Chapter 7
Holly
“It’s been a week, Holly.”
“I don’t need the reminder that seven days has passed since my life fell apart, Dakota.
” We’re at Pie in the Sky bakery and Sierra is serving us her famous snickerdoodles.
I wish I could enjoy them, but my tongue has lost all appreciation of taste.
My nose, too. Thankfully my eyes are still functional, but even they didn’t fully appreciate the pink potted plant Ford left on my doorstep the day after our argument.
They also didn’t appreciate the following six days of personalized gifts that included my favorite snacks, some romcom movies, and other cute things.
“I’m just sayin—”
“Just saying, what?” I turn on her, mouth full of snickerdoodle.
“Ford’s a good guy, Holly. All the Briggs boys are good. Well—most of them.”
“He threatened to—” I lower my voice “—kill the guy, Dakota.”
She just waves it off. “First of all, that’s hot. He was going to do it for you. Second of all, it’s Ford. He wouldn’t—I don’t think—go that far. And third, he’s obviously in love with you. Haven’t you been kind of into him too?”
“It’s so wrong, Dakota. I shouldn’t have slept with him. It was too soon.”
“Don’t do that, Holly. You were hardly in a relationship with Damon.
It had been months of a downward spiral.
You know you were going to break up with him that night or the next day.
It just…turned out differently than you expected.
Better and worse in some ways. Don’t you think you deserve to be happy? ”
“Not like this,” I grumble, shoving another cookie in my mouth.
“Like what? So soon after heartbreak?”
I go to nod but she cuts me off.
“What? Are you supposed to postpone your happiness for some unspoken reason for people that don’t have to live in your shoes for some indefinite period of time?”
“I don’t know—”
“No, Holly. You’re not. Love doesn’t play by a standard set of rules. It shows up, smacks you upside the head, and says, What are you going do now?”
“That sounds oddly specific—”
She throws her hands up in the air. “Just…don’t let it pass you by for something stupid. Find out what really happened that night because there’s no part of me—I mean zero, zilch, not even one tiny spec of one microscopic particle—that believes Ford was in the wrong here.”
As we leave the bakery, the bell dings, signally our departure and the door is held open by the next patron.
“Thanks,” I start to say and then look up into the face of Ford.
He looks stricken. I never knew what that look really meant, but his face is the epitome of it. Ashen skin. Sunken eyes. Loose jaw. Slumped shoulders.
Even his voice. It just croaks out, “Hey.”
Before I can reply, Dakota beats me to it.
“Good timing, Ford. You two should talk. Maybe take her to the gazebo? I hear it’s helped some other couples before.” Dakota practically shoves me at Ford, and I put out a hand to stop myself from ramming into his chest. His reflexes are fast and he reaches for me.
“Thanks, Dakota,” he says, but she’s already walking off, probably heading to Espresso Yourself bookstore to grab the latest historical romance she ordered in.
My hand is still in his, and he gives it a small squeeze. “Would you wanna talk?”
I shrug. Already blinking back some tears. “Sure.”
In a weirdly not-awkward silence, we make our way to the center of our small town and take a seat on one of the cute benches under some hanging flowers.
“I got your gifts. Thanks.” I need to say something, but I can’t look him in the eyes yet.
His voice is low and gravelly when he answers, “You’re welcome.”
“I—” I don’t know what else to say. I’m hurt. I feel betrayed. Lost. Like I can’t even trust myself anymore.
“I’m so sorry, Holly. I should have waited. I shouldn’t have pushed you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
“You didn’t push me. I-I wanted to do…that.”
“You sure? Because you seem pretty mad at me.”
“It got chaotic real fast, Ford.” Shaking my head at the memory, I go on. “I was with Damon. Then I wasn’t. Then you were there. Damon comes back and says he basically…what? Gave you permission to sleep with me? It’s so confusing. I don’t know what to believe.”
“It sounds bad, Holly. But…ugh…” He groans and leans back on the bench.
“I can tell you that he’s an asshole for even suggesting something like he did.
And I didn’t take him up on his offer. I’ve been into you for a long time, which he obviously picked up on.
I should have left that night and just…I dunno.
Waited. Waited for you to be single and take notice of me. ”
“I’m glad you didn’t leave.”
“You are?” His head perks up and I finally venture to meet his gaze. He looks so forlorn. It’s like he can’t be anything but sincere.
“Ya. I am. It’s just hard to know what’s true. I feel like I can’t trust myself.”
“Holly, I can’t prove anything to you.” He reaches for my hand, and I let him take it in both of his. “All I can say is that I hope you can trust what you felt with me that night.”
Just from the way he’s encasing my hand, I can feel the warmth and steadiness he emits.
I nod. “I felt…a lot that night.”
“Me too.” He squeezes my hand. “This sounds so cliche, but that night changed my life.”
“Ya. Me too.”
“I’m serious, Holly. There’s no one else for me. You’re it.”
“What?”
“I love you, Holly.” I’m floored. Shocked. Stunned. Frozen. No words. Just a blubbering mess of emotions inside because I know I love him, too. Which is crazy. But I do. I’m about to say something, but he’s not done talking.
“I’ll wait if you’re not ready.”
My heart just melts at how earnest he looks.
And maybe Dakota is right. Maybe I’m living by some weird sense of loyalty to something unknown.
Like, why was I loyal to Damon for so long?
Look what that cost me. So what am I being loyal to now?
Some bizarre sense of appropriateness. It’s like shackles fall from my eyes and I can see something clearly that I’ve never noticed before.
Before confessing anything, I have to ask though, “For how long?”
“As long as it takes, Holly. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay. You can wait.” Though I try to remain serious, there’s an invisible hook pulling the corner of my lips in an upward direction.
I see his lips kick up into a half grin too. “I will then.” He puts our entwined hands on his thigh. “What should I drop off tomorrow? I’ve got a whole list of gifts I haven’t gotten to yet.”
“Oh you do, do you?”
“Ya. I’ve got some cute sticker ideas and relaxing—”
“Just you.” I fist his shirt. “Just drop off yourself, Ford. We’ll figure out the rest as we go.”
“I like that plan.” He leans in to kiss me and brushes his lips against mine. “So you forgive me then?”
“Ya. I do. Because I love you, too.”
He whispers into my ear, “Sweeter words have never been spoken.”
And I know this is real. This is what love is supposed to feel like.
Someone who sees you. Who’s willing to do anything to make you happy and feel good about yourself.
Someone who apologizes, even if they’re not wrong.
Someone who’s willing to wait. Who’s willing to go the extra mile, even when I can’t.
But I’m ready now. I’m ready to love and be loved, and I couldn’t be happier.
I know this is how it’s going to be with him forever.