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Chapter 38 - Another Link

Hollie yawned softly as she walked up to Howie’s large home while balancing Lucy on her hip. Nicola had left the house at six in the morning, startling Lucy from a restful sleep. The child cried for her mother till she finally decided to crawl into Hollie’s bed and drifted into another state of slumber. Now, the child was eager to spend the day with Howie as she bounced against Hollie’s hip, jarring Hollie from her dazed state. Yet as energetic as Lucy became in the morning daylight, Hollie couldn’t get mad because she found it utterly adorable.

“Knock on the door, Lucy,” Hollie suggested, helping Lucy down onto the front porch. The little girl beamed, jumping up to poke the doorknob repeatedly with her Band-Aid clad index finger. Hollie chuckled as Lucy pulled on her pigtail braids, waiting impatiently after she decided that her impatient jabbing of the doorbell was fruitless. Hollie had yet to see Lucy so excited over a person that wasn’t her mother. She had even taken special care to make sure Hollie dressed her appropriately. She refused to leave her very bedroom until her hair was split into tight pigtail braids, crisp jean overall shorts, and a light yellow tank top with butterflies. The girl was adorable.

“Hey, Lucy!” a low voice greeted, startling Hollie from her thoughts. She glanced up to connect with Kevin’s jade eyes. It was a man that she hadn’t even considered she’d ever see again, even if he were in her dreams. Yet, there he stood in front of her, shadowing the doorway. Her heart jumped to her throat as a cool sweat broke onto her tan skin. She started to fidget with her purse, feeling lost as her temperature rose. “Howie’s in the living room setting up Beauty and the Beast for you, darling. Go get him!”

“Okay! Thanks for dropping me off Aunt Decker!” Lucy giggled, dashing into the house without a second thought.

“Hey!” Kevin blurted as Hollie turned to walk down the steps. She hesitated, turning toward him with surprise. “I thought Nicola—”

“She had an early appointment,” Hollie interjected, feeling awkward.

“Oh, well would you like to come in?” Kevin offered, not wanting her to leave. She had been imprinted in his skull for many sleepless nights. He hardly knew the woman and she was already his leading addiction. Songs had even been written with her as the muse.

“I really should be going—”

“Hollie, thanks for bringing Lucy,” Howie interrupted, wheeling out amongst the unspoken attraction with Lucy perched on his lap. He smiled gratefully before glancing between the two adults. He did his best to hide a smirk by kissing the top of Lucy’s head, not wanting to extinguish the flame.

“You’re welcome,” Hollie replied. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to speak with you that much, though. I’m under a strict contract with my best friend.”

“Contract?” Howie asked with surprise.

“Yes, written and signed with blood. My lancing of free food, equities, utilities, and sleeping arrangements depends on my silence.”

“Have you met Kevin?” Howie blurted, unable to develop a comment on her last statement.

“Briefly,” Hollie murmured.

“Oh, Kevin, this is Hollie. She’s Nicola’s best friend. Hollie, this is my good friend, Kevin,” Howie introduced.

“Nice to meet you,” Hollie politely greeted with a civil smile, feeling her knees tremble beneath his burning gaze.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Kevin rasped, sending tingles down her spine.

“I would love to stay, but I really have to go. Nicola will get suspicious of my doings if I stay long. She has this idea that I’m a spy lurking to ruin her. A few minor episodes of bidding her bras off to the football team in high school and she still hasn’t forgiven me,” Hollie teased with her blue eyes glimmer, making the boys unsure of the tale’s authenticity. She had hoped to dissuade the conversation, covering the embarrassment over her sexual tension. “I have some things to do. Deadlines to make. Articles to write…”

“Well, thank you again for bringing her,” Howie called, watching her start to descend the steps instead of taking the ramp.

“No problem. By, Monster!” Hollie cooed, fishing for her keys.

“Bye Aunt Witch!”

“Ooo, good one!” Hollie laughed, flipping her short blonde locks behind her ears. She felt her cheeks burn as she tilted her head down, pushing her glasses up against the bridge of her nose. She tried to hurry to her car, only able to picture Kevin’s smoldering eyes. Even with her back turned, he seemed to call to her, like a male siren in the depths of his jaded eyes.

“Hollie! Wait!” Kevin blurted, hurrying down the steps. Howie smothered a laugh as he watched his lumbering friend stumble down the steps in hopes to keep the girl from leaving. Kevin shot a frosty glare before reaching out to slam Hollie’s car door as she tried to open it. “I’d like to meet up with you if that’s alright! We seem to mesh well from my standpoint. I’d like to know you better.”

Hollie offered a sly smile, deciding to play her hard-to-get card. It gave her a good percentage of consecutive dates. She jerked the car door open, reaching in for a pen. She chewed on the tip of the pen for a short moment, watching Kevin’s jaw fall with heat. “Give me your digits and I’ll consider the proposal.”

*~*~*

“So, what are we doing t’day, Daddy?” Lucy asked curiously as the Disney Movie’s credits began to roll. They had spent the morning lounging in Howie’s oversized bed, flipping through various childhood movies. They cuddled beneath the warm covers like a true father and daughter, completely content. Most children would be anxious to squirm away to cause mischief, but not Lucy. She was too affectionate to wiggle away from a cuddle.

Howie chuckled softly as Lucy jumped off the bed to replace the DVD in its container. He slowly stretched his legs beneath the thick covers, still amazed at the miracle. Physical therapy was performed every day to loosen the joints and ready his body. Howie was merely waiting for his leg strength to return for the performance of his first steps. Then he could plan his next big adventure with Nicola by his side.

“Daddy!” Lucy called, jumping back into the bed.

“Sorry,” Howie murmured, running his fingers through her flaxen locks. Nicola was always reminding Howie that Lucy loved attention. “What would you like to do?”

“Swim?”

“Okay, but we swim every day with Mommy. What else?”

“Um…watch movies?”

“Sweet Pea, how about we call Aunt Polly to go shopping with us? We’ll buy you some toys for Daddy’s house, along with pretty dresses, and then some gifts for Mommy.”

“Really?” Lucy squealed.

“Yes, m’am. I’ll spoil you rotten today.”

“I love to be spoiled rotten!”

“Yeah, me, too,” Howie laughed.

“Can we go now?”

“We have to call Aunt Polly first.”

“I will!” Lucy squealed, jumping off the bed to retrieve the phone.

“Can I at least help?”

“Yeah, t’mon, Daddy!”

“T’oming!” Howie teased.

*~*~*

“She is the cutest thing, Howie. Mom and Pop almost died when she answered the phone. They tell everyone about your perfect girlfriend, her perfect daughter, and how she’s helping you walk again,” Pollyanna gushed as she watched Lucy play quietly with her new My Little Ponies. They were in the guest room Howie designated for Lucy, folding the child’s new clothes and placing them neatly into the dresser drawers.

“She’s absolutely adorable,” Howie agreed.

“Do you know how excited Mom was to find out Lucy called you Daddy?”

“Pretty excited?”

“That’s an understatement! She’s so proud of you, Howie. Absolutely thrilled with Nic and Lucy. Then your legs healing… Just nothing but a miracle.”

“I know,” Howie agreed. “Do you know what I want to do?”

“What?”

“Hire an interior designer to fix this room into Lucy’s little hideaway. She needs a room of her own in this house. She’d love it if I made sure they decorated with Disney Princesses. Nic would love it, too,” Howie confided, glancing around the room. He wanted Lucy to feel like this was her second home. He knew this would be the perfect room for her. Every time the boys came over, they fought over this room. It was the nicest and it was the closest to the luxury master bedroom.

“Lucy’s own room, huh?”

“Yeah, is that bad?”

“No!” Pollyanna laughed, pushing her younger brother’s shoulder. “It’s just cute to know that things are so serious between you and Nicola. We worried that you’d marry Darcy and be miserable. But now you have a chance to be happy with Nicola. And Lucy gives you that feel for wanting your own kids, right?”

“Yeah…” Howie answered with a goofy smile.

“This is so cute, Howie!”

“Okay, Polly, you told me!”

Pollyanna scowled playfully. “You know, I love you so much that I’m going to make dinner for Lucy, Nicola, and you.”

“Awe, thanks big sis!”

“You’re welcome, but this is the last one. You’re going to have to get on your legs soon to cook for your dream-girl.”

“I will sooner than you think,” Howie replied coyly.