Holly's Heart Collection One (67 page)
Would ya please write soon? Hugs for Christmas!
Love,
Andie
I refolded the letter and pushed it into the envelope. Andie didn’t know what she was talking about. Jared had everyone fooled, even my best friend. If only she’d seen Jared standing in the corner with Paula, giving her that little gift all wrapped up so sweet. Pathetic Paula made me sick!
CALIFORNIA CRAZY
I glanced at my watch. “Ten minutes are up,” I called to Carrie and Tyler, who ran like hungry bandits to the house.
Carrie called back to me. “Aren’t you coming?”
I shook my head as I stuffed Andie’s letter into my pocket. I needed more time to sit here in the sun. Staring out at the horizon, I contemplated life and Jared Wilkins.
And then I heard Saundra’s proper-sounding voice. I should’ve expected she’d insist I come inside for something to eat. Her vocal cords strained a bit as she called again, “Holly, dear, time for brunch!”
Here was another female who made me sick. Sick Saundra. Hmm, wasn’t very nice, but oh well—it fit her just fine.
“No, thanks,” I shouted. She shook her head as she went inside.
By the time Carrie and Tyler returned, I was ready to finish making Sandy, my snowman substitute. Tyler lugged a grocery bag filled with containers of different sizes.
“Perfect,” I said, reaching for a plastic pitcher and heading for the ocean. It was fun smoothing and rounding out the three parts of Sandy: his base, stomach, and head. When it was time for his eyes, nose, and mouth, I let Tyler and Carrie in on the decision making.
“What about seashell ears?” Carrie suggested.
“Cool,” Tyler said, grinning.
I agreed.
“How about garland for his neck?” Tyler said. “I bet my mom has some left over.”
“Good idea,” Carrie said.
“Don’t forget the holly,” a strange voice came from behind me.
We turned to see a tall, blond boy holding out a stiff, shiny leaf with a cluster of bright red berries on it. His black Labrador stood panting at his side. It was Number 34—and for a second, I thought he was saying my name.
“Hey, thanks.” Tyler snatched the fake holly leaf out of the jogger’s hand. He acted like he knew him! Then Tyler said, “Where should we put it?”
“Stick it in his ear,” shouted Carrie before the tall stranger could answer.
In a flash, Tyler reached up and pushed the holly stem into the hardened sand above one of the seashell ears. “Fantastic,” he yelled.
“All he needs now is a hat,” Number 34 said with a soft chuckle. Tyler poked him in the ribs and ran down the beach toward the house.
Curious, I leaned down to pet the black Labrador. “Nice dog,”
I said, feeling a bit shy.
Carrie piped up. “What’s her name?”
Number 34, dressed in a T-shirt and cargo shorts, responded with a grin. “Sunshine. She’s my jogging partner.” He leaned down to rub the Lab’s side. “Aren’t you, girl?” The beautiful dog nuzzled close.
“Why’d you name her that?” I asked, half wishing Carrie had followed Tyler into the house.
“Lots of people ask that.” He gave a lighthearted chuckle. “I tell them you can’t be fooled by her color. Underneath this black coat, there’s a heart of gold.”
I nodded, careful not to seem too curious. “You live around here?”
“About three miles down the beach,” he said, pointing in the direction. Then he bent down and picked up a clump of wet sand, shaping it with his long fingers, tan like the rest of his body. The Lab sat at attention nearby. “You’re here for the holidays, right?”
“We’re from Colorado,” Carrie announced as she worked on our snowman substitute.
He nodded, helping Carrie smooth out a bumpy patch of sand. “How’s that?”
“What about this?” she asked, pointing to a drooping seashell ear.
Number 34 reached up to secure it, then, on second thought, stopped and leaned over to hoist Carrie onto his shoulders. “You fix it.”
Carrie giggled, reaching for the ear.
“Tyler told me he was getting company for Christmas. How do you like it here so far?” the blond boy asked, balancing Carrie.
I twisted the ends of my hair. “California’s nice. Uh…and I was here last summer for a couple weeks, but now, the winter, well, it doesn’t seem like Christmas without snow.” I felt tonguetied. Why couldn’t I talk to this guy?
A broad grin swept across his face. “Maybe you’ll change your mind after two weeks.”
Two weeks? What else did he know about us?
He turned his attention back to “Sandy.” Slowly, an elf-like shoe began to take shape under his hands. He was careful to create the next shoe slightly different from the first. Soon, two clever feet stuck out of Sandy’s base.
“Looks perfect,” I said, still wondering why he was hanging around. But more than that, I wondered why my heart seemed to speed up when his hazel eyes caught mine.
In a minute, Tyler was back with a forest green hat. It looked like a lady’s felt hat, complete with a cream-colored silk flower.
“That looks silly,” Carrie said.
“It’s the only one I could find,” Tyler responded.
“Too risky,” I whispered to myself before telling Tyler not to use it on Sandy. I had enough problems coping with my stepmom without being responsible for destroying her expensive wardrobe.
“Guess you’re right,” Tyler said, shaking the hat a bit too enthusiastically. “Oh, by the way, Holly, my mom wants to take you Christmas shopping this afternoon.”
“How do you know?” I felt funny discussing the plans of the day while Number 34 eavesdropped.
“Because she just said so,” Tyler answered, grabbing the tan boy’s arm and playfully swatting at him. “And guess who’s babysitting!”
“Fine with me,” Number 34 said. “And are we still on for tomorrow?”
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” Tyler admitted. “Do you two wanna go bodysurfing with Sean and me?”
Sean? I almost forgot the question Tyler had just posed as I absorbed the name.
“I’m going whether Holly does or not,” Carrie announced. She ran in and out of the tide, splashing against the beach.
Sean tapped his knee, and Sunshine promptly moved to his side.
“Well, that’s
three
of us.” Sean turned to me, waiting, it seemed, for my answer.
“Sounds like fun.” My heart skipped a beat, the way it used to when Jared winked at me. I felt very strange.
“Holly, dear.” It was Saundra calling from the beach house balcony. She waved her arms, trying to attract my attention.
“Coming!” I called. No sense keeping the dragon lady waiting.
“Nice meeting you, Holly,” Sean said, flinging Tyler over his shoulder, then stopping to extend his hand to me.
I accepted his handshake like an adult. “Same here,” I answered.
“Wait,” Tyler shouted. “Don’t forget the hat.” He leaped out of Sean’s grasp, picked up his mother’s felt hat, and tossed it to me. A slight breeze caught it, and up it flew like a Frisbee.
I reached for it and missed. “Oh, fabulous,” I muttered, picking it up and gently shaking it off. Now the hat thing was on
me,
and unfortunately it wasn’t the best topic for opening remarks. Not Saundra’s hat—no consignment shop special, for sure—dusty with beach sand.
Brushing away thoughts of the wicked stepmother, I focused on Sean and the momentary touch of his hand on mine.
The memory lingered, warm as a glove, as I headed toward the beach house.
CALIFORNIA CRAZY
Promptly placing Saundra’s hat on the deck chaise lounge, I scurried into the house.
Saundra did her scrutiny number on me first off. “I’ll be happy to wait for you to shower and change into something more appropriate” was the first thing out of her mouth. “And you haven’t had a thing to eat” was next. “You must be starving.” She punctuated her words with a deep sigh.
I hurried downstairs to the shower. Good thing she hadn’t seen the hat.
After my shower, I discovered a tray of fruit and a sandwich sliced into mini-sections on the dresser in my room.
Should’ve known,
I thought, reaching for some grapes.
On the bed, I spied the hot-pink two-piece swimsuit where I’d left it. “This is going back from whence it came,” I protested out loud, remembering the surfing plans Tyler, Carrie, and I had made with Sean. No way would I be caught dead in this scant little number in front of a boy.
I slipped into a gray cotton skirt and a blue top. Surely
this
was appropriate enough for Christmas shopping with Saundra. After brushing my hair and applying some light lip gloss, I hid the letter from Andie under the bed pillow, next to my diary. Then, snatching up the two-piece bathing suit, I hurried upstairs.
Saundra was waiting on the deck in a smart navy-and-white dress. Red shoes and purse completed her outfit. I swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn’t comment on the hat lying on the chaise. At least now it was sand-free.
“We’ll head for the mall first,” she announced, getting up from a white patio chair. The color reminded me of my mother’s house—the bathroom cabinet where I’d hidden my diary key.
“What’s that in your hand, dear?” She interrupted my thoughts, eyeing the almost-bikini I carried.
“Oh, this.” I acknowledged Saundra’s inquisitive look. I took a deep breath. “It’s just not me,” I told her flat out. “But I
will
be needing one for tomorrow, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to exchange it for something a little more…”
“Absolutely,” she said, snatching up the green felt hat as we headed inside. “You may choose whatever you like, dear.”
Dear
this,
dear
that. I cringed. Why did everything have to end with terms of endearment?
Inside, she hung the hat in the closet near the front door without saying a word. Then we headed for the garage. She unlocked the car doors with the touch of a button on her key. I settled into the jazzy white sports car, amazed at the super plush interior. The dashboard was almost as bright as her red shoes and purse. But I wasn’t surprised. Everything about Saundra was super flashy and expensive.
At the mall, Saundra waited outside the dressing room (thank goodness) while I tried on another swimsuit. A rainbow of colors—blues, pinks, and lavender—it looked fabulous on me. Much better than the two-piece Saundra had chosen. At least this one concealed my skinny ribs and hipbones. But it did show something. I turned sideways in the floor-length mirror to admire my developing physique. Perfect! Well…getting there.
The swimsuit dilemma solved, I felt less reluctant about spending the entire afternoon shopping with Daddy’s wife. Of course, I didn’t let on to her.
Next we browsed in a candle boutique, where Saundra purchased a dozen beeswax candles, all different lengths. “Won’t these look lovely on the mantel on Christmas Eve?” she commented, half to me, half to the air.
I nodded as she strolled regally to the counter. She exchanged small talk with the clerk, and I continued to survey her from afar.
How could Daddy have picked her for his wife? She was so…fakey. I heard her say to the clerk, “Merry Christmas, hon. Keep the change.”
Well, there was one thing Saundra had going for her. She was benevolent. That was okay, I guess, if she wasn’t your stepmom. A faint recognition stirred within me. Yep, that was a big part of why I didn’t like her. She wasn’t daddy’s
first
wife. She wasn’t Mom—not even close.
“Do we have time for a quick stop at the card shop?” she asked, as if she actually cared about what I wanted to do.
It amused me, but I kept the smile hidden inside and the icy stare frozen to my face. “Whatever,” I stated flatly. My sullen attitude didn’t seem to faze her, however, and we marched to the nearest Hallmark shop. Inside, she went her way and I went mine. In the Christmas card section I pulled out a gorgeous card with zillions of hearts decorating it. “First Christmas together” was written in fancy lettering across the top.
Staring at the couple painted on the card, I drew in a faltering breath. It was obvious the twosome were in love by the way they stood, hand in hand, gazing at each other.
The card stirred up the old homesickness in me, with thoughts of Mom and Uncle Jack. Suddenly I deeply missed Dressel Hills. And I longed for my friendship with Jared. I wanted things the way they were—
before
Paula!
