CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The next morning, Molly woke in Harry’s arms, feeling more contented than she could ever remember.
Her birthday had always been slightly bittersweet, even before things had gone so wrong with Harry, but this year there was only joy. She already felt as though she’d been given the greatest gifts in the world.
Amelia had a father who loved her.
Harry had a daughter he adored.
And Molly?
She smiled as she nestled in closer to Harry’s warm, strong body. She had everything.
Only her lingering worries that his soon-to-arrive family would be angry with her marred what would otherwise have been perfect happiness.
“Happy birthday.” Harry’s lips were warm on her neck. “I love you.”
She couldn’t get enough of hearing it and couldn’t say it enough either. “I love you tooohhh…”
While he kissed her neck, his hand was roaming over her naked curves. She felt insatiable, wanting to make up for so many years of lost lovemaking as quickly as possible.
Last night, they’d made love in the shower, then again in bed. Needing to be quiet only made things feel more intense as Harry captured her gasps of pleasure with his kisses, and they held on to each other so tightly, loving each other with fierce passion.
Though it had been only a matter of hours, she wanted him again. Wanted him to touch her with his big, strong, sinfully talented hands. Wanted him to make her gasp with pleasure and beg for more.
Oh yes. This was the perfect way to wake up, with Harry pressing kisses to her neck and shoulders, making her arch into him when he played over her breasts, then moaning low in her throat as he slid his hand down between her legs.
Last night, they’d teased each other. Learning every inch of each other’s bodies, and pleasure, all over again. But this morning, she didn’t want to wait, couldn’t bear the anticipation.
Thank God, he must have felt exactly the same way, because the next thing she knew, he was gripping her hips and moving inside of her.
“Harry.”
Wanting to forever remember the beauty of being so close to him, she closed her eyes and tried to memorize every moment, one glorious rush of pleasure after another in Harry’s arms. But in the end, all she could do was gasp, and crave, and beg for more as they drove each other higher and higher. Until all that remained was total ecstasy.
And a love so big it took her breath away.
Her heart rate was only just beginning to return to normal when Molly rolled over to wrap herself around him, feeling blissfully happy. “That was hands down the best birthday present I’ve ever received.”
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, it was the usual rush off to school for Amelia, who had only just emerged from the shower. Aldwin had finally forsaken his spot waiting for her outside the bathroom door to lie beneath the kitchen table instead, in hopes that bacon or eggs would soon be falling into his waiting mouth.
“Happy birthday, Mom!” Amelia gave Molly a hug. “I know I usually give you your gift at breakfast, but this year, I’m going to give it to you tonight. I don’t want you to think I forgot because of the musical, or because of how excited I am about my aunts and uncles and grandpa coming to the show.”
“Thanks, sweetie. I know you would never forget. And I’m excited about those things too.”
Amelia picked up one of the bacon and egg sandwiches Harry had put together, breaking off a piece of bacon for Aldwin. “Thanks for making this, Dad.” Her mouth was half full as she said, “I’ll eat it on the way to school.”
She was rushing out the door, her tennis shoes only halfway on, when she stopped. “There’s a letter here.” She picked up an express delivery envelope. “Looks important. There’s a sticky note on it from Mrs. Bronwyn next door. She says they delivered it to her house yesterday by accident and that she’s sorry she forgot to drop it by before now.” Amelia jogged back inside to hand the package to Molly.
“Wait a second, honey.” Molly’s hands shook slightly as she held the envelope. Sensing excitement, Aldwin got up to sniff it. “I think you’re going to want to see this. You too, Harry.”
As he’d been loading the dishwasher, she waited until he had wiped his hands on a kitchen towel before ripping open the pull tab at the top of the envelope. “Amelia, you should do the honors.”
Amelia reached inside, her face a picture of total surprise as she pulled out the piece of paper. “It’s my birth certificate. With Dad’s name on it!”
Molly didn’t even try to keep her tears from falling as she reached for her daughter and Harry, pulling them into a hug. “This is the best birthday ever.”
“It really is,” Harry agreed.
And as Molly wiped her tears away, she saw that she needed to wipe away his too.
* * *
“I wish Amelia could have been here to greet all of you,” Molly said to Harry’s siblings a few hours later out in her back garden. Aldwin, of course, was making the rounds from person to person, getting pats and begging for tasty tidbits.
Upon hearing that Harry’s family was coming to Alexandria Bay to see Amelia’s show, Stanley had given Molly the day off, telling her to consider it a bonus for taking the new job. This meant that she and Harry were able to put together a family picnic that afternoon.
Not wanting to hide anything from him, she’d admitted that she was nervous about seeing his siblings again. He’d tried to persuade her that they weren’t holding any grudges, but she doubted they would have told Harry if they were. After all, why would they want to upset their brother when he already had so much on his plate? Even with her, they might try to hide what they felt, thinking that was what Harry wanted them to do. But she couldn’t let anything fester. Not anymore.
His family had arrived in a big SUV, missing only their father, who would be arriving on his own a little later. Harry had frowned at that news, but they had assured him everything was fine.
Drake, Suzanne, and Alec had smiled as they greeted her with a hug or a handshake, saying how good it was to see her again. They’d even brought birthday presents, which was going way above and beyond.
And yet, even after she’d fetched everyone a drink and made sure they had enough food to eat, she still couldn’t settle…but at the same time, she didn’t quite know how to bring up her concerns.
Seizing the excuse to go inside for a new bottle of wine, she stood for a few moments at the kitchen window and watched Harry with his family. She could see how happy it made him to be with them and how much they all loved each other.
For all their troubles, she knew none of them would have traded families with anyone else. Alec, Harry, Suzanne, and Drake had always been tight-knit. And now, with the addition of their partners, they seemed closer than ever.
She couldn’t help but marvel at how grown-up Suzanne and Drake were. In Molly’s head, they’d forever remained high school kids, but now Suzanne was CEO of her own digital security company and Drake was a world-famous painter. She marveled yet again at how Harry and his family could all be so talented and driven, while managing to be totally unassuming about their achievements. As were their partners.
Suzanne’s fiancé, Roman, was every inch the tough bodyguard…and he was also utterly besotted with Suzanne. From what Molly had seen so far this afternoon, he knew exactly how to make her laugh and also how to make her blush like crazy.
As for Drake’s fiancée, Rosa—she definitely didn’t fit the profile of a self-absorbed reality TV star. If anything, she’d gone out of her way to ask Molly about her life, her career, and Amelia.
And then there were Alec and Cordelia. Truthfully, Molly still could hardly believe her eyes. Alec had been the very definition of the wild and untamed bachelor. Now, though he still had plenty of edge, he was also the most devoted husband imaginable—while his wife, who clearly felt the same way about him, constantly kept him on his toes.
“Molly?” Harry walked into the kitchen. “You okay?”
She almost nodded, but she couldn’t go through with it. Because though the gathering was a whirlwind of chatter and laughter, and no one had glared or scowled at her, she still couldn’t stop worrying. She and Harry had forgiven each other for the mistakes they’d made, but that didn’t mean his family had.
Before this week, she would have tried to bury her fears, only to have them run rampant. She knew better now, though. Knew that facing her worries head on, and telling people how she truly felt, was the only chance she had for true, lasting relationships.
“I need to apologize to your family.”
“You know I don’t think that’s necessary.” Harry drew her close. “But I can also see that you’re not going to have any sense of closure until you do.”
“Thank you for supporting me.” She pressed her lips to his. “Even when you think I’m wrong.”
“As long as we’re honest with each other, I’m pretty sure we can handle anything.”
Hand in hand, they walked into the yard and sat down with everyone. “Could I say something?” Molly felt foolish and shaky, but she had to press on. “First, I want to thank all of you for making the long drive here for Amelia’s show. I know how busy you all are and that you probably changed plans to be here. Amelia is on cloud nine knowing you’re her family now.” Molly’s emotions were so close to the surface they nearly spilled over. “I am too. But I understand if you’re not nearly as thrilled about me. You have every right to be angry over missing out on Amelia’s life until now. I’m so sorry for hurting you. All of you. And I hope that one day you’ll be able to forgive me.”
“I, for one, am not mad at you.” Suzanne reached out to lay her hand over Molly’s. “From everything I’ve seen and heard, you did your best in a difficult situation—and made the same assumption about Amelia’s paternity that I know I would have made in your position.”
“I agree,” Drake said. “And the truth is that if anyone should be apologizing, it’s us.”
Molly was stunned. “Why would you say that?”
“Because Dad was a mess back then.” Alec answered for his siblings, speaking in his blunt way. “So was I a lot of the time. And those two,” he said as he gestured to Suzanne and Drake, “were young enough to still need someone to look after them. As the oldest, I did whatever I could to help keep our family together, but the biggest burden of all fell on Harry.” He shot a rueful glance at his brother. “Dad was beyond me. I couldn’t deal with him, could barely talk to him. I left Harry to deal with him, and I shouldn’t have.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Alec. You did your best.” Harry looked at Suzanne, then Drake. “We all did.” He turned to Molly. “And we all made mistakes. The kind of mistakes I’m not planning to make ever again.”
She leaned into him, knowing he needed her warmth as much as she needed his. “Neither am I.”
A beat later, Alec asked, “So…are we all good now?”
Cordelia smacked her husband on the shoulder. “That’s it? That’s as much of a heart-to-heart as you’re going to allow everyone to have?”
He didn’t look the slightest bit chastened, especially given the way he smacked a kiss on her lips even while her eyes flashed fire at him. But he did turn to the group and say, “If anyone else wants to lay out their heart about something, I guess now’s the time.”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “If I did, I don’t anymore.”
That was when Molly started laughing. “You guys are the best.”
“I’m assuming by best you mean dysfunctional screw-ups?” Drake said in a dry voice that had everyone else joining in with laughter.
“You’re family,” Molly said, her words serious now. “Through thick and thin. Good and bad. I always wanted Amelia to have what you do, even though it was just me. Knowing she has all of you too—it’s the best feeling in the world.”
“You have us too,” Suzanne said. “We’re going to be there for you from now on.” She gave Molly a crooked grin. “Even during those times when you wish we would just get out of your business already.”
“Family is all I’ve ever wished for.” There were tears in Molly’s eyes as she turned to Alec and said with a smile, “Okay, I’m good now.”
Though he grinned back, his eyes looked suspiciously bright as he raised his glass in a toast. “To you and Amelia and Harry.”
And as the eight of them clinked glasses, it truly was the best birthday of Molly’s life, a thousand times over.