Page 12 of The Christmas Keepsake
Hollis laughed. “I’m already planning on attending. I’m bringing Duke.”
“You’re bringing your dog?” Pop rolled his eyes. “You don’t bring a dog to a dance. You bring a woman. Or you go and meet a woman.”
Hollis absently rubbed his fingers along his beard. “You’d be surprised, Pop. Dogs are lady magnets.”
Pop grunted and waved a dismissive hand. “Maybe a woman will walk over and pet your dog, but their focus is on the dog, not you. You just told me you need practice flirting. Trust me, all the ladies here will line up to dance with you.”
Hollis imagined the line, full of women with canes and walkers. He loved the people here, but he wouldn’t call Memory Oaks a hotspot to meet a romantic partner.
“Leave your dog at home and come sweep some ladies off theirfeet.” Pop grimaced. “Well, keep them on their feet. A lot of us aren’t as balanced as we once were.”
At least Pop’s humor was still intact. Sharper than it ever was, in Hollis’s opinion.
Someone cleared their throat from Pop’s doorway.
“Nancy,” Pop said, greeting the facility’s recreational therapist. “How are you?”
“I’m good, Pop. I was walking by and I overheard you saying there was… dog poop… somewhere? Do you need assistance?”
Hollis suppressed a laugh.
“You must have misheard me. I do need your assistance with something though. Convince my grandson here to come to our dance—sans his dog.”
The recreational therapist’s grin stretched wider. Hollis wasn’t good at estimating age, but he guessed Nancy was probably in her forties. She was a beautiful Black woman with shoulder-length hair and big brown eyes. “I didn’t know you had a grandson, Pop. That means you’re Matt and Sandy’s son?” she asked Hollis.
Hollis started to give the long explanation that, no, he wasn’t really Matt and Sandy’s son or Pop’s grandson. He was a foster that they had taken in like a stray.
Before Hollis could say anything though, Pop answered. “Yes. He’s Matt and Sandy’s boy.”
Nancy nodded. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m new to Bloom, so I don’t know everyone here.”
“Bloom is a small town,” Hollis said. “Give it a few months and you’ll know everything about everyone here, down to their Social Security number.”
“Good to know. And yes, you should come to the dance. In fact, Nan’s granddaughter will be there too.”
“To take Nan?” Pop asked. “Nan hardly ever comes out of her room. Is she coming to the dance?”
“I hope so,” Hollis said. “Maybe you can refine your own flirting skills. But, uh, perhaps choose a different topic than the one you just used on me.”
Pop’s eyes grew a bit brighter. “You can ask Nan’s granddaughter to dance with you.”
“My guess is her dance card will be full.”
Pop looked at Hollis and offered a wink. “Maybe you can sweep her off her feet. And discuss dog poop.”
Nancy’s smile bottomed out. “I’m sorry?”
Hollis shook his head. “Inside joke.”
“I’m not joking, son.”
Hollis loved it when Pop called him “son,” even though he had never felt worthy. Glancing over at Nancy, he wondered if she was mentally chalking up this peculiar conversation as a symptom of Pop’s dementia. Hollis knew this was on-brand for his grandfather though.
“Do you think that tactic will work on Nan?” Hollis asked.
Pop shook his head. “No. No, I don’t think it will. I’ve never been at a loss for things to talk about with Nan though.”
“Well, first you’ll probably need to reintroduce yourself to her, Pop.”
