by Renee Ryan
She took it without hesitation.
Outside, he guided her to a waiting carriage.
The joy and acute satisfaction of loving this man made her voice a bit husky. “Where are we dining?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“I like surprises.”
He chuckled. “I know.”
They already knew so much about each other. And yet, there was so much more Molly wanted to learn about Garrett. Seven years was a long time to be apart. A lot of life had been lived by them both. A lot of choices had been made.
So many questions sprung to mind that she had no idea where to begin.
Casting a quick glance in his direction, an awkward sensation came over her. She wasn’t supposed to feel uncomfortable around him, not with their history. Or perhaps their history was the very reason she felt so ill at ease now.
They might be engaged but their relationship was still so new, held together by fragile threads.
They needed to strengthen the cords.
She’d shared her pain, her humiliation, even parts of her wounded heart with him only weeks ago. He’d not done the same. Oh, he’d spoken of his early days at school, but not the years since.
“Garrett, why did you never marry anyone else?” She blurted out the question, then quickly clamped her lips closed. That wasn’t what she’d been meant to ask him, or at least not in such blunt terms. “What I meant was—”
“I know what you meant.” A tender smile flitted across his face, giving him the boyish look she held so dear.
She felt herself relax, but just as quickly stiffen with concern. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Molly. My sweet, amazing, beautiful girl.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “I never married because I never found a woman who made me forget you.”
Her mouth formed a perfect O. She hadn’t expected him to be quite so, so…honest.
“I’ve rendered you speechless.”
“I…yes, I suppose you have.” She stared into his amber eyes and noted the hint of vulnerability there. He hadn’t meant to speak so plainly and now he was regretting his honesty.
Of all the things she wanted in her marriage with this man, regret was not one of them.
It was her turn to provide comfort. “Do you know why I never fully gave my heart to Marshall or Bart or any other man of my acquaintance?”
He shook his head, his gaze wary now.
“Because they weren’t you.”
Surprise and pleasure filled his eyes, but he remained silent, as if waiting for her to say more.
He deserved to hear the rest. “You once asked me if I would have followed through with either wedding if my fiances hadn’t called them off.”
A frown marred his handsome features. “I remember.”
“Do you also remember what I said?”
The groove between his eyes dug deeper. “You said yes, you would have gone through with your promise to marry them.”
“I was wrong.” She reached out and lovingly cupped his cheek. “Truth is, I wouldn’t have married any other man but you.”
His features relaxed little by little, until he wore the boyish grin again. “Let’s set the date.”
“Is tomorrow too soon?”
Laughing, he kissed her lightly on the lips. “Tomorrow would be perfectly fine with me, but I think our parents might have something to say about that.”
The mention of their individual families spread a wave of joy through her darkest worries. She was marrying the man of her dreams, and getting the extended family she’d always wanted.
“Molly Taylor Scott Mitchell.” She tried out her new name aloud, grinning at Garrett as she did. “It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
“The very best.”
Chapter Twenty-One
With his hand on the small of her back, Garrett escorted Molly into the dining room of The Brown Palace. He ushered her to the table he’d reserved specifically for them.
Although his brothers had arrived unexpectedly the last time they’d eaten together in this restaurant, Garrett would forever mark that lunch—that day—as the official beginning of their second chance.
Smiling down at the woman he loved, he held out her chair then took the seat across from her. She filled the moment for him. Her scent, her smile, her very presence.
Gaze full of delight, she glanced around, smiled wider. “This is where we sat the last time we dined here.”
“I’d hoped you would remember.”
Big, blue eyes blinked up at him. “I remember every moment I spend with you.”
A sentiment he shared, but the waiter’s arrival prevented Garrett from speaking the truth in his heart.
As the young man took their orders, Garrett kept his eyes on Molly. A dozen thoughts ran through his mind, a thousand promises poised on his tongue. He wanted to tell her he was sorry he’d left her behind all those years ago, sorry he’d walked away from her, from them, out of stupid, foolish pride. But looking back he realized that he’d needed to leave home. Had needed to go alone, to work out his convictions on his own. To fail or succeed away from the comfort of family and loved ones.
He was home now, his beliefs and principles worked out. His faith in God secure. His path set. Best of all, the Lord had brought Molly back into his life. Garrett didn’t take that blessing for granted.
Waiting until they were alone, he took her hand, clutching it protectively in his. Their stares connected across the table with a force that nearly immobilized him.
Molly gave him a sweet, shy smile and all the pretty speeches he’d prepared scattered from his mind.
“You do realize,” she murmured, “that Mrs. Singletary will claim victory for all of this.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “All of this?”
“You, me. Us.” She waved a hand between them. “She’ll assert we never would have found our way back to one another without her nudging us in the proper direction.”
“I say let her gloat a little.”
“I was thinking we would let her gloat a lot.”
Laughing at that, he let go of Molly’s hand and leaned back in his chair.
Now, he told himself. Give it to her now.
“I have something for you.” Slipping his hand inside his jacket, he wrapped his fingers around the tiny jeweler’s box and pulled it free. “I was a little impetuous with my proposal last evening.”
“I liked it.”
Because she sounded sincere, he felt his heart flip over in his chest. “Nevertheless, I skipped several steps.” He was only mildly surprised by the hoarse timbre of his voice. This was a big moment. “I’d hoped for a more sophisticated delivery when I asked you to marry me.”
“Oh, Garrett.” She gave him a soft, dreamy smile, erasing any doubts in his mind as to whether he’d disappointed her. “Your proposal was perfect.”
“I left out one key element.” He set the black velvet box on the table between them. “Molly, my love, will you—”
“Garrett? Molly?” a familiar female voice called out their names from across the restaurant.
Then another, equally familiar voice added, “What a pleasure running into you two here!”
Sighing inwardly, Garrett quickly palmed the box. He barely had time to tuck the ring back into his jacket before his brothers’ wives arrived at their table.
Molly was out of her chair in an instant. Garrett rose a bit slower, a complicated mix of pleasure and frustration warring inside him. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Megan and Annabeth. He did. Beyond measure. But presenting Molly’s ring to her was an important moment he didn’t want to share with anyone but her, not even their loving family.
By the time he and Molly had each been pulled into one embrace then another, and then passed around a second time, Garrett resigned himself to the interruption.
Family was, well, family.
Both women had been instrumental in his young life, having married his brothers when
Garrett was more boy than man.
Megan, with her blond hair, blue eyes and willowy figure, looked so much like the rest of the Mitchell brood she could have been a sister. Annabeth’s dark Mexican coloring and pale blue eyes could never be confused as a Mitchell, but she was just as attractive as her sister-in-law and just as special to Garrett.
It didn’t take him long to discover how much they adored Molly, and she them.
“We never had a chance to welcome you into the family properly.” Annabeth, Hunter’s wife, beamed at Molly. “So, welcome.”
She hugged Molly again, holding on longer than last time.
Megan, Logan’s wife, added her own words of welcome, her gaze including Garrett. “We’re so happy for you both.”
“Please, join us.”
He offered the invitation with only a brief moment of hesitation, but Megan must have sensed his initial reluctance. She touched his arm. “Are you sure? We don’t want to intrude…”
“You aren’t intruding,” he said, regretting his earlier hesitation. There would be plenty of time to give Molly her ring. A lifetime.
Smiling, Garrett motioned the waiter back to their table. While his brothers’ wives settled in and ordered lunch, he gave Molly a stoic lift of one shoulder.
She mouthed her thanks, though an apology was in her eyes just behind the gratitude. Looking closer, he saw a hint of frustration beneath the other emotions. Like him, Molly was torn between wanting her new sisters to join them and having Garrett to herself.
The revelation that she wanted time alone with him, as much as he did with her, settled any lingering doubts in his mind. He and Molly were going to have a good, happy life together.
* * *
Over the next few days, Molly recognized the tension growing in Garrett, tension born of frustration, impatience and annoyance.
She suffered similarly. Every time he attempted to present her engagement ring to her, a member of his family, or hers, interrupted them.
Although the ring was merely a symbol, she hoped, wished—prayed—these constant delays weren’t a sign of things to come. She loved both their families, relied on them even, but Garrett was the man she’d pledged to marry, to love all her days. Rather than sit back wondering when the next opportunity to be alone with him would come, she decided to act.
With Mrs. Singletary’s blessing, Molly took the carriage across town. In her eagerness to take matters into her own hands, she arrived at Bennett, Bennett and Brand before the start of business. Before, it seemed, any of the lawyers themselves had arrived, including Garrett.
Settling in to wait, she positioned herself on the front stoop and glanced up at the regal building that housed the law firm. The brick and mortar were of the finest quality, the glass and bronze of the door as elegant as any she’d seen in town.
The wind moaned shrilly behind her, indicating a turn in the weather. She huddled deeper in her coat.
Despite the cold nipping at her cheeks, she found her mind wandering to Garrett and the way he’d looked at her when he’d asked her to marry him. She wasn’t quite so cold anymore.
“Good morning, Miss Scott.” Reese Bennett, Jr. joined her at the door. “You’re here bright and early.”
“I…” For a moment, she felt unmoored, disoriented, even a little silly. “I’ve come to see Garrett, er…Mr. Mitchell.”
“He won’t be in for several hours,” he said. “He’s at the courthouse, filing documents for Mrs. Singletary.”
“Oh.” She blinked. It hadn’t occurred to her that Garrett wouldn’t be at his office this morning.
A cold breeze kicked up, slipping icy fingers under the collar of her coat. She shivered, wrapped her arms tightly around her waist.
“Would you like to come in from the cold and wait for him inside?”
“Goodness, no.” She shouldn’t have come. Embarrassed, she considered her options. Decided returning home was the best solution. “I’ll see him another time.”
“Would you like me to give him a message for you?”
“No. I mean, yes. Or rather, no.” She shook her head at her ridiculous indecision. “If you could just tell him I stopped by this morning?”
“Consider it done.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded, but didn’t head inside building. “Miss Scott?”
“Yes, Mr. Bennett?”
“Congratulations on your engagement.” The smile on his face and the sincerity in his tone had her relaxing. “You’ve made Garrett a very happy man.”
She took a long breath of air. “You’re kind to say so.”
“It’s not about being kind.” His smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “It’s the truth.”
“Then I truly thank you.”
He laughed, the gesture giving him an almost boyish appeal. He should laugh more often, she decided. The transformation to his stern features was nothing short of remarkable.
“If there’s nothing more you need from me, I’ll say good day, Miss Scott.”
She sighed, feeling very much alone and foolish for having made the trip across town for nothing. “On second thought, if Mr. Mitchell asks where I am, will you tell him I’m at the county jailhouse?”
“The jailhouse?”
“I’ve a mind to speak with my father.” She suddenly wanted, needed to see her father.
The attorney’s smile returned. “Of course. I’ll be sure to tell him.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He tipped his hat in silent farewell.
As he disappeared into his law offices, Molly shook her head. Reese Bennett, Jr. was such a nice man, courteous, charming. Handsome, too. He would have made Fanny a fine husband.
Apparently, it was not in God’s plan for either of them. At least they’d found that out before they’d married.
Across town, Molly had better luck finding her father. He sat at his desk, buried beneath a pile of paperwork. His frown told her what he thought of the task.
“Am I interrupting?” she asked from the doorway.
“More like rescuing me.” Tossing down his pen, he came around the desk in three quick, long-legged strides and pulled her into a bear hug.
She held on to him, allowing his strong arms to comfort her.
Sensing her unease as only a father could, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. “What’s wrong, kitten?”
“Who said anything’s wrong?” She pressed her cheek into his shirt. “Can’t I visit my father without a hidden agenda?”
He smoothed his hand over her hair. “A jailhouse is no place for a woman.”
“I’m not a woman. I’m a daughter.”
“Who sounds excessively unhappy.” He set her away from her and searched her face. “Has Garrett done something to hurt you? Has he—”
“It’s not Garrett.” She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “Not in the way you mean.”
“Come. Sit.” He guided her to a hardback chair, then pulled up another one and sat beside her. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
Where did she begin? How did she begin? “I don’t even know what’s wrong.”
He chuckled. “That’s quite the female response.”
She swiped at her cheeks, surprised to discover they were damp. When had she started to cry? “It’s just…oh, Daddy, Garrett hasn’t given me my ring yet.”
Thankfully, her father didn’t scoff at her ridiculous, female response.
“Ah,” was all he said. Then, “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, kitten. He’s probably just taking his time picking out the perfect stone.”
“No, you don’t understand. He’s already purchased the ring. He’s tried to give it to me in every possible way imaginable.” She swiped at her cheeks again. “He’s tried at lunch, on a stroll through the park, during dinner last night…”
Her father said nothing.
She continued, her words tumbling out fast now. “He begins with this lovely speech, and I get all fluttery i
nside. But when he attempts to present the ring, we’re interrupted, either by a well-meaning family member…” She gave him a pointed look. Her father had been one of those well-meaning family members just last night. “Or a friend, or one of Garrett’s business associates.”
Again, her father didn’t condescend, or patronize, or tell her she was being foolish. “That must be frustrating.”
Very. “This morning, I decided enough was enough. I went to his office, in the hope of catching him before the start of business.” She balled her hands into fists. “But he’s at the courthouse, doing lawyerly stuff.”
Her father’s lips twitched. “Lawyerly stuff?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Something to do with filing documents, or something.”
“Kitten, God’s timing isn’t always on our schedule. You’ll get your ring soon.”
“When?” She huffed out the word. “How? If we can’t find a private moment soon, I’ll be tempted to do something drastic.”
As if to mock her frustration, the door flew open and a blast of cold air shot into the jailhouse.
Frowning, she hunched her shoulders against the added chill. Would the interruptions ever stop?
Her father nodded at the newcomer over her shoulder, then returned his gaze to hers. A smile was in his eyes as he patted her knee. “Take off your gloves, kitten.”
“What? Why?”
“You’re about to get that private moment you’ve been wanting.”
Just as she opened her mouth to reply, a familiar, rich baritone addressed her father. “Sheriff Scott, could I speak with your daughter alone?”
“Certainly.” Her father stood, then leaned over her and whispered in her ear, “God’s timing, kitten. Always better than our own.”
After shaking hands with Garrett, her father turned back to Molly and hauled her to her feet. “I’ll be on the other side of the door.”
She launched herself into his arms. “You’re the best father ever.”
He chuckled, pressed a kiss to her forehead, then left her alone with Garrett.
Blinking at the closed door, Garrett shoved at his hair. “What was that about?”
“Just a private moment between a father and his daughter.”
