Holly versus Mr. Ivy by Amanda P. Jones
Chapter 20
Rhett
all day, I’d promised Jack I would exercise with him this morning. I forced myself out of bed and got ready to see my best friend, whose life had been filled with more valleys than peaks since I’d known him.
The entire time I was getting dressed, I kept thinking about last night. How my meeting with Uncle Anthony had pushed me over the edge and my anxiety had become so much that I couldn’t do anything except focus on breathing. Humiliation at Holly seeing me in that state burned my lungs. I knew Holly wasn’t Lexi. Holly actually cared, as she’d proven last night. But that still didn’t mean I wanted to discuss what had happened with Holly. Eventually, I’d have to tell her. Just not anytime soon.
I called a rideshare company to take me to the restaurant to pick up my truck, then headed to my best friend’s house for a much-needed endorphin rush.
When I pulled into Jack’s driveway, his garage door was open, letting in the cool air. Getting out of my truck, I went into the garage, but it was empty. Rapping my knuckles on the door into the house, I twisted the knob and called out, “Jack? You ready, man?”
I walked into his kitchen to find Jack standing at the sink, a water bottle in one hand and his other holding his cell to his ear.
“Sorry,” I whispered. I took a seat on the pleather barstool at the kitchen counter. Jack’s house wasn’t as modern as mine, but he kept it clean and orderly. Nice to know his current situation hadn’t made him give up on cleaning his home—like I did when dealing with my depression. I’d left my bed unmade, dishes in the sink, and clothes strewn about the floor just this morning because somehow picking up after myself had overwhelmed me. Even though seeing the mess when I got home tonight would only make me feel worse.
Moving on, Rhett. We’re focusing on Jack and getting out of your own head.
I pulled out my phone, playing a racing game, waiting for Jack to end his call. My elbows rested on the gold and brown granite countertop, my cell in between my hands. Bear barked from his backyard. Maybe I should go throw a ball around with him instead of sitting here waiting for Jack.
“Thank you. I appreciate the offer. I’ll be there Monday,” Jack said. “Yep. Thanks again. Bye.”
Still staring at my phone, I asked, “What was that about?”
He sighed, and I looked at him. His hair stood up at odd angles. Purple bags shadowed his eyes. My heart squeezed at the sight of his disheveled state, especially since I looked about the same.
He tapped his phone against his palm. “I took a job stocking shelves at the grocery store.”
My eyes widened. A teenager’s job? “Why?” Jack was a talented baker. He could open his own bakery, a food truck, or be a pastry chef at a restaurant. It didn’t make sense.
“I need the money.”
I frowned. “I get that, but why that job?” There’s no way they paid anywhere near what he used to make at Love Bakes.
He twisted the lid on his water bottle. “They were hiring, and I need a break from the baking world right now.”
Was this the time to push Jack, or leave it alone? His forlorn look decided for me. “I hope you don’t stay away too long. The world needs your talents.”
He shot me a dry look. “There are hundreds of other places where people can get baked goods. I’m not needed.”
“That, my friend, is where you are wrong.” Jack’s rough childhood had done such a number on him, he often didn’t see how awesome he was.
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get to our workout.”
Following Jack into his garage, I picked out a set of dumbbells and settled onto the weight bench. Jack stepped over to the rowing machine. I came to cheer Jack up, but I needed his advice. Or at least a listening ear. Jack didn’t have a lot of experience with relationships, but maybe he could help me sort out what to do about Holly. Because even though we couldn’t do anything until I left Uncle Anthony’s employment, I wanted to.
I finished my first set of chest presses, then blurted, “I’m in trouble.”
Jack stopped rowing. He turned to look at me over his shoulder. “You?” He snorted. “Shocker.”
“Ha-ha,” I deadpanned. “It’s…Holly.”
His brow rose. “Is she still sticking to her strict boundaries?”
Considering we had almost kissed? Nope. I picked up the weights again and started on my next set of presses. “No,” I grunted. “That’s the problem. She’s…amazing. I’m falling for her.”
Jack came over and stood above me. “Seriously?”
I sat up. “What?”
He put one hand on his hip, the other pointing a finger in my face. “You told me the next time you liked someone to talk you out of it, remember? Do I need to bring up what happened with Lexi?”
“Holly’s not Lexi,” I said, defensively. Just because he broke things off with Megan didn’t mean he had to be so rude about Holly.
He smacked me upside the head. “Doesn’t matter. You work together. Doesn’t your uncle have strict rules about that?”
He did. And yesterday’s visit certainly hammered that rule into my head. Holly and I could either wait and date after I left, or…keep it a secret. No one would need to know. We’d be more careful than we had been yesterday.
Although, I was being quite presumptuous. I had no clue if Holly even felt the same way about me. But she had reached out to take my hand at work yesterday. She’d leaned in, kept eye contact. If Darby hadn’t interrupted, how far would we have taken the kiss?
I held my hands out in a defensive position. “Fine. I’ll leave it alone.” For now.
Jack’s eyes narrowed as he studied my face. “Promise me. I don’t want to see you in the same boat I’m in.”
I didn’t want to. By agreeing to leave Holly alone, it meant I had to. I had integrity and honor, which was why I loathed agreeing to stay away.
“Rhett,” he growled.
A battle raged within me. Agree and keep Holly as a friend only, or give up on the deal I’d made with myself and risk getting hurt again? Risk our jobs?
Holly cared. She took care of her mom and me last night. But that’s just the type of person Holly was. She worried about doing her job to the best of her capabilities. She had spunk and wit. Humor. “I promise to let Holly decide what happens between us.”
He raised a brow.
Time to change the subject. Jack needed cheering up, not for me to pile my baggage on top of everything else he’d dealt with lately. “On that happy note,” I joked, “guess what my cousin Fletcher just bought?”
“Another piece of medieval armor?”
Fletcher, Anthony’s son, was an investment banker like Dad, and he’d just received his trust fund six months ago when he’d gotten married. He wasted his money on the most random items.
“A yacht.” I chortled. “He doesn’t even know how to sail.”
Jack’s brows rose. “Did he hire a captain?”
Psh. “Probably not. The Tuscany Dream will sit in the harbor, unused. He just likes to say he owns a yacht.”
“Your family is weird.”
Wasn’t everyone’s? I laughed. “Have you met yours?”
Jack grunted and went back to the rowing machine. “Besides Holly, how is work going? Will you get that promotion and then be able to open your own company after that?”
Before yesterday’s meeting with Uncle Anthony, I was confident we’d reach our goal and I’d be opening my own business soon. Now? My optimism faded. “Hopefully just one more year with Uncle Anthony, and then I’ll be ready.”
“I’m happy for you, man.”
“Thanks.” I picked up my weights. “You’ll get there too, you know.”
“Maybe.”
I had full confidence my friend would find his path in life. As for me? I had to not let Uncle Anthony’s expectations defeat me.
And I had to discover if Holly felt the same about me—and if she did, what we were going to do about it.