Free Only You by Denise Grover Swank Page A

and paste them into notebooks.” Her grandmother stroked the leather cover. “She’s got a nicer cover now, but they’re still just as lovingly planned.”
    Holly’s face flushed. “I have photos, too, but Grandma prefers the cutouts. I like to start out with them as I’m trying to put it all together.” Nicole wasn’t a fan of Holly’s pages of cutouts. She was surprisingly digitally advanced and preferred for Holly to show her clients digital images, saying Holly’s scrapbook pages were too elementary-school looking. But the scrapbook pages were still Holly’s favorite part of planning the wedding. And at least her grandmother appreciated them.
    The women spent the next ten minutes flipping the pages of Holly’s binder. When they finished, Delilah begged Holly to bring in her photos next time.
    “You should see the photos of the glass chapel,” her grandmother gushed. “With the snow and the red flowers. She even had sleighs.”
    “Oh!” Delilah exclaimed. “It sounds lovely.”
    An aide took the women’s trays and Holly walked her grandmother back to her room.
    Grandma Barb sat in a wingback chair and leaned over and patted the chair next to hers. “Sunshine, have a seat.”
    Holly sat down, her stomach twisting into a pretzel again. Her grandmother sounded serious, and she rarely sounded so grave.
    Her grandmother grabbed her hand and held on. “I don’t remember what happened yesterday when you came to see me.”
    Holly shrugged, forcing a smile. “I don’t remember what I had for lunch today. It’s not that big of a deal.”
    “Yes, Holly. It is.”
    Her grandmother sounded so earnest that a lump clogged Holly’s throat. She nodded.
    “I worry about you,” she said. “You lose yourself in everyone else’s love. When are you going to have your own?”
    Holly forced out a sigh. “Grandma, I’m happy. Other than my sometimes difficult boss, I love what I do. I give couples the weddings of their dreams. Why can’t that be enough? Why do I need a man?”
    “I never said it can’t be enough. I spent the last twenty-five years without a man.”
    “Because of me and Melanie?” Why had that never occurred to her?
    “No!” her grandmother protested. “Because the love I had with your grandfather ran so deep it was enough to fill me, even after he passed. Besides, I had you girls and I would have never given up a single moment of my time with you for something that would have paled in comparison to what I had with your grandfather.”
    “But I have you. And I have Melanie. I’m full up on love, Gran.”
    Her grandmother slowly shook her head. “No, Holly. You’re afraid of love.”
    If Holly hadn’t known better, she would have suggested her grandmother had been talking to Melanie. “I’m not afraid of love. Look how much I love you .”
    “But you’ve never been in love.”
    Holly stared at her in surprise. “I’ve had boyfriends.”
    “It’s not the same thing.” She squeezed Holly’s hand. “I’ve watched you your entire life, Holly. I know you, girl. You keep your heart locked up in a tower like Rapunzel. If you want your fairy tale, maybe you should come down from the tower instead of waiting for your prince to find you.”
    Either scenario was ridiculous. She wasn’t looking for love, and she saw no reason why she should. She had enough on her plate with her job and trying to keep her boss happy. But she wanted to appease her grandmother, so she said, “Okay, Gran. I’ll think about what you said.”
    Now if she could only ignore the image of her sexy next-door neighbor that had suddenly popped into her head.

Chapter Eight
    K evin was more than ready for a beer when he arrived the bar and grill in downtown Kansas City. He’d spent the last hour at the hardware store making a list of all the things his kitchen was going to need.
    Make that two beers.
    Both of his friends were already at a table and his friend Tyler stood to greet him, pulling him into a gruff hug