Instead of texting back, I hit the call button.
"Before you yell at me…" Holly started immediately.
"I'm not going to yell," I said, though my voice was tight. "But we need to talk. Can you come over?"
"Now?"
"Yes, now. Casey's going to bed. I need…" I trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence. I needed someone to tell me I hadn't just made a terrible mistake. I needed someone to help me figure out what the hell I was doing. "Please."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes," Holly said, her voice softening. "And Palisade? For what it's worth, I think you did the right thing letting him in."
She hung up before I could respond.
Twenty-three minutes later, Holly arrived with a bottle of wine and a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
"Figured we'd need both," she said, breezing past me into the kitchen. She grabbed two wine glasses and two spoons without asking. "Is Casey asleep?"
"Out like a light. She was so excited about meeting Easton that she exhausted herself." I sank onto the couch, accepting theglass of wine Holly pressed into my hand. "She asked if he could come teach her hockey moves on Saturday."
"And you said?"
"That we'd see. Which in mom-speak means 'probably yes, but I'm not ready to commit.'"
Holly settled beside me, tucking her legs under her. "He showed up to apologize for the media thing, right? That's what he told me."
I crossed my arms. "You gave him my address."
"He asked for it. Said he needed to make things right." She took a sip of wine. "Was I wrong to give it to him?"
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to be angry with her for interfering. But the truth was more complicated.
"He almost fired his agent," I said quietly. "Called him from the parking lot because of what happened today. Then he showed up at my door with Chinese food and an apology."
Holly's eyebrows rose. "Wow, that's… very mature of him."
"I know." I took a long drink of wine. "And he was so good with Casey, Holly. Patient, encouraging, treated her like she mattered. She showed him her hockey card collection, and he spent the time looking at every single card with her."
"That must have been surreal. Your daughter showing him his own rookie card."
"You have no idea." I closed my eyes. "She told him he was her favorite player. Asked if she could be a hockey player someday."
"What did he say?"
"That she could be anything she wanted to be. That passion matters more than talent." My throat tightened. "He told her not to let anyone tell her she couldn't do something just because she's a girl."
Holly set down her wine glass and reached for my hand. "And that scared you."
"Terrified me," I admitted. "What if she gets attached? What if she sees him as more than 'Uncle Easton' and then something happens? What if he decides this is too complicated and walks away?"
"What if he doesn't?"
The question hung in the air between us. I pulled my hand away and stood up, needing to move.
"I can't stop thinking about what happens when he finds out," I said. "When he discovers I've been lying to him. Every time Casey hugs him or looks at him withhisblue eyes, and I knew the truth and kept it from him."
Holly stayed quiet, letting me talk.
"Tonight, watching them together…" I pressed my fingers to my temples. "He's going to hate me, Holly. When he finds out, he's going to hate me for keeping her from him."
