Molly glanced up from what she was doing. Obviously startled by the interruption. “Kody,” she said. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“And yet, here I am,” he said, not sure what else to say.
He looked around the room, taking in the baskets of flowers he’d sent. They were pretty, really pretty. And they smelled so nice too.
She indicated for him to sit down, and he quickly sat before she changed her mind. “How have you been, Molly?” He genuinely wanted to know. He’d really missed her.
“Fine. And you?” she asked, probably out of good manners. “How is your head now?”
“It’s fine. I’m fine too,” he said, feeling rather awkward at this point. “Have dinner with me,” he blurted out, not wanting to be so forthcoming, but in hindsight realizing it was the best way to be given the circumstances.
She sat back in her chair and brushed some hair off her face. “I’m tied up here,” she said, waving her hands above the papers laying on her desk.
He was disappointed, he wouldn’t kid himself. But he knew it wouldn’t be easy. He’d spent literally weeks trying to get close to this stubborn woman, and the fact she hadn’t sent his flowers back, spoke volumes to him.
He leaned in as close to her as he could get. He stared at her over the desk. It was all he could do to stop himself from jumping over the top and kissing her senseless. “You have to eat sometime,” he said instead. Then leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “I can wait until you’re ready.”
He stared her down, daring her to say no.
“Kody, I...”
He stopped himself from sighing out loud. He knew this could happen. “I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said assertively. “There is no reason for you not to,”
She interrupted him before he could finish. “There is,” she said quietly. “I should have told you a long time ago.”
He sat stunned. What could be so terrible they couldn’t date?
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He couldn’t cope when women cried, but for both their sakes, he sat glued to the seat.
“Nothing is that bad,” he told her, hoping he was right.
She sat taller in her seat and braced her shoulders. “I have...” At that very moment her cell phone rang. “Sorry, I have to take this,” she told him, obviously distressed about the interruption.
“Simpson.” She listened intently, then stood to leave. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” she said, ushering him out the door. “It’s your sister-in-law, she’s in labor,” she finished, rushing off.
Kody rushed out to the waiting room, where Rory stood bewildered.
“Where’s Missy,” Kody asked. “Shouldn’t you be with her?” he asked, touching Rory’s shoulder when he didn’t get an answer. “Where is Missy?”
Kody guided his brother to one of the waiting room chairs. “You do know you should be with her, right?”
Rory turned to look at him, still feeling dazed. “It wasn’t meant to happen yet,” he said, feeling quite worried.
Jordon strolled through the door, overhearing the conversation. “She’s only a few days early. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“She, her,” Rory was tongue-tied.
“Her water broke,” Molly said for him as she entered the waiting room. “It’s nothing to worry about. Okay Rory, you can come in now.”
He followed the doctor into the birthing room. Missy sat up in bed, propped by several pillows. “You look pale,” he said, fluffing the pillows up for her.
She glared at him. “You try being in labor and see how you feel,” she snapped at him. Oh boy. And this was just the beginning.
Rory watched as Molly went to one of the cupboards. “Here’s a robe,” she said. “Put this on and start walking.”
“It will help bring the labor on quicker,” she said, answering Rory’s silent question. “You need to stay with her, dad,” Molly said.
Dad? He liked the sound of that.
“We don’t like our pregnant ladies falling over.” He nodded but didn’t answer. “Got it?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he finally responded. It was finally all happening. After all these months of waiting for their precious cargo, it was finally all happening.
Rory took a deep breath. Missy slapped him on the arm. “I’m the one who needs to breathe, not you,” she said, chuckling. She looked into his eyes and Rory melted.
He loved this beautiful woman more than he thought it was ever possible to love some one. And now she was having his baby.
Right now! Holy heck!
He grabbed hold of Missy. “We’re having a baby,” he said, incredulous.
She laughed with that lovely tinkle he loved to hear. “Yes, we are,” she said. “Very soon.”
Rory helped her out of bed and into the soft terry robe. His hands melded around her very swollen belly, and he kissed her gently.
“Mommy and daddy are ready and waiting for you Chloe,” he said as he kissed Missy’s belly.
Chapter Four
The three brothers were pacing the floor in the waiting room, along with their partners, when Rory returned some hours later.
“It’s a girl!” he announced proudly. “Chloe Melissa. Don’t know how much she weighs yet, but Chloe is fine, and Missy is exhausted.” He grinned broadly.
Jordon, Kody, and Chase slapped him on the back, and hugged him tight. Grace and Isabella, Jordon and Chase’s partners, hugged each other and wiped tears from their eyes.
“I’ll bet she’s beautiful,” Grace declared, as she walked toward Rory.
As she wrapped her arms around him, Rory told her she certainly was. “More beautiful than you can imagine,” he said proudly.
Molly entered the waiting room and spoke quietly to Rory. “Missy is asking for you,” she said. “Don’t stay too long, she needs to rest.”
And that was that. Rory left to go to Missy, as it should be. Kody looked across the room to see Molly staring at him.
“Everything went fine,” she told the room of Callahan’s. Both mother and baby need some rest, so maybe you could all come back tomorrow.”
Kody admitted he was disappointed. He’d hoped to see his new baby niece today, and now that wasn’t going to happen.
But he understood. Having a baby was a big effort, and Missy would be tired. Hell, she’d be exhausted.
His shoulders dropped, and he began to walk away, certain Molly would also need to rest. She was after all, Missy’s doctor.
“Kody,” she said quietly so no one else would hear. “I know we didn’t finish our conversation.”
He looked at her sadly. “There’s always tomorrow,” he said. Resigned to the fact they wouldn’t get to go for their Valentine’s Day dinner.
She stood staring at him, not saying a word, and his heart pounded. What was she thinking?
He turned toward his brothers who were about to leave the hospital, all of them elated at the new family member. He felt the same, but felt he wasn’t giving it his full attention since he was so focused on Molly right now.
She put her hands to her hips and tapped her foot. “So I don’t get to eat after all?” she said matter of factly. Her eyes bore into him, and heart beating rapidly, he strolled to her side and took her hand.
“You certainly do,” he said happily. “You most certainly do.” He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.
“I’m on call tonight,” she said as she perused the menu. It was a risk Kody was willing to take. He was just grateful he finally got to sit down and talk to her face to face.
There was an Asian restaurant within walking distance of the hospital, so they opted for that. At least that way Molly could get back to the hospital quickly if required.
No matter how many times he read the menu, or more accurately, stared at the menu, nothing seemed to stick in his mind. His thoughts were elsewhere.
What was so important that Molly felt obligated to tell him?
He gazed at her over the menu. Her eyes were darting all over the place. She suddenly looked up at him. “What?” she demanded.
“Oh, nothing,” he said casually. Kody reached across the table and touched her free hand. “I’m so pleased we could still go out tonight,” he said quietly. “It’s like a date.”
She glanced across at him. “Like a date?” She looked amused. “So if this is not an actual date, what is it?”
For a grown man in his thirties, he sure was stupid sometimes. “I meant,” he fumbled, losing his train of thought. “Of course it’s a real date, but I wasn’t sure if you...”
Molly quickly interrupted, laughing as she did. “I’m pulling your leg. I do see it as a date. Don’t you?” Now she sounded a little worried.
He was about to answer when the waiter approached their table, so he snatched his hand away and nodded instead. Molly grinned at him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
They placed their orders, and the waiter left to get their beverages.
He slid his hand across to hers again.
“Your wine, Sir, and your water, Madam.”
It seemed they were destined to be interrupted all evening. Kody decided not to pursue where they left off earlier in Molly’s office until after dinner.
“Tell me about yourself,” Kody said, wanting to break the silence.
Molly braced herself by straightening her back and shoulders. “There’s not a lot to tell,” she answered. “I worked hard to become a doctor. Put myself through medical school, working part-time and still managing to study.” She took a deep breath.
“It was hard,” she said. “Really hard. Then I had to do my post-grad work before I was fully qualified.” She waved her hands around and suddenly went silent before continuing a minute or so later.
“And here I am today,” she said. “Oh, I’ve been qualified for a couple of years now,” she added quickly.
Kody smiled. She was a hard worker, just like him.
He reached across the table to touch her hand, but the food arrived, and he snatched it back into his lap.
She gave him a lopsided grin, as though commiserating with him. “This smells amazing,” she said, leaning in to get a better smell of the wonderful aroma.
He leaned in too. “It sure does. Well, go on. Eat it while it’s hot.” Kody picked up the chopsticks and tried for a few minutes to master them. “Waiter,” he called, indicating to the server. “Can we have a couple of forks please?”
“What?” he said, noticing Molly laughing behind her hands. “They’re hard to use,” he said as Molly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat without issue. He watched as she giggled while she ate.
She looked so beautiful when she laughed. Hell, she looked beautiful all the time.
He reached across and brushed a thumb across her cheek. “Molly,” he said quietly, gazing directly into her mesmerising blue eyes.
“We should eat,” she said bluntly. “I’m on call, remember. I may have to leave at any moment.”
He nodded and reluctantly removed his hand. “Sure,” he said, and turned to his food, not really tasting it, wondering what it was she wanted to tell him.
“That was an amazing meal,” she said, finishing off the last mouthful of banana fritters and ice cream.
Coffee was left on the table, and the waiter made himself scarce. Almost as though he knew they needed to talk privately.
Kody wiped his mouth with the linen napkin. “I’ve only been here once before, but the food was every bit as good as it was tonight,” he said, hoping Molly would open up to him soon. After all, she was still on call, and could get a phone call at any moment. They’d been lucky up until now.
He watched her as he sipped his coffee, and she glanced over the rim at him. “Molly...”
“Kody.”
They spoke at almost the same time.
“Kody, I really have to tell you this. It’s important,” she said. “Otherwise our relationship is based on a lie.”
It got more and more interesting as time went on. And curious.
“But I’m not sure here is the right place for this conversation.”
He covered her hand with his, not saying a word. He didn’t want to interrupt her, as had been done all evening, by various means.
“Kody, I.....” Her cell phone rang. “Damn it!” He could see she was frustrated, and annoyed, but she was on call. There was nothing they could do about it.
“Sorry,” she said, genuinely regretting the disruption. “Another baby has decided to arrive.” She bit her lip, full of regret.
“Don’t stress it,” he said, helping her off her chair. “There’s always tomorrow.”
He might have sounded nonchalant, but inside his gut was churning. What was so important that she was stressing so much about telling him? And why didn’t she feel comfortable doing it there in the restaurant?
He certainly wasn’t going to get any answers tonight.
Kody helped Molly into her jacket, paid the bill, then walked her back to the hospital. Urging her into a semi-dark corner outside the entrance, he pulled her close and kissed her gently on the lips.
He could still taste the banana fritter from desert. It was sweet, like Molly. He cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. “Molly, I know we haven’t known each other that long,” he said. “Or had a lot of contact, but I think I’m falling in love with you,” he said quietly. So quietly he almost didn’t hear it himself.
She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Kody,” she whispered. “I have feelings for you too.” She sighed heavily. “I honestly wish I wasn’t on call tonight. There’s so much we need to talk about. That.... that I need to tell you.”
He pushed back and looked into her eyes. “Tell me now,” he said, voice cracking with anticipation.
“I, I can’t,” she said, as she pulled away and quickly strode into the hospital.
He stared after her, wondering what on earth had her so scared.
Kody tossed and turned all night, thinking about Molly and what she wanted to tell him.
He understood she was on call, he really did, but why did she have to get called back to the hospital at that precise moment?
Another minute or two and she would have revealed what was bothering her. Wouldn’t she?
He lay in bed staring at the ceiling. After Annabelle, he’d sworn off women forever. He now knew that it only needed the right woman to come along for him to change his mind.
And indeed, she had. Molly was the right woman. He was certain of it.
He glanced across at the clock, which stood out against the blackened room.
3am.
He pulled the covers further up the bed, and wrapped himself in them, closing his eyes against the glare of the clock.
“Damn it, Molly!” he shouted to the empty room. “Why did you have to be my doctor?” He was certain things would be different now if she hadn’t attended to him in emergency that day.
But then again, they may never had met.
He wondered again what she was so desperate to tell him. Perhaps she was already married? The thought left him as quickly as it had arrived.
She would have told him from the start. She was honest to the core.
He would call her now and find out. The glare of light hit him in the face, and he glanced at the clock again.
Perhaps not.
He snuggled down and tried to get back to sleep, but his head hurt from worrying. He rolled out of bed and sat on the edge for what seemed ages, then pulled on his jeans, and finally headed to the kitchen where he made coffee.
Lots of it.
He was convinced he wouldn’t get back to sleep again and decided to tackle some of the overdue paperwork.
Kody awoke with a start.
After almost three hours of paperwork he’d retreated to the outside lounger to watch the sun rise. His favourite thing to do.
He was somewhat disoriented, and looked a
round, realizing where he was. But he couldn’t seem to stop the ringing in his head.
As he shook his head to clear away the cobwebs, he it finally dawned on him the telephone was ringing.
Molly.
She was the only one game enough to call him at that hour of the day. He ran to the kitchen and pounced on the phone, but it was too late. She’d hung up.
The little red light showed on the machine, so he knew she was leaving a message. He was impatient to listen but had to wait until the call was fully recorded.
He stood tapping one foot, sighing as he did so.
“Come one. Hurry up,” he told the inanimate object, as though it could hear him.
Finally the light went out and he could listen.
“It’s Molly,” her sweet voice said. “I, um.” There was a slight pause before she continued. “I had hoped to catch you, but obviously I didn’t. I’m really sorry about last night.”
Yeah, Kody was too. His mind went back to their kiss. If she hadn’t needed to rush off and deliver a baby, it could have been so much more.
He was so busy with his own thoughts, he missed the end of the message and had to replay it.
“I’m really sorry about last night. I finish at four today, and if you’re free, there’s something I want to show you.”
Was she kidding? He would make himself available, even if it meant moving heaven and earth.
With renewed vigour, he organised himself for work. First off, feed Cracker. He’d have another coffee while the horse ate, and then the two would go and check the boundary fences.
He stood tall as he wondered exactly what it was she wanted to show him. He also questioned if she had any intention of finally telling him what she deemed so important.
If he got to learn at least one of these things, he’d be a very happy man.
At least today there should be no interruptions.
And of course, spending time with Molly was always a bonus.
He held tightly to the reins and urged the horse forward. Not far to go now.
He needed to arrive back at the homestead at 2.45pm.
Time enough for a shower and to make himself presentable before driving to the hospital which was about forty minutes away.
The Rancher's Sweetheart Page 4
