“Thank you,” Holly said, her voice slightly breathless.
Daniel nodded, creating a bit more space between them on the sofa. “Take your time. I’ll go check on the kids.”
He rose from the sofa, needing a moment to compose himself. As he headed for the stairs, he glanced back at Holly and hoped this wasn’t the beginning of the end.
Chapter Eight – Holly
Holly sat alone on the sofa, Daniel’s phone still warm in her hands. Her heart hammered against her ribs, the ghost of his almost-kiss lingering on her lips like a promise unfulfilled. The near-miss replayed in her mind—the way he’d leaned toward her, the flutter in her stomach, the magnetic pull that had nearly closed the distance between them.
The storm outside howled its lonely song, the wind rattling the windows as if demanding entry. Inside, the silence pressed against her eardrums, making her thoughts seem impossibly loud.
Tearing her thoughts away from the almost-kiss, she stared at the phone screen, its glow illuminating her face in the dimly lit living room. Daniel was right, she needed to let someone know she was safe. But who? Andrew was out of the question. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet… Her bridesmaids?
Or her mother...
Holly’s stomach twisted at the thought. Her mother must be worried sick. Mustn’t she? Or was she simply furious about the embarrassment, the expense, the wasted planning?
She closed her eyes, wishing her mom were more like Daniel. The kind of parent who built blanket forts, who sat on the floor coloring pictures, or snuggled on the sofa watching movies.
Kind, caring…concerned.
Was her mother concerned? Surely it was a natural parental feeling?
After several shaky breaths, Holly punched in her mother’s number, each digit feeling like a step toward the gallows.Maybe this time would be different. Maybe her mother would surprise her, would ask if she was okay, would understand that sometimes the bravest thing you could do was walk away.
The phone rang once, twice, three times. Holly’s finger hovered over the end call button, a last chance at reprieve.
“Hello?” Her mother’s voice was tense, clipped.
“Mom, it’s me.” Holly’s voice came out smaller than she intended.
A sharp intake of breath, then: “Holly Elizabeth Davis, where on earth are you? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
No ‘are you okay?’ No ‘thank God you’re safe.’ Just an immediate accusation.
“I’m safe, Mom. I’m in Bear Creek. Staying with... friends.” The word felt inadequate for what Daniel and his children had become to her in such a short time.
“Friends? What friends? Everyone we know was at the church, watching you humiliate yourself and poor Andrew. Do you have any idea what people are saying?”
Holly closed her eyes, pressing her free hand against her forehead. Of course, that would be her mother’s first concern—what people were saying.
“I couldn’t go through with it,” Holly said, the words feeling pathetically inadequate for the seismic shift her life had undergone. “It wasn’t right.”
“Wasn’tright?” Her mother’s voice rose an octave. “What wasn’t right was leaving your fiancé on your wedding day! What wasn’t right was embarrassing our entire family! Do you know how many calls I’ve had to field? The caterer wants to know what to do with all the food. Andrew’s mother hasn’t stopped crying. The gifts…”
“Mom, please,” Holly interrupted, her throat tightening. “I just wanted you to know I’m safe.”
“Safe? You call this safe? Running away from the best thing that ever happened to you? Andrew is devastated, Holly. Absolutely devastated. I’m sure if you talk to him, you can work it out.”
Holly’s fingers clenched around the phone. The letter Andrew had sent her burned in her memory—I’m sorry, Holly. I think this is a mistake...Her mother didn’t know about any of it. No one did. And something in Holly couldn’t bring herself to reveal it, to use it as a shield against her mother’s disappointment.
Because in a strange way, she was grateful for that letter. Without it, she might have walked down that aisle into a life that was never meant for her.
“I can’t marry him, Mom. And that’s the honest truth.”
“This is ridiculous. Give me the address, and I’ll come get you. We can still salvage this situation. I’m sure Andrew is willing to forgive you, Holly. Do you understand what a gift that is?”
Holly’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “I don’t need his forgiveness.”
