by Marie Force
“What do you have in mind?” she asked with a small, sexy smile.
“You know what I have in mind.”
“I thought we were going to wait.”
“I can’t wait. It’s all I think about. You’re all I think about. I can’t work or think or function, because all I want is to be with you. You’ve completely bewitched me.”
“I see the way you look at me in the office,” she said, stepping closer to him.
“How do I look at you?”
“Like you want to carry me out of there and have your wicked way with me.”
“That’s about right.”
“You’re a terrible distraction.”
“Am I?”
“You know you are.”
He held the tent flap for her, and she went in ahead of him to find the bed he’d made for them from an air mattress, sheets and a quilt he’d bought at the store two days ago, after Elmer had left for the day. Linc suspected his future father-in-law probably knew about the purchase, even though he hadn’t been there.
“This is lovely,” Molly said, sitting on the bed.
“No, it isn’t, but it’s all ours, with no rifles around for miles. Or so I hope.” Elmer had been rather quiet about them working at the barn late into the night. Linc suspected that was because his sweet wife, Sarah, had told Elmer to leave them alone. Molly’s mother had been nothing but warm and welcoming to Linc, and he would love her forever for that.
“It’s lovely because you did this for us.”
“I’m a selfish asshole because all I want in this entire world is to make love with you.”
“I want that, too.”
“You do?”
“Lincoln,” she said, laughing. “For someone so smart, you can be awfully dumb at times.”
“Hey!” He came down next to her, landing hard enough to bounce her and take full advantage of her being off-balance to arrange himself on top of her. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“I can’t believe you’re being mean to me when I went to all this trouble to get you alone in the dark.”
“I’m not being mean. I’m laughing at you. Two very different things.”
“I’d much rather you use that sassy mouth to kiss me.”
“Before I do that, there’s something I need to tell you… Something I should’ve told you before now.”
The sadness and reluctance he heard in her tone put him on guard. He didn’t want to hear anything that would upset either of them. Not now, anyway. “What’s on your mind?”
“I… It’s something I don’t really talk about because it’s so painful.”
Linc moved so he was next to her, on his side facing her. The flashlight he’d left on made it so he could see the furrow of her brows and an expression on her face he hadn’t seen before. It looked a lot like grief. He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her soft skin. “You don’t have to tell me if it hurts too much.”
“I do have to tell you, and it’s not that I haven’t wanted to before now. It’s just that some things are almost unbearable.”
“I hate that something ever hurt you that way.”
“My mom says it’s the price you pay for loving someone, and I loved Andrew, from the time I was in seventh grade until he died our junior year of high school.”
“Oh God, Mol. I’m so sorry. What happened to him?”
“He was diagnosed with bone cancer in ninth grade. He fought it hard, and when we realized he was going to die… I, we, well…”
“You don’t have to say it. I get it.”
“I feel guilty that I’ve led you to believe I’ve never done it before.”
“I’m glad you got to have that experience with him, but I’m so sorry you lost him.”
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever been through. I wanted to die myself for a while afterward, but over time, I got past those feelings and started to get back to living. I still feel guilty sometimes that I’m alive when he isn’t, and when I first met you, I felt super guilty for having those feelings for someone else. That night in Mississippi when we were kissing, and I said I couldn’t…”
“I understand, and nothing has to happen between us until you want it to. I want you to be comfortable.”
“I’m so comfortable with you. The way I was with him, and I didn’t think that would ever happen again. You have no idea what a relief it’s been to know that I can feel that way for someone else, even if I’ll always miss him.”
“I’m glad you feel that way with me. I want you to be comfortable and happy.”
“I love you so much, Linc.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “You can’t possibly know what you’ve done for me since we met. You’ve made me feel hopeful and excited when I worried for the longest time after Andrew died that I’d never feel that way again. I hadn’t dated anyone since I lost him.”
“I’m honored to be the first one you’ve dated since you lost him.” He wiped away her tears and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is that why your dad has been so suspicious of me?”
She laughed. “Partly, but he acted that way with Andrew, too. I think he’s actually relieved to see me moving on after that terrible heartache. Anyway, he’s all bark and no bite.”
“He showed me his hunting rifle, Molly.”
As she collapsed into helpless laughter, he decided he much preferred that to the sadness she’d shown him when she talked about her lost love. And then she reached for him, and he wasn’t thinking about sadness or anything other than the way her lips moved under his, the way her body felt pressed up against him and how badly he wanted her.
“Stop.” Will held up a hand. “I speak for all my siblings when I say we do not want to know what went on in that tent.”
“I do have one question,” Hunter said.
“What’s that?” Linc asked as the others covered their ears.
“You were married for a year or so when we were born, yet you always said Hannah and I were conceived in a tent. Weren’t you living in the barn by then?”
“We were, but every dime we had was tied up in the barn, so other than the second summer we spent in Mississippi when your mom was expecting you guys, we took ‘vacations’ to our own backyard.”
“That’s so weird,” Colton said.
“It was fun,” Linc said, waggling his brows.
“Lots of fun,” Molly added, smiling.
“And the best part was she didn’t actually kill me when we found out she was expecting twins.”
“That must’ve been a shock,” Ella said, smiling.
“We laughed so much about how I doomed myself with that conversation on the bus,” Molly said. “And we laughed some more when we found out we were having twins again with the boys.”
Linc flexed his bicep. “She loved me too much to kill me. In fact—”
“Enough,” Will said emphatically. “Tell us about going to Philly and what happened when you got there.”
Linc’s heart sank when he recalled that trip, not to mention the reason this had come up again. He still had to decide if he was going to see his father.
“We drove to Philadelphia the following weekend,” Molly said.
“They must’ve been surprised to see you since they thought you were in England,” Charley said. “And again, I say you would’ve lost your shit if we did what you did.”
“They were, and yes, I would have,” Linc said. “My father was immediately suspicious and unfriendly to your mother. It was like he knew right away he wasn’t going to like what I’d come there to tell him—and he took it out on her, acting as if she wasn’t there.”
“Ugh,” Ella said. “That must’ve been awful.”
“It was,” Linc said, “but it only cemented my resolve. We met with my parents in my dad’s study. He wanted to know why I wasn’t in England. I looked at your mom, and I said because I’ve met the woman I’m going to marry.”
For the longest time after Linc said those words, there was only sil
ence until his father spoke up. “You were hell-bent on spending a year in England, and we accommodated that request by shuffling the executive team around to cover for you. And now you tell me you’ve given that up for a woman?”
“That woman is my fiancée, Father, and I expect you to show her the respect she deserves.”
“I mean no disrespect to her,” Carlton Abbott said. “But this is absurd, Lincoln. You dramatically change your plans and don’t even see fit to tell us?”
“I am telling you. I’m telling you now.”
“Could we have a word in private with our son, please?” Carlton asked Molly.
Linc tightened his grip on her hand. “Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of her.”
“This is ridiculous. You come home from a summer volunteering at some do-gooder project in Mississippi and tell us you’re engaged and have given up your plan to study at Oxford, which was the only thing you wanted a few short months ago.”
“Things change. I met Molly, and now I want different things.”
“What different things do you want?”
“I want her, and… you should know, I’ve accepted a job with her family business in Vermont.”
His father’s complexion turned a worrisome shade of purple. “And what business is that?”
“It’s a retail outfit.”
“A retail outfit. In Vermont. Well, son, I have to give you credit. Your judgment is, as always, questionable at best.”
“How can you say that? I’ve done everything you asked of me. I went to Yale because that’s where you went. I got an MBA because that’s what you wanted me to do. The first time I do something I want, you say my judgment is flawed? My judgment is just fine. I love Molly. I’m going to marry her and live in Vermont and work for her family’s business, where I’ll be free to think for myself.”
“Is that what you think is going to happen?” Carlton asked with a mean sneer.
“It’s already happened. I’ve been working there for two months already, and we bought a house.”
“You bought a house. With whose money?”
“My money.”
“Ah, the money your grandfather left you, I presume. If I recall correctly, you used a big chunk of that to pay for the year in England that’s not going to happen now. Between that and the house you bought, you must be running kind of low, especially since you didn’t work over the summer.”
That was actually true, not that Linc would ever admit as much to his father.
“If you do this, if you walk away from your obligations to this family and our business, that’s the last money you’ll ever see from this family.”
“Carlton!” Linc’s mother finally spoke up.
“Hush, Janet. This is between my son and me.”
“Not if you’re talking about cutting him off, it isn’t.”
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” To Linc, he said, “If you turn your back on this family, this family will turn its back on you.”
His mother gasped. “Stop this right now, Carlton!”
“Shut your mouth!” Carlton’s thundering shout had both women flinching.
Holding Molly’s hand, Linc stood. “Come on, Mol. Let’s go.”
“If you walk out of here, you’ll never hear from any of us again.”
“If that’s how you want it, Father, then so be it.”
“Linc, wait,” Molly said. “Surely you don’t mean that. Neither of you means what you’re saying.”
“I do,” Carlton said. “He made promises to me and this family, and I expect him to live up to them.”
“Why would you want a son working for you who doesn’t want to be there?”
“Since when do you not want to be there? That’s been the plan for years!”
“That’s been your plan. I never had a say in any of it. Hunter died, and suddenly my life belonged to you? I never signed on for that.”
The mention of his late brother caused both his parents to flinch, and he immediately regretted bringing him into this.
“You didn’t have any problem fully enjoying the lifestyle my company provided for you.”
“What does that even mean?”
“The country club, the cars, the trips, college, grad school, all of it. You didn’t mind any of that.”
“I’ve always thanked you for anything you did for me. I’m not sure what else you expected.”
“I expected my son to care about his legacy, to honor his commitments.”
“And if I want something different for myself, you’re going to make me choose?”
“Carlton, please,” Janet said as tears filled her eyes. “Please don’t do this.”
“I haven’t done anything but offer him a lifetime of luxury and security in a business he can walk right into.”
“That’s not what I want. I’ve never wanted it. I’m sorry I can’t be what my brother was, but your dream has never been my dream.”
Carlton’s expression was positively murderous. “You ungrateful little brat.”
“I’m not ungrateful, Father. I’m just not interested in working for you. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, but I’m not going to change my mind.” He dropped a copy of the wedding invitation he’d brought on the coffee table in front of his mother. “Our wedding is in January. I hope to see you all there.” He glanced at Molly, undone by her big eyes and pale face, and headed for the door, eager to get them both out of there.
“If you walk out of here, don’t come back. You’ll never hear from any of us again.”
“Carlton! Stop this right now!”
“I mean it, Lincoln. If you leave, stay gone. The locks will be changed, and you’ll be dead to this entire family.”
Lincoln didn’t believe him. There was no way his mother and siblings would go along with such an edict. “I’m sorry you can’t be happy for me, Father. Mama, I love you. I’ll always love you and the others. I’ll make sure you know how to reach me.”
He left the study and stopped short at the sight of his sister, Charlotte, and brother Max standing outside the door, the two of them teary-eyed and shocked.
“You heard that, I guess. This is Molly, my fiancée. Mol, my sister, Charlotte, and my brother Max.”
“Linc…”
He stepped into Charlotte’s outstretched arms.
“Don’t go.”
“I have to, but I’ll write to you, and you can visit me in Vermont.”
Charlotte clung to him, as if maybe she knew they’d never see each other again. He didn’t believe that. Not then, anyway.
“We have to go. I’ll be in touch.”
“He doesn’t mean it, Linc,” Max said when he hugged him.
“Yeah, he does, but it’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon, all right?”
Max nodded tentatively, while Charlotte wept.
“He’s being so unfair,” Charlotte whispered.
He kissed her forehead. “Don’t go to battle for me. Take care of yourselves and Will. Tell him I’ll talk to him soon.” Then he headed for the door without ever looking back. His life wasn’t in this house. It was with the woman of his dreams in a broken-down barn that smelled like cow shit in Vermont.
“Linc, wait,” Molly said when they were outside in the cool autumn air. “You can’t leave it like this. You have to talk to him some more.”
“It’s not going to matter. His mind is made up, and he isn’t going to change it. He forced me to choose, and I choose you. I choose you today, tomorrow and every day for the rest of my life.”
“I… I just don’t feel right about this. I don’t want to be the reason for a rift in your family.”
“You’re not the reason, sweetheart.” They stood next to Molly’s old Toyota. “Why do you think I waited so long to come here? I knew how it would go. I didn’t expect him to tell me I’d never see him again if I chose you and Vermont over him, but I knew he’d blow his top. I didn’t want to deal with that, so I pu
t it off. My only regret is that I brought you with me. I should’ve come alone so he couldn't treat you that way. I’m sorry for that.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about, but really, Linc… You should go back in there by yourself and try to work this out.”
“It won’t matter. He’s made up his mind, and I’ve made up mine. Let’s go home.”
“Wait.”
He stopped, turned to her and looked down at her sweet face as she took a minute to decide what she wanted to say.
“I love you, Linc. You know I do. And I love the way you’ve changed your entire plan to make your life fit with mine, but this…” She glanced at the imposing red brick house with the black shutters and white pillars where he’d spent his childhood. “This is too much. You shouldn’t have to give up everyone else you love to be with me.”
Linc framed her face with his hands, compelling her to look at him with eyes that swam with tears he deeply resented. His father had made her cry. He’d never forgive him for that. “I need you to really hear me when I tell you there is nothing or no one that I want or need more than I want and need you. If I have you, I’ll have everything. He forced me to choose, but there was never any choice to make. I choose you. Every day for the rest of my life. I choose you, Molly.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I don’t want you to resent me for all the things you had to give up to have me.”
“I never will. I swear to you, I’ll never have a second of regret.”
He put his arms around her and held her close, fully aware they were probably being watched from inside the house. Good, he thought. Let them see how much I love her. “Let’s go home, sweetheart.”
Chapter Eight
“The more I see, the less I know for sure.”
—John Lennon
“And you never spoke to any of them ever again?” Hunter asked, incredulous.
“Nope,” Linc said. “You have to remember those were different times. There were no cell phones or email or social media. I wrote to my mother and siblings every month, but they never once replied to me. I found out my mother died a few years ago when I got a letter from my father’s attorney.”
