Daniel's Desire

by Sherryl Woods

  “Whatever,” Kendra said. “But you might as well use what you’ve got.” She grinned. “Let’s go show Retta.”

  They went downstairs and walked into the kitchen where the cook was already working on lunch. She took one glance at Molly and dropped the spoon she was using to stir the chowder.

  “Oh, my sweet girl, what have you done to yourself?” Retta asked, her eyes wide.

  Molly faltered. “Too much?”

  “Depends on what you’re after,” Retta said. “You want Daniel on his knees and weeping, I think you’ve got it just right.”

  “I want him talkative,” Molly insisted.

  Retta shook her head at that. “Doubt he’ll get a word out. Poor man. I’d like to be there when you walk through the door. He deserves to get hit with all you’ve got. Past time for him to realize what he lost the day he hurt you.”

  Molly’s enthusiasm for the makeover was slowly climbing. She wasn’t entirely sure the approach was right, but she felt good. She felt like a woman for the first time in a couple of years now. And who better to use to get her confidence back than Daniel? Not that this meeting had anything to do with her. It was all about Kendra, she reminded herself piously.

  Retta regarded her with concern. “You gonna be able to keep your head about you when that man starts drooling over you?”

  “Believe me, Daniel can’t get to me,” Molly replied firmly.

  “See to it that doesn’t change,” Retta said. “I’m not interested in picking up the pieces if that man hurts you again. This time I’ll just whip his sorry butt. I imagine Patrick will help me.”

  “Yes, the two of you are quite formidable,” Molly agreed wryly. “I’ll remind Daniel of that if he gets any crazy ideas.”

  “Oh, he’s gonna get ’em,” Retta said. “There’s not much question of that.”

  Molly sighed. “I guess I’d better go. I hope he’s in his office after we’ve gone to all this trouble.”

  “Maybe you should call,” Kendra said worriedly.

  “Nope. I want the element of surprise on my side,” Molly insisted.

  “Honey, we’re not talking surprise,” Retta said. “We’re talking shock. Once you’ve got him right where you want him and wheedled all that information out of him, you get right on back here and tell us every detail.”

  “That’s right,” Kendra added. “We want details.”

  Molly laughed at their enthusiasm. “I could always take pictures of his tongue hanging out.”

  Kendra looked around eagerly. “Where’s the camera?”

  “I was joking,” Molly said.

  “I’m not. I think I deserve a picture,” Kendra insisted. “I could put a before and after shot in a portfolio and be a great movie makeup artist someday.”

  Now there was a career for a girl with a self-proclaimed IQ that was off the charts, Molly thought. “Well, you can forget the pictures. Let’s try to remember why I’m going to see Daniel in the first place.”

  “To make the man crawl,” Retta said.

  “No,” Molly retorted, scowling at her impatiently. “To make friends, so he’ll keep us in the loop on Kendra’s situation.”

  Retta frowned. “Honey, if that’s all you want from the man, maybe you’d better put an apron over that outfit. No need to use flash and dazzle, when all you’re after is some itty-bitty fish. I thought you were hoping to catch yourself a shark.”

  Molly hesitated. “Think I could catch a shark, if that’s what I really wanted?” she asked, an annoyingly wistful note in her voice. She didn’t want Daniel back. She really didn’t. She just had to keep reminding herself of that.

  “Is it?” Retta asked, her expression suddenly fiercely protective. “Despite all those protests a minute ago, are you thinking of giving that man another chance?”

  “No,” she said at once, her resolve reinforced by Retta’s obvious dismay. “Of course not. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  Retta nodded approvingly. “That’s better, then. You go along. Kendra and I will hold down the fort till you get back.”

  “Whatever you do, do not let Kendra serve alcohol,” Molly said.

  “You think I don’t know any better than that?” Retta retorted. “I kept you away from the taps all those years, didn’t I? Your grandfather always thought you looked real cute filling up an iced mug from one of those big old kegs.”

  Molly turned and went back to envelop the woman in a hug. “I love you, Retta.” And because she caught the wistful expression on Kendra’s face, she hugged her next. “Be good.”

  And then she went off to jump right into the tank with the biggest shark she knew.

  Daniel looked up from the file he’d been going over for an afternoon court appearance to find Molly standing in the doorway of his office. For the first time he could ever remember, she looked uncertain. Maybe that was because she was dressed in an outfit that promptly sent his blood pressure soaring into the stratosphere. He swallowed hard and tried to pretend that he wasn’t getting aroused just looking at that low-cut neckline and that endless exposure of her long, slim legs. For her to go to this much trouble, she was after something. Too bad it wasn’t him.

  “What brings you to enemy territory?” he asked, fighting to keep his tone casual when he wanted to leap out of his chair and sweep her into his arms and devour her. That glossy lipstick she was wearing all but shouted for a man to kiss her senseless.

  She frowned. “Is that where I am, Daniel? Are you the enemy?” she asked bluntly.

  “I’m not yours,” he assured her.

  “And Kendra? Are you her enemy?”

  Her expression was so worried, her tone so serious, that he resisted the urge to smile. “We’ve been over this, Molly. I’d like to believe I could be the best friend she’s ever had, if only she’d trust me.”

  Molly inched into his office and sat gingerly on one of the hard wooden chairs opposite him. She started to cross her legs, saw the hem of her red skirt climb and kept her feet firmly planted on the floor instead. Too bad, Daniel thought with real regret.

  “Can she trust you? Can I?” she asked him.

  “Only if I know what she’s afraid of.” He studied her face. She’d done something new with her makeup, too. Her eyes, which he’d always thought beautiful, seemed bigger, the fringe of lashes darker and more dramatic. But right now her eyes were troubled. “Do you know what’s bothering her?” he asked. “Are you at least willing to admit to me that she’s hiding out at your place?”

  He could see the internal war she was waging over the direct question, but she finally made a decision. “Yes, she’s with me, but you’ve known that all along.”

  “I have,” he agreed. “But it’s nice to have you trust me enough to tell me.”

  “I don’t trust you, Daniel. Not entirely. But right now you’re all we’ve got. We need you on our side.”

  He noted that she’d deliberately formed an alliance between herself and Kendra. He was going to have to keep that in mind, however he chose to handle things.

  “Why did she run away, Molly? She must have told you by now.”

  To his surprise she shook her head. “She hasn’t said much, not really. I just know she’s terrified of going home. She flatly refuses to consider it. I tried to talk her into calling her folks to let them know she’s safe, but she’s refused to do that either.”

  He wasn’t entirely convinced that was the full extent of Molly’s knowledge, but he let it pass for now. “What’s your instinct telling you? Has she been abused?”

  “Not physically,” she said at once. “She was adamant about that.”

  “You asked?”

  “Of course, Daniel,” she said with a trace of impatience. “I want to get to the bottom of this as badly as you do.”

  “And you’re convinced she wasn’t lying?”

  “Not about that. I’m sure of it. She looked absolutely horrified that I’d even asked.”

  “There are all kinds of abuse,” he poi
nted out.

  “I’m aware of that. Hasn’t Joe discovered anything?”

  “He says that on the surface everything at home looks picture perfect. She’s from a nice middle-class family. She’s the oldest. She’s always had straight As, gotten involved in a lot of activities, seems popular enough.”

  “Then why hasn’t he forced the issue?” Molly demanded. “You’ve both known she was with me for more than a week now. If things are so rosy at home, why haven’t the two of you swooped in to take her?”

  “Chalk it up to an abundance of caution.” Daniel met her gaze. “Because it doesn’t add up that a kid in that situation at that age would take off just for the thrill of it. There has to be a reason, at least one that seems valid enough to her. Joe’s with the parents today. Depending on what he uncovers, we could be at the end of the line unless Kendra can give us some real reason for not taking her back. Can you talk her into meeting with me? I promise I won’t pressure her. Maybe the three of us could have dinner, someplace away from the bar. Having you there might make her feel more comfortable. This is important, Molly. It can’t be put off.”

  Molly nodded. “Okay, I get that. When?”

  “Tonight, if possible. The sooner the better. Joe and I can’t sit on this much longer. He’s especially vulnerable because he’s ignoring the fact that he could get a missing kid back home again. Cops have been fired for less.”

  “Then why has he been taking the risk?” Molly asked. “Why have you?”

  Daniel met her gaze evenly. “Because, despite what you think, we both trust your instincts. I know you would never have allowed Kendra to stay if you didn’t believe in your heart that she was genuinely terrified of going back home. And Joe’s got instincts of his own. He’s checking them out. We’re all putting ourselves on the line to protect her, Molly, you included. If this blows up and anyone finds out you’ve knowingly been keeping us in the dark, you-know-what could hit the fan.”

  Molly regarded him with surprise. “You’ve let it ride because of me?”

  Daniel gave her a rueful smile. “Hey, don’t let it go to your head. I’ve always thought you had your good points.”

  She dramatically clutched a hand to her chest. “Be still my heart.”

  His expression sobered. “Molly, convince Kendra to meet with me this evening. It’s for the best.”

  “I’ll do what I can,” she promised.

  “Then I’ll pick you both up at six,” he said with confidence. And if it happened that she couldn’t talk Kendra into coming, having Molly all to himself wouldn’t be so bad, either. It might be the last chance they had to make peace before both of their lives were turned inside out over the actions they had—and hadn’t—taken to get Kendra Morrow back to her folks.

  “Hey, Molly,” he said as she headed for the door. She turned back. “Don’t change. I like the suit.”

  She grinned. “It was supposed to make me irresistible.”

  “You didn’t need the suit for that,” he said with total sincerity. “I guess some things never change.”

  Molly’s heart was thumping so hard as she closed the door to Daniel’s office behind her that she was sure he must have heard it. So, she thought, the suit had done its job. And Daniel was solidly on Kendra’s side, or at least making all the right noises. She hoped she could trust him. She had to—they had no choice. Time was running out, and he was the expert. He could make sure the system was on Kendra’s side. He knew exactly which buttons to push with the proper authorities to keep Kendra safe.

  Too shaky to go straight home, she decided to detour by the elementary school. Classes hadn’t started again after spring break, but she knew she’d find Alice there, making preparations for her kindergarten students. She was the most conscientious, innovative teacher Molly had ever known.

  At Molly’s knock, Alice glanced up from the stack of brightly colored construction paper she was currently cutting into the shapes of spring flowers. When she caught her first glimpse of Molly, her mouth dropped open dramatically.

  “Well, well, well, let me guess,” she said. “You’ve just been to see Daniel.”

  Molly frowned. “How did you know?”

  “That outfit shouldn’t be wasted on anyone else. Did it do the trick?”

  “It didn’t render him tongue-tied,” she said, vaguely disappointed.

  “Devaneys are never tongue-tied,” Alice said. “Unless it has something to do with their own family history. Then they can clam up with the best of them. What were you really after with Daniel?”

  “I wanted him on Kendra’s side.”

  “And?”

  “I think he is, or at least that he wants to be.”

  “That’s good, then. Why don’t you seem more relieved?”

  “Alice, you know the system when it comes to child protection better than I do. Can Kendra be forced to go back home?”

  “She’s a minor. Of course she can, unless there’s a real danger for her there. Do you believe she’s in danger?”

  Molly considered the question. “Not the way you mean. I don’t get any sense at all that she’s afraid of her parents hurting her, not physically, but they have done something that has upset her.”

  “And you know what it is?” Alice guessed.

  She nodded. “At least I have some idea of part of it.”

  “Did you share that information with Daniel?”

  “I couldn’t. She told it to me in confidence.”

  “Would it make a difference?”

  “In court, I don’t know,” she said honestly. “But with Daniel it would. It would push all of his buttons. Should I have used it to make sure he fights harder?”

  Alice sat back with a sigh. “That would have meant breaking Kendra’s confidence, so no. How could you tell him under that circumstance? But you can encourage her to fill him in.”

  “I’ve tried, and I’m going to try to talk her into meeting with him tonight. He says time is running out. Pretty soon he and Joe aren’t going to be able to hold back the fact that they know where she is.”

  “Then why are you here talking to me? Go home and persuade Kendra that she has to trust Daniel.” She studied Molly intently. “Or did you really come here to talk about Kendra?”

  “Isn’t that what we’ve been discussing?”

  “Sure, but I’m thinking that you might really be here to talk about the fact that you’re beginning to have feelings for Daniel again and that you’re scared.”

  Molly wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. “I never stopped having feelings for him,” she said edgily. “I just buried them. How could I possibly allow myself to be in love with a man who would turn his back on his own child? What kind of woman would that make me?”

  “Life is complicated,” Alice pointed out. “And love is the most complicated thing of all. You found out the hard way that the man you love has flaws. That doesn’t make him a bad person. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t love him. It just means you have to weigh who he is against what you can live with.”

  Molly’s eyes filled with tears. “I wanted our baby so much. And I wanted Daniel to be happy about it.”

  “Well, of course you did,” Alice said, coming around the desk to hug her. “And down deep, I suspect Daniel did too. If there had been more time, he might have come around, but you lost the baby, and that robbed him of any chance to see things more clearly.”

  “Do you really think he might have?”

  “Yes,” Alice said with surprising confidence. “If he’s anything at all like Patrick—and I have every reason to believe he is, since they’re identical in every other way—then he would have come around. What the Devaneys did to all of their sons is downright criminal. They left some of them thinking they weren’t deserving of love, and they betrayed Daniel’s and Patrick’s trust by keeping a huge part of the past a secret from them. Imagine being eighteen before you found out you had three older siblings.”

  “Not exactly forgivable sins,” Molly comm
ented.

  “No, but I’m convinced that if they’d all get together in one room and get everything out on the table once and for all, maybe things would be better.”

  “And everyone would live happily ever after?” Molly asked sarcastically.

  “Hopefully, yes,” Alice said defensively. “What’s wrong with wanting that?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with wanting it, but maybe there are some situations in which that is a totally unrealistic expectation,” Molly said.

  “I refuse to accept that.”

  “Are you still pestering Patrick about a reconciliation with his folks?”

  “Every chance I get,” Alice admitted.

  “And?”

  “He’s stopped telling me to mind my own damn business,” Alice said cheerfully. “I consider that progress.” She touched a hand to her stomach. “I intend to pull this off before our baby is born.”

  Molly’s mouth gaped. “You’re pregnant?”

  Alice’s cheeks turned bright pink. “I am.” She studied Molly worriedly. “Are you okay with that?”

  “Why on earth wouldn’t I be?” Molly asked. “I adore Patrick, and you’re going to be the best mother ever.”

  “But you—”

  Molly knew where she was going and cut her off. “Losing my baby doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for you.” She hesitated, then said honestly, “Okay, so I am a little jealous. I’ll get over it.”

  “You and Daniel could reconcile and—”

  “Don’t even go there,” Molly said sharply. The idea of another chance was too tempting to consider, not even for a moment. “Besides, the only child I can think about right now is Kendra. And I’d better get home and start pulling out every persuasive trick in the book to get her to agree to see Daniel tonight.”

  “Good luck with that,” Alice said. “And, sweetie, don’t be too quick to dismiss the possibility of getting back together with Daniel. I’m here to tell you that the Devaney twins might be a lot of trouble, but they are definitely worth it.”

  Molly grinned. “I believe that about Patrick. The jury’s still out on Daniel.”