“You …” she says, shaking the bottle so hard that some of the liquid splashes out and falls onto the floor. “Who are you?”
Hollis stands so quickly that his chair scratches against the floor and then falls over.
No one says a word.
No one moves.
We all watch this strange interaction between Hollis and the bartender girl.
He walks toward her slowly.
I glance at Larissa. She shrugs.
“What is your name?” Hollis asks her.
“Paige.” She sets the bottle down on a table. “Who are you?”
“Hollis.”
Paige tries to grab a chair but misses. She falls to the side, and Hollis reaches out, keeping her from falling at the last minute.
He holds her by her arms and looks at her with … horror? Surprise? Shock?
My blood runs cold.
I look at Larissa again. “Hollis?” She calls to her boyfriend, but he doesn’t turn around.
He stays focused on Paige.
Maybe I’m seeing things, but there’s a strange resemblance between Hollis and Paige. The same color hair. The same strong jaw. The same ridiculous eyelashes and the same athletic build.
It can’t be.
Can it?
Tears stream down Paige’s face. Her hands shake so hard that I wonder if she’s having a seizure.
“My name …” She stops to catch her breath. A sob hiccups from her. “My name is Harlee Paige Carmichael. My last name was Hudson. I was adopted.”
Hollis lunges forward and pulls her into his chest. Their sobs rip through the restaurant as we all watch in disbelief.
His huge arms capture the girl so tightly that I wonder if she can breathe.
Their voices are muffled as they hold each other in embraces so tight that I wonder if they’ll ever separate.
The Mason family looks at one another with a mixture of tears and surprise in their eyes. Wade leans into me and whispers, “Hollis has been looking for his sister for years. He thought she was dead.”
Oh. My. God.
I grab Wade’s hand and hold it tight. Tears flicker in my eyes too.
Hollis’s back shakes until he pulls back and looks Paige in the face.
“Are you serious?” he asks her. “You’re Harlee?” He chokes back a lump. “You’re my Harlee? I’ve been looking for you forever.”
Her lips tremble. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. I have these memories of you, but …” She yelps a sob. “I didn’t even know if you were actually real or if I made you up.”
He grabs her for another quick hug.
“How are you here?” she asks, wiping the river of tears off her face. “Why? How? I’m just …” She laughs. “I’m in shock.”
He runs a hand down his jaw. His hand shakes. “Dennis Egelbert told me you were dead. He said your car ran off into the river years ago. I don’t understand.”
“That’s the story they told people around town,” she says, sniffling. “Our biological mom was looking for me at one point. That’s how I found out I was adopted. My parents—my adoptive parents—had to sit me down and … it was … not a good day. But it was all fine.” She grins. “It’s … I can’t believe it’s you.”
Hollis hugs her yet again. “I have so much to ask you. I … Just … Can we …” He blows out a breath and wipes the tears off his face. “I can’t believe it. I can’t fucking believe this.”
Paige takes a few napkins off a table and hands him some. They face each other as if they’re afraid to look away. Afraid the other will be gone again.
“I’m working now, and we’re shorthanded,” she says. “I get off at ten. Maybe we could sit here and catch up? I know Nate won’t mind.”
“Yeah. I’ll be back tonight then,” Hollis says.
Paige touches his cheek and bursts out a single laugh. “You’re real.”
Tears come again, and they look at each other. It’s an incredible scene, and there’s not a dry eye at our table.
“Paige! We need you!” someone shouts from the kitchen.
“See you tonight,” Paige says.
“Yes. Of course.”
We all watch the two of them separate like it pains them more than anything in the world. But there’s a peace on Hollis’s face that warms my heart so much that I think it might burst.
I get up and get Hollis’s beer off the adjacent table.
“Here. I think you need this,” I say, handing him the bottle.
The table buzzes with reactions from what just happened. Hollis pulls Larissa into a deep hug.
“It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?” Wade whispers in my ear. “Things always work out for the best.”
I think about everything we’ve been through—both separately and together. And through the wins and losses, accidents and plans, mistakes and moments of inexplicable loss, we made it. It got us here. And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Hi, reader!
Thank you for reading Resolution. I hope you enjoyed your time with the Mason family.
What should you do now?
I’m glad you asked!
First, I would love for you to leave a review on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy, but I would sincerely appreciate it if you would click here and say something about RESOLUTION.
Next, the two best places to stay up-to-date with me are via my Locke List newsletter and my Facebook Group, Books by Adriana Locke. (Join us! It’s fun!)
And, finally, you should read more books!
What should you read now?
Holt Mason’s book is live now. Read Restraint HERE.
Coy Mason’s book is live now. Read Reputation HERE.
Boone Mason’s book is live now. Read Reckless HERE.
Oliver Mason’s book is live now. Read Relentless HERE.
Oh, and a little heads up—if you fell in love with Nate Hughes, he’s getting a book very soon! Preorder Sweet HERE.
And, if you are curious about the Carmichael family (and who isn’t?), they will kick off a brand new series on April 8th! Keep your eye out for that.
In the meantime, I think you would enjoy my book, Sway, too. You can purchase that HERE. But, I’ll tell you what—I’ll give you the first chapter right now. Keep reading.
CHAPTER ONE: SWAY
Sway
Landry Family Series #1
Chapter One
Alison
“This is a single girl’s paradise.”
“No,” I grimace, blotting the spilled cheese sauce from my shirt. “Paradise would be a tropical island with a hot cabana boy at my beck and call ... and an endless supply of mojitos.”
Lola laughs, the sound barely heard over the chaos of the kitchen. Chefs shouting instructions, event planners panicking, plates being dropped—the world of catering is a noisy endeavor.
I step to the side to allow Isaac, a fellow server and Lola’s gorgeous friend with benefits, to scamper to the ballroom a few feet away. He’s tall with a head full of dark curls and a laugh that makes you involuntarily smile. Lola is crazy for keeping him at arm’s length, but that’s how she operates. He has little money; she has limited interest.
“Cabana boys may have hot bodies and virility, Alison, but they lack two very important qualities: fame and fortune.”