Page 28 of Hottie on Her Shelf
She had to prove her worth by doing it all without accepting any help. And now here were her parents piling on. The last people she’d expected to take a hit from.
“Didn’t I get all As? Didn’t I graduate valedictorian? Didn’t I get full ride offers from four colleges? Haven’t you always been impressed that I work the Sunday crossword in pen?”
“Of course. You’ve done everything you set your mind to. More than your dad and I ever dreamed of when we had a child.”
“Then why don’t you believe in me? Why don’t you think I can pull this off?” Hallie sank to the floor, cross-legged, as she had countless times before. Times when she’d plead her case for a later bedtime, or to see an R-rated movie, or that they needed to start recycling because it would take everyone pitching in to save the planet.
All those times had felt like the world would end if she didn’t change their minds. This time was more so.
Gene hitched up his sleeves before planting his elbows on his knees. “We believe in you, Hallie-girl. We love you to pieces. That’s why we’re speaking up.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We believe that you’re strong and smart.”
“Oh, and stubborn,” Pam added with a wan half smile. Then she tucked a strand of her bob behind her ear. Megan kept it sable brown for her gratis, every eight weeks no matter how busy her salon schedule. “Which can be useful. You can do almost anything you put your mind to.”
It sounded like they hadn’t forgotten her capabilities, which calmed Hallie a bit—but did nothing to settle her confusion.
Gene circled his hands where they dangled between his knees. “But the Montgomery family? They’re powerful. That’s a whole different kettle of fish.”
They…they were scared for her?
Hallie dismissed it immediately as 99 percent ridiculous. The one percent that terrified her, well, she’d worry about that whenever it woke her up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.
This was fixable.
Manageable.
She could make her parents see the truth of it in minutes, then maybe take the four of them out for dinner to smooth everyone’s ruffled feathers.
“The Montgomerys aren’t kings. They’re simply a family. And from what I can tell, a more than slightly dysfunctional one.”
Felicia certainly danced to the tune of her own drum. She often spoke fondly of her family. She just as often called them dyed-in-the-wool snobs, stuffed shirts, and idiots. Despite that, she wasn’t the black sheep of the family.
Nope, that dishonor went to Fitz’s Uncle Jeremiah, who’d been the mayor before him. Then…something happened. Nobody would say what, but he’d moved all the way to Miami and never came back. That sure had all the trappings of leaving in disgrace to Hallie.
“They don’t just run that town.” Gene tightened both hands into fists in midair. “They own it. Lock, stock, and barrel. How many businesses do you know about fall under the Montgomery Industries umbrella?”
Nearly all.
Some outright, some with business loans, some with silent financial backing. Common knowledge said it was easier to open a new business if it was Montgomery-approved and at least partially owned by them rather than doing it solo.
And those businesses included Megan’s salon, and Randall’s grooming business.
Were her parents scared for her friends, too? That would explain some of their overreaction.
“Preston Montgomery can snap his fingers and make things change in Swan Cove. Even here in Crow Harbor, some. That threat is always there. And everybody knows that a Montgomery can and will follow through on it.” Pam shook her head. Then her entire body shuddered. As if in fear of some unspeakable recrimination, for crying out loud.
Drama much? Hallie pushed her fingers through her hair from ear to temple. “That’s not how democracy works, Mom.”
“Do you really want to take that chance?”
Oh my goodness. Hallie looked to Megan with a can I get a WTF but instead saw a similar unease in the tense lines bracketing her friend’s eyes and mouth. And her dad had both hands braced on the arm of his recliner as if ready to push out of it and fight off any Montgomery minions lurking about outside.
Hallie loved them for being so protective. She just needed them to be more Team Hallie and a lot less Team Anti-Montgomery.
Wow. She’d have to find someone much better at slogans to come up with one for herself. That was pitiful.
