If for Any Reason (Nantucket Love Story #1) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,113
in the way.
Not to mention he had a daughter to talk to. He’d broken his promise to Jolie, something he’d sworn he wouldn’t do. And as much as it would hurt, he knew that if Jolie felt the same way she did about him and Emily at the beginning of the summer, he’d let Emily go. It would be the hardest thing in the world, but he’d do it.
Please don’t let it come to that, God.
Emily walked out of the auditorium toward him, somehow making paint-splattered look adorable, but he could see a tight line of worry across her forehead. She wouldn’t rest until she put the pieces of this puzzle together. And while he didn’t have all the answers, he did have one—and it was a big one.
Shouldn’t he tell her what he knew?
He remembered his conversation with Jack. He’d promised the man, father to father, he’d let him tell her himself. It wasn’t Hollis’s place. No matter how much he wanted it to be. But it had been two days, and Jack still hadn’t said anything.
“Hey, why don’t you go find Jolie?” Emily said. “And I’ll go find Jack.”
Hollis paused. “You don’t want me to come with you?”
She hitched her backpack onto her shoulder. “I think I should do this on my own, but I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”
He nodded.
“Go convince your daughter that you and I could be really, really good for each other.”
He smiled. “Is that what you think?”
She shrugged, looking uncharacteristically shy for a split second. “Is that what you think?”
“No, Em, that’s what I know,” he said. “There’s not a single doubt in my mind.”
Her mouth twisted as she attempted—and failed—not to smile.
“Look,” he said. “I know you’re scared, but I’m not going to hurt you.”
She looked at him, her eyes full and wide. “You promise, Hollis?”
He touched her face. “I promise.”
“Because I don’t think I could handle it,” she said. “Not after letting myself imagine that small-town, white-picket-fence life you talked about.”
“Oh yeah?” He grinned. “I didn’t think you were a picket-fence kind of girl.”
“Surprise.” She smiled back at him. “Call me after you talk to JoJo.”
“Call me after you talk to Jack.”
She nodded.
He looked around to make sure they were alone, then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed. “I’ll see you later.”
She opened her eyes, pressed her lips together, and nodded again.
As he watched her walk away, he said a silent prayer for her, that God would protect her heart no matter what secrets she uncovered. Then he said another prayer that his daughter would be more open-minded than she was at first.
When he reached the house, he found his mom sitting on the back deck, Tilly at her feet.
“Where’s JoJo?” he asked.
“Down by the water with Harper,” his mom said. She looked over her magazine at Hollis. “What’s wrong with you?”
Was it obvious? How was it possible to feel complete joy and complete fear at the same time?
“I just need to talk to her,” Hollis said.
Nan straightened. “Is everything okay? Are Jana and Rick okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” Hollis said. “They’re coming here for the show. I just got a text from Jana this morning.”
His mom put her magazine down. “But that’s not why you have those frown lines on your face.”
He sat down on the love seat across from her. “No.”
“So what is it?”
“Emily,” he said simply.
“What’s wrong with Emily?”
“Nothing’s wrong with her,” Hollis said, staring out across the yard to the ocean. “I’m in love with her.”
“Oh, is that all?” Nan returned to her magazine.
“Is that all?” Hollis shot his mom a look.
“Everyone else has known this for weeks, Hollis,” she said, not looking up. “I’m just glad you’ve finally figured it out for yourself. We were about to stage an intervention.”
Hollis sighed. “What do I do about it?”
His mom’s forehead creased in surprise. “You don’t know this by now?”
“I mean because of Jolie.”
“Jolie loves Emily.”
“But she made me promise I wouldn’t. She said if I dated Emily, I’d ruin it for her.”
Nan half laughed. “She’s twelve, honey.”
“And?”
“A twelve-year-old doesn’t get to decide these things for her father. What if God put you and Emily together?”
“I think he might’ve.” Hollis spotted Jolie walking toward them through the sea grass. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone.”
His mom smiled. “It’s what we’ve been praying for you, Hollis.”
“But I owe Jolie, Mom,” Hollis said. “And if she’s still against it, that means something.”