Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Adress from the back of her closet.
High heels, also from the back of her closet.
Holly felt nervous. Would anyone notice that she had on the same dress she’d worn to this party a couple of years ago? She hoped not.
She’d put on some makeup. It was more than she normally wore. Instead of just foundation, powder, and mascara, she’d also put on eyeshadow, eyeliner and a little blush. She’d finished it with some lip gloss.
When it came to her hair, she hadn’t been sure what to do with it. In the end, she wore her long hair down over her shoulders.
And now, she stood off to the side of the party.
The Kringles’ house was filled wall-to-wall with festively dressed guests.
Her parents had helped her carry the cookies she’d baked with Colin.
Once the sweets were handed off to the people managing the food table, her parents disappeared into the crowd, leaving Holly on her own.
It was okay. It gave her a moment to gather herself. After all, this was her first time attending the Kringles’ Christmas party without her grandmother. Her heart squeezed as she thought of Gran. Her grandmother loved this time of the year, and she especially loved this party.
Holly noticed Billie Jean never asked about her mother or her final days. Any time Holly tried to bring up Gran, Billie Jean would change the subject. Even if Billie Jean had problems with Gran, didn’t she realize just how important Gran had been to her own daughter?
Holly wanted to say something to Billie Jean about her avoidance of the subject, but she didn’t know how to bring it up without ending up in a heated argument.
And that was the last thing Holly wanted.
After all, her parents came to town for her.
She had to do her best to make this work.
Gran would have understood. Wouldn’t she have?
“Hey, beautiful.”
She’d know that deep, rich voice anywhere. She turned, and there Colin stood in dark jeans and a gray sweater with a white collared shirt beneath. His sleeves were pushed up, and the collar was unbuttoned. He looked good. Really good.
“Hey, handsome. Did you just get here?”
“Actually, I was here for a little bit. I saw you walk in, but I couldn’t get away from Mayor Kringle. He has an idea for a parade next Christmas. You know how he is. He always wants to change things or add something new for the holiday.” He glanced around. “Where are your parents?”
“Uh…” She glanced around, having lost track of them. And then she spotted them. “They are talking to the Gundersons.”
The Gundersons owned the mill on the edge of town.
When she glanced over, the Gundersons didn’t seem to be saying much as Billie Jean and Roger seemed to be talking non-stop.
She wondered if her parents were telling them about their life in California.
Holly had been hoping the party would provide them another chance to hit it off, but her parents must have had other thoughts.
Now that Colin was there, she could feel herself start to unwind.
He joined her as she got some punch and a small plate of cookies.
Every now and then, she’d check her phone.
She’d set up a camera at home to keep an eye on Tater Tot.
She felt bad about leaving him home all alone.
Thankfully, he seemed to be okay with it.
He was asleep in his crate. Which meant when she got home, he would be ready to play when she was ready to crash on the couch and watch a Christmas movie.
Luckily, he didn’t have a lot of energy.
An hour of playing, and then he’d be ready for bed.
In the meantime, she would enjoy spending time with the most handsome man at the party. They both knew everyone at the party. And yet, they mostly talked amongst themselves.
At one point, she spotted Belle with Parker. Wait. What?
Holly lightly elbowed Colin. “Did you know your brother was coming to the party?”
“Which brother? You know I have three of them.”
“Parker. He’s here with Belle. Do you think they’re dating?”
Colin’s head swiveled until he located his brother. “I have no idea. Maybe this has something to do with the dognapping.”
“Shall we go say hello?”
“Definitely.” He took her hand in his as they made their way through the crowd of guests.
But making your way through a crowd of partygoers is never a straight, uninterrupted line.
And the party wasn’t in one room. It was spread throughout the living room, dining room, kitchen, and four-seasons room.
So, it took a bit to reach the spot where they saw Belle and Parker, but by then they were gone.
Holly lifted up on her tiptoes and looked around. She didn’t see them. “Can you spot them?”
“No. I don’t know where they went.”
“Oh well. I’m sure they’ll be back.”
It was only then that Holly realized they were now standing next to Colin’s parents.
So, they talked with his parents, who Holly had always found so friendly.
When his brother Michael and his date, Candi, joined them, they learned that there had been another emergency at Belle’s house.
They hoped that everything was all right.
Mrs. Gunderson stepped up to them with a smile on her face.
“Your parents are delightful people. Tell them we’re definitely interested in investing in their project.
It sounds so exciting. But we have to leave now, Gerald ate the pizza rolls, even though he knows he shouldn’t, and now he has raging heartburn.
” Mrs. Gunderson peered around the room.
“Oh. There he is. Gotta go. Merry Christmas.”
Holly looked at Colin. “A project? Do you know what she was talking about?”
He shook his head. “I don’t.”
Holly looked around. Her parents were talking to the Kringles now. Please, don’t let them ask them for money.
Colin arched a brow. “Do you want me to scope it out?”
She worried her bottom lip as an internal war raged within her. “I should probably trust them, shouldn’t I?”
Colin looked like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. His gaze dropped to the floor as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
“Colin?” When he wouldn’t say anything or meet her gaze, she wrung her hands together. Her empty stomach churned with nerves. “Colin, tell me what you’re thinking. Please.”
At last, his gaze met hers. “I just… Never mind.”
“Come on,” she prompted. “Talk to me.”
“I just think that you’ve known the people in this room your entire life. You care about them, and they care about you. But what do you know about your parents? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to find out what this ‘project’ is.”
When he put it that way, it sounded reasonable. And yet she hesitated. There was a part of her that didn’t want to know what her parents were up to. What would she do if she didn’t like the answer? Ask them to leave? The party? The town? The state?
“They moved on from the Kringles.” Colin’s voice drew her from her troubling thoughts. “Maybe I’ll go have a word with the mayor.”
While he was off talking to some of the guests, Holly made her way toward Merry Kringle. She couldn’t ignore whatever it was that her parents were up to. But before she reached her, Merry was approached by someone else and they disappeared into the kitchen.
While Holly waited for her to return, she moved to the punch bowl. It was there that she bumped into Felicity.
Holly smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”
“I forgot what life is like in a small town—always bumping into everyone.”
“Hey, Felicity, here.” Justin handed over her phone. “You forgot it in my car.”
Felicity’s cheeks grew rosy as she took the phone from him. “Thanks.”
After Justin moved toward the cookie table, Holly said, “You’re here with Justin? Are you two back together?”
Felicity’s eyes widened. “No. Definitely not.”
“But your phone was in his car?” Holly arched a brow.
Felicity sighed. “It wasn’t my idea. I’m working at the bookshop for the holidays, and well, it was snowing out, and Connie practically forced him to give me a lift to the school. It was no big deal.”
“The school? You were taking a walk down memory lane?”
“Not even close. We were just at the school working on the Christmas play.”
“Together?”
Felicity shook her head. “No. He’s doing the set, and I’m working on the costumes, but to be honest, most of them are done.”
“But you’re spending time with Justin.” Holly felt like they’d taken a step back in time. She was at the party with Colin. Felicity was there with Justin.
“I see my mother. I have to go. It was good to see you. Hope we can see each other again before I leave town.”
Holly nodded. “I’d like that.”
They hugged, and then Felicity walked away. No sooner was she gone than Colin returned. His face was drawn, as though something was weighing on his mind. She braced herself for whatever he was about to tell her.
When he stopped next to her, she said, “Whatever it is, just tell me.”
“From what I can gather, Roger and Billie Jean are going around the room drumming up money for some sort of investment that has to do with some special computers.”
“Are you serious?” The question was meant to be rhetorical, but Colin was nodding.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Do you think this investment even exists?” She couldn’t believe she had to question anything and everything about her parents, but until a couple of days ago, they didn’t want to be a part of her life.
Colin rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. But it seems strange to me that they’re trying to get money from ordinary people instead of a bank.”
“You’re right. They need to stop.” Not taking time to think over her next steps, Holly headed for her parents, who were now speaking to Colin’s parents. She stopped in front of Roger and Billie Jean. “You need to stop trying to get money from my friends.”
“Sweetie,” Billie Jean said, “you don’t understand.”
“I understand that you’re asking my friends for their hard-earned money.”
Roger looked a bit flustered. “You’re blowing this out of proportion. We’re trying to help your friends.”
“I don’t believe you.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the bill from The Peppermint Courtyard. She held it out to Roger. “You owe me for lunch. You both skipped out before the bill came.”
“We did not.” Roger’s face filled with color. “I was going to pay you.” He glanced down at the bill. “But I, uh, forgot my wallet back in our room at the B&B.”
When he made no motion to reach for his wallet, she knew he had no intention of paying her back.
It was as though she were seeing them clearly for the first time.
“This isn’t right. You need to stop with the sales pitch.
This is a holiday party. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but it needs to stop now.
” She turned back to Tricia and John Bishop. “I’m so sorry.”
Without hesitating. Holly turned and walked toward the exit. She needed to get out of there. Her chest was tight, and tears pricked the backs of her eyes. She refused to let anyone see her tears.
“Holly, wait,” her mother called out. “It’s not what you think.”
She kept going, like she hadn’t heard Billie Jean. She would have walked straight out the door if Colin hadn’t appeared in front of her with her coat in his hands. She paused, and he held it out to her. And then hand in hand they walked outside.
The cold air felt good against her heated face, and at last she felt as though she could take a full breath. Colin drove them back to her place. Neither of them spoke on the short drive. Holly was too busy replaying the events of the evening. How could she have been so wrong about them?
Once in the apartment, she let Tater Tot out of his crate. He jumped up on her leg, and she bent down to pick him up. She laid her head against him, enjoying holding his warm, wiggly body. He was so sweet.
“Are you doing okay?” Colin’s voice was gentle and full of warmth.
She nodded, even though she felt anything but okay. “I’m sorry to make you leave.”
He walked up to her and gripped her shoulders as he stared into her eyes. “You didn’t make me do anything. I chose to leave.” His gaze searched hers. “How are you doing?”
She was about to be honest with him when his phone rang.
He held up a finger for her to wait. He checked his phone. “I have to get this. It’s the clinic, and I have a patient there who just had abdominal surgery.”
She nodded in understanding. While he stepped away to take the call, she put Tater Tot down on the floor and got him a treat. All the while, she couldn’t help but think that sometimes what you wish for doesn’t end up working out the way you imagined. This was one of those times.
Colin stepped into the kitchen. His brows were drawn. “I’m sorry. There’s been a complication with Smudge. I have to go.”
She wasn’t ready to see him go, but she understood. “Sure. Thanks for everything.”
He took a step toward her. Then he hesitated, as though not sure what to do next. He stepped back. “I’ll, uh, call you later.”
And then he was gone. She’d never felt more alone. After taking Tater Tot outside, she changed her clothes, turned off her phone, and curled up on the couch with the pup. She tried to chase away memories of her parents with a Christmas movie. It didn’t work.