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Cabin Three didn't need nearly as much paint touch-ups as Cabin One had. Instead, Holly found herself going through the place and tightening various cabinets and doors, oiling the ones that were squeaking. The cabin and the others would need new carpet laid and some other work done, but that would have to be handled by one of her cousins or someone on their crew.
She had just stepped outside for some fresh air and another bottle of water when she heard someone shouting. Walking around to the side of the cabin, she found Randy halfway up his ladder, brush in hand.
"You yell for me?" Holly asked before taking another long gulp of water.
Randy shook his head. "Nope. I was just about to come down and see if it was you yelling for me."
"Probably one of the guests yelling for their kids or their dog or something," Holly said with a shrug. While the entire grounds were pretty calm and relaxing, this was still a prime vacation spot for families. That meant there was a certain amount of noise that was around all day long.
But when the voice yelled again, Holly was pretty sure it was someone calling her name. The furrowed look Randy gave her said he had heard the same thing. She stepped aside as he made his way down the ladder, then the two of them headed back around the cabin, searching for the source of the noise.
Holly could just make out a figure wandering around when the person yelled again. This time, Holly was positive they were calling her name. Part of her wanted to call out in response, but she had no idea who it was calling for her. For all she knew, it was some ax murderer coming to make her his next victim.
But when the figure got closer, Holly realized it wasn't an ax murderer. Well, she wasn't one yet. But after Holly had ignored her calls and forgotten to call her back, she wouldn't have put it past her daughter to be out for blood.
"Gabby!" Holly yelled in her daughter's direction. "What in the world are you doing out here?"
"The woman at the desk told me you would be out by the cabins," Gabby shot back. And even at a distance, Holly could hear more than just irritation in her daughter's voice.
No doubt it had been Natalie who had told her where Holly was hiding out. But that wasn't the issue. The issue was what Gabby was doing in the Keys in the first place. She should have still been back in Miami, not all the way down here.
When Gabby approached, Holly smiled and went to hug her daughter. But the glare Gabby gave her stopped her midway. Gabby was most definitely not happy. Whatever had brought her all the way down here was not going to be good news.
"Mom, I swear to God! I have to drive for hours just to talk to you now?" Gabby said. The anger was evident just below the surface. "I thought you would be back in Miami by now, but apparently not. You had us both scared to death! What's going on that's so important you can't pick up the phone when your own daughter calls?"
Holly flinched, her daughter's accusations stabbing her right in the heart. She should have called Gabby back that night instead of putting it off. Instead, she'd let herself get caught up in everything else going on and had forgotten about it.
Just because Gabby wasn't a child anymore didn't mean she didn't need her mother. Holly wasn't the only one who'd had her life completely turned upside down when Will's schemes had gone public. It had affected both of their children as well, even though they were adults with their own lives.
No doubt, it had led to a lot of uncertainty and confusion. As far as they'd known, Holly and Will were perfectly happy in their marriage. They were the epitome of a happy, successful couple. Watching that all come crumbling down had probably shaken them to their core.
If their parents' perfect marriage could fall apart, what did that mean for their own relationships?
God, Holly should have seen that ages ago. She should have sat both kids down and talked to them, explained everything. She should've been there for them, let them express their fears and concerns so Holly could put them at ease.
And yet, the first chance she had gotten to run away from Miami and not look back, she had taken it. She hadn't told the kids before she had left. She hadn't kept them up to date since arriving in the Keys.
Once again, Holly had let herself get swept away with work so much that she'd neglected her family. Sure, she had been there for her mother and Randy when they'd needed her, but she hadn't been there for her own two children.
Holly locked eyes with her daughter. Gabby didn't need to use words for her mother to understand everything. She might not have been Mother of the Year, but Holly still knew her daughter. She could look into those dark brown eyes and know everything Gabby felt.
And it wasn't because of some super special mother-daughter connection. Holly could tell what her daughter was thinking and feeling because Gabby was just like Holly was. If she had stopped and paid more attention, maybe she would have seen it sooner, but she and Gabby were exactly alike.
This meant Holly had work to do. If she didn't get her butt into gear and fix the hundred and one problems she had created, Gabby might end up going down the same road she had. Holly couldn't let that happen.
Gabby had her whole life ahead of her--a fiancé who doted on her. She had a job she adored, teaching third graders. There was no way Holly could let Gabby make the same mistakes she had made.
"Come on, let's go talk," Holly said, trying to smile. When she glanced over at Randy, he raised an eyebrow. "Can you finish the cabin up?"
