Page 45 of The Christmas Keepsake
As she applied a final touch of lip gloss, Nan’s warnings about Hollis echoed in her mind.
Nan had been one of Hollis’s biggest supporters, and yet she hadn’t wanted Mallory to be more than friends with Hollis just because he’d come from a rocky past. Her past hadn’t been all that smooth either. She’d been raised by her grandparents. If not for Nan and Grandpa Mickey, she’d have been in the foster care system too.
She took a deep breath, smoothing down her hair one last time. Then she turned as the doorbell’s chime sent a jolt through her body. Her hands trembled slightly as she grabbed her purse and made her way to the front door. With one final steadying breath, she turned the handle and pulled it open.
Hollis stood on her porch, looking uncharacteristically nervous and holding a beautiful bouquet of white daisies. “Hey,” Hollis said, his voice a touch softer than usual. “Uh, these are for you.” He extended the bouquet in his hand.
Mallory’s fingers brushed against his as she took the flowers. “Wow. Thank you. These are… beautiful.” And completely unexpected.
Hollis rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “I’ve never brought a woman flowers before. Maybe that’s what I’ve been doing wrong all these years. Maybe that’s why I’m still single.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “If you’ve never brought anyone else flowers, why start now?”
The intensity of his eyes as they searched hers made her knees want to buckle. “I guess no other woman has inspired me to get flowers until now.”
She buried her nose in the daisies, inhaling their sweet scent while trying to hide her expression, which would probably give away too much. She could feel the heat in her cheeks. And yeah, Savannah was right. She was smiling—hard. “Daisies are my favorite flower.”
“I know.”
Mallory waited for him to look at her again.
A shadow of something—maybe regret—passed over his expression. “You told me back when we were teens. That year we hadleading roles. I mean, you could have changed your mind. Women have every right to do that.”
Mallory laughed.
“You can change your mind now too. If you want. I wouldn’t blame you.”
She lowered the flowers, suddenly confused. Was he trying to back down from this date?
“I actually bought you a bouquet of daisies that night. Opening night. When we were teens.”
Mallory shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
“But then my old insecurities got the best of me.” He trailed off, looking ashamed. “I broke into my foster dad’s liquor cabinet, maybe for liquid courage or maybe because I never felt worthy of Nan’s trust. Or yours.”
“So you got drunk, walked into the audience, and booed me?” she asked, feeling the hurt from that night rise inside her as she remembered seeing Hollis stumble into the back of the auditorium.
“I bought you a bouquet of daisies that day.” Hollis’s voice was strained.
Why was he telling her this right now? Before they’d even left for their first date.
“Obviously, I chickened out that night, so here you go.” He gestured at the flowers. “Long overdue.”
Mallory stood there, stunned. The flowers in her hands suddenly held so much more meaning—an apology, a plea for forgiveness, and perhaps something more. He was laying everything on the table and giving her an opportunity to change her mind about stepping off this porch with him. “Hollis, I…”
“I just wanted you to know that I remember everything, and I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to make up for that night ever since.”
“That’s why you asked me out and brought me flowers tonight?” she asked.
He looked down momentarily. “Not entirely. The main reason is the same one I needed liquid courage for that first opening night. I liked you. I still like you. I just didn’t like myself back then.” A grin kicked up on his lips. “I like myself now. And I still like you. A lot, actually.”
Chapter Fourteen
Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect!
—Aryn Kyle
The bustling department store was a riot of Christmas colors and tinkling carols as Hollis and Mallory navigated the aisles, their shopping cart gradually filling with items for the local boys home. Hollis couldn’t help but steal glances at Mallory, still hardly believing that this was their first official date.
