by Devney Perry
Molly hadn’t said a thing about how quickly we were moving. Her mother had called and warned Molly it was too fast. I’d been standing in the kitchen, listening to the call on speaker. Molly’s response? Not fast enough.
This was our first weekend together as a family. The first weekend we didn’t have to think about kid swaps or separate schedules. We were taking the kids on an easy hike, something I hadn’t done since the accident.
But first, I had to make one last change.
I’d told Molly that I needed to stop by Alcott and pick up some things. It wasn’t a lie. I needed to pick up some paperwork—after she signed it.
We reached my office and my heart was nearly beating out of my chest. My hands were clammy. Sweat beaded at my temples because today I was going to ruin my life.
In the best possible way.
“Okay.” I blew out a long breath and stopped in the middle of the room. “We’re not just here to pick something up. First, I need you to sign some papers.”
“What papers?” she asked, her gaze wary.
“I’m selling Alcott.”
She blinked, shook her head, then blinked again. “You’re what?”
“I’m selling Alcott. Since you own ten percent, I need you to sign the buy-sell agreement so I can get it back to my lawyer.”
“What?” She brought her hands to her cheeks as she paced around the room. “You can’t sell Alcott. Why? What? Why? No.”
“It’s gotta go, Molly.”
“But why? You love Alcott. This is your job. Your passion. Think of all the time and energy you’ve put in here. The blood and sweat you’ve put into this place. You can’t just sell it.”
“It’s sold.”
“You already did it? Are you crazy?” she yelled. “To who?”
I chuckled. “About a year ago, this guy from California called me. He’d had a huge landscaping company in Sacramento and had sold it. He moved to Bozeman to retire but turns out, retirement didn’t suit him. He didn’t feel like starting from the ground up, so he asked me if I’d ever sell. At the time, I said hell no. Then things changed. I called him on Monday. We’ve been negotiating the price all week. Landed on one yesterday. Now all I have to do is sign the papers. So do you.”
“But, Finn.” Molly’s eyes flooded with tears. “This . . . this was everything.”
“It was. When we did it together. But Alcott Landscaping hasn’t been Alcott Landscaping for a long time. Since before the divorce. When you stopped working here, a lot of the heart left. It took me a long time to realize, but I’ve been pouring myself into a glass that’s got a huge hole in the bottom.”
“No, Finn. You can’t give it up.”
I crossed the room and took both of her hands in mine. “I’m gaining more than I’m losing here. The kids, our life, it comes first. Alcott is in good hands.”
“This doesn’t make any sense. Alcott is your dream.”
“My dream was a job where I could work outside doing what I love. But I haven’t planted a tree in the name of Alcott Landscaping in over seven years. I had more fun working on the yard with you than I’ve had here in ages. Being confined to my office, driving by and giving crews orders without actually working with them side by side, that was never my dream. The only time I’ve actually done much work has been loading up trucks in the yard, and look how that went. I nearly died.”
She sighed. “I think we need to talk this through. An impulse decision like this, you’ll regret it.”
“I won’t.”
Molly stepped away and paced the room again. She toyed with the hair ties on her wrist. Today’s were yellow and orange. “What will you do? You’ll go crazy if you sit around at home all day.”
“I’ll find something. I don’t have to decide right away.”
“But your employees. They’ll lose their jobs.”
I shook my head. “This guy wants to keep the existing employees. He wants to be the office guy.”
I’d even given him Bridget’s name. As angry as I was at how she’d treated Molly, I didn’t wish her bad fortune. I knew from the grapevine she didn’t have another job yet, so I’d tossed her name out there as a gesture of goodwill.
“He might destroy everything you built.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “He might. And I’m not going to say that won’t be hard to watch. But I’m not selling this place cheap. He’s coming to the table with a hell of a check. I’m thinking he’s plenty motivated to keep Alcott at the top of its game.”
“Oh my God. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m dreaming. This has to be a dream.”
I walked to my desk and picked up the contract I’d printed yesterday. “Here. Maybe this will make it more real.”
She eyed the papers for a few moments then gave in and took them from my hand. She plopped down into one of the chairs next to my desk, set the contract on top and started scanning. I knew right away when she read the purchase price.
“One point five million dollars. He’s buying Alcott for one and a half million dollars?”
I nodded. “We’ve had a good few years in business.”
“Understatement,” she mumbled.
“With that kind of money, we can pay off the house, set aside a good chunk for the kids and then get creative. Maybe start another business. Together.”
“I don’t want to quit my job at the restaurant.”
“Then don’t. The point is, this gives us the freedom to do whatever we want. And it gives me a chance to right some wrongs. I love Alcott. I always will. I’m proud of what we created here. But it’s time to say good-bye.”
“Are you sure? I mean, really sure? I don’t want you to resent me for this later.”
“This is my decision. And I know in my bones it’s the right one.”
She nodded hesitantly. I gave her time to think on it, to let the surprise of my announcement fade. Molly nodded again, this time with more confidence.
When she met my gaze, it was solid as a rock. “Okay. Then I’ll support you.”
“Good.” I picked up a pen and handed it over. “Then sign on the last page.”
Molly flipped to where my attorney had flagged the signature lines with yellow tags. The pen hovered over the paper as she sucked in a deep breath. Then, as she blew it out, her hand moved, signing her name.
With it done, she pushed the paper and pen my way.
I didn’t hesitate to scribble my name alongside hers, not even a second.
Alcott had been the dream. I’d achieved more success here than I ever could have imagined, but it had come at a price. Molly’s heart.
Somehow, I’d been lucky enough to win it back. And I wasn’t going to risk losing it ever again.
The room was quiet as I set the pen down. We sat there, listening as the air whirled.
“I feel lighter,” I confessed.
She met my gaze, her brown eyes swimming in tears. “So do I.”
We took one last moment to look around the room, then I stood and went to her chair. I took Molly’s hand and led us outside. We got into the Jeep, smiled at the kids and left Alcott behind.
The life I’d had was in the rearview mirror.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Pretty spot, isn’t it?” I asked Kali as we stood on top of the ridge we’d hiked. Beneath us the entire Gallatin Valley was spread out in a carpet of green fields and golden hills. The trees were a fall mix of deep green, lemon lime and cherry red.
“Have we ever been up here before?” Kali asked, leaning into my side.
“A couple times when you were a baby. Your mom and I used to come up this trail a lot.”
“Why did you stop?”
“There were lots of other great spots to explore with you guys too.”
It was a partial truth. I’d done a ton of hiking in other parts of the valley with the kids, but I hadn’t brought them up here. It was a harder climb. And this trail was Molly’s favorite. It hadn’t seemed right to come he
re without her.
Behind us, Molly and Max were looking over a different part of the ridge. Max was standing on a tall rock, making funny faces as Molly snapped pictures of him on her phone.
“I love it up here,” Kali said quietly, more to herself than to me.
I hugged her closer to my side. She smiled up at me, then looked behind us as Max and Molly laughed.
Then she dropped her gaze to her feet. “They worked.”
“Huh? What worked?”
“The let—” Her body tensed. Then she was gone, twirling out of my embrace and hurrying over to join Max on his boulder.
“What the hell?” I muttered to the wind.
Maybe I was wrong, but my gut was telling me that Kali had just slipped up and almost said the letters.
I wanted to pull her aside and ask again, but I forced myself to let it go. For now. I’d ask her when we were home and alone.
After a family selfie, we made our way down the trail. The kids took the lead, setting the pace on our descent as Molly and I brought up the rear.
“That was fun.” She nudged my shoulder with her own.
“Yeah, it was.”
“Are you okay? When we were on the ridge, you looked upset. Is it Alcott? Because we can rip those papers up when we get to the Jeep.”
I pulled her into my arms, stopping us on the trail. “No, it’s not Alcott. It was nothing.”
“You’re sure?”
My answer was to put my lips on hers and kiss her breathless.
“Gross!” Max shouted.
Molly smiled against my lips. “He’s grounded.”
“For at least an hour. Kali too. Long enough for us to shower together when we get home.”
“You’re brilliant. I love you.”
“I love you too.” I kissed her again. “Race you to the bottom?”
“Oh, I don’t think we should. Your first hike out, you’d better take it easy.”
“No, I’m fi—” Before I could finish arguing with her, she’d shoved me away and was running down the trail. “Cheater.”
Her laughter echoed through the trees as she flew past the kids. “You’ll never catch me, Alcott.”
Max and Kali giggled as they took off after her.
I chuckled, jogging slowly along to give them a head start.
I’d catch her, all right. I’d never stop chasing.
“Hey.” Cole saluted me with his bottle of beer. “About time you got here.”
“Sorry. We got delayed at home.”
We were late for the barbeque at Cole and Poppy’s place, but it had been worth the scolding from my sister. Molly and I had showered so long that we’d run the hot water heater down to cold.
“Beer?” he offered.
“Please.” I followed him through the house, away from the noise of the kids playing and the adults visiting in the kitchen. He kept his stash of beers in a mini fridge in the garage, as well as the car he was currently rebuilding in his spare time. “How’s the ’Cuda coming along?”
“Great. It’s going to take a year or so to finish, but it’s been fun to tinker on. My dad’s been helping too. I heard you’re unemployed.”
“News travels fast.” Though it came as no surprise that Molly had already told Poppy.
“What are you going to do?” Cole asked.
“Enjoy life.” I sighed. “Buy Molly a diamond ring. Drive the kids to school every morning. Mow the lawn in the summer. Shovel snow in the winter.”
“Good for you. I’m glad for you guys.”
“It was the right move.” I took a sip of my beer. “I owe you.”
“For?”
“The letters.”
Cole tried to hide his grin behind his beer bottle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We went for a hike today and Kali almost slipped up. She caught herself, but it was enough to get me thinking.”
There was no way my daughter could have done it alone. There were no dates to put them in order without more context to our relationship. There was no way she could have timed their delivery to the mailbox just right. But if she’d had help, if she’d been the mailbox delivery person, that I could believe.
There were few people in the world Kali trusted. Her uncle Cole was one. My guess was that he’d found the letters, and Kali had become his little mouse, helping him sneak them into the mailbox.
“When did you get them?”
“Remember that year we played city-league softball?” he asked and I nodded. “You forgot your cleats. You were working and didn’t have time to run home, so I stopped to get them.”
“That was . . .” I mentally tallied the years. “Four years ago. You’ve had them all this time?”
He nodded. “I was just waiting for the right time. When you broke up with Brenna, I decided it was now or never. You’d been so hell-bent on dating someone for so long. Every relationship was a disaster. Poppy was pushing Molly to date her neighbor, and I thought I’d give it a shot. I asked Kali to keep a secret. She was more than happy to be my minion.”
“Did she know what was in them?” Say no.
“No,” Cole promised. “She never knew. I just asked her to deliver some letters that would be good for her mom to read. She never knew they were from you, just that I hoped they’d make Molly happy.”
They hadn’t at first. But in the end, they’d been the catalyst to heal our hearts. To mend them together.
“Why?” I asked him.
“I’ll do anything to make my wife happy.”
My jaw fell open. “You did this for Poppy?”
“And for you.” He shrugged. “When Poppy and I first got together, it was right after you and Molly divorced. You’d just found kind of a truce and you’d decided to start dating again. Poppy told me it was because you wanted to find happiness again and love, like she had with me.”
“Not my smartest move,” I muttered.
“Honestly, at the time I thought it was smart. You and Molly were divorced. You were moving on. Eventually she would too. Poppy had such a hard time with it. She knew you both still loved each other and thought you were wasting love.”
And for a woman who had lost love unexpectedly, it was no surprise Poppy had taken it hard.
“Our opinions swapped, Poppy’s and mine,” Cole said. “At first, I’d thought it was a good thing. Poppy struggled with it. Then she started to accept that you and Molly were through. The more I was around you both, all the years you’d look at each other across the room and smile, forgetting for that split second you were divorced, it started to make me crazy. But I didn’t want to get involved.”
“Then you found the letters,” I guessed.
“That’s right. I found those and took a wild guess that Molly had never seen a single one. I figured, maybe if she did, you two would stop fucking around.”
I chuckled. “Quite a gamble.”
“Nah. I knew you two wouldn’t let me down.” He brought his bottle to his smiling lips. “How’d you figure out it was me?”
“After Kali said that today, I knew it had to be someone close. I started thinking back to all the times Molly and I confronted you guys about the letters. Everyone denied it. Over and over. Everyone except you. You evaded.”
Cole had acted shocked. He’d had alibis for his whereabouts every night. But he’d never actually come out and said No, it wasn’t me.
“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted. I set my beer aside and stretched out my hand. “Thanks.”
“Do right by Molly. And by yourself.” He shook my hand. “That’s all the thanks I need.”
The door to the garage opened and Poppy poked her head outside. “Cole, you can start the grill.”
“Okay, beautiful.”
Cole and I left the garage with fresh beers. While he went to the grill, I found Molly standing in the kitchen, eating chips and salsa.
“Hey.” She took my beer away for a healthy swig. “Poppy and I were thinking of throwing yo
u a party to celebrate your ‘retirement.’ We could have it at the restaurant. You could invite anyone from Alcott. What do you think?”
“I’m game.”
She smiled. “Good. We’ll get planning.”
The kitchen was buzzing with activity as people gathered around the spread of appetizers Poppy had laid out. My parents were here. Cole’s were too, along with his sister’s family. It was guaranteed to be a fun night, but before we got to the good times, I had to talk to Molly.
I had to tell her that Cole had been the one to send the letters. For that, I didn’t need an audience.
“Come with me for a sec.” I grabbed her hand, threading our fingers together as we snuck away to the front porch. Then I told her about how Cole had sent the letters and how Kali had helped.
“A part of me wants to hit him upside the head for putting us through everything. But I’m grateful. So very grateful.”
“Me too.” I pulled her into my arms, resting my cheek on the top of her head. She gave me her weight, settling into the embrace like we’d done a hundred times. Like we’d do a thousand more. “I’m not going to stop.”
“Stop what?”
I held her tighter. “The letters.”
From now until the end of our days, Molly would get my letters.
- LETTER -
Darling Molly,
I just might have to marry you. Again.
Yours,
Finn
Epilogue
Molly
Ten months later . . .
“Finn, would you please slow down?” It was the third time I’d asked.
“I’m going the speed limit.”
“It feels faster.” I couldn’t see the speedometer, but from the backseat of the Jeep, it felt like he was practicing for the qualifiers at the Indy 500.
He grumbled something I couldn’t hear before shooting me a glare through the rearview mirror.
“Eyes on the road!”
“Molly, we’re going to be late.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he fought to keep his patience.
