He looked up and down the street.He didn’t see her.He headed for his pickup, but before he reached it, he heard someone calling his name.He paused and turned around.His brother Justin was headed toward him.
“Hey,” Justin said.“Is everything all right?I saw the end of what happened in the café.”
Colin paused and rubbed the back of his neck.“You saw that, huh?”
Justin nodded.“So did everyone in the café.But don’t worry.You know that they’re all on your side.”
“I just don’t understand how anyone can treat their own flesh and blood like that.They come to town and try to scam their daughter’s friends out of their money.And then when Holly won’t hand over her inheritance, they threaten to take her to court.Who does that?”
“I…I don’t know.”Justin stuffed his hands into his pockets.“Is there anything I can do?You know to help.”
Colin shook his head.“No.I don’t know what to do at this point.”
“Are you sure?Because I’m in good with the sheriff, and we could run them out of town.”Justin sent him a hesitant smile.
Colin sent him a half-hearted smile.“I’ll keep it in mind, but right now, I need to go check on Holly.She stood up to them, but I could tell that it cost her—it cost her a lot.”
Justin nodded.“Go.And if either of you need anything, let me know.”
“I will.Thanks.”Colin turned and continued toward his pickup.
A few minutes later, when he arrived at Holly’s place, he was about to ring the bell, but then he decided to try the door knob.It turned in his hand, and he smiled.She’d left it unlocked for him.
He took the stairs two at a time.“Holly!Hey, Holly, are you here?”
When he reached the top of the stairs, he didn’t hear anything.He started to worry.Was it possible that she wasn’t home?But then why was the door unlocked?
Then he heard a tinkling sound.He followed it to the living room, where he found Holly.She was standing next to the Christmas tree with glass ball ornaments dangling from her fingertips.Her back was to him as she placed one of the ornaments on the end of a tree limb.
He didn’t want to startle her, so he kept his vow low.“Holly?”
She turned to him.“Oh, hey, sorry I left you behind.”
He stepped farther into the room.“It’s okay.I understand.I brought your coat.”He placed it over the arm of the chair before he stepped closer to her.“How are you doing?”
“I just want to get this tree decorated.I, uh…strung the lights the other night.”When she reached out to put another ornament on the tree, he noticed the slight tremor in her hand.“If I could just get this tree finished, I could put away the boxes of decorations.”
He moved to the coffee table.“Mind if I help?”
She still wouldn’t look at him, but she nodded.“Go ahead.”
After he took off his coat, he picked up a few ornaments.He moved to the tree and reached up high to place one.As he hung the ornaments on the tree, he glanced over at Holly, but she kept her face downcast.
In the background, he heard her phone ring.She rushed over to look at the screen, and then without answering it, she put it back down.He hoped it wasn’t her parents calling to harass her.
He was worried about her.He couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling.At least she had Tater Tot.It was at that moment that Colin realized he didn’t see the pup.
“Where’s Tater Tot?”
“Oh.I put him in the bedroom when I was getting out the ornaments.He kept jumping and trying to grab things with his mouth.I didn’t want him to get hurt or for the ornaments to get broken.”
“What if we move the ornaments on top of the stacked boxes where he can’t reach them?”
She shrugged.“That’s fine.”
He went to the entryway and grabbed a couple of boxes.He noticed there were considerably less boxes than when he’d first come over.He smiled.She was starting to feel at home.And no one was going to take this home from her.
After he set everything up so it would keep the puppy out the ornaments, Holly let Tater Tot out of the bedroom.The pup ran over to Colin to say a quick hello, then he ran back to Holly.Colin noticed how the pup stuck close to Holly’s side, as though he sensed something was wrong.
