“It was generous. It could’ve worked for both of us. If I hadn’t treated Holly like glass and Becca as if she’d always wait,” I admit, trailing off.
Grandad sighs. “We’ve all babied that girl since the accident. But I think it’s time she stood on her own. Your dad finally said no, refusing to offer her the money. I wish the rest of the family had.” He shoots me a pointed look.
“You and me both,” I admit, meeting his gaze.
Grammy looks between us, and then gives him a knowing look, some unspoken conversation passing between them. She stands up, takes our dishes, and gives each of us a kiss on the cheek.
“I am heading in to watch my shows, you boys catch up,” she states as she walks out of the room, leaving me a little confused by the abrupt exit.
Grandad leans back and chuckles.
“Did I ever tell you about the time I bought a ’67 Shelby Cobra?”
I blink in surprise. “No. You had one of those? That’s a sweet car, Grandad.”
“Not for long.” He laughs. “I’d just landed a big job. Your dad was a baby. I was rubbing elbows with the big shots of Cascadia, councilmen, property developers, that kind of thing. They all had fancy cars, steak dinners, the whole deal. I started thinking I deserved what they had. So I bought theCobra. Deep midnight blue, white racing stripes, zero to sixty in 4.2 seconds. A beauty.”
I let out a low whistle.
“I drove it straight to the country club. Made sure the boys saw me pull up. Felt like a king. Came home that night, all puffed up, expecting your grandma to be impressed.”
Grandad glances up, recalling the memory. “She looked at the car and asked, ‘Is it on loan?’ I said no. Then she asked if I usedourmoney. And I—” he cringes, “—I said, ‘It’s not ours. It’s mine.’”
I wince. “Oh, man.”
“Yep. She said, ‘Alright then. I’ll get my own.’ I laughed at her. Big mistake.”
I grimace in sympathy, imagining how that went.
“She started babysitting this neighborhood boy. And while watching two kids, she approached the single construction workers on the job sites in town, asking if they wanted home-cooked meals a couple of times a week. She made $650 her first month.” His voice is filled with both shock and pride.
I pull out my phone to do a quick conversion. “That’s over six grand today.”
“Exactly. She stopped spending a dime ofmymoney. And since it wasn’tourmoney, I didn’t get laundry done, meals cooked, and worst of all?” He pauses, shaking his head in shame. “She quit the business. Without her, it fell apart: no invoices, no contracts, no orders. Son, she was the best collector in town. Someone didn’t pay up? She tracked them down. I swear the bookies were looking to recruit her.”
I laugh at the thought, but I believe every bit of it.
“So what, you begged her to come back?” I ask, sitting on the edge of my chair.
“I wish it had been that easy. Flowers. Gifts. Nothing worked. Then one night, I was drowning in paperwork and TV dinners.” Grandad takes a steadying breath. “And I broke down. That woman walked in, hugged me tight, made me some eggs and coffee, then sat down to help me sort through the mess.” His voice softens. “Next day, I added her to payroll. I went to the bank and set up a separate account for her. I wanted her to know I saw her, and I understood her contribution.”
I nod slowly, the weight of it sinking in. I had that woman, the partner, to get me through it all. And I pushed her out.
Grandad leans forward. “Son, we all screw up. But if you want to fix it? You need to stop asking for forgiveness and startearningtrust. That’s the only way back.”
“I’m working on it, promise.”
“Good. Because as much as I love you, I don’t want you camping in my guest room forever.”
I laugh. “Neither do I.”
I wakeup in the spare room, with a pink lace duvet cover and walls covered in baby photos of me, Holly, and my Dad. I stretch, prepping myself for what’s ahead.
Today is going to be a big day. Holly and I are meeting the last of the city inspectors before the salon can open. Plus, Holly has scheduled a meeting with Mandy to go over her new employee contract. No equity, but an above-market-rate salary; Holly’s decision. The decision to cut her best friend out of the business partnership was tough for her, but it was the right call.
I pull into the salon, seeing that Holly repainted the accent wall herself. It’s not perfect, but she should be proud.Actually getting her hands dirty, making her dreams come true herself.
If all goes well with today’s inspection, the soft opening is two weeks away.
