Courting Holly (13 page)

“I guess, I just thought you would want a piece of land that was your own.”

“You are forgetting I am the oldest son. The greater land share goes to me after my father passes. What are you asking, Holly?”

“I don’t see you content living in the city, and I don’t see myself—or you for that matter—wanting to move every six months to a year because you’ve purchased and sold another house. I mean, I don’t mind... Oh, I don’t know what I mean. I guess it doesn’t sound like a stable environment for children.”

“Children, hmm? So you are thinking about having children with me one day?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Holly groaned. “Of course we’ll have children, if the Lord blesses us with them. Can we stay to the topic at hand, please?”

Bryce nodded and leaned forward on his forearms, cupping his coffee mug with both hands. “Here is my plan at a quick glance. If I purchase a house, improve it and sell it again, I will make a profit. The goal is to eventually purchase a house and owe nothing on it at the time of purchase. I am hoping to achieve this in five years. And should we marry and be blessed with children early on, they would be young enough to move into our final home and be none the wiser with regard to all the moves.”

“So, you have a goal. Of course you have a goal. You’ve always had goals and plans. I was just seeing an endless future of packing and unpacking again and again.”

“No, I wouldn’t put you through that.” Bryce shook his head.

“I have another question about us.”

“At your service, my lady.” Bryce pretended to take a hat from his head and give a slight bow.

“How long are you really willing to wait for me? My problem is, I don’t know what this block in my heart is or how long it will take before it is gone. I know there’s more going on than just this memory I cannot retrieve. I cannot promise to fully love you as long as my heart is still so confused.”

He held out both his hands palm up and waited. Holly tentatively placed her left hand in his right and her right in his left. He curled his thumbs over the tops of her fingers and gently caressed them. “Honey, it has only been three months since your mother died and your world was turned upside down. From what you said to me, whatever is blocking your heart is down to a fraction of what it was before. You are no longer numb. You feel joy and pain. You cry easily. Give it time. I am certain we will get to the point where that area of your heart will be completely healed.

“Ask yourself this. What are you feeling when we hold hands like this?”

Comfort, peace, completeness came to mind at once. Her thoughts then burrowed deeper down, taking her into distant, indistinct memories where she could sense that strange place in her heart that refused to feel anything. No, that was not quite accurate. It felt hard, cold and without emotion. “It’s still there.”

“Yes, but is it as large as it was last week?”

“No, it is smaller.”

He released her hands. “That’s my girl. That’s what I was looking for.”

Holly smiled and focused on Bryce’s honey-brown eyes. She’d never met another with eyes that warm shade, apart from his mother. She could get lost in those eyes. “I see your point. You are counting on hope.”

“And you. You are a strong woman, Holly. I know you’ll grow through this. Not only will you be a stronger and richer person afterward but so will I be. I find strength in you, too. You encourage me to be more than I am. I could simply stay at the plantation, do my father’s bidding and inherit it, but I want to make my own way in the world. I am not seeking immeasurable wealth.”

“This seems so strange. We’re talking about our future lives together and we aren’t officially courting yet.” Holly closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I love you, Bryce. I truly do. I wish I could give you all of my heart. But...” She lifted her head and focused on his wonderful eyes. “Goodness, I want to kiss you.”

Bryce beamed. “That’s a good place to start. Relax, Holly. We will get through this. We just have to give you more time to heal and recover that memory.”

“What if I never do?”

“I believe you will. You’re already seeing shadows of an event. Give it time.”

Holly finished off her coffee. She wanted a life with Bryce. She always had. “I’ve never been good with patience.”

Bryce stood. “Yes, I am well aware of that.” He winked. “Whereas I have always been more methodical, except when it came to you. You seemed to get me into trouble.”

Holly giggled. “Were you planning on selling this house as part of your five-year plan for a debt-free home?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s sell it. I would love to go house hunting with you today.”

He placed his mug on the counter next to the sink and came up beside her, helping her from her seat and engulfing her in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet.

“Bryce Jarvis, put me down.” She laughed. “You’ll reopen that wound.”

“Nah, you don’t weigh much.” He eased her back to the floor. “Let me get the buggy and we shall be on our way.”

Chapter 13

“I
think the house on West Charlton Street next to Pulaski Square doesn’t have enough of a yard to interest a family,” Holly said as she climbed back into the buggy. “The one on East Taylor Street, however, has a good yard but the house seems too small.” She sat on the bench seat. “That’s probably not very helpful. I am not real good at this. Sorry, Bryce.”

Bryce couldn’t help but smile. “No, you are great. I noticed the same issues.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” The buggy creaked as he climbed up and took the reins. “The thing about investing in real estate is that you have to choose wisely. You not only have to look at location but also the potential a house would offer to particular types of clients. How much it will cost to improve the house and still bring a high enough profit margin to warrant investment of time is another major consideration.” He paused. “I hope I am not boring you with details.”

“You are not boring me at all.”

The smile on her face lifted his spirits. “Good. I have another location a little farther out of town. The listing price seems reasonable. It’s on East Anderson halfway between Forsythe Park and Evergreen. The only concern I have is that the house isn’t all that old, whereas the two we’ve already looked at were built last century. This one is much newer, about twenty years old.”

“Does the age of the house make much difference?”

“Different materials were used when they built the older homes. Today we use much more gypsum in our horsehair plaster.”

“Do you really put horsehair in the plaster?”

“Yes. It helps give the plaster more strength and binds well to the lathe work behind it.”

“Are you certain you want to run plantations? You’re sounding more and more like real estate’s in your blood.”

Bryce chuckled and kept on driving. “Truthfully, I don’t like working with horsehair plaster. It itches. However, if I want to make a large profit I have to be willing to do most, if not all, of the work. What I really love is working with livestock, especially breeding horses.”

A strange grin spread over Holly’s face.

“What?”

“That’s what my father does in Tennessee.”

“Really? Can you tell me about his ranch?”

“It’s very large, with several barns for different purposes. There is a large enclosed arena where they train the horses. It’s not what you would consider classic architecture, but it is a very interesting building. I was surprised to see just how large a working ranch it was. He also raises some cattle and sheep, but the primary stock is the horses.”

“I would love to see his ranch sometime. You never told me about your other family. How do you feel about them? What are they like?”

Bryce drove the buggy at a leisurely pace while Holly regaled him with stories about her Tennessee stepmother, two stepsisters and stepbrothers. He could have been through by now but being with Holly far outweighed any issue with time.

“That’s quite a family. Between the Landers and Grahams you have three sisters and five brothers. What are you going to do for Christmas?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I cannot see myself celebrating the holiday anywhere but here. I will need to plan ahead for my Tennessee family. A shipment of oranges and grapefruit would add to their holiday celebrations.” Holly knitted her eyebrows.

“I’ll have to think about that. I cannot believe I am thinking about Christmas and it is only October.”

“Yes, but with regard to shipping, you always need to get items out early. Unless you are planning a trip and can take them with you. I wouldn’t mind escorting you to Tennessee. Perhaps as your husband.”

Holly smiled. “That would be nice.” Then just as quickly her shoulders slumped and her complexion changed.

“Holly?”

He watched her eyelids close. He prayed for the Lord to give her peace and to break down the final barrier in her heart.

Slowly she opened her eyes and placed her hand on his forearm. “I do so want to marry you. When we are alone like this, just talking, I feel so close to you and there is nothing stopping me from loving you. Then the moment I think that, I feel that...that... Oh, what do I call it? It’s like a harness on my heart holding me back. I hate it. And I simply don’t know how to get rid of it.”

“Give it time, honey. Give it over to God and eventually He will remove it.”

“I’m still mad at God when I think about Mother’s accident. He could have prevented it and chose not to. Then again, I wouldn’t know my real father and his family if she hadn’t died. It’s so confusing. John admitted he was the primary one preventing me from knowing until I was twenty-one and that he kept the suitors away. Apparently there have been quite a few seeking my affections.”

Bryce stiffened. “But you are not interested—”

She cut him off. “No, of course I’m not interested in seeking any other man’s affections.”

“That is a relief. I am not fit enough to duel at the moment.”

Holly laughed. “My knight in shining armor.”

“I was thinking more along the line of the Three Musketeers, but I could be one of King Arthur’s Knights.” Bryce turned the buggy into the driveway. “Here we are. What do you think?”

“First impression is nice. It has a lovely yard and wrap-around front porch.”

“And I like the carriage house with its second floor. Let’s check out the interior.” Bryce watched the satisfied smile bloom on Holly’s cheek. He scanned the area, rich with vacant land this far out of the city. A field large enough for a horse to graze stretched away from the right of the house. Patches of grass divided the two-lane dirt road in the front. It wasn’t as large as some of the streets inside the city but allowed room enough for two carriages to pass one another on opposite sides without either having to give way. Bryce searched the lines of the house. The roof ridge didn’t sag. The sides and corners stood straight and plumb. “I wonder why they put the house on the market.”

Bryce stepped down and circled the buggy to offer her assistance. She grasped his hand with her delicate fingers and glided down. She had the grace and poise of any well-trained Southern belle, yet this was his Holly, rough and tumble, who played hard and swept him off his feet. “I love you,” he whispered.

Their gazes locked for a moment then she replied, “I love you, too.” She glanced away as soon as the words left her lips.

Patience, Bryce, you can do this. Give her the time you promised her earlier.
“Shall we?”

She snapped back and refocused on him. He smiled but said not a word. Yes, patience would win. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Yes, let’s go.”

* * *

Holly stepped into the backyard with Bryce. The house had great potential, very little appeared wrong with it. All it needed was some fresh wallpaper, paint and a good scrubbing. “You said this house has a low price on it? There doesn’t seem to be much in disrepair.”

“Yes, and that concerns me, too. Why the price? What are we not seeing?” Bryce stepped farther into the backyard.

“Stop!” Holly screamed.

Bryce jumped. Holly started to shake.

“What’s the matter?”

He had her in his embrace before she could get a word out. “I cannot explain it. But I think there’s a pit or something just about where you were going to step.”

“What? Have you been here before?”

“No. Not that I remember. I...I cannot explain it. I saw you heading over there and this image of the earth swallowing you whole came into mind.”

“Let me check.” Bryce released her. He grabbed an old rake he found on the ground and started poking the earth in front of him with the handle. “The ground seems solid.”

Holly couldn’t shake the image. She wrapped her arms around herself.

Bryce continued his exploration. He turned and looked at her. “Holly, are you all right?”

She nodded. What had she seen? Her mind flashed back to darkness, a tunnel, the dim light of the sky overhead, then nothing. She felt cold. Her legs gave out and she crumpled to the ground.

“Holly? Holly?” Bryce’s voice floated in her consciousness. She was in his arms. No, she was on his lap. They were on the ground together. He held her tight and rocked back and forth. “Shh, honey, everything is going to be all right.”

“This has never happened to me before,” she confessed. His sweet masculine scent enveloped her as she nestled her head on his shoulder. “I saw a tunnel or pit or something. It was dark...cold...wet, and there was only a pinhole of a sky up above me. I was terrified.”

“Do you think this is a real memory? Maybe a nightmare?”

“I don’t know. Goodness, what is happening to me, Bryce? Am I losing my mind?”

“No, I don’t believe you are losing your mind. Something in this yard or house triggered a memory of some sort. The way you reacted reminded me of reactions I saw in some of my father’s friends who fought in the war.”

Holly took in a deep breath and eased it out slowly. The fear that had taken over her body now changed to desire. She traced Bryce’s neck with her finger.

“Holly, honey, stop, please.” He shifted her from his lap to the ground beside him.

“Sorry.” She could feel the heat build on her cheeks. She brought her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. “What’s wrong with me? All of a sudden I am overcome by strange memories, or imagined ones, and lose complete control and simply react. Then I relax in your arms and...and... Well, you know.”

“Shh, everything will be fine. Let’s talk about what you saw.”

“It was more felt than saw. But as you stepped into the yard I saw blackness, almost complete blackness. Then I looked up and saw the blue sky as this tiny circle of light. I felt myself fall on wet and cold ground, like I was stuck in a pit.”

“Or a well, perhaps?” Bryce suggested. “Is it possible that you might have fallen into a well when you were a small child?”

“Anything is possible, although I have no memory of it. And I don’t recall ever being at this house before. Yet there is something familiar about this yard. I cannot place it. But there is something.”

Bryce got up from the ground and extended his hand to her. “Come, let us explore the yard together. We will keep checking the ground before we step forward, just in case your memory happened here.”

“But why would it? I don’t think my grandparents or my mother ever lived here. When she returned from Tennessee, she and I moved in with my grandparents, according to my fathers.”

“What you remember may not have actually happened here, but something in this yard sparked that memory. Perhaps if we continue walking around, some other pieces will surface.”

“Sounds wonderful,” she quipped.

Bryce stopped and had her face him. He brushed the strands of hair from her face. “If this is too hard we can stop...”

“If I can retrieve more memories maybe we can figure out what the hardness is in my heart and get on with our lives.”

“I would not have been as direct, but I agree.”

Holly closed her eyes and tried to refocus on the traces of the memory she’d seen. “I cannot see anything.”

“Relax. Let us walk the property. You were on the back stairs when you hollered out to me. Let us start there. I will walk ahead of you like before. Perhaps it will ignite the images again.”

“All right.” Holly faced the house and paused. She looked up at the second-floor window below the peak. There appeared to be a silhouette of an eagle with outstretched wings on the paint. Holly stepped back to get a better view. She’d seen those eagle images before. They represented the Revolutionary War. “Bryce,” she said, pointing, “do you see what appears to be where an eagle plaque once hung up there?”

“Yes, why?”

“No reason, I guess. It seems familiar. Of course, many homes have them over their doorways.” Holly shook her head, went back to the steps and turned to face the backyard. Bryce hustled out in front of her. “It’s not happening this time.”

“That is fine. Come, let us finish checking out the place.” He held out his hand and she joined him for a leisurely walk around the yard. Nothing came; no fear, no sudden memories. Instead she found herself getting caught up in Bryce’s analysis of the property.

“So, what do you think?” Holly asked.

“I am curious about the price. It seems low for a house in such good repair. Granted, there is some work needed on the interior, but all simple fixes. It is a bit odd. But I will investigate some more. It may be that the children inherited the place and don’t live in the area. They may simply want to sell it quickly.”

“I suppose. But they took out the furnishings. And who took an ax to that wall in there. What do you suppose happened?”

“It is a curiosity but an easy repair.”

“It seems odd. On the other hand, I’m still a bit shaky from whatever that was I remembered earlier. It seemed so real. I was certain you would step into a pit of some sort.”

“You should ask your father if he recalls a time when you fell into a well.”

“You are right, a well sounds as plausible as anything else.”

“You mentioned it was narrow and damp.”

Holly nodded. The flash of a bucket coming down at her flitted through her mind. She closed her eyes and replayed the memory. It had to be a memory. What else could explain it? Falling down an old well wasn’t unheard of. She thought of the faded scar on her right ankle. Had that injury occurred during the same event?

“Bryce, I think I did fall down a well. I was young, very young. There’s a scar on my right ankle. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. I must have fallen down a well and injured my ankle. I remember a bucket being lowered to me...but it wasn’t really a bucket. I don’t know...it’s just bits and pieces.”

Bryce smiled. “The memory will come. Unless you want to stay longer, I think it is time for us to head back.”

“Father will begin to wonder what I am doing. I did say I was going to give you a hand but he doesn’t like me gone for that long. He can be a bit controlling.”

Bryce chuckled. “No comment. Shall we?” He held out his elbow and escorted her back to their buggy.

“So what’s the process now, if you decide to buy this house?”