Inheritance (9/30)
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Kevin caught up to Holly after the Ojai board meeting on Monday.
“Hi Holly,” he said as casually as possible.
She looked at him suspiciously and said slowly, “Hi Kevin.”
“Do you have a minute?”
Holly paused. “Sure,” she said.
They arrived at her office, and Kevin walked in behind her. He turned to close the door, then joined her by the desk. They both sat down. Kevin cleared his throat.
“Ah, I’m not exactly sure how to say this, so I just am going to…say it.”
“OK,” Holly said, still clearly curious yet wary.
“Um, as you probably know, we’ve been in contact with…with your son, Scotty.”
Holly’s face immediately closed. Kevin realized he would never want to play poker against her. “Yes, I’m aware.”
“He’s asked me…well, he does have some curiosity in meeting you. But he doesn’t want to force you into anything you don’t want or aren’t ready for. So he’s asked me to ask you if you would like to. Meet him.”
Kevin exhaled, inwardly rolling his eyes at how awkward that statement had been. Holly continued to stare at him impassively for a moment. Finally she took a breath, looking away. She reached down, picking up a pen that she began to twist around her fingers.
“Yeah,” she finally said. “Yes. I’d like to meet him.”
“Oh, good,” Kevin replied. “Uh…when?”
Holly thought for a moment. “Why don’t you bring him to the winery opening? I’ll be busy and won’t be able to talk much, of course, but at the same time, it won’t have the pressure of a one-on-one meeting. Plus, there will be plenty of alcohol to ease us through any uncomfortable moments,” she added with a laugh.
Kevin nodded slowly in agreement. “OK. That could work.”
Holly gave him a small smile, and Kevin stood. “Thanks Holly. I’ll let you get back to work.”
He took several steps, but he didn’t make it even remotely close to the door before she called out his name. Kevin turned, a questioning expression on his face. Holly looked back at him, with her defensiveness dropped and suddenly showing a great deal of vulnerability - something Kevin had never seen from her before.
“What’s he like?” she asked.
“Scotty?” Kevin said, somewhat taken aback by the question. He stepped closer to Holly’s desk. “He’s really - he’s amazing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Kevin continued, sitting down again. “Just so full of life and good humor. Really nice.”
Holly nodded, encouraging him to continue. Kevin decided he could put off returning to the office for a few more minutes.
***
The closer they got to the Walker Landing vineyard, the faster Scotty’s heart beat. Finally, he just leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on the dashboard and burying his face.
“Oh God,” he muttered.
Kevin looked over at him, then faced the road again. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“Just…I can’t do this. Turn the car around.”
Kevin laughed. “I am not turning the car around.”
“Kevin, please.”
Kevin sighed, signaled, and quickly pulled to the side of the road. “Look at me,” he ordered Scotty.
Scotty looked up. At the expression of abject panic on his face, Kevin nearly did give in and drive back to L.A. Then he steeled himself.
“Scotty, you have to do this.”
“Why?”
“Because otherwise you’ll always wonder.”
Scotty sighed, falling back against the seat.
“What are you afraid of?”
“What if she doesn’t like me?” Scotty asked quietly.
“How could she not?” Kevin said.
Scotty tilted his head to the side, giving Kevin a skeptical look.
“I really,” Scotty started. He stopped talking, staring back up at the roof of the car and blinking quickly. “I can’t keep being rejected by mothers.”
Kevin watched him, silent.
“She gave me away. And my mom won’t even talk to me. I can’t…I can’t - ” Scotty exhaled shakily.
Kevin put a hand on Scotty’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “I know,” he said. “Look, Scotty. I don’t know her very well, but I don’t think you have to worry about that. I talked to her for a while, and she seems really…excited. And nervous and hopeful.”
Scotty looked down, nodding.
“And you don’t have to worry about…I may have mentioned something…”
Scotty turned to Kevin again. “You told her I was gay?” he asked, surprised.
Kevin winced. “Not intentionally. She asked me if you had a girlfriend, and I hesitated a little too long. She figured it out, but I didn’t deny it.”
“OK,” Scotty said slowly. “I suppose that means I don’t have to come out again. How did she take it?”
Kevin shrugged, shaking his head slightly. “She took it in stride. Scotty, you have to remember she’s a lifelong California resident and a former actress. It’s not like she’s never dealt with gay people before.”
“I suppose. I guess I’m just thinking about things from a Mississippi perspective.”
Kevin smiled. “She’s not going to reject you,” he said. “And especially not for that. Just take it slow and be careful, obviously. You’re not going to be close immediately. You just have to let it develop naturally.”
Scotty nodded, more confident.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Kevin patted Scotty’s shoulder, then resituated himself in his seat. Checking his blind spot, he pulled back onto the road.
“Thanks, Kevin,” Scotty said.
Kevin fought a quick smile, but he didn’t look at Scotty again. “That’s what brothers are for.”
“I’m figuring that out.”
***
They were the last Walkers to arrive, and they waved across the yard at Sarah, Nora and Kitty. Justin and a woman Scotty assumed was Tyler were talking to Tommy. Scotty was tempted to go over there first - meet Tyler and congratulate Tommy. But he knew the real reason was to put off meeting Holly for as long as possible, and he couldn’t handle the stress any longer.
He and Kevin strolled quickly, winding in between various guests milling around and drinking wine. Kevin paused for a moment by Saul, placing a hand on his back as he quietly asked where Holly was. Saul directed them towards the building, and Scotty smiled at Saul as they continued on.
They found her in a small alcove, talking to a couple potential investors. Scotty swallowed; it was definitely the woman he had seen earlier at Ojai. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the meeting.
“Holly,” Kevin called out.
She turned away, looking at Kevin quickly and then making eye contact with Scotty. She smiled softly and then turned back to her companions. She made some quick excuses, briefly touching the man next to her on the elbow, and then walked closer to Kevin and Scotty.
Kevin turned slightly so he was standing between them and just off to the side. “Holly, this is Scotty. Scotty, Holly Harper.”
“You were at Ojai a few days ago,” she said, slightly dazed.
“Yeah,” Scotty replied, blushing.
She looked at him for a moment longer. “Look at you,” she nearly whispered. “You’re beautiful.”
Scotty laughed in embarrassment, and Kevin grinned. He thought about saying something, but they weren’t paying any attention to him. He backed away from them, unnoticed. Scotty took a step closer to Holly, nodding as Holly offered him a drink. Kevin walked away, finding his own mother and joining in her conversation. Nora glanced at him, and he tilted his head in Scotty’s direction. She looked over at Scotty and Holly, then slipped one arm through Kevin’s elbow, patting his arm lightly with her other hand.
***
Scotty found Kevin almost an hour later, when he was talking with Justin and Tyler. Justin quickly introduced them, and Scotty grinned at Tyler as he shook her hand. Once they were finished, he turned his attention to Kevin.
“How’d it go?” Kevin asked.
Scotty smiled as he nodded. “Good, I think. I’m going over to her place for dinner next week.”
“Great!”
“Yeah, so.” Scotty exhaled quickly, shrugging. He turned slightly away, looking back in the direction he came from. “She had to go back to work, though.”
Kevin nodded, then handed Scotty his recently-filled wine glass. “And you have to catch up.”
Scotty looked down at the glass, laughing. “It’s a tasting, not a frat party.”
“Start drinking.”
Scotty shook his head in amusement and lifted the glass to his lips.
***
Holly sighed, running a hand through her hair as she walked around the offices of Walker Landing, turning off the lights. The opening had gone well, and she thought they landed several investors. But that didn’t really matter to her at the moment. She was thinking back to her conversation with Scotty. It had been extraordinarily emotional for her, even though they avoided any really problematic topics. She talked some about where she was now, not what things had been like for her then. Whenever she could, though, she turned the topic of the conversation back to him, her son. Scotty talked about his life in California, not Mississippi, and she couldn’t believe how happy he sounded, how great things were going for him. She couldn’t even be too bothered by his frequent references to the Walkers, including Nora, because in a way, she owed them for finding him, for giving her this opportunity. She felt it had been a great start, and she thought they had a real chance at forming some sort of relationship. She was looking forward to their planned dinner and the future beyond that.
After all this time, she was taking her life back, making decisions based on what she wanted and not what William Walker needed. And it felt good.
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Kevin caught up to Holly after the Ojai board meeting on Monday.
“Hi Holly,” he said as casually as possible.
She looked at him suspiciously and said slowly, “Hi Kevin.”
“Do you have a minute?”
Holly paused. “Sure,” she said.
They arrived at her office, and Kevin walked in behind her. He turned to close the door, then joined her by the desk. They both sat down. Kevin cleared his throat.
“Ah, I’m not exactly sure how to say this, so I just am going to…say it.”
“OK,” Holly said, still clearly curious yet wary.
“Um, as you probably know, we’ve been in contact with…with your son, Scotty.”
Holly’s face immediately closed. Kevin realized he would never want to play poker against her. “Yes, I’m aware.”
“He’s asked me…well, he does have some curiosity in meeting you. But he doesn’t want to force you into anything you don’t want or aren’t ready for. So he’s asked me to ask you if you would like to. Meet him.”
Kevin exhaled, inwardly rolling his eyes at how awkward that statement had been. Holly continued to stare at him impassively for a moment. Finally she took a breath, looking away. She reached down, picking up a pen that she began to twist around her fingers.
“Yeah,” she finally said. “Yes. I’d like to meet him.”
“Oh, good,” Kevin replied. “Uh…when?”
Holly thought for a moment. “Why don’t you bring him to the winery opening? I’ll be busy and won’t be able to talk much, of course, but at the same time, it won’t have the pressure of a one-on-one meeting. Plus, there will be plenty of alcohol to ease us through any uncomfortable moments,” she added with a laugh.
Kevin nodded slowly in agreement. “OK. That could work.”
Holly gave him a small smile, and Kevin stood. “Thanks Holly. I’ll let you get back to work.”
He took several steps, but he didn’t make it even remotely close to the door before she called out his name. Kevin turned, a questioning expression on his face. Holly looked back at him, with her defensiveness dropped and suddenly showing a great deal of vulnerability - something Kevin had never seen from her before.
“What’s he like?” she asked.
“Scotty?” Kevin said, somewhat taken aback by the question. He stepped closer to Holly’s desk. “He’s really - he’s amazing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Kevin continued, sitting down again. “Just so full of life and good humor. Really nice.”
Holly nodded, encouraging him to continue. Kevin decided he could put off returning to the office for a few more minutes.
***
The closer they got to the Walker Landing vineyard, the faster Scotty’s heart beat. Finally, he just leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on the dashboard and burying his face.
“Oh God,” he muttered.
Kevin looked over at him, then faced the road again. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“Just…I can’t do this. Turn the car around.”
Kevin laughed. “I am not turning the car around.”
“Kevin, please.”
Kevin sighed, signaled, and quickly pulled to the side of the road. “Look at me,” he ordered Scotty.
Scotty looked up. At the expression of abject panic on his face, Kevin nearly did give in and drive back to L.A. Then he steeled himself.
“Scotty, you have to do this.”
“Why?”
“Because otherwise you’ll always wonder.”
Scotty sighed, falling back against the seat.
“What are you afraid of?”
“What if she doesn’t like me?” Scotty asked quietly.
“How could she not?” Kevin said.
Scotty tilted his head to the side, giving Kevin a skeptical look.
“I really,” Scotty started. He stopped talking, staring back up at the roof of the car and blinking quickly. “I can’t keep being rejected by mothers.”
Kevin watched him, silent.
“She gave me away. And my mom won’t even talk to me. I can’t…I can’t - ” Scotty exhaled shakily.
Kevin put a hand on Scotty’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “I know,” he said. “Look, Scotty. I don’t know her very well, but I don’t think you have to worry about that. I talked to her for a while, and she seems really…excited. And nervous and hopeful.”
Scotty looked down, nodding.
“And you don’t have to worry about…I may have mentioned something…”
Scotty turned to Kevin again. “You told her I was gay?” he asked, surprised.
Kevin winced. “Not intentionally. She asked me if you had a girlfriend, and I hesitated a little too long. She figured it out, but I didn’t deny it.”
“OK,” Scotty said slowly. “I suppose that means I don’t have to come out again. How did she take it?”
Kevin shrugged, shaking his head slightly. “She took it in stride. Scotty, you have to remember she’s a lifelong California resident and a former actress. It’s not like she’s never dealt with gay people before.”
“I suppose. I guess I’m just thinking about things from a Mississippi perspective.”
Kevin smiled. “She’s not going to reject you,” he said. “And especially not for that. Just take it slow and be careful, obviously. You’re not going to be close immediately. You just have to let it develop naturally.”
Scotty nodded, more confident.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Kevin patted Scotty’s shoulder, then resituated himself in his seat. Checking his blind spot, he pulled back onto the road.
“Thanks, Kevin,” Scotty said.
Kevin fought a quick smile, but he didn’t look at Scotty again. “That’s what brothers are for.”
“I’m figuring that out.”
***
They were the last Walkers to arrive, and they waved across the yard at Sarah, Nora and Kitty. Justin and a woman Scotty assumed was Tyler were talking to Tommy. Scotty was tempted to go over there first - meet Tyler and congratulate Tommy. But he knew the real reason was to put off meeting Holly for as long as possible, and he couldn’t handle the stress any longer.
He and Kevin strolled quickly, winding in between various guests milling around and drinking wine. Kevin paused for a moment by Saul, placing a hand on his back as he quietly asked where Holly was. Saul directed them towards the building, and Scotty smiled at Saul as they continued on.
They found her in a small alcove, talking to a couple potential investors. Scotty swallowed; it was definitely the woman he had seen earlier at Ojai. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the meeting.
“Holly,” Kevin called out.
She turned away, looking at Kevin quickly and then making eye contact with Scotty. She smiled softly and then turned back to her companions. She made some quick excuses, briefly touching the man next to her on the elbow, and then walked closer to Kevin and Scotty.
Kevin turned slightly so he was standing between them and just off to the side. “Holly, this is Scotty. Scotty, Holly Harper.”
“You were at Ojai a few days ago,” she said, slightly dazed.
“Yeah,” Scotty replied, blushing.
She looked at him for a moment longer. “Look at you,” she nearly whispered. “You’re beautiful.”
Scotty laughed in embarrassment, and Kevin grinned. He thought about saying something, but they weren’t paying any attention to him. He backed away from them, unnoticed. Scotty took a step closer to Holly, nodding as Holly offered him a drink. Kevin walked away, finding his own mother and joining in her conversation. Nora glanced at him, and he tilted his head in Scotty’s direction. She looked over at Scotty and Holly, then slipped one arm through Kevin’s elbow, patting his arm lightly with her other hand.
***
Scotty found Kevin almost an hour later, when he was talking with Justin and Tyler. Justin quickly introduced them, and Scotty grinned at Tyler as he shook her hand. Once they were finished, he turned his attention to Kevin.
“How’d it go?” Kevin asked.
Scotty smiled as he nodded. “Good, I think. I’m going over to her place for dinner next week.”
“Great!”
“Yeah, so.” Scotty exhaled quickly, shrugging. He turned slightly away, looking back in the direction he came from. “She had to go back to work, though.”
Kevin nodded, then handed Scotty his recently-filled wine glass. “And you have to catch up.”
Scotty looked down at the glass, laughing. “It’s a tasting, not a frat party.”
“Start drinking.”
Scotty shook his head in amusement and lifted the glass to his lips.
***
Holly sighed, running a hand through her hair as she walked around the offices of Walker Landing, turning off the lights. The opening had gone well, and she thought they landed several investors. But that didn’t really matter to her at the moment. She was thinking back to her conversation with Scotty. It had been extraordinarily emotional for her, even though they avoided any really problematic topics. She talked some about where she was now, not what things had been like for her then. Whenever she could, though, she turned the topic of the conversation back to him, her son. Scotty talked about his life in California, not Mississippi, and she couldn’t believe how happy he sounded, how great things were going for him. She couldn’t even be too bothered by his frequent references to the Walkers, including Nora, because in a way, she owed them for finding him, for giving her this opportunity. She felt it had been a great start, and she thought they had a real chance at forming some sort of relationship. She was looking forward to their planned dinner and the future beyond that.
After all this time, she was taking her life back, making decisions based on what she wanted and not what William Walker needed. And it felt good.
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