Marrying Molly

by Linda Hope Lee

  Clutching Mr. Muggins in one hand, Karli hugged Rose.

  With a beaming smile, Rose put her arms around Karli. “I’m your Auntie Rose, and I’m so glad to see you again.”

  “Who’s that with you?” Mike asked as he too bent and took Karli’s free hand.

  “Mr. Muggins.” Karli waved the doll.

  “Well, he must be a very good friend of yours.”

  Molly rolled her eyes. “You don’t know the half of it. She won’t let him out of her sight.”

  “I lost him on the train.” Karli twirled around on one foot. “But Steve found him.”

  “Right,” Jackson said as he closed the door. “Steve Roper, and you’re going to meet him tonight.”

  Mike stood, and then circled a hand around his wife’s elbow and helped Rose to her feet. “Oh, yeah, your friend from New York with the new accounting system. I might be interested in that.”

  “Yes, I remember your telling us about him.” Rose smoothed her white T-top over her stomach.

  Sara came in from the kitchen. “Hello, you two. Let me have your jackets, and Jackson can get you something to drink.” She gestured to the portable bar at one end of the room, where bottles of wine and sparkling water chilled in ice buckets.

  “Anna has everything in the kitchen under control,” she added, referring to the Phillips’ cook and housekeeper, Anna Gabraldi. “So I can be hostess now.”

  Mike and Rose had barely been served their drinks and sat, and Karli returned to coloring with Ryan when Steve Roper arrived.

  From her chair near the children, Molly caught her breath as Jackson led Steve into the living room. He looked every bit as handsome as when she’d first met him. So much for hoping her initial reaction was a fluke.

  “These are for the hostess.” Steve presented Sara with a bouquet of flowers. While Sara left to search for a vase, Jackson introduced Steve to Rose and Mike.

  Spotting Steve, Karli dropped her crayons, jumped up, and ran to him. “Steve’s here. Steve’s here.”

  “Hey, Karli. I’ve got something for you.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small plastic boot filled with candy and handed it to Karli.

  “For me?” Karli squealed with delight.

  “Yup. And one for Ryan, too.” Steve took out another boot and held it out to Ryan, who had toddled up to stand beside Karli.

  “Say ‘thank you,’ son,” Jackson prompted with a hand on his son’s back.

  “Tank you.” Ryan reached out for the boot.

  Molly was about to remind her daughter when Karli echoed by saying, “Thank you.”

  “Wait until after dinner to open it, Karli,” Molly said, as Karli tore the paper wrapper from her gift.

  Her warning captured Steve’s attention, and he met her gaze. “Oh, hi. Didn’t see you over there.”

  “Hi.” Rather than rising and stepping forward to greet him, Molly remained seated.

  Sara returned with a vase containing the flowers, which she placed on the coffee table. “Yes, let’s keep the candy for dessert.” She managed to get the gifts from the children without too much resistance and set them on the fireplace mantel. She took Steve’s jacket while Jackson poured him a glass of wine.

  Glass in hand, Steve joined Mike and Jackson, and the three men stood in the center of the room talking. Molly pursed her lips. This was supposed to be her and Karli’s homecoming, and she’d looked forward to spending the evening with her “family.” Steve was an outsider. He didn’t belong here. Not tonight, anyway.

  When they trooped into the dining room for dinner, Sara placed Steve on the other side of Karli, where Buck would’ve sat. Molly’s stomach clenched, and she looked around to see the others’ reactions. No one else seemed to notice, though, and Karli bubbled with delight to have Steve nearby. She chattered to him about Mr. Muggins, who sat on the table near her plate, and Steve helped her to unfold her napkin when it tangled with the silverware.

  Conversation flew back and forth, the men talking about sports, and Rose and Sara about furniture for the new baby’s room. Molly concentrated on eating her chicken baked in marinara sauce. Ordinarily, she would have enjoyed the meal, but tonight every bite stuck in her throat.

  “You’re awfully quiet, Molly,” Sara observed during a lull in the conversation. Her brows were drawn together in a question.

  Molly shifted in her seat and forced a smile. “Guess I’m a bit trip weary. But I am glad to be here.”

  “It’s good to have you here,” Rose said, and the others chimed in their agreement.

  As conversation resumed, Molly tried to keep up, but her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She ducked her head and dabbed her lips with her napkin. She thought her display of emotion had gone unobserved until she looked up again and met Steve Roper’s gaze. Was that concern radiating from his eyes? Stiffening her spine, she turned her head away. She didn’t want his sympathy.

  When everyone finished eating, Anna Gabraldi, gray hair in its usual neat bun and round cheeks rosy from the kitchen’s warmth, bustled in with a plate of cookies and a carafe of coffee.

  “Sara’s latest cookie creation,” Anna announced. “Hot out of the oven.”

  The plate was passed from hand to hand around the table, each person taking a serving.

  With a twinkle in her eye, Sara put a finger to her lips. “Don’t ask what’s in them. The recipe’s a secret.”

  Rose tilted her chin and sniffed the air. “I’d bet cinnamon is one of the ingredients.”

  “A bakery on a ranch is something I haven’t heard of before,” Steve commented, and then bit into his cookie.

  “I love working here at home.” Sara picked up the cream pitcher and added some to her coffee. “And we’ve been expanding the operation.”

  Mike helped himself to another cookie from the plate that now sat in the center of the table. “Pretty soon, your baking business will take over the entire ranch.”

  Sara laughed and shook her head. “Not likely. My husband still has a thriving business of his own with his quarter horses.”

  The group moved the party into the living room, settling the children with a set of plastic alphabet blocks and the candy boots. The talk centered on Rose and Mike’s new addition to their family.

  Molly joined in the conversation, careful to add a lightness she didn’t feel to her tone. She genuinely was happy for Mike and Rose. They’d had a difficult time getting together again after a two-year separation, and no one deserved happiness more.

  Still, she couldn’t help feeling a touch of envy. Didn’t she deserve some happiness, too? Here she was, a widow at the young age of twenty-five. All her hopes and dreams of family life had shattered that fateful day two years ago…

  After a while, even though the subject changed to other topics, the voices grated on her nerves, and the room closed in. Casting a glance at Karli to make sure she and Ryan were absorbed with the blocks, she rose, crossed to the front door, and slipped outside.

  Perhaps the explanation she’d offered earlier for her behavior was true—she was tired from the trip, riding the train, making connections, and the emotional parting with her sister, Paige, and brother-in-law, Harlan.

  Whatever the reason for her strange mood, she needed a moment or two alone. Hugging her arms, she walked to the top of the steps. As she looked out, her gaze caught the long branches of the willow tree as they brushed the weathered wagon wheel propped against its trunk. Beyond the yard, a rosy dusk had settled over the meadows and the asphalt road leading to the highway. In the distance sat the ever-present mountains, their formidable peaks reaching into the sky.

  Molly sighed. Such a peaceful scene. If only she could feel as peaceful inside. Instead, she was a prisoner on a roller coaster of emotions, one minute happy to have returned, the next, fighting the impulse to flee.

  Her thoughts turned to Buck, and her throat tightened. Many a night, after dinner with Jackson and Sara, the four of them would sit out here on the porch, the men discussing
ranch business, while she and Sara talked about their children.

  Buck. How she wished he were here by her side tonight. Then her world would be complete. Tears rolled down her cheeks and a sob caught in her throat.

  “Molly?” a deep voice said.

  Molly jumped. Buck? She turned, half expecting to see him.

  Of course, the speaker wasn’t Buck. He was Steve Roper. Her stomach churned. The one person she especially did not want to see. “Oh…hi,” she managed to say.

  He lingered near the door. “Nice evening, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” Not wanting him to see her tears, she turned away to swipe at her wet cheeks.

  He took a couple steps closer. “Seems like an interesting town, Red Rock. What I saw of it today.”

  Molly turned back around and offered a smile. “I like it.”

  Silence fell. From nearby bushes came the evening’s first cricket chirp. Overhead, an airplane droned.

  Finally, Steve shuffled his feet and spoke. “Guess I’ll go back inside.” He grasped the screen door’s handle.

  On impulse, Molly said, “Steve, wait.”

  He stopped. “Okay…”

  Molly bit her lip. “I want to apologize. For today. On the train.”

  With a subtle shake of his head, he held up a hand. “No need…”

  “Yes, it’s something I need to do. If I came across as rude and abrupt, I’m sorry.”

  “You were worried about your daughter—”

  “Yes. But, where she’s concerned, I can’t seem to help overreacting.” She could have dropped the subject, but, for some reason, she wanted him to know more. “I’m a single parent. Her father, my husband Buck, died two years ago. She’s all I have now, and she means the world to me.”

  His brow wrinkled. “I’m sorry about your husband, and I can imagine how tough losing her dad has been on Karli.” His voice dropped to a low tone. “And I know where you’re coming from. I lost my wife.”

  Molly pressed her fingers against her lips. How self-centered she’d been. Her thoughts about Steve Roper hadn’t gone beyond attempts to fight her disturbing attraction. She’d never considered what his situation might be.

  Hoping he’d elaborate, she waited.

  Instead, he stared out at the yard, hands jammed into his slacks’ pockets.

  Finally, she asked, “Do you have children?”

  “Nope. Never had any.”

  The regret in Steve’s voice prompted her to offer more sympathy. Before she could, he turned and gave a smile that looked forced. “Anyway, apology accepted. Friends?” He held out his right hand.

  “Sure, friends.” She put her hand in his, intending only a light contact, but his grip was strong and tight. He stepped closer, and she caught the pleasant, woodsy scent of his aftershave.

  Her personal space invaded, she stepped backward. Her shoe’s heel slipped over the edge of the steps, and she lost her balance.

  “Watch out!” Letting go of her hand, he grasped her shoulders and pulled her to safety.

  His warm breath brushed her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. Heartbeat pounding in her ears, Molly struggled to catch her breath. In a few seconds, they’d gone from a simple handshake to a near-embrace.

  “You okay?” Concern shadowed his eyes.

  Although still shaken, she nodded. “You can, ah, let go of me now.”

  “Oh, sure.” He dropped his arms and stepped back.

  “Think I’ll go in now,” Molly said with a nod toward the door.

  “Yeah, me, too.” Steve opened the screen door and stood aside for Molly to lead the way.

  Once inside, Molly hurried across the room to sit by Karli and Ryan, as far away from Steve Roper as she could get.

  Chapter Three

  “Dinner was great, Sara.” Steve slipped into his jacket and prepared to leave the Rolling R. “Thanks for inviting me tonight.”

  “We’re glad you could join us.” Sara opened the front door and held it. “Aren’t we, Ryan?” She looked at her son, balanced on her hip. “Can you say ‘bye to Steve?”

  Ryan raised his hand and flexed his fingers. “’Bye.”

  “See you later, Ryan.” Steve gave him a high-five.

  Jackson joined them, stepping close to his wife. “When do you want to get started with our programs?”

  “How about Tuesday? That will give me Monday to make some phone calls and line up some appointments.” And time to check around town to see if anyone remembers seeing Angie here.

  “Works for me,” Sara said after a glance at her husband. “Then Molly can get acquainted with her job duties before she learns your new system.”

  So, instead of working with Sara, he’d be dealing with Molly. For just a moment, his body stilled. That was cause for concern, but he’d worry about it later.

  “How long will you be here?” Jackson asked, looping an arm around his wife’s shoulder.

  Steve dug in a jacket pocket and pulled out his car keys. “I haven’t decided on a return date yet. This is a combination vacation and business trip.”

  “Great. We’ll plan some fun things to do,” Sara said with a bob of her head.

  “I’ll look forward to that.”

  Steve glanced over their shoulders to where Mike and Rose sat close together on the couch looking at a photo album. “’Bye, you two. Nice meeting you.”

  They looked up and smiled. “See you later.” Mike lifted a hand in a wave.

  Steve swung his gaze to the easy chair where Molly had been sitting, but she was gone. So was Karli. Well, so much for saying good-bye to them.

  On the drive back to Red Rock, with a faint glow from the setting sun lingering in the sky, Steve thought how glad he was to reconnect with Jackson. They’d been good friends when they both lived in New York. Sara was a jewel, and Mike and Rose were friendly and welcoming.

  The only rough spot in the evening was Molly. He honestly hadn’t known she was on the porch when he stepped out for a breath of fresh air. When he first met her on the train, he sensed she was sad and troubled, and now he knew why. Yes, he could relate to the loss of a spouse.

  Maybe he should have explained that his wife had not passed away, as her husband had, but instead had disappeared. But they barely knew each other and, besides, he was never comfortable telling the story. He hoped Molly hadn’t thought he was making a pass when he rescued her from falling off the porch. She was an attractive woman. But, even if he were ready to move on, he wasn’t about to push himself on a woman who clearly wasn’t interested.

  In his hotel room, Steve flopped on the king-size bed and folded his arms behind his head. He was mulling over whether to watch TV or go to sleep when his cell phone rang. He recognized the special ring of his business partner, Jerry Templeton. Steve glanced at his wristwatch. Nine o’clock. That meant eleven back in New York. On Saturdays, Jerry usually hit the clubs.

  “Hey, buddy, what’s goin’ on?” he said into the phone.

  “Big news, man.”

  “You got Sotheby’s. Yes!” Steve fisted his hand and pumped the air. They’d been trying for months to land the big auction house as a client.

  “Nah, this is personal. We wanted you to be the first to know.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “We?”

  “Candace and me. We’re engaged.”

  “What?” Steve bolted upright. “Where are you?”

  “In a limo, driving through midtown. We had dinner at The Manchester, and then I popped the question. She said ‘yes.’ I put the ring on her finger. Done deal. You don’t believe me? Here, talk to my bride-to-be.”

  As Jerry passed the phone to Candace, horns honked in the background. Steve pictured the coziness of the limo, the lights of Manhattan a blur of neon as the car sped along the streets. A wave of homesickness rolled over him. What was he doing out here in Red Rock, Colorado when he could be at home enjoying an evening out on the town?

  A high, lilting voice said, “Hello, Steve.”

>   “Candace, is it true? Did you let my big lug of a partner talk you into hooking up with him permanently?”

  She laughed. “He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

  She sounded like she’d had one glass of champagne too many. But then, they were celebrating.

  “You think you can settle him down, huh?” Steve said with a teasing laugh.

  “Oh, yeah.” Her voice took on a sultry tone.

  “Well, that’s great. I’m happy for both of you.”

  Jerry’s voice sounded in the background.

  “Jer wants to talk to you again, so I’ll say ‘bye now.”

  “’Bye, Candace. And congrats to you both.”

  “You old son-of-a-gun,” Steve said when Jerry came back on the line. “When’s the wedding?”

  “Around Christmas. And it’s gonna be big, man. Candace must have a million relatives, not to mention all of her father’s business connections.”

  A wide grin broke out. “I’ll be there.”

  “You better be. You’re the best man.”

  “I’ll be honored.”

  “Good. And, you’re next.”

  Steve shook his head, even though the gesture was lost on Jerry. “No way. I don’t want to get married again, not after screwing up the first time.”

  “Come on, you did the best you could for Angie.”

  “Oh, yeah? Then why did she run away?”

  “Who knows? Whatever, you’re divorced now and free to get on with your own life.”

  Steve tensed, as he always did when Jerry challenged him about moving on. “It’s not that easy. What about my promise to her folks to take care of her after they died?”

  “Like I said, you did the best you could. Quit beatin’ yourself up. But, hey, gotta go now. We’re almost to Candace’s. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll catch up on business.”

  After disconnecting the call, Steve laid the phone on the nightstand. He sank back onto the pillows, his brain whirling with Jerry’s engagement news. He was genuinely happy for them both.

  He wished Jerry hadn’t used his happy occasion to nag him about moving on with his own life, though. Yeah, he was free now, legally. He’d waited the five years New York State law required to divorce a missing spouse in absentia. But guilt and worry that Angie might be alive somewhere and need his help kept him an emotional prisoner.