Chapter 26 Holt
Holt
Iadjust my slacks to smooth out the creases and take one more look in the mirror.
I’m taking Gia out to a nice dinner for the first time, and I’m oddly nervous.
It’s one thing to go out to a bar with loud music and dance with her all night.
It’s another thing to sit in a fancy restaurant and try not to look like an idiot.
My saving grace is knowing that Gia and I can hold a conversation without too much effort. She’s easy to talk to about anything that comes to mind, no matter if it’s serious or silly.
Although the only thing on my mind right now is this bullying issue with Leah.
I talked to Farrah on Monday about it, but I haven’t had time to give it any more thought. I had a huge court case yesterday that I was prepping for all week, and now that it’s over, I’m finally able to think about something other than land laws.
There haven’t been any other instances with the kid, but Farrah said she’s been keeping a close eye on the boy when they’re at recess to keep him from doing anything harmful.
I appreciate that she’s going out of her way because the principal made it clear that she couldn’t do anything until another incident is witnessed by more than just Leah and Mason.
I was incredibly frustrated with that response, but I also understand that kindergarteners’ memories aren’t that reliable.
The girls are with my brother, Nix, tonight.
He took them to a movie and is going to stay with them while Gia and I are out.
I’m incredibly lucky to have a family that is willing to spend time with my girls, whether I ask them to or not.
Nix made the offer earlier this week, and I jumped on the chance to get Gia alone.
I dab on just a bit of cologne and head out to my truck. We’re forecasted to get some snow this weekend, and I’m hoping it dumps on us so I’ll have a good reason to convince Gia to stay with us the whole time.
It doesn’t matter if we’re going out or staying in, Gia can find a way to make it fun. She’s incredible with my girls. The way she encourages them to be independent and stand strong in their convictions has made me fall even harder for her.
When I used to think about dating again, I worried that any woman I brought home would try to replace Hannah, but Gia has never once made me or the girls feel that way. She’s willing to talk about Hannah whenever we want to and never shies away from the fact that they miss their mom.
Pulling into Gwen’s driveway to pick up Gia is a little strange. She’s been here for over a week now, and I’m still not quite used to her living in town.
The air is bitingly cold tonight, so I leave my truck running as I walk up to the front door. I only have to wait a few seconds before Gia opens the door, looking gorgeous in a deep red dress with a plunging neckline.
“Fuck, woman. Are you out to kill me before we get to dinner?”
Gia beams. “No, just cause mild heart palpitations.”
“Mission accomplished.” I step into her to kiss her hard. She moans against my mouth, and I struggle to pull away from her. “Come on, Rainbow. Let’s go before I ruin all your hard work.”
“You’ll ruin it later though, right?” She raises an eyebrow as she slings her coat around her shoulders.
“Damn right, I will.”
“Good.”
I open the truck door for her, grabbing her ass in the process of helping her into the cab. She laughs and swats at my hand.
Once I’m settled behind the wheel, I drive us out to the falls. The Douglas family opened the Chateau about six years ago, and it has an incredible view of the waterfall our town was named after. It’s one of the nicer restaurants in Pine Creek Falls, and is the perfect place to go for a date night.
We drive for about twenty minutes before I park in front of the massive A-frame log cabin. The lot is unsurprisingly packed for a Friday night.
Gia gracefully climbs out of my truck, holding my hand. “Oh, wow. The waterfall is beautiful.”
The moonlight makes the streaming water sparkle. “Is this the first time you’re getting to see our town’s namesake?”
“Yeah. We wanted to hike it when my friends and I were here over the summer, but we never got a chance.”
“It used to be a tiny bit of runoff from the mountains—hence the creek part of our name—but over the century it’s grown into a massive waterfall. You can swim in it in the summer. It’ll freeze your tits off, but it’s fun.”
“I think I’ll keep my tits, thank you.”
I bark out a laugh. “I’d rather you keep them too.”
We get inside the restaurant, and I give the hostess my name for our reservation.
Within a few minutes, we’re seated at one of the booths along the edge of the room.
The Chateau has that golden glow of an intimate dining room.
The white tablecloths and brown leather chairs blend seamlessly into the modern decor, so the stars of the show are the people rather than the restaurant itself.
“This place is gorgeous,” Gia says as she takes in the room.
“They have an event space that faces the falls. It’s pretty popular for weddings and whatnot.”
“I can imagine.” Gia bites the inside of her lip, but before I can ask her what’s wrong, the waitress comes up to take our drink orders. We both get cocktails, and I order a plate of their fried mac and cheese bites.
At Gia’s questioning expression, I explain, “They’re the best damn thing on the menu. I could probably eat twenty of them.”
She grins at me. “What else do you recommend?”
We walk through the menu, discussing what we want to get. We end up deciding to split two different entrees when Gia can’t choose which one she wants more.
After our food order is placed, I finally ask her what was on her mind before we got interrupted.
She takes a hefty sip of her cocktail, visibly building her courage. Then her dark blue eyes meet mine. “Have you thought much about getting married again?”
Her question surprises me, although it shouldn’t, given we were talking about the Chateau’s event space.
“I honestly haven’t. Dating has only recently come on my radar.
I’m not necessarily opposed to the idea.
I could see myself being willing to get married again for the right person. What about you?”
Gia shrugs. “I was never the girl who fantasized about finding her Prince Charming and getting married. I was the girl who wanted to climb mountains and slay the dragons herself.”
I grin. “That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”
“As I got older, I still didn’t see the appeal of letting some boy have dominion over me and my choices.
I’d rather live a solitary life than a miserable one with the wrong guy because society told me that’s what I had to do.
” She pauses, a secretive smile quirking the side of her mouth.
“Then I met a man who seems to buck tradition and lives his life the way he wants—not how society tells him he should. It’s made me wonder if marriage would be different with that guy than the way I’ve always imagined it. ”
I’m oddly pleased that I’m the guy who has changed Gia’s outlook on relationships. “Life with me would definitely be different than with anyone else. If you factor in my girls, my in-laws, and my family, you’re walking into a mess of people with a ton of opinions.”
“I like your girls and your family, but maybe I should hold my judgment until I meet your in-laws.”
“You’re teasing, but I’m not. I’m a complicated mess over here. Hitching your wagon to this loaded cart may not be in your best interest.”
Gia shrugs. “Maybe not, but you’ve more than proven that it would be worth it to try. The important thing is that we’re on the same page about the direction this could go. If one of us was dead set on never getting married, would that be a deal-breaker?”
“Not for me. As long as we’re committed to each other to the fullest, I think I’d be fine to never get married again.”
“I’m not against the idea, but…” Gia hesitates. “I don’t want kids of my own. I’ve never wanted them, and I don’t think that will change. If you were hoping to have more one day, it’s not going to be with me.”
This whole conversation makes a whole lot more sense now. If she wasn’t for or against marriage, I didn’t understand why she’d ask if I was. Now, I realize she was leading into the real issue. I reach out to grab Gia’s hand. “Would you be able to love my girls like they’re your own?”
“If they were anyone else’s kids, I’m not sure if I’d be able to, but your girls are special, Holt. They’re brilliant and kind, and I wouldn’t have any issue loving them with my whole self. I’m basically there already.”
“That’s all I need, Gia. If I have you and my daughters, I’ll be a happy man.”
She blows out a long breath, her shoulders deflating as she exhales. Then she throws back her drink, making me laugh. “Let’s move on to other, less emotional, topics, yeah?”
I nod. “Anything you want.”
Our food arrives a few minutes later, and the rest of our dinner is spent laughing and teasing each other over everything.
She tells me about her wild college days with her best friend, and I share the ridiculous things I got up to with Grayson and Knox on the rodeo circuit.
She demands that I show her proof of me riding broncs, and I reluctantly find some old videos.
She steals my phone and taps around for a bit until she hands it back exactly as it was.
“What did you do?”
“Sent those videos to myself. Just a bit of spank-bank material for the nights we can’t spend together.”
I drop my head back in laughter while my cheeks heat.
“Holt?” Kathy’s voice stops me dead in my tracks.
“Hey, Kathy.” I stand, nodding at Leonard, who’s stoically standing behind her. “Leonard. How are you?”
Kathy glances at Gia, her face pinching. Before I can introduce them, Kathy looks away as if Gia is inconsequential. “We’re fine. Where are the girls?”
“With Nix. He wanted to take them out to see the new Disney movie.”
Her lips turn down at that. “I wish you had called us. We could have had a movie night at our house instead of their little ears being subjected to all that noise.”
Gia’s expression communicates her incredulous thoughts about Kathy’s statement. It’s a lesson in control that I’m able to hold back my laughter.
“Well, maybe they can come over next weekend,” I offer.
“Hmm. I suppose I could rearrange the appointments I have.”
“That’s okay, don’t worry about it if you’re busy.”
“Oh, well, I’ll see what I can do about my schedule.”
“You let me know. Have a good dinner.”
Leonard nods, shuffling his wife to their table across the room. I’m grateful he didn’t let her continue talking with us. I could tell as he escorted her away that she had more to say.
I look back at Gia. “Did you know you’re not very good at keeping a straight face?”
She grimaces. “Sorry. I used to keep that shit locked down, but being here has made me forget I should. I’m finding it a whole lot harder to hide my emotions recently.”
“I’m not complaining. I quite like being able to read how you feel. Takes the guesswork out of it for me.”
“I’m assuming those were Hannah’s parents.”
I nod. “Kathy has always been opinionated. One time, Hannah bought this pair of pants. They were ridiculous, but she loved them. Kathy had no qualms about sharing her thoughts. Most of the time, she’d do it in a silly or kind way.
Since Hannah died, Kathy’s opinions have become more judgmental and mean-spirited.
It’s made asking her for help a whole lot less appealing. ”
“Do they spend a lot of time with the girls? Seemed like she was more annoyed that you didn’t ask her than about not getting to see them.”
“Lately, the only time they see the girls is if I ask first. It’s become rare for Kathy to reach out to me.
Lauren’s picked up on Kathy’s rude comments, and she doesn’t hold back her opinion on anything.
I’m betting both the girls have called her out on something she’s said, and she thinks she’s punishing them in some way now. ”
“I’m kind of proud of the girls for standing up for you.”
“Me too. I’ll have to talk with Kathy about it eventually. It’s just always the last thing on my to-do list.”
“I don’t blame you. I’d also do whatever it took to kick that can down the road.”
Chuckling, I change topics. “You ready for dessert?”
Gia smirks. “What kind of dessert?”