Page 102 of Holly versus Mr. Ivy
I couldn’t put a cake on a menu. What would help Rhett see that I made a huge error? That I wanted to apologize and beg his forgiveness for hurting him?
“Well…if you told him you’d always be there for him, and you bailed, then that’s what you need to do. Be there for him.”
“How?”
He blew out a breath. “Really, Hols, you can’t think of one simple way to go about doing that?”
Maybe if my heart weren’t racing and my mind blank. “My brain is so jumbled right now. No, I can’t. What do you suggest?”
“You’re a chef. Make him his favorite meal and when you drop it off, ask if he’s willing to talk to you, then apologize.”
Oh. Yeah. That was simple and completely doable. “Thanks, Noah. I knew you’d pull through for me.”
“I just hope it works. Good luck, Hols.”
“Thanks.”
Before I left the parking lot, I sent Rhett a text.
Holly:I made a huge mistake. I’m so incredibly sorry. [sorry face emoji] Can we talk? [prayer hands emoji]
Going to the grocery store, I stocked up on potatoes, meat, and a small amount of green beans. Hopefully, Rhett would talk to me when I took this over.
Rapping on Rhett’s red front door, I bounced on my toes, waiting for him to answer the door, with a foil-covered plate in my hands.Come on, come on, come on. Please be home.
If today was Rhett’s day off, he might not even be home. Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I pulled up his contact information and pressed the green phone icon. As I held the phone to my ear, the ringing went on for an eternity before Rhett’s voicemail picked up.
His voice sent a shudder of longing through me. I missed that rich, decadent tone that soothed and teased. I closed my eyes, and Rhett’s warm brown eyes flashed behind my lids. I missed the heat of his arms wrapped around me and the cadence of his laugh. With Rhett around, I was free. Happy.
I needed that back. Him. I needed him because I was better with him than I ever had been without. “Hey. It’s Holly. If you have time, I’d love to talk. Um…call me. Bye.”
Refusing to give up, I pounded on his door, rang the bell, and desperately shouted, “Rhett?”
After five minutes, I gave up. Leaving the plate on the steps, I sent him another text.
Holly:Dinner is on your porch if you’re hungry. I’m sorry for my behavior. Please call me.
Defeated, I went back to my house and paced my bedroom, praying Rhett would give me a chance to apologize.
A week later, with no response from Rhett to my texts and phone calls, I grew desperate. So desperate, I did something completely out of my comfort zone. Parking, I made my way to the front entrance of Jack Frost Bakery.
I pushed the glass door open, bells chiming as I entered.
“Hi,” a woman I recognized as Meg from theMornings with Melissasegment Rhett had sent me, said. “Welcome to Jack Frost. What can I get for you today?”
I unzipped my coat, just to give my shaky hands something to do. “Actually, I’m here to see Jack. Is he in?”
Meg’s bright smile faded. Her eyes narrowed the slightest. “He is. May I ask what this is about?”
Oh, man. Coming here was a shot in the dark. What if Jack hated me as much as Rhett did? I swallowed, trying to clear the cotton in my throat. “Everett Ivy.”
Meg’s hand flew to her gaping mouth. “Are you Holly?”
Great, she knew my name. That did not bode well. “I am.”
Her face morphed into a protective shield. “What are your intentions with Rhett?”
All Meg needed was a rifle to complete this interrogation. One I’d endure if it led me to Rhett. “To apologize and ask for a second chance. I’ve been trying to reach him for a week and he’s ignoring me. Which he has every right to, but I was hoping Jack would help me. I’m desperate to tell Rhett I love him.”
