Holly's Wishes (7 page)

“Oh—” she said, not knowing how to even begin to respond.

“That sounds wonderful,” Dan interrupted, walking into Holly’s classroom, “but I’m afraid Holly has a partner for the talent show. Me. We’ve already started on something together. It’s kind of a surprise, so if you don’t mind …” He took Gus’ arm and led him toward the door.

“Okay, okay. Fine,” he stammered, “Holly— you can be multiplication!” he yelled in a final plea, as his boss gently pushed him into the hallway.

“We’re good, Gus, thanks,” Dan said, before closing the door. He collapsed into the chair in front of Holly’s desk.

She covered her mouth and burst into a fit of laughter. “Thank you,” she said, trying to compose herself so Gus wouldn’t hear her. The poor guy might be weird, but he meant well. “You have perfect timing.”

“Actually, I really
was
coming in to talk to you about the talent show. I’m not going to be able to meet with you after school as planned.”

Holly felt a pang of disappointment.

“Oh, well …” She wasn’t sure how to respond. Disappointed? Indifferent?

“Yeah. Unfortunately, I have to meet with some parents instead.” He sneered and rolled his eyes.

“I thought only teachers rolled their eyes at parents. Aren’t principals supposed to be more diplomatic and professional?”

Dan leaned in closer. “Only in public. I’ve got some good stories … especially from my prior school. I’m sure you’ve had your share of fun parents as well?”

She nodded and smiled.

“Maybe we can trade tales over lunch today? And talk more about the talent show, you know, so we’re not just sitting around making fun of moms and dads who make our jobs harder than they have to be.” He winked as he got up.

“Sure.” She was a bit stunned at the invitation, and confused about his true intentions. “I have lunch at eleven forty-five.”

“Great. Meet you back here with a couple of gourmet sandwiches from our five star cafeteria.”

~~~

“No!” Holly said with a laugh. “They didn’t really say that!” She took the last bite of her sandwich and ran her tongue over her teeth, hoping there were no embarrassing pieces of food stuck there.

“Scouts honor,” Dan said, holding up his three fingers in perfect formation. “Apparently they were proud of the fact that their kindergartener had such an advanced vocabulary.”

“They do know there are better ways of encouraging language growth other than teaching him curse words, right?”

“That’s what I tried to explain.”

“What’d they say?”

“What do you think they said?” Dan raised his eyebrows.

“No they didn’t!” She started laughing all over again.

“They did!”

“What did you do?”

“You mean after I scraped my chin off the floor? I told them if their child told the teacher to f-off again, he’d be suspended. The next week, I received a notice from the district that the family decided to homeschool.”

“Wow, you really have heard it all.”

“Pretty much, and I’ve only been doing this five years.” He paused as he propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his hand. Smiling at Holly, he said, “I can’t wait to see what the next five brings.”

He
was
talking about being a principal, wasn’t he?

“I hear kids coming,” he continued, sitting back up.

Holly peeked at the clock. Lunch period was way too short, especially when she was in good company.
Good company with cute dimples.

“I guess our time’s up,” Dan said, sounding as disappointed as she felt. “I’ve been going on about my job so much, we never did talk about the talent show. Sorry about that.”

 “That’s okay. Actually, I’ve been working on our routine a bit. I’ve got another few lines together … and some dance steps.”

“Dance steps?” he asked, a concerned expression crossing his face.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing fancy. I’m not that coordinated. It’s more like a stepping back and forth while we rap type thing.”

“So we’re not talking Gus-style moves,” Dan said, chuckling.

“Oh God no!” Holly snorted and cackled at the same time. She brought her hand up to her mouth, embarrassed at the sound that had come out of her. She had to admit, despite her snackle, this was one of the most fun
working
lunches she’d ever had.

“Well, I can’t wait to see it. Do you want to meet Thursday after school?”

 “Sounds perfect. See you then. And wear your dancing shoes,” Holly teased.

Chapter 14

Holly was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when she heard the apartment door open. The eggs were a tiny bit runny, and the bacon was almost burnt to a crisp—just the way Jared liked it.

“Hol! Where are you? Holly!”

“I’m in the kitchen,” she called out. If he’d stop for two seconds to take in the aromas, he’d know exactly where she was. The apartment wasn’t that big. She poured a tall glass of orange juice and reached for a plate to start dishing out his food. “Your breakfast is almost ready.”

It was ten in the morning, and Jared was getting in from working another overnight at the hospital. He was supposed to work the day shift, but traded with a co-worker so he could have Sunday off. She knew he’d be hungry and tired and wanted to make sure he had a hot meal waiting, as well as plenty of time to catch up on some sleep. They’d be heading out to her parent’s house at around three for a visit. A least one Sunday a month Holly’s mom liked to have her girls come over for a big family meal.

“Forget breakfast.” Jared caught her around the waist and twirled her, nearly knocking her into the pans on the stovetop. He kissed her fully on the lips and spun her around again, before reaching up to the cabinet above the refrigerator to pull down a bottle of wine—the one Holly had been saving to bring to Thanksgiving dinner in a couple of weeks. “We need to celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” she asked, looking from the wine to Jared. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him so happy. “It’s not even noon yet. What’s going on?”

“Babe,” he started, fishing around one of the kitchen drawers for a corkscrew, “remember how I asked my boss for a raise last month?”

“Yes,” she said, her enthusiasm growing with Jared’s excitement. She could feel the electricity in the air. “Does this mean he gave it to you?”

He kept searching without answering. When he finally found what he was looking for, he glanced up at her and said, “He did better than that. He gave me a raise
and
a promotion. I’m now the team leader for the second and third floors of the Galloway Wing.”

Holly stared at Jared, stunned. She didn’t understand all the details, but she knew it was good news. Really good news. He’d been working so hard lately to prove himself. Getting this raise and promotion meant they were one step closer to their goals—not only financially, but on a maturity level, too. It showed Jared was capable of being responsible—that he really did want a future with her.

“Oh, baby, that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you. So proud!”

Pulling out the cork, he filled the two mugs Holly had set out for coffee and said, “Here’s to the beginning of great things.” He clinked his mug to hers before taking a drink. “Great things for both of us,” he added, “together.”

Yes,
she thought, smiling. She was ready for great things for both of them. “Do you want something to eat?” she asked. “I made your favorites. I know you must be hungry, and we won’t be eating until at least four o’clock.”

Jared refilled his mug. “No, baby, I’ve got everything I need right here.” Pulling Holly in close, he began to nibble on her neck. A familiar warmth filled her. He knew right where her soft spot was, the one that caused her knees to go weak every time. She reached behind her and turned the burners off.

“Come with me,” he whispered, leading her into the bedroom.

~~~

Holly woke up tangled in Jared’s arms and legs. The drawn curtains gave the illusion of darkness, and for a moment Holly panicked.
The time!

“Mmmm,” Jared moaned as she twisted around to check the clock on her nightstand. They still needed to shower and dress before heading over to her parents’ house. He pulled her back against his chest before she could get a peek at it. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and moved his arm off of her, trying to lift her body to sneak in another glance. It was one-thirty. They were fine.

“Holly,” he said, this time with his eyes open. “You were amazing.”

“I love you,” she whispered back, smiling, “And you did okay for a hot shot.”

“Well, I am a team leader now. That’s kind of a big deal.”

“You know, I’ve never slept with a team leader before. I have to say, you were pretty good.”

“Pretty good? That’s it? You just said I was amazing,” he said with a teasing pout.

“No,
you
said
I
was amazing,” she corrected. “I said you did okay.” She took the covers and threw them over her head, knowing he would attack her with an onslaught of tickles at any moment.

After begging him to stop, admitting he was also truly amazing, and regaining her ability to breathe, she snuggled comfortably into the crook of his arm. Life was good.

  “Great things are going to happen now, Hol. I can promise you that. I have big plans for us in the works.”

“Really?” She propped herself up on one elbow and gently pushed Jared’s hair off his forehead.
Ask me,
she commanded with her mind,
ask me right now.

“It’s true, baby,” he continued. “I want you to be happy. It’s the most important thing in the world to me. I’d do anything for you. In fact …”

“What?” she asked, eyes wide. “What?”

“No, I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but … let’s just say I’m working on something extra special for your birthday this year. If you’re a good girl … which in my book means being a little naughty,” he teased with a gleam in his eyes.

Holly took a deep breath, smiling the widest, mischievous smile she could manage before wrapping her arms around him. “Oh, I can be naughty,” she replied, tangling herself back up in her future fiancé’s arms and legs. At least she hoped he would soon become her fiancé.

Chapter 15

“So sorry we’re late!” Holly burst through her parents’ door, pulling Jared along by the hand. She stopped short to see everyone already finishing their dinner.

“It’s cool,” Tessa said, looking up from her plate. “It’s not like Mom was slaving over a hot stove all day or anything.”

“We’re only a half-hour late. Why didn’t you call me?”

 “I’m afraid that’s my fault,” Patricia Haines said. “I invited some company over for dessert, and well, you know how I get. I wanted to make sure I’d have enough time to get everything cleaned up and put away before they got here. Tessa said she texted you.

Holly pulled out her phone.

Change of plans—we’re eating at three.  Mom’s OCD strikes again.  See you later. xo.

“Oh. I must have missed that one. We were kind of busy.” What was meant to be a silent chuckle instead came out as a full-fledged giggle. Looking at Jared, she felt her cheeks turn red. Perhaps that was a little too much information in front of her parents. “Um, we were late because we stopped for this.” She held up the bottle of wine they purchased on their way over to replace the bottle they drank earlier in the day.

“Well, aren’t you two are all smiles,” Tessa noted, taking the wine out of her hands and placing it on the table. “What’s going on, eh?”

Patricia jumped up. “Sit,” she ordered. “There’s still plenty of food here. Help yourselves. You two look like you’re about to burst at the seams. I’m guessing we have some celebrating to do. I’ll get the corkscrew.” She disappeared into the kitchen.

“We do have exciting news,” Holly started, “but I’ll wait until Mom is back.”

“Tease!” Tessa said, sulking back into her seat.

“So, Jared,” Bob Haines asked, ignoring his youngest daughter. “Did you see any of the game earlier? It was something.”

“No, sir, I didn’t get a chance to watch.”

“Dad, weren’t you listening? He and Holly were
busy
all afternoon,” Tessa mocked.

Holly glared at her sister. She was lucky to be sitting too far away to be kicked under the table. She mouthed the words “troublemaker” instead. Tessa playfully blew a kiss back in response.

“It was a great game,” he said, obviously trying to direct the conversation away from his daughters. “A little slow to start, but it really picked up toward the end.”

“Here we are!” Patricia handed the corkscrew and the bottle of wine to her husband.

“Finally!” Tessa shrieked. “Apparently, the two love birds have news … so? Spill it.”

“Now, Tessa,” her father said, clearly losing patience with his youngest child, “don’t be pushy. Let’s let them get settled in.” He opened the bottle with a practiced ease and waited as everyone filled their glasses.

Patricia put her hands on Jared’s shoulders. “I could tell the two of you had something exciting to tell us from the moment you walked in the door. You both are absolutely glowing! Why, I haven’t seen a glow like that since Ava was pregnant with Jenna.”

 “Is that the big news?” Tessa asked, raising her eyebrows. “You better have a boy, or Dad may start disowning us.” She put her arms up to her chest as if she were cradling a baby. “You know you shouldn’t be drinking, Holly, right?”

“Tessa, slow down!” Holly demanded, trying to swallow her food. She glanced at Jared and noticed he was looking a bit pale, as was her father. She needed to do some serious back tracking ASAP before her not even yet fiancé changed his mind about proposing for her birthday. “Our
news
is that Jared got a big promotion and raise at work. You’re now looking at Crestmont Memorial’s newest Team Leader. He’s moving up the ladder, and I couldn’t be prouder.” She tousled his hair and kissed him on the cheek before raising her glass in the air. “To Jared,” she toasted.