by Donna Alward
She had to stop thinking about him and focus. Sara would be asleep for perhaps an hour. Molly wondered how much work she could accomplish in that amount of time.
She was immersed in page seven of a contract when she felt a tiny hand tug at her sleeve.
“You’re awake already?” She turned, pulling off her reading glasses, and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Sara nodded and stuck a thumb in her mouth, something Molly hadn’t seen her do before.
“Can you play for a little while? I need to finish this.”
Sara looked up at her, saying nothing, but her brown eyes glimmered with tears and the thumb went deeper.
Molly sighed and pushed the contract out of reach on the table. “What’s wrong?”
Two tears splashed over Sara’s eyelashes. “When’s Mommy coming home?”
Molly sighed again, then picked up the girl and placed her on her lap. “I’m not sure, honey. Probably in another week or so. She needs to be better so she can take care of you, right?”
Sara nodded, but Molly could tell she wasn’t appeased.
She had work she must finish, but faced with Sara’s tears, knew she’d have to finish it after Sara was in bed for the night.
She hadn’t seen Jason in three days, not since she’d taken Sara to see Bubbles. She told herself that was not the reason for her short temper and irritability lately. After their fight, distance was certainly best.
“Tell you what. Let’s make cookies.”
Sara’s head perked up immediately. “What kind?”
“What’s your favorite?”
“Monster ones.”
“I don’t know what those are.”
Sara hopped down, took Molly’s hand and dragged her to the cupboard. “They have M&Ms and chocolate chips and stuff,” she explained and opened the drawer next to the oven that held Kim’s recipe box. “In there.”
She lifted out the box. “We’ll see.” An idea blossomed. “But maybe we can make some and then sneak them in to your mom. Would you like to visit her again?”
Sara’s eyes brightened further and Molly wiped the tears from the girl’s cheeks, thinking how sweet and fragile her niece was. There was no contest. Work could wait. For now, there were cookies to bake.
With Sara’s help, Molly found all the ingredients they’d need. She measured and Sara poured, and they took turns stirring. A little over an hour later, they had three dozen cookies cooling on a wire rack, and both aprons and four feet of counter were covered with flour and sticky oatmeal.
“What a mess.”
Sara looked up, happy as a clam. “That was fun. I’m hungry.”
“Let’s test one.” Molly poured them each a glass of milk while Sara picked up two cookies. They sat at the table munching away, Molly listening to Sara’s animated chatter with half an ear.
Sara threw her arms wide, tipping over her milk. Molly jumped up and grabbed a towel, but not before a river of milk spread to the contract she’d pushed aside earlier.
“Oh no!” Frantically she mopped, but the bottom edge of the contract was soaked.
“Sorry, Aunt Molly,” Sara apologized in a quiet voice.
“Sara, you’ve got to be more careful!” Molly held up the papers, trying to press the moisture out of them with her tea towel. She huffed out a sigh of frustration, then saw the girl dip her head and heard the sniff.
She shouldn’t have yelled. It had been an accident. And Sara was pretty fragile right now.
“Sara, it’s all right. Never mind, okay? It was an accident.”
“But you’re mad!” The words came out in a dramatic wail.
Molly smiled reassuringly in response to the drama. “Well, yes, a little. This is my work.” She pressed a kiss to the girl’s head. “But you didn’t mean to spill your milk and I should have picked up my things. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Sara looked up, hope in her innocent eyes. “When I spill stuff on Mommy’s papers, she hangs them up with a clothes pin.”
“Good to know.” Molly ruffled Sara’s hair. “Let’s get this place cleaned up and go visit your mom while these cookies are still fresh.”
*
They drove to the hospital in the late afternoon, while daylight was disappearing, washed out against the white earth. Sara clutched a paper bag of cookies in her hand while Molly carried her purse and a paperback novel. They found Kim sitting up in bed, watching Oprah with headphones on, her hair clean and pulled back in a braid, her color much improved.
“Mommy!”
Kim’s mouth opened in surprise as her daughter scrambled up on her bed, boots and all.
“Hang on there, tiger,” Molly said and hurried to take off Sara’s snowy boots. “Remember your mom’s still sore, Sara.”
“If you’re gentle, you can snuggle right in here.” Kim adjusted her weight gingerly, making room for her daughter close to her side.
“We brought you a surprise.” Her chubby hand held out the bag.
“You’re my surprise,” Kim answered, but dutifully peeked inside.
“Monster cookies! My favorite.”
“Aunt Molly and me made ’em.”
“Aunt Molly baked? Glad I’m already in a hospital in case they have to pump my stomach.” Kim sent Molly a teasing smirk. “They smell delicious. May I have one?”
Sara nodded. Kim dipped her hand into the bag while Molly sat in a vinyl chair next to the bed.
“How are things going?”
Molly smiled. “Okay. It’s been a learning experience.”
Kim laughed tightly so as not to jar her ribs. “When I called you, I remember you saying, ‘How much trouble can one toddler be?’”
Molly let an affectionate grin crawl up her cheek. “Aw, she’s not trouble. She’s just busy. I don’t know how you do it, and work, and keep your house looking like you do.”
“You get used to it.”
Molly didn’t miss the wistful note in her sister’s voice. “You miss being home, don’t you?”
Kim leaned over and kissed Sara’s warm curls. “Of course I do. I miss my own bed and I miss real food and all that. Not to mention my little muffin here.”
“Any news on when we can spring you out of here?”
Kim shook her head. “Doctor says close to another week. My incision isn’t healing as he’d like, and I’m still on pretty strong meds for the ribs and the headaches.”
Kim looked down at Sara, who had snuck another cookie from the bag. “Here, sweetie,” she said, placing her headphoneson Sara’s ears and then changing the channel to cartoons. Sara looked up in wonderment, then glued her eyes to the screen.
“So how’s Jason?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Molly’s mouth pursed up like she’d sucked on a pickle. She was trying to avoid thinking about their last fight. She’d done pretty well with that, too. At least ten minutes at a time now.
“Trouble in paradise?” Kim smiled cutely, snickering at Molly’s sour look.
“You’re enjoying this far too much.”
“Hey, I have nothing else to entertain me. I’m bored to death. What’s going on?”
“He’s mad because he didn’t get to save the day.”
Kim chuckled. “You two have always been insanely stubborn. Never able to see the other side of things.”
“What do you mean?” How much did Kim really know about why they’d broken things off? Had Jason confided in her? Considering how close they seemed to be, it was highly likely. Molly studied her sister curiously. Would Kim lay the blame on her the same as Jason did?
“Why do you think I asked you to come? I could have made other arrangements for Sara. It’s been six years since you left to do your law degree, and you still won’t talk about him. Someone had to get the two of you together long enough to resolve things.”
Molly bristled. “That’s not your place.”
Kim continued, undaunted. “He’s lived next door to me for two years, ever since he opened the clinic. I know for a f
act he’s never gotten over what happened between you. He refuses to talk about you, and even when I bring up something, like how you got your new job or moved to a new apartment, he changes the subject.”
“So?”
Kim sighed. “You broke it off and left. You never talked to each other about it. You just left things hanging. I know he wanted to marry you. I see him with Sara. He wants a home with a wife and a family of his own. He can’t have that until he moves on from you.”
“So you set us up?” Molly leaned forward in her chair, her elbows on her knees, trying not to think about the warm feelings that accompanied the fact that Jason still held a torch. “How could you do that?”
Kim shook her head. “You think I planned to get myself nearly killed and spend weeks in the hospital just to get you two to talk? For God’s sake, Molly. The other driver died.”
Molly blushed. Knowing now what had happened and seeing how affected by it Jason had been, she knew her accusation didn’t hold water. “Of course not. I’m sorry I said that.”
“Don’t be too sorry.” Kim chuckled softly. “Once I came out of the anesthesia, I wasn’t about to waste an opportunity. You needed to come home. I needed help. Jason needs closure. I know neither one of you had that after you left.”
“He told you that?”
Kim offered a lopsided smile. “It’s not rocket science, kiddo.” Her face clouded for a moment as if she were remembering something, then cleared. “Jason did confide in me once about your breakup. It hit him hard. It hit you hard too, even though you wouldn’t admit it. I want to see things made right, that’s all.”
“At least you’re not matchmaking.” Molly relaxed, then narrowed her eyes as Kim looked away.
“Kiiiim?” She drew out her sister’s name in warning.
“Well, would it be so bad?” her sister defended. “You both still care for each other. I’d like to have my only family closer.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Molly breathed, frustrated. “I have my own life, he has his. That ship has so sailed.”
“Isn’t there some middle ground?”
Molly sniffed, remembering asking him for that very thing. “There’s never been any middle ground with Jason. He asked me to marry him right after we graduated. He was going to Charlottetown for his vet degree and I had been accepted to U of T. He expected me to change my plans and follow him to Charlottetown to be the good little wife. He had our future all mapped out. I’d work while he finished vet school, and then he’d come back here and set up his practice while I did my law degree. I’d finish and practice for a year, he said, before I got pregnant.” She ran her hand through her hair. “He had us in a house with two point five kids and student loans up the wazoo before we’d even headed up the aisle. I suggested we wait. I wanted to go to Toronto and do my degree. We were still so young, only twenty-one. I said we had lots of time. I wanted to get my career established before we had kids, and I thought perhaps somewhere else might be better for both our careers.”
“And what did he say?”
Molly met her sister’s bold look evenly. “He said that four years apart was no way to start a marriage and his wife would stand by him, not head across the country.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said that there were things we both wanted, and maybe we could find a way to work it so we were both happy.”
Molly sighed, remembering. They’d been sitting on his bed, the June morning sun glowing through the blinds. He’d gone to his dresser drawer and had taken out a black velvet ring box. But hearing what he had planned for them had made Molly feel like she was being tucked into that box, closed in and doing exactly what Jason dictated. They had argued. He’d tucked the ring into his pocket and their voices had risen until they were nearly shouting. And things had fallen completely apart.
“He said me with him was the only way he’d be happy, and it had to be that way. I left.”
“That’s it?” Kim stared at her sister. “You never spoke again?”
“No. I went to Toronto and did my degree, as planned. He did exactly what he planned too, only he did it alone.”
Kim frowned as she absently stroked her daughter’s hair. “You guys need to clear the air,” she suggested. “Professionally you have what you wanted. But personally… I mean, you haven’t been one for serious relationships and neither has Jason. He dates occasionally, but before anything gets serious, it’s always over. You’re holding each other back.”
“Well, thanks, Dear Abby. I’d rather cut off my own tongue than talk about this with Jason again.” Molly’s tone was acidic and final.
Kim grinned. “I’m sure he feels the same. Jason’s one of the best men I’ve ever met, but both of you are as stubborn as mules. Somehow, you’ve both got to let go of your pride and get past it. You both deserve to be able to move on with your lives. The way things are, you’re both stuck.”
Molly leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “Is that your official diagnosis, Doctor?”
Kim smirked. “I love both of you. I want everyone to be happy.”
Molly examined her sister closely. Jason lived next door, did all sorts of odd jobs for Kim; she trusted him with her daughter. Molly wondered about Kim’s real reason for wanting Jason to move on. What if all of this was to exorcise any remnants of feeling so he could move on with a ready-made homemaker and family? Kim certainly fit the bill much better than Molly did. She had a house, a darling daughter, made home-cooked meals and was an all-around nurturer. Molly couldn’t help but remember how he’d said he’d been listed as her next of kin number. And she couldn’t escape the haunted look in his eyes when he’d described the accident. What exactly were their feelings?
“Are you in love with him, Kim?” She asked it point blank, then held her breath for the answer.
Kim blushed. “Me?”
“You’re awfully set on him moving on. Do you want it to be with you?”
Kim looked down, and Molly’s heart jumped with dread that she was right. She should have been happy, but the thought of Jason kissing her sister was too hard to imagine. She didn’t like the thought of Jason kissing anyone, actually. And that was just silly.
“No.” Kim looked back up, her features soft. “I love Jason. He’s made life much better by being my friend. He’s a father figure to my daughter and a confidante for me. But I’m not in love with him, Molly. I’ve always known his heart was somewhere else. Just as mine is.”
Molly sighed. “You’re still not over the lowlife, are you?”
Kim aimed a warning look that said, not in front of Sara. Molly clamped her mouth shut. Why her sister was still hung up on Sara’s father was beyond her. He’d up and transferred across the country without a qualm, had never contacted his daughter. In Molly’s opinion, he didn’t deserve the pedestal Kim put him on.
“Please,” Kim pleaded. “Talk to Jason.”
Molly nodded, saying nothing.
The nurse came in to check Kim’s vitals, saving Molly from admitting that she and Jason had already kissed. And fought.
When Molly returned home, Jason’s truck was parked in Kim’s driveway. They hadn’t eaten dinner yet and as soon as Sara saw the truck, she started squirming in her seat.
Molly shut off the car and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Like it or not, for the next few weeks she was going to have to put up with Jason being around. And she was going to have to ignore the fact that he was still as sexy, maybe even more so, than he’d been all those years ago.
He opened the front door and stared out at her, making her heart pound foolishly. Her resolve was about to be put to the test.
Chapter Four
Molly took a deep breath as she pocketed the keys. Sara was practically bouncing out of her skin, seeing Jason filling the doorway. He was standing there like he owned the place, tall and uncompromising, and it made Molly immediately defensive. She should have known he’d have his own key, but it made her feel like she had w
hen she’d realized that he was Kim’s next-of-kin number. Now it seemed nowhere was safe from him.
She approached him coolly. “Something I can do for you?”
He looked down at her, clearly confused. “Kim called me. Said you needed help with the fuse box or something.”
All Molly’s aloofness evaporated as a laugh snorted out of her nose and she shook her head. Kim wouldn’t let up, would she? “And you believed her?”
“It does sound kind of lame now, doesn’t it?”
His deep chuckle warmed her and she glanced up to find his face more relaxed. She resisted the urge to reach up and touch the rough jawline.
Sara ran on ahead and took off her boots and jacket, leaving them strewn on the floor. Molly bent to pick them up before taking off her own coat. “I wish Kim wouldn’t interfere.”
Jason stepped all the way inside and shut the door. It seemed so…proprietary. Briefly Molly felt as if she was the visitor, even though this was Kim’s house and she was the one staying here. Not to mention she now felt trapped in the tiny foyer with him.
“Interfere with what?” he asked, and she swallowed.
Her hands now empty of outerwear, she turned and let her gaze meet his. “She thinks we should talk.”
“She would,” Jason murmured with a tiny smile. “She’d expect us to sit down over a cup of tea and work it all out. That’s her way.”
From the sound of it, he heartily approved. Irritated, Molly couldn’t stop the thought that Jason and Kim actually deserved each other… Mr. and Mrs. Paragons of Virtue.
But that wasn’t fair—at least not to Kim.
“We tried that, remember? Only it was coffee and we ended up shouting at each other.” And had upset Sara as well. Now at least her niece was around to run interference. Molly led the way to the living room, where Sara had already turned on the television and was watching a kids’ program. The last thing she’d wanted after dredging up the past with Kim was rehashing it with Jason. She wished he’d just leave since he knew the emergency was bogus. She absently ruffled Sara’s hair before speaking again.
“You know, it amazes me. She’s nearly four, but she already knows every button on the remote control.” She smiled, but it faded as she continued. “Anyway, I didn’t tell Kim about the other night. I think it’s better if we forget about it.” As if they could.
