The Christmas Wedding Ring (Hqn)

by Susan Mallery

  * * *

  Dylan set the phone back in the receiver and glared at the offending instrument. His attorney was pressing him to make a decision. The offer from the large motorcycle manufacturing firm was more than fair—it was generous. There was no reason to say no. No reason at all, save that it didn’t feel right.

  Of course, in the past few days, nothing had felt right. He’d learned how dark and cold the world could be when he didn’t have Molly around to provide the warmth and light.

  He missed her. He wanted her and he needed her. It was a hell of a state to find himself in. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t forget their time together. Memories haunted him, making it impossible to eat, work or sleep. Just yesterday Evie had told him that if he didn’t get an attitude adjustment and quick, she would quit. He couldn’t even blame her. He’d been snapping at everyone.

  It wasn’t just because he missed Molly—he also regretted that he’d left her without telling her the truth. That he loved her. He, who had never loved anyone before.

  He wasn’t sure when it had happened. He still wasn’t sure he even believed in love, except there was no other way to describe his feelings for her. She filled his mind until all other thoughts faded. At different times in the day he wondered what she was doing, what she was thinking. He wanted to be with her. He heard a Christmas carol on the radio, and immediately flew back to his bike, riding around quiet neighborhoods to look at lights on the houses, with Molly softly singing carols she thought he couldn’t hear.

  He wanted to spend the rest of his life getting to know all of her. He wanted to learn her moods, discover the mysteries that made her such an incredible person. He wanted to touch her and hold her. He wanted to make love with her night after night, until the passion was a familiar friend that kept them warm till the break of dawn.

  But—always but. He had no right to drop into her life. She’d made her decisions. She had a job and she had Grant. He couldn’t show up and disrupt that. He wouldn’t hurt her for the world.

  If only he had something to offer her. Something of value. But he was just that kid from the trailer park. He didn’t know how to be a husband or a father. He really didn’t even know how to love; he just knew that he did. He would rather miss her than upset her in any way. So he didn’t contact her, even though he ached to hear her voice and see her smile. He was the one who’d wanted to stay in touch, but he couldn’t bring himself to just be friends. He was a coward.

  He looked around his office, at all that he’d struggled with. At one time it had been a source of pride, but now he couldn’t see the point. Without Molly, he had nothing.

  He stood up and grabbed his jacket, then walked to the front of the building. Evie gave him a wary look.

  “You going somewhere?” she asked, trying not to sound hopeful. With him out of the building, the mood would return to normal.

  He nodded. “Tell everyone to take off early. Merry Christmas.” He motioned to the phone. “Before you go, would you please call my attorney and tell him I’ll sign?”

  Her dark eyes widened. “You’re letting the company go?”

  He knew her concern wasn’t for her job. He’d discussed the offer with all his employees and they knew their jobs were secure.

  “Yeah. Somehow I’ve lost the drive to do it my way. This will be better for everyone.”

  With that, he left. His motorcycle was parked in front. He’d been driving it ever since he’d come back from spending those two weeks with Molly.

  He started the engine, then headed for the freeway. He might not have the right to contact Molly directly, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t ask about her.

  A little over an hour later he pulled into a west-side underground parking structure. After locking his bike, he headed up to the twenty-first floor to have a brief conversation with Molly’s fiancé.

  The reception desk was unmanned, and Dylan could hear chatter and laughter from down a short hallway. They must be having their office Christmas party.

  A woman came from the hallway carrying a clear plastic cup filled with white wine. She took one look at his black leather jacket and frowned. When he said he didn’t have an appointment, her expression got even more wary. Dylan sighed and pulled out a business card. She read it twice, then her face softened into a welcoming smile.

  “Mr. Black, it’s so nice to meet you. My brother races and he has two of your custom motorcycles. Please, have a seat while I let Mr. Pechman know you’re here.”

  He found himself ushered to a plush sofa, plied with coffee and Christmas cookies and offered the current issue of everything from sports magazines to a national tabloid. The price of fame.

  The receptionist disappeared to work her magic. Five minutes later, Grant walked into the reception area. He didn’t bother to shake Dylan’s hand, nor did he express any surprise at Dylan’s appearance.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Black?”

  Dylan hadn’t thought far enough ahead to have planned what to say to Molly’s soon-to-be husband. If he was to be completely honest with himself, he wanted to put the fear of God into the creep and warn him that if he ever ran out on her again he, Dylan, would make sure his running days were ended permanently.

  Normally, he didn’t like to show his hand, but in this case, there was no reason not to tell Grant what he was thinking. “Molly is very special. I want to make sure you understand that.”

  Grant stared at Dylan as if he’d lost his mind. “Special? Is that what you call it?” Contempt filled his voice and he practically shuddered. “I don’t know why you’re here, but if she sent you to convince me to give her a second chance, forget it. I gave Molly the chance to come back and she didn’t take it.”

  His words sank in slowly. Dylan played them over in his mind. “Molly didn’t forgive you?”

  Grant shrugged as he straightened a strand of tinsel on the tastefully decorated Christmas tree in the corner. “Good riddance, as far as I’m concerned. As I told her, I won’t have any trouble replacing her. In fact, I already have dates with two different women for New Year’s Eve. But she’s going to be sorry. Men like me don’t come along every day. She’s not that pretty to begin with, and now that she’s had that issue with the lump...” He shuddered. “I don’t know which would have been worse—the cancer or her being disfigured.”

  Dylan reacted without thinking. Later he would tell himself that physically assaulting an attorney wasn’t the least bit smart, but in his heart and his gut, he didn’t give a damn. Let the little bastard sue him. It was worth it.

  He crossed to where Grant stood, pulled back his arm and punched Grant hard in the face. With a loud huff of exhaled air, the man wheeled back into the artificial tree, which tumbled against the wall. The noise brought several people out from the party. No one rushed to help Grant, and Dylan saw two women quickly hide a smile.

  He glanced at his knuckles, but he hadn’t split the skin. Still, his hand tingled and he knew it would be sore for the next couple of days.

  “That was for Molly,” he said. “Don’t you talk about her as if she’s damaged goods. She’s ten times the person you’ll ever be. I’m glad she had the good sense to dump you. Stay away from her. If you bother her again, I’ll be back to finish this.”

  Then he walked out.

  Nothing mattered to him except the fact that Molly hadn’t taken Grant back. The idea gave him hope. Until he remembered she hadn’t contacted him to tell him the news. Was she waiting for him to make the first move? After all, he’d been the one to insist that they stay in touch. And he hadn’t done a thing about it. He knew the reason was he couldn’t bear to hear about her reconciliation with Grant, but she didn’t.

  As he stepped into the elevator, the hope flared again and this time he couldn’t deny it. That last day, Molly had told him she loved him. At the time he’d assumed she mea
nt in a fraternal way. She loved him like a brother or a friend. Not romantically. But now he wasn’t so sure. And it was starting not to matter.

  Molly deserved the best. Someone incredible and courageous. He wasn’t that man, but he didn’t think he could step aside again. Their time apart had taught him that his life wasn’t worth living without her. There were many men who would be more her match, but there wasn’t anyone who would love her more.

  Suddenly, he couldn’t face Christmas without her.

  The elevator doors opened in the parking garage. He forced himself to step out, but he could barely move. He loved her. He, Dylan Black, the man who had sworn he didn’t know if he even believed in love, cared more about Molly than anything in the world. She was all things to him. He loved her and he wanted to be with her. Forever. He turned toward his bike. Had he left things too long?

  She’d never actually said anything about wanting to make their relationship permanent. Could he risk asking? Could he risk letting her get away?

  He knew the answer to the last question. He would do anything to be with her. She was the most amazing person he’d ever known. Not just her beauty and strength, but her gentleness, her humor, her compassion all drew him. He could imagine growing old with her. He loved her.

  He started the motorcycle and headed for the street. He would go to her now, but first he had to make one stop.

  * * *

  “Let’s open one present tonight,” Janet said on Christmas Eve.

  The girls cheered and raced toward the Christmas tree in the living room.

  Molly, who had been setting the table for dinner, forced a smile to her face. She didn’t want to ruin her nieces’ holiday with the overwhelming sadness that pulled her toward the depths. She had made some decisions about her future—she was going to reject the job offer, sell her condo and go back to school to get her MBA—but a sense of hopefulness hadn’t kicked in yet. She needed time, she knew that. She just felt so lonely, even surrounded by her sister’s boisterous family.

  She missed Dylan.

  If only she could forget him, but she couldn’t. Thoughts of Dylan filled her every waking moment, which was why she’d decided to move. In another city, she could make new memories that didn’t include him. She would always love him—she’d come to accept that fact. But at least if she went somewhere else, she would be distracted.

  She would get through this Christmas without him, and then she would begin the difficult job of moving forward alone. Somehow. She’d promised herself that she would get on with her life no matter what. She’d been given a second chance and had learned an important lesson. She wasn’t about to mess up again.

  One by one, Autumn, Tatum and Lilly each opened a present from Molly—the gifts from Santa wouldn’t arrive until Christmas morning. Janet and Thomas exchanged gifts. Molly forced herself to focus, to pretend joy, to make appropriate comments. When she hugged her nieces, tears bit at her eyes, but she fought them back. Would she ever be blessed with children of her own?

  Then Janet reached under the tree and pulled out a small, square box wrapped in red and topped with a gold bow. She handed it to Molly. “Merry Christmas.”

  Feigning interest, Molly tore away the paper to reveal a plain white box. She lifted the lid and saw a blue jewelry box.

  “Molly.”

  The voice was blissfully familiar. Every nerve in her body went on alert. For a second she thought she’d imagined the sound, that he was starting to haunt her days with the same regularity that he haunted her dreams.

  He sounded so real that she turned. “Dylan,” she breathed when she saw him standing in the doorway, not sure she could believe her own eyes.

  He wore jeans and his leather jacket. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks. He was still gorgeous.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. She was vaguely aware of Janet and Thomas shepherding the children into the other room.

  He stared at her, then smiled. “I prepared this great speech on the way over and now I can’t remember a word.” He crossed to her and took her hands in his. “So forgive me if this doesn’t come out exactly right.”

  She didn’t know what to think. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might jump right out of her chest. Her throat was tight; her entire body quivered. She wanted to believe that something wonderful was about to happen, but she was scared. Dear Lord, she loved him so much.

  “I can’t let you go,” he said. “I’ve tried and tried, but I keep thinking about you, about how much I want you and need you in my life. You are so incredibly strong and brave and you deserve someone so much better than me. I know that. But I also know no one will ever love you more.” He squeezed her fingers tightly in his.

  “I love you, Molly. All of you. I love how we laugh together, how smart you are, how you look first thing in the morning. I love how you feel in my arms and my bed. I want to be with you always. I want to marry you and make babies with you. I want my life to be an adventure with you.”

  She was too stunned to move or speak. The words slowly filtered through her brain. He loved her. He wanted to marry her. Her!

  He released one of her hands and withdrew the blue box from inside the plain white box. When he popped open the lid and she saw a ring inside, the last of the air fled her lungs.

  This wasn’t the plain gold band he’d offered her sister fourteen years ago. This was a beautiful round diamond that glinted in the afternoon light. He took her left hand and slid it in place.

  “Molly Anderson, will you marry me?”

  Then the feeling returned, along with her ability to breathe. Love and need and indescribable happiness flooded her. She flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Yes, Dylan, I love you so much. I want to be with you forever.”

  She felt the tears on her face. Tears of joy. It was so right to be with him.

  He kissed her then and they clung to each other. They both murmured words of love and happiness.

  “I’m so glad you came back,” she told him, wondering if she would ever get close enough to him. She felt as if she wanted to crawl inside him.

  “I was going crazy.” he admitted. “I figured you’d gone back to Grant and everything was perfect.”

  She grimaced. “Not a chance. How did you find me?”

  “You shipped those presents here, and somehow I ended up with the receipt. I bought the ring last night and waited outside your place for a couple hours before I realized you’d be up here. I called Janet this morning, and she helped me set the whole thing up.”

  “What did she say, Mommy?” Tatum’s voice carried clearly from the other room, despite her comical stage whisper.

  “I said yes!” Molly called, laughing. “You can come in.”

  The girls rushed through the doorway and surrounded Molly and Dylan, all talking at once.

  “You’re getting married?”

  “Can I be a flower girl, and can I ride on your motorcycle?”

  “Does this mean you’re our uncle now?”

  At the last, Dylan caught Molly’s gaze, and a slow smile spread across his face. “I guess I am.”

  Molly saw the realization—the wonder—in his eyes, and joy washed through her. He wasn’t alone in the world anymore.

  “Welcome to the family,” Janet said as she came forward to hug them both. “Now let me get a look at that ring.”

  During Christmas dinner, Dylan touched her constantly, his hand resting on her knee or cupping the back of her neck, as if he couldn’t bear to stop. Molly treasured the evidence of his love for her.

  More than anything, she wanted to be alone with him. Janet must have read her mind again because when they finished eating, her sister refused her offer to help clean up. Molly and Dylan put on light jackets and sat together on a cushioned swi
ng in the backyard. Through the living room window, they could see Janet, Thomas and their daughters laughing together as they washed the dishes.

  “All my life,” Dylan said, “I felt like I was on the outside, looking in.”

  Molly leaned against his strong chest, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Not anymore,” she said.

  “No.” He kissed her, lingering, then pulled back and whispered, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  They cuddled some more beneath the stars.

  “I’m selling the condo.” She looked into his dark eyes and smiled. “I didn’t take the job offer, either. I decided I want to go back to college and get my MBA.”

  “The University of California at Riverside isn’t all that far from me.”

  “Good.” She snuggled closer. “I’m willing to confess I really liked your house. I wouldn’t mind living there with you.”

  “How would you feel about working for a small but growing design firm? The boss can be tough at times, but I hear he’s fair. He’s also looking for a partner.”

  “You mean that?”

  “I would very much like you to be a part of Black Lightning. If you’re interested. I hate the business end of things. I want to get back to design.”

  It was too perfect, she thought, and kissed him. “Yes! I’d love to work with you. I figure I can get my MBA. in two years. In the meantime, I can learn about the industry, maybe work part-time.”

  “Until the babies start arriving.”

  She touched a hand to her belly. Children. “You’re giving me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  “You’re my Christmas miracle,” he said. He glanced around the dark yard. “I’ve got the bike. Want to come home with me now? I’ll send someone from the office back for your car next week.”