“I’m going to get the club sandwich and fries.”He returned his menu to the holder.
“That sounds good.Maybe I’ll have it too.”She handed him her menu.
The door opened, and in walked her parents.He had no idea how this meal was going to go, so he once more reached over to Holly.He took her hand in his own and laced his fingers with hers.Colin wanted her to know he was there for her.He would be her rock if she needed it.And if things worked out, he would cheer with her.
She glanced at him with widened eyes, but she didn’t say a word.She didn’t remove her hand from his clasp.In fact, she ended up squeezing his hand.
“Hello, you two.”Billie Jean sat down across from Colin.“Sorry, we’re late.We had an important business call just as we were going out the door.”
“Billie Jean,” Roger said, “we don’t want to talk about that now.”
She nodded.“You’re right.”She reached for the menus.“Did you two pick out what you’re eating?”
“We did,” Holly said.
Was it just him or did Holly’s voice sound a little off?A little higher pitch than normal?
“Okay.”Billie Jean scanned the front and back of the small menu.A couple minutes later, she said, “I know what I’m having.”
Just then the server walked up to their table.Roger insisted they go ahead and order.By the time they got to him, he’d picked out a double-decker burger with onion rings.
And though the conversation was awkward at first, eventually the conversation turned to a trip down memory lane.Billie Jean told them what she remembered about Kringle Falls, since it was her childhood home.She’d run off with Roger at the age of seventeen.According to her, the place looked different—more built up—but at the heart of it, Kringle Falls was still a small town.
Colin only spoke when addressed.Other than that, he observed this strange and sometimes painfully awkward family dynamic.If he didn’t know that Holly was their daughter, he wouldn’t have guessed it.Holly smiled and laughed a couple of times.She was blatantly attempting to make inroads with them.
“Would you like to go caroling this evening?”Holly asked her parents.
His mother’s mouth opened before she wordlessly closed it.She looked over at Roger, who cleared his throat.“I’m afraid we can’t.We have important things to do.”
Ouch.Did he just imply that spending time with his long-lost daughter wasn’t important?Colin hoped that wasn’t the way Holly took it, but one glance at her let him know that was exactly how she took it.
Holly pushed aside her half-eaten meal.“That’s okay.”She glanced over at Colin.“Are you ready to go?”
Even if he wasn’t finished eating, he would have agreed.
“Wait,” Billie Jean said.“We have some business to discuss.”
Holly’s brows scrunched together.“We don’t have any business together.”
Billie Jean narrowed her gaze on Holly.“We need to discuss the sale of the apartment and store.”
For a second, Holly didn’t say anything.It was as though the words had blindsided her.It took a moment for her to get over the sucker punch.But when it passed, her lips pressed into a firm line as she ever so slightly tilted her chin upward.Her eyes glinted with anger.
“There’s nothing to discuss.”Holly’s voice was firm and clear.
“We appreciate you taking care of everything until we could make it back here.”Billie Jean smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.“But now we need the money for our next project.”
“Taking care of everything?”Holly looked at Billie Jean like she was losing her marbles.“Do you even know what ‘taking care of everything’ entails?”Emotion made her voice waver.
“Well, you sold the house,” Billie Jean said.“I hope you held out for a good price.We’ll be needing all of the proceeds.”
Colin swallowed hard.He wasn’t one to get into people’s faces.He liked to keep things civil, but there were some cases where that wasn’t possible.This was one of those times.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”He glared at both Billie Jean and Roger.
Holly placed a hand on his thigh, stopping him from saying more.And he had a whole lot more he wanted to say to these two horrible, greedy people.How did these two heartless people get together and give birth to the sweetest, most thoughtful daughter?It boggled his mind.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
