Nick and Holly pt 5

Copyright © 2022 by Dana Isaly All rights reserved. Published: Dana Isaly 2022 Editing: Sandra at One Love Editing Formatting: Victoria at Cruel Ink Editing & Design Cover Design: Cady at Cruel Ink Editing & Design No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. Except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a piece of fiction. Any names, characters, businesses, places or events are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to persons living or dead, events or locations is purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you are reading this book and have not purchased it for your use only, then you should return it to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work. Normally, I would have a playlist here. But this time, I decided to do something a little different. As you read, you will see songs at the start of the chapters, along with someone’s name and social media handle. I decided to let the readers pick songs for Nick and Holly. So I chose my favorites and put them at the beginning of each chapter. All of the songs that were suggested to me can be found here if you would like to listen along. Enjoy! CONTENTS 1. Nick 2. Holly 3. Holly 4. Nick 5. Holly 6. Holly 7. Nick 8. Nick 9. Holly Epilogue Acknowledgments About Dana Isaly Also by Dana Isaly “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac Requested by [email protected] I’m sweating. I haven’t seen Holly in two days, and I’m starting to get worried she’s going to get cold feet. She stayed at the cabin while I’ve been staying at a little motel in town. She takes the whole not seeing each other before the wedding thing very seriously. “You clean up pretty well,” Henry says as he walks in from outside. Behind him, I get a glimpse of the sky. It’s grey and threatening snow, the cold wind following him into the small, warm space. “So do you,” I tell him, bringing him in for a hug, “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you clean-shaven in months.” “Only the best for Holly,” he jokes, pulling away and reclining in one of the chairs. We’re both dressed in navy blue suits, our hair pushed back and our beards gone. When I look at him, all I can see is me at his age. He somehow got everything from me and nothing from his mother, whereas Charlotte is the spitting image of her mother. I can only hope he doesn’t make the same foolish mistakes that I did at his age. “How’re your studies?” I ask him, speaking of mistakes. He sighs and rolls his eyes, his hands running down his face. “They’re fine.” “You know if they slip too far down the scale, you’re going to get benched.” It’s the only way I can get to him, the looming threat of losing hockey. I’ve tried so many other ways, but he doesn’t seem to care about anything except his stick and puck. “Can we talk about literally anything else?” he asks, his voice filled with annoyance. Fair enough. Today doesn’t need to be marred by my hounding him about his grades. Even though they are just as important. I just want to get it through his head that his first employers will look at his GPA. They will care. Even if his first employers end up being in the hockey business. “Yes, fine,” I give in, sitting on the end of the bed opposite him. I study him for a moment as he looks out the big window to his right. “You’ve grown up to be a man I’m quite proud of, you know,” I tell him. I know I don’t tell him enough, and something about today is making me sentimental. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make it through today without crying. Especially once I see my girls standing up there. Charlotte is with Holly, helping her and Holly’s mom with getting the place ready for the few guests we’ve invited and making sure Holly isn’t trying to micromanage everything herself. I’ve told her plenty of times in the last month that today is her day, and she should relax and enjoy it…let other people take care of the stressful stuff. But if I know her, she’s probably been walking around the cabin in her wedding dress, rollers in her hair, and makeup half-done to make sure no one needs anything from her. God, I love that woman. Henry smiles over at me and nods. “I know.” “I don’t tell you enough. I know I don’t. Your mom has always been better at expressing herself, but I’m trying to get better.” I lean forward and pat his knee, making sure he’s really looking at me. “I love you, and I’m so proud of you, Henry.” He takes my hand and squeezes it. “I know, Dad. I love you, too.” He smiles at me. “Wedding got you feeling a little emotional?” “A bit,” I admit, laughing as I pull away. “Seems weird to be doing this all over again at my age.” “At your age,” he sighs, rolling his eyes. “You act like you have a foot in the grave. You just turned fifty-one.” “Over the hill,” I joke. “Yeah, yeah, old man.” His phone vibrates in his pocket, and he pulls it out, frowning. “What is it?” He sighs. “Meant to tell you when I got here. Emmy is here. She came with me.” “Oh, that’s great! I didn’t know she was coming!” I’m excited to have her, but when I take in my son’s face, my smile falters. “Is that not a good thing?” He gives me a