Chapter Three
Ben paused before knocking on Molly’s office door the next night, not sure he was actually going to be able to go through with this.
It was a stupid, asinine idea, and he was currently not speaking to his younger brother. This went down in the history of their relationship as the stupidest thing his brother had ever done. Yes, he needed a fiancée for his promotion, but not Molly of all people. Not that he’d ever admit it, but their mother looked like a new woman, and she was practically giddy at the thought that he and Molly were getting back together. She’d even mentioned getting out of her hospital gown and into clothes, and maybe putting on lipstick for Molly’s visit tonight. There was no getting out of this now.
He knocked on the door and it swung open as he did.
Molly was getting up from her desk. “I’m running behind. Do I have time to change?” she asked, still in her scrubs. Despite how gorgeous she was, she looked exhausted. Her hair had slipped out of her ponytail, and he could see mascara under her eyes.
He shrugged. “Sure,” he said. His stomach clenched when he noticed the large bouquet of flowers wrapped in a bright pink ribbon on her desk. In spite of having a hectic day, she’d found the time to buy his mother flowers. He hated that she was that thoughtful because it reminded him of the girl he thought he knew.
She ran across the room to the washroom and shut the door. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, and waited for her. He’d never been a liar, and this whole setup made him want to hurl. He hated lying to his mother, and he hated that he was being forced to spend time with Molly. As if it wasn’t bad enough having her back in town, but pretending that they were something like they used to be was tough. She’d lied to him about everything, and yeah, it was over a decade ago, but it reminded him of what a damn sap he’d been. As soon as this fake engagement was over, he was going back to his normal life.
Molly ran out of the washroom a minute later. She was wearing a dark pair of skinny jeans with navy loafers and a red sweater. Her blonde hair was shiny and hanging loosely around her shoulders. The mascara smudges were gone, and she had lip gloss on her full mouth. She looked like a woman any guy would give a double take. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said, picking up the bouquet of flowers.
He should probably acknowledge that kind gesture, but then he remembered how she’d treated him, how she’d shut him down, how she’d refused to even speak to him face-to-face. And lastly, he remembered her telling him that she’d fallen in love with someone else.
Good manners had him holding the door for her, though, and as she passed him he caught the subtle scent of lilacs.
They walked in silence to the side elevators. Another family was in the elevator, and their eyes lit up as they saw Molly. “Dr. Mayberry!” the little girl squealed, tackling Molly in a hug.
Molly laughed as the parents told the little girl to give her some breathing room. He watched the exchange, curious to see this side of her. He knew she’d always wanted to be a doctor. Back when they were dating, she’d always floored him with her work ethic and her dedication to her dreams. No one had worked harder than Molly. He knew she was some kind of genius, skipping two grades. He wanted to dislike Molly for the rest of his life, but watching her with the family and hearing her ask how the little girl was feeling with genuine interest in her eyes reminded him of the loving girl he’d once known and loved.
“This is our floor,” he said, interrupting the conversation and placing his hand in the small of her back. He felt her muscles tense immediately. He gave the family a nod as he and Molly stepped out of the elevator and onto his mother’s floor.
They walked down the hallway in silence, moving to the side a few times to let a gurney and attendant walk by or a patient and family member slowly make their way through the hallway. When they reached his mother’s room, he knocked softly, expecting that she might be sleeping.
“Come in! Come in!” his mother called out, sounding nothing like a person remotely ill, let alone someone who’d just had a tumor removed from her stomach.
He let Molly go first, and the second she rounded the corner, his mother squealed. His gut clenched, watching Molly run over and lean down to gently hug his mother. They embraced for a long time, and he stood there until Molly pulled away. “I brought you some flowers,” she said, picking up the bouquet to show his mother. “But I see your room is already filled with them,” she said with a smile.
His mother waved a hand, smiling back at her. “My boys spoil me, but these are truly lovely, Molly, thank you. I am so happy to see you. I’ve missed you and our long chats,” she said, holding out her hand.
He was surprised to see Molly’s eyes fill with tears as she sat down beside his mother. He’d underestimated their bond. He almost felt like he should give them privacy.
“Well, hey there, future sister-in-law.”
Ben gnashed his teeth together at the sound of his brother’s fake exuberance. He turned to the door in time to see Finn flash him a smug smile and then walk forward and pull Molly into a slightly-too-friendly hug. So much for brotherly loyalty. Molly laughed, but judging by the color on her face, she felt just as awkward as Ben did about the lie. “Nice to see you, Finn,” she said, her voice sounding strained despite the smile.
“You, too. Congratulations on your new position at the hospital. Ben is really lucky to be with someone so successful. His track record the last few years has been less than stellar,” he said, giving Molly a wink before leaning forward to give their mother a quick kiss on the cheek. Ben fantasized about the day he’d be able to tackle him to the ground. If he were ten, he might have even considered filling his smug mouth with dirt from one of the flower pots.
“I’m so proud of you, my dear. I knew you were going to accomplish all of your dreams. I had prayed for the two of you to find your way back to each other,” his mother whispered with tears in her eyes. He glared at Finn. It was one thing to try and make their mother happy and another thing entirely to feed her such a blatant lie.
“Thank you,” Molly whispered. “I’m really happy you’re on the mend. You’re in good hands with Dr. Barrett. He’s a very talented surgeon.”
His mother nodded. “Yes. We’re waiting on some test results, but he said he’s confident the surgery was a success.”
Molly leaned forward and held his mother’s hand. It struck him how much a part of their family Molly had been. His father had adored her as well. He’d often told Ben that Molly was special, and that when you found a special woman you should do everything to keep her. He didn’t think Ben was crazy for wanting to get married so young; he’d understood that when you met the right person, you just knew. She had been kind and compassionate and selfless. Sometimes, it was still so hard to reconcile how she could have betrayed him so badly. It’d been so out of character for her. The one person to believe in her had been his mother, though. She had kept insisting that Molly’s betrayal and rejection didn’t make sense. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you. I’m back and working at the hospital. I’ll pop in and visit in between my shifts.”
“Oh, that will be such a nice treat. I’m so happy. So you’re all settled, then? Where are you living?”
Molly winced. “I’ve been meaning to look with Julia Donovan, but I haven’t had much free time. I want something close to the hospital so I don’t have to waste time commuting, especially in the winter when there’s a storm. I’m staying at the inn.”
“Well, that seems like an unnecessary expense when Ben has a house. A young couple looking to start their life together should combine expenses and save for the future.”
They both jerked their heads toward Finn whose eyes were twinkling, and the bastard looked as though he was trying to hold back a smile.
“Oh yes,” their mother said. “I know Ben’s house is a hot mess, but I always thought it had potential with that view of the mountains and all that land. That’s not up to me to decide. It’s a decision the two of you should make.”
Molly looked over at him, panic in her eyes.
He cleared his throat. “Thanks, Mom, glad you think my house is a hot mess.”
She blushed slightly and he fought his grin. “You know what I mean.”
He racked his brain trying to figure out a lie. “We’re checking out all our options right now.”
“So why doesn’t Molly move in with you until you guys find your dream house?” Finn asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
Ben was going to kill him. After their shift tonight, he was going to drive over him with the fire truck.
“Oh…I don’t know,” Molly said, clearly trying to come up with a reason. “My family is pretty traditional about those things,” she choked out.
“Yeah, me too,” Ben said.
Finn laughed and laughed.
Ben never realized how much he hated the sound of his brother’s laughter. He was going to make sure he didn’t have to hear it again for a while.
Their mother patted Molly’s hand. “Of course, dear, I didn’t mean to pressure you. You do what you need to do. Of course, Ben does have three bedrooms over there.”
“And it’s under twenty minutes to the hospital,” his stupid brother chimed in. “It beats staying at the inn and having to constantly eat out and pay for storage. I’m available this weekend to help you move boxes.”
“Oh that’s wonderful, Finn. How nice of you,” his mother said, picking up a Styrofoam cup of water and sipping from the straw as though she were sipping ice tea, chatting on the front porch.
Ben clenched his teeth. Molly was staring at him with panic. “We don’t want to rush into things,” Ben said.
“But you’re practically engaged,” Finn said. “And, Molly, if you live with Ben, you wouldn’t have to worry about security. He’s like a giant guard dog, just uglier.”
His mother made a tsking sound.
“And think of the money you’ll save by living together. My brother doesn’t make the kind of money you do, so—”
“Okay, enough. I don’t remember the last time I heard you talk so much,” Ben snapped. “Stop giving us marital and financial advice. You’ve done more than enough for us. When we’re alone I’m going to thank you personally,” he said.
Finn smiled lazily, like this was all worth it.
“Okay, you make a lot of good points,” Molly said. “I think it’s a great idea. Ben, do you have time to help me move in this weekend? I have tomorrow off.”
What? He looked at her, not understanding what the hell had just happened. He had no idea how his life had gone from predictable and normal to now having his ex move in with him as his pretend fiancée.
“Ben, it’s not nice to leave a lady hanging,” his mother said, twisting her straw and pointing it toward Molly.
“Yeah, Ben,” Finn chimed in.
He forced a smile even though it killed him. “Sure, Molly, I’d love for you to move in.”
Her face turned a pretty shade of pink, and she glanced down at her watch. “I better get back to work,” she said, standing.
“Oh my dear, it’s late to be going back to work,” his mother said with a frown.
Molly shrugged. “I’m filling in for a colleague in the ER tonight. It’s okay, I’m used it. One day I’ll be able to have all those favors returned,” she said with a cheery smile. She leaned over to hug his mother and then stood awkwardly in front of him.
“Uh, so, I’ll see you later,” she said, looking up at him.
“Don’t be shy in front of us,” Finn drawled.
Right, because they were a couple. Ben leaned down and kissed the top of her head like he’d never kissed a woman. She patted his arm. He was pretty sure a couple in their nineties had more action than they did. “See you later,” she said and then all but ran out of the room.
He braced himself for Finn, but his mother beat him to it. Her gaze was still on the door, a worried expression on her face. “Ben, she’s working too hard.”
He shrugged, but then remembered he needed to act the part of the doting fiancé. “I’ve told her, but you know how stubborn Molly is. And she takes her job seriously.”
His mother shook her head. “No, there’s more to it than that, Ben. Did you see the circles under her eyes?”
He wished he’d noticed dark circles. Instead, he’d noticed her eyes, how beautiful they were. He noticed the flawless skin, the gorgeous smile, the full lips. He noticed the way her laugh made him want to smile. He noticed everything he didn’t want to notice about her. He’d look for the dark circles. Maybe that would help. He cleared his throat when he realized his mother was waiting for a reply. “I didn’t. I’ll talk to her.”
His mother didn’t look convinced. “Watch out for her, Ben. She needs you.”