Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“That you’re becoming a good friend to me,” I start with that before leading into the more mundane stuff. “That you also run a candy business, and you have a brother.”
“Good. I sound boring.”
I toss my head back in laughter. “You are anything but boring.”
“Greatest compliment ever.” He smiles.
Part of me wishes we were spending the night together, but that won’t be happening. I plan on saying goodnight to him on my stoop before sending him on his way.
I’ve never introduced a man I’ve been seeing to Olive before. It makes sense since I’ve only dated a couple of men since she was born. Neither of those relationships lasted beyond a few weeks.
Thundering steps interrupt the moment as Olive scoots down the back staircase.
I’ve memorized the sound of every creak of the floorboards and each rattle of the railing as she holds tight to it.
She’ll come into view in mere seconds.
I glance in the direction of the staircase just as her feet appear. I shift my gaze to Holden’s face as he stares intently at the staircase until Olive is at the bottom of it.
She marches over on bare feet and presents her right hand to Holden. “Hello, sir. My name is Olive Irwin. It’s very nice to meet you.”
Her small hand disappears as he closes his hand around it. He shakes it gently. It’s barely even a movement, but his gaze stays locked on her face. “Hi, Olive. Please call me Holden.”
She looks up at him. “I really like those glasses. Are they real?”
I laugh hard enough that I can’t step into the conversation to tell her that it’s an impolite question. One of her teachers at school last year always matched her eyeglasses to her outfit. On the last day of school, she accidentally dropped them on the floor. One of the students stepped on them in his haste to help, and that’s when the secret was revealed.
She told him not to worry about the damage because they weren’t helping her see at all.
“They are.” Holden slides them off his face and hands them to her. “Take a look for yourself.”
Instead of holding them a few inches in front of her, she perches them on her nose, being careful to keep a finger pressed against the center of them. “Wow. Everything looks silly to me.”
Holden chuckles. “Everything looks perfect to me when I look through them.”
She snaps her head to the right to look at me. “Mommy, you look funny.”
I tap her shoulder. “I hope you mean I only look that way when you have those glasses on.”
She slides them off, handing them back to Holden as she does. Once he has them firmly in his grasp, she turns her attention back to me. “You’re beautiful, Mom. Isn’t she beautiful, Holden?”
With the eyeglasses back in place, he looks right at me. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
Olive’s gaze drifts from me to Holden. “I think so, too.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Greer
I wish I had my phone nearby so I could capture the look on Olive’s face as Holden hands the smaller rose bouquet to her. I’ve seen my daughter smile broadly at many things, but this may top the list.
Her eyes are wide, her lips parted, and she’s bouncing up and down. “For me? These are for me?”
“Just for you,” he repeats what he said when he first offered the bouquet to her.
“Wowie,” she whispers. “Sometimes Mom gets me flowers or my grandma or grandpa does, but they don’t look like this.”
Holden takes pride in that. I can tell by the way a grin has firmly planted itself on his lips. “I’m glad you like them.”
“Like them?” she asks with a slight shake of her head. “I love them. Thank you, Holden. Thank you to the moon and back.”
“That’s a pretty big thank you,” he says. “I’m happy they make you happy, Olive.”
“Wait.” She stands perfectly still for a second or two. “I have something for you, too. It’s in my pocket.”
She’s about to shove the bouquet back at him, but I take it instead. “Thanks, Mom.”
Her left hand dives into one of the pockets on her dress. When she scoops it back out, a few beads are visibly peeking out from her closed fist.
“I made this myself.” She half-shrugs. “I know we’re not real friends yet, but I think you’ll still like it.”
“We’re friends,” he says with a tender note in his voice. “Some people are instant friends.”
“That’s what we are.” She nods vigorously. “You’re my instant friend, so here.”
Her fist opens to reveal the beaded bracelet. “I put your name on it for you.”
Holden takes it from her. His gaze wanders over the entire thing. He takes a second to run his fingertip across the beads. As soon as he’s done, he slips it on his wrist. “It’s perfect, Olive. Thank you.”