”

“Saturday, at the doughnut shop.” I filled her in quickly about Jared’s uncle. “And by the way,” I said, remembering how the twins had seemingly orchestrated Jared’s showing up just as we were going to get doughnuts, “I think we should talk about last Saturday . . . the bus ride home and, well . . . everything.”

“What are you saying?” Paula asked.

“Don’t play dumb with me. Jared asked you to arrange things, right?”