Page 47 of Sweet Summertide

“I’m guessing you didn’t?” Millie said.

“Rinaldi was there,” Holly said and knew that her friend would put two and two together.

“No! Your mother invited him,” Millie said.

Holly squeezed out another load of water and started back inside at the display case. “Yep. And he thought he could convince me to go off and be the it, power couple and rule the horse world together. You know that’s not what I want, even if I didn’t hate him with a passion, I wouldn’t give up all this.” She motioned her arms in a wide circle. Laughing, because the tears had long run out.

“How could your mother do that to you? I don’t care how much she wants you to be just like her, she would never have given up her dreams for a man. It just worked out that the man she loved, your dad, supported her ambitions.”

“It helped that he was already rich,” Holly said. “They never had to want for anything. I know they love each other, that’s not the issue. I just wish they both loved me for me.”

“Your dad does.”

“Yeah, but I know he’s tired of playing defense on my behalf. And I have one more favor I need to call in.”

“You can save your favor for another occasion. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of calling a contractor friend of mine, he’s also an engineer, which I figured you would need.” Millie said. “He said he was on his way now.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Holly hugged her friend. Millie was always putting good out into the world, and Holly intended to learn from her example. “You’re such a good friend. I don’t know how I got on for so long without you.”

“There is something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Lay it on me. It’s not like this day can get much worse,” Holly said and rang out the mop in the street.

“You remember the day you and Teddy got arrested?”

“What did you do?” Holly said knowing the tone of Millie’s voice meant she was feeling guilty about something.

“I was the one who tipped off the cops. I called a friend who works on the force. The arrest was just an effort to get the two of you to figure things out. Please don’t hate me.”

Holly was too preoccupied with the issue wetting her toes to be mad. The truth was, being arrested seemed like so long ago. “I don’t. But how did the charges get dropped? Was that your friend’s doing too?”

“Teddy cut a deal,” Millie said and propped the broom against the counter. “That’s what Alfonso told me anyway.”

“Of course he would have done something like that. No wonder the officer called him Saint Theo. I wonder how he did it.”

Millie shrugged. “So, you’re not mad at me?”

“You were just trying to help me get out of my own way, and I love you for that.” Holly hugged her sweaty, burned arms around her friend as sunlight glinted off a windshield in the road. “Is that your guy?” she asked and pointed at a man getting out of a black F-150 parked outside.

Millie’s contractor removed his sunglasses as he came through the front door. He extended his hand. “You must be Holly.”

She shook his hand and explained the situation and what she needed him to look at. He got right to work inspecting the structure and fire damage. Luckily, there was plenty of other work for Holly to get done while she waited for his report.

“He’s really good. I used him when I worked on America and Leo’s place. Whatever you need, he’ll help you out.”

“Let’s just hope it’s not so much that it’ll delay my opening.”

Millie took a trashcan out to the sidewalk and handed a pair of rubber gloves to Holly. The sun was hot, not like the day before at the farm, but she wished she had taken Teddy’s shirt after all instead of working in a sundress. Together, they picked up the shattered glass panes. No matter what the contractor said, she knew they would need to board these windows up for the night until new glass could be installed.

“Your sunburn looks terrible. You never connected the dots for me.” Millie said, and Holly knew she wouldn’t let it go.

“After what my mother and Rinaldi did, I left. I ended up putting my car into a ditch and decided to walk back to town. I thought it was way closer than it was.”

“I’m so sorry. And you just happened to wear yesterday’s dress today?” Millie teased.

“You noticed?”

“You always wear yellow to the farm. Though I don’t think you do it intentionally. And I know you wore strapless just to irritate your mother. As for the burn, I’m guessing there’s more to tell.”

---