Yesterday's Tomorrows (13 page)

A
n unusual warmth
roused me from sleep, and even with my eyes still closed, I recognized there was a bright light shining directly on me.

Strange. My bedroom faced the west, so such brightness was never a factor in waking up in the mornings. I blinked myself into fuller awareness as I stretched under the covers. Confused, I sat up straight, taking in the unfamiliar room and the bed. Memories of the night before came flooding back.

"Oh, God," I groaned. I buried my head in my hands as I remembered losing both my apartment and my self-control last night. What must have Holt thought when I completely fell apart on him last night? I recalled how he held me, called me 'baby' and 'sweetheart' while I cried.

I never allowed myself to give in to my feelings like that; I couldn't show weakness growing up, or especially in prison. I guessed they'd been corked up so long that they finally blew the lid whether I liked it or not. Now I just had to find the courage to face him and apologize. My head throbbed slightly as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, probably from the tension after all the drama last night and my current state of embarrassment. My shoes were lined up neatly next to the bedside table, and on its surface was a small bottle of pain reliever and a glass of water.

Was there no end to Holt’s consideration? I took two of the tablets and dragged myself from the comfort of the bed. I was so tempted to dive back under the covers and hide from everything – my homelessness, the effort it would take to replace everything…my growing feelings for Holt. But sticking my head in the sand had never been my way, so there was no point in starting now.

I wondered if there was a bus stop nearby so I could shop for some new clothes. Maybe this time, I’d look for some styles that were more fashionable. It would take all of my savings I'd put aside for a computer, but I’d have to put tutoring on hold anyway while I tried to straighten out my life - again.

Then my eyes landed on a white laundry basket. It was empty of clothes, but I recognized the small hole in one of the sides from when I'd accidently gotten it caught on a door handle and pulled it too hard.

Holt must have returned to the apartment building and searched for it. His gesture to try to recover some of my belongings almost brought a fresh wave of tears. The debt of what I owed him was starting to stack up.

Inside the basket were the two envelopes from Charly. They looked a little worse for wear with some dirt smudges and ripples like they'd gotten wet, but he'd found them. I dropped to the floor, grabbing and hurriedly opening the larger one and shaking it toward the floor. The letter spilled out, but nothing else. In disbelief, I peered into the envelope as if I might be able to conjure the contents to be there.

Nothing.

My eyes closed and my shoulders slumped. As excited as I'd been yesterday to get these items, I wished Charly had never sent them. To have had them in my hands after all these years, only to lose them again; stolen by some stranger who'd never appreciate what they meant. Unless maybe...

It was grasping at a bunch of wet straws, but maybe Holt had put them up somewhere because they, too, had gotten dirty and damp. I sprung from the floor with new hope and darted out of the bedroom. I heard someone moving down the hall and hurried into the living room. "Holt, I was won..."

Not one, but two sets of brown eyes stared at me as I ground to a sudden halt. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had company." I was suddenly very aware of how crazy I must have appeared, wearing stale, wrinkled clothing, hair that must be flying in every direction, and babbling without any manners like I had every right to be there. One hand automatically went to my hair to try to smooth the curls while the other made sure my shirt was straight.

I wanted to slink back to my room, but Holt was already standing and moving toward me, a calm smile on his face.

I gulped. No one should look that good in the morning. I stood blushing and self-conscious, nervously rocking from one foot to the other.

"Good morning, Maddy. I hope you slept well?" Long, manicured fingers reached toward my face and tucked some hair behind my ear. "Relax," he whispered in that same ear. "You look beautiful."

Straightening up, he pressed his hand to my back and guided me further into the room. I tried to resist, but he responded by applying more pressure. It was either comply or pitch forward on my face, so I took the required steps, frowning at him over my shoulder. He grinned impishly in return.

"Madelyn Stone, this is my mom, Molly Andrews. Mom, I'd like you to meet Maddy."

I hope I successfully swallowed my gasp. His mom? Holy crap! Maybe if I closed my eyes and reopened them, I'd still be in my bed, and this would all be a bad dream.

Mrs. Andrews stood gracefully. "Madelyn. I'm verra pleased to meet you. Holt was just telling me all you've been through."

Nope. Not even in my dreams would I make someone speak with an accent. Molly Andrew's Scottish lilt came through, even if only in a couple of her words. I wondered how much he had told her about me.

I glanced at him with an eyebrow raised in question.

"Mom was very distressed when she learned I had a friend who’d lost her apartment in a fire last night. She brought over some things she thought you could use, since I’m obviously too much of an oaf to take care of you,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

I breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his mom. "Mrs. Andrews, it's nice to meet you as well. That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you. I'm sorry for bursting in on your visit. I didn't realize anyone was here." I shot Holt a pointed look.

He didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. "I tried," he shrugged. "You were sleeping so soundly, so I didn't want to bother you."

Heat rose in my cheeks as I remembered how I'd cried in his arms last night until I couldn't remember anything more. I must have fallen asleep in his arms. I wondered how long he'd stayed there afterward, and if his mother wondered how he knew I was still sleeping.

"I guess I was pretty worn out," I mumbled.

Mrs. Andrews glanced between us, a bemused look accompanying the slight narrowing of her eyes. "Of course, you were, my dear. I'm so sorry to learn about your troubles." She glanced up at her son. "Holt, be a dear and get me some coffee, please. And maybe some for Madelyn?"

My nerves were suddenly on edge. She sounded like a woman on a mission, ready to dig for answers, and I was her latest excavation project.

"Um, that's okay. I'll be happy to get it so you two can get back to your visit."

"Nonsense. Sit." She patted the cushion next to her on the couch and raised an eyebrow at her son. "Holt?"

Three words. But with such a no-nonsense tone, that was all it took to send both of us to do as we’d been told. I sat, and with an apologetic look at me, Holt turned and left the room.

How did she do that?

"Holt tells me you're new to the area?" Mrs. Andrews didn't waste any time starting her inquisition.

"Yes, I am."
Stick to the truth
, I told myself.
Just maybe not the whole truth.

"And you work at the same law firm as him? Are you a lawyer, too?"

I laughed. "Hardly."

"But you work with my son?" she pressed.

"No, not directly. I'm a clerk, copying papers and making sure each of the offices have what they need. I have more contact with his secretary than with him, but he was one of the first people I met there." I smiled, hoping to modify my somewhat defensive tone.

"And where are you from?"

"Here in Virginia." At her look, I decided maybe I should be a bit more generous with my answers. "A small town, almost on the North Carolina border."

She leaned back on the couch. "Ah, peanut country."

I smiled. "Yes, we had a few peanut and cotton farmers, but most people worked in the lumber mills."

"And do you still have family there?"

A million dollar question! I didn't know where Charly lived, nor my father for that matter. But they'd cut their ties with me. Well, at least I thought they had. Charly seemed to think we still had a connection, but I wasn't interested in renewing it.

I looked at my lap. "I don't have any family, ma'am."

Molly's expression softened. She reached out and grabbed my hand. "Oh, my dear. I'm sorry! You're so young to be on your own."

I shrugged.

"She's not on her own," Holt's voice stated as he sat cups of steaming coffee on the table in front of us.

My heart beat a little harder at his words. How much I wanted to believe him, and as he held my gaze for several seconds as if compelling me to trust him, I think I did.

A clearing throat broke the moment. "I hope you didn't lose anything that canna be replaced?"

I remembered the reason I had come running out here in the first place. "Um, mostly just some clothes and knickknacks. I feel bad for everyone else, though, especially those with families, like my friend, Serafina." I jumped to my feet. "Oh, God! I hope they're alright. Her little boy is sick! He needs a place to rest and get medicine, and what about poor Mr. Murphy on the first floor, the one who’s in a wheelchair?”

Warm hands pushed me back down on the couch and Holt squatted in front of me, his large hands engulfing mine. "Maddy, I'm sure they're fine, but if it makes you feel better, we'll contact the Red Cross and see if we can find out where they went. You don’t need to worry, okay?"

God, what was happening to me? I kept falling apart and needed to pull it together. I took a deep breath and focused on the man in front of me, steadying me with his calmness. "You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so emotional when others lost so much more than me."

"I think you're entitled. You've had a rough go of it lately. And just because you didn't have as much as others, it doesn't make your loss any less." He stood up and moved to sit in another chair, but kept his eyes locked on me. The golden glow of his eyes caused an unexplained shiver to run through me

I would have missed Molly Andrews’s assessing stare followed by her pleased smile if I hadn’t forced my gaze away from Holt’s. She placed her coffee cup on the table. "Well, I need to be running along. It was a pleasure to meet you, Madelyn."

Mrs. Andrew’s pulled me into a warm hug while Holt gathered her coat. Her gesture felt so motherly, I wanted to cling to her and confide everything I was feeling. Instead, I gave her a quick squeeze in return. Before she pulled back, she whispered in my ear, "It will all be fine, dear. Have faith in Holt and let him help you. He needs it as much as you do. You wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care.” Pulling back, she smiled. “I hope the clothes fit. If not, we have an excuse to go shopping and get to know each other better." She turned and crooked her finger at her son. He bent down, and she kissed his cheek. "Bring Maddy with you tomorrow." She picked up a purse near the front door and left.

Holt needs me? Clothes? Tomorrow? What was she talking about?

"Sorry," Holt said. "My mom is nothing, if not direct."

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," I snorted. "But she was sweet. What did she mean by clothes?"

"I'm sorry, Maddy. I went back for the laundry you mentioned last night. I found the basket, but all that was left were some socks and a few pairs of um, your underwear. I've got them in the wash for you since I found them tossed aside in the bushes and mud."

I flushed at the idea of Holt handling my underwear. There was nothing special about them, which almost made it worse that he saw firsthand how unsexy I was. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like he was interested in me that way, but I was certain the women he dated were much more sophisticated and had pretty clothes, on the surface and underneath.

"So early this morning,” I refocused on what he was saying, "I called my sister-in-law, Sara. She's close to your size, and I asked if she had some clothes you could borrow so you'd have something clean to wear today until we can go shopping. She put together a couple of bags. Somehow, my mom found out and insisted on bringing them over herself." He grinned. "I told you, nothing gets past her."

You mean she came to check out the woman staying with you to see if she’s good enough for you,
I thought.

"She's just looking out for you. I think it's sweet. But a couple bags of clothes? For a complete stranger?" I was overwhelmed by his sister-in-law's generosity.

"That's Sara." He reached behind the couch and pulled out two large paper sacks, each filled to the top with colorful fabrics. "She said to keep anything you want."

I pulled out the top piece from one of the bags. It was a dark blue blouse, and I was sure it was real silk. The item that came after it, a gorgeous emerald green sweater dress, still had a tag on it. "Oh, I...wow." I glanced at Holt. "It's too much, even to borrow." My own family had never treated me with such graciousness and generosity.

Holt picked up the bag and pushed it into my chest. "Take it, Maddy. I swear she wouldn't have sent it if she didn't want you to have it. Some might be a few of hers, and some might have come from the boutique she owns. One side is like a regular consignment shop, but the other side she keeps for wannabe new designers so they can sell their designs to help get their name out there. Some might be secondhand, but I'll take you shopping whenever you want."

"Secondhand isn't a problem. I've just...I've never had such nice things, Holt, and I'm not used to someone doing something so nice for me, at least, not without a price of some kind attached. It's hard to accept."

"Maddy, Maddy, Maddy,” he sighed. “Always so suspicious. I get something shitty happened to make you so jaded, but there
are
people who do nice things for others just because they want to. Sara is one of them. And you'll hurt her feelings if you don't let her help. In fact, I didn't even have to ask her. She offered the second I told her I had a friend who lost everything in a fire."

"She's not the only one in your family. It seems I’m always thanking you, but again, thank you, Holt. For everything you've done."