Chapter Five
Molly leapt out of bed after peering at her phone display through eyes that felt as though they’d never seen light before. She wasn’t exactly late, but she had to stop in at the women’s shelter because one of her patients wasn’t feeling well.
One of the things she’d always loved about Shadow Creek was the sense of community. When she’d moved back to town she’d heard about the new women’s shelter, and knew she’d make that a priority. She was starting a monthly clinic there and had already done quite a few house calls to the shelter and was familiar with many of the women and children.
She tripped over her luggage in the dark room and swore out loud, pausing and forcing herself to take a deep breath. She hated living out of luggage and in chaos. She loved order and routine. At her condo, all her closets were in order, her clothes hung and organized by color. She always put her clothes away, and she did her laundry twice a week so it would never pile up. Since she rarely ate at home, she hand-washed whatever dishes she used so there would never be a need to empty the dishwasher. The last two years she’d had a cleaning lady because she kept taking on more and more hours at the hospital, so on her one day off she wouldn’t have to spend it cleaning. Instead, she’d use that time to catch up on medical journals and maybe go out. Maybe.
She eyed the suitcases but resisted the temptation to unpack; unpacking at Ben’s would mean she was staying. They both knew he didn’t want her to stay. She hoped she’d be able to make it to the washroom and shower without seeing him. Ben worked pretty crazy hours like she did, so there was no telling where he was at this time of the morning.
She opened the door and there was Ben, leaning over a white pastry box on the kitchen island, shoving something in his mouth. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. His hair was still damp, he hadn’t shaved, and his jeans dipped low enough that she was able to catch a glimpse of rock-solid abs before the counter covered him.
“Morning,” he said, his mouth still full.
She forced a sunny smile and resisted the urge to check whether or not her hair was looking like she’d driven through a tornado in a convertible with the top down. “Morning. I’m going to head into the shower,” she said. She swallowed as his gaze flickered over her body. She crossed her arms, but the moment passed, and maybe she’d just imagined it all.
“Donut?” he asked, grabbing another one before sliding the box across the island in her direction.
She peered into the box and salivated at the sight of four glazed donuts. “Uh, thanks. But no, I try not to start my day with sugar.”
The coffee maker beeped, and suddenly she was heady with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and fresh donuts. He gave her a grin like he knew she was regretting with every fiber of her being saying that she didn’t eat sugar for breakfast. “That’s why I start my day in the gym, then the sugar,” he said. Her eyes narrowed on the lip twitch happening on that perfect mouth. He’d said that about the gym because he knew she slept in and that she normally started her day with a jog as well. Rude. “Besides, it’s chocolate donut day at The Chocolatiers. This only happens once a month. The lineup is out the door. Would you like coffee or do you ingest that in a particular order as well?” he asked, lifting the carafe in her direction.
She held up her chin and fought the urge to beg for caffeine and sugar. “I need to shower and maybe if I have time I’ll grab a cup on my way out,” she said, walking past him. Then, thinking she was again sounding snotty and rude, stopped, and looked at him. “But thank you for offering.”
This time he grinned, looking like the poster boy for everything that was missing in her life, and leaned against the counter, all long lines and mouth-watering muscles. “You’re very welcome. Enjoy your shower.”
She wanted to run away from Ben and his naked torso and all mentions of enjoying showers. By the time she got into the shower, she was a wreck. She didn’t know how she was going to live with him for the next few weeks. Or months. What if his mother’s recovery was delayed and the current chief couldn’t decide who to promote and they had to keep up with this charade for months?
Once dressed, she carefully brushed her hair into a side ponytail and then braided it. She applied blue eye shadow and then stepped back, cringing at her reflection. Hopefully Ben had left by now and she could inhale a donut and coffee without him witnessing it, or the Queen Elsa look she was purposefully going for today. She put her ear to the door and waited, listening for any sounds. A moment later, satisfied he’d already left for work, she marched into the kitchen and poured herself a coffee, feeling somewhat touched he’d left the coffee pot on, and then plucked a donut from the box. It took her about two seconds flat to betray her no-sugar policy, and she almost choked on the amount of dough in her throat.
“Easy there, you wouldn’t want me to perform the Heimlich.”
She closed her eyes in humiliation and dread. He’d have a field day with this one. Easy ammunition. She opened her eyes a few seconds later, but he wasn’t gloating; instead, he was looking at her, a line between his brows. At least he was dressed, she noticed. Not that the shirt and jeans made him look any less sexy than the naked skin.
She took a sip of burning hot coffee and tried not to gasp at the searing pain as it burned down her throat.
“I, uh, like the glitter.”
Oh, that. She eyed the box, wishing that donuts weren’t so bad for you, and wondered whether or not she should have another one. Ugh. It was so much easier to avoid completely. Now the second donut would be on her mind all day. “Thanks, it’s for a patient of mine,” she said, slowly moving away from the donuts and the man. She leaned against the counter and chugged more hot coffee. She really wished there was milk in it.
“The sparkles?”
She gave a small shrug. “She’s this adorable six-year-old patient at the women’s shelter. She has a recurring medical condition that I think has been brought on by trauma. Her mother is wonderful, but she’s also trying to cope with everything they’ve been through. Now she needs to find work and a way to be strong for her daughter.”
“I see. That’s rough,” he said, the teasing gone from his eyes. She knew Ben had a big heart. It was one of the reasons she’d agreed to this. He was one of those guys you never had to second-guess. He’d always treated his mother with love and respect, and he’d always shown her that kindness as well. Ben was a guy who’d do anything for those he loved. If she hadn’t been so young and hadn’t been so low…maybe if she’d called him first, before her mother, things would have been different. Maybe she’d be standing here as his wife.
“I know. Well, anyway, long story short, she was having a pretty down day and didn’t want me poking around or having to do any more bloodwork so I tried distracting her. She told me her favorite movie was Frozen and her favorite character was Elsa.”
His features softened, and for a second she forgot what she was saying. That never happened to her. She was ultra-focused, all the time. But Ben’s face was never…gentle…not anymore anyway. But the way he was looking at her was the way he used to look at her. She had forgotten that feeling, that special feeling that came from knowing someone else thought you were special. She looked into her mug and regained her focus. “I told her I loved that movie too and that I thought I might be related to Elsa,” she said, cringing.
He smiled and fine lines crinkled at the corner of his eyes as he looked at her.
“It wasn’t one of my finer moments, but I was desperate. I’d been working all these crazy shifts, and she hadn’t slept the night before either and was so short-fused. I hated lying to her, but I was all out of options. Before I could even think about my lie, it was out of my mouth.”
He wasn’t smiling at her anymore, and the warmth in his eyes warmed her more than the mug of coffee in her hand. “She believed you, I take it?”
“To her credit, she was skeptical at first, but I can be pretty convincing when I want to be. I’m going to stop in there this morning so I thought I might try and look a little like Elsa. I also may have purchased an Elsa doll,” she said, hanging her head.
“I see.”
She stood there, wondering if he was thinking about the big lie. She had lied to him. She was a liar, in all the ways that mattered. She had lied her way out of her relationship with him. He thought she’d cheated, but that was a lie. Now she was lying to a patient. But he said he believed her and that made her uncomfortable, sad, humble. Why did he believe her? What had she ever done to let him believe her? But the most terrifying thought was what if she had trusted him…what if she had gone to him instead of her mother? Would everything have changed?
“I’d better head out. What time are you finished tonight?” he asked, grabbing his keys from the counter and waiting by the door.
Her heart started beating faster, and it had nothing to do with the coffee she was inhaling at record speed. “Eleven.”
He frowned. “How can you keep pulling these late nights and early mornings?”
She shrugged. “I’m used to it.”
“I’ll leave the light on for you. Have a good day,” he said, opening the door and leaving the house.
She exhaled and leaned back against the counter, placing her coffee down. She had no idea what had just happened, but it felt like things were getting more personal, like he actually still cared about her on some level. That was scary. It was one thing for her to still care about him, but if Ben still had feelings for her, it was an entirely different ball game because she would cave. She would fall hard and fast all over again… The only problem was that he would demand the truth, and she didn’t know how she’d ever give that up. He would also assume she was that same girl, the one he fell in love with, the one who wanted marriage and babies. The only babies in her life were her patients. That was all she needed it seemed.
…
“Well, Elsa, it looks like you have an ear infection,” Molly said, trying to maintain a serious expression as she stared into the stuffed doll’s face. She knew her little patient beside her was watching her closely.
“Poor Elsa,” Eliza said, taking the stuffed doll and cradling her.
Molly looked up at her mother who was smiling and winked. “How about I look in your ears now? Elsa may have passed on her infection.”
The little girl shook her head. “I hate having things poked at me.”
Molly nodded and shifted on the single bed. She was pleased to see that Faith and her daughter were adjusting so well at the Shadow Creek Women’s Shelter. Faith had added some framed pictures of the two of them on the dresser along with some books and a vase filled with flowers. She admired Faith for the strength she always portrayed in front of her daughter, even though Molly knew the woman must feel as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Here,” Molly said, holding the otoscope in front of Eliza. “Why don’t we look in Elsa’s ear together? Then when you see how Elsa does it, maybe you’ll be okay with me looking in your ear?”
Eliza eyed her solemnly for a moment and then nodded. Molly guided the otoscope to Elsa’s furry ear. “Now have a look through here,” she said. Eliza squinted and peered inside.
Molly hid her grin as Faith shook her head, trying not to laugh out loud.
Eliza sighed theatrically. “Well, I can see why Elsa was so angry. That’s a pretty bad ear infection.”
Molly nodded seriously. “It is. And the longer she waits to take her medicine, the worse it will get.”
Eliza’s eyes widened.
“Well, I’d better get to the hospital,” Molly said, getting up slowly, hoping Eliza would relent and let her check her ears without a fuss. Molly opened her bag and was about to put her otoscope away when Eliza relented.
“Okay, fine! You’d better check. I’d hate for Elsa to feel guilty that she gave me an ear infection,” she said, holding the doll on her lap.
Molly smiled. “You’re a good friend. Okay, here we go. First, I’m going to look in the ear that’s not hurting, then I’m going to look in the one that is, so I can compare. Sound like a plan?”
“Well, I guess. But don’t you know what an ear’s supposed to look like?”
Molly swallowed her laugh as she looked into Eliza’s left ear. “Well, sometimes doctors forget things. Or what if you had crazy ears that were green inside?”
Eliza squealed and barely noticed as Molly switched sides to look in her other ear. Molly winced as she spotted all the telltale signs of a nasty ear infection. “Well, Eliza, it looks like Elsa did pass along her ear infection. But the good news is that you’ll both be feeling a lot better in a couple days if you take your medicine.”
Eliza nodded. “Okay, Dr. Mayberry.”
“Now how about I have a quick listen to your chest to make sure it’s all clear?”
Eliza nodded agreeably and Molly had the little girl breath in and out a few times. “Well, that sounds perfect so that’s great.”
“She has another ear infection?” her mother Faith said, rubbing her daughter’s back.
Molly scrunched her nose and nodded. “Maybe at our next appointment we can look at some options that might help prevent the recurrence. I’ve had some patients who’ve had a lot of success by removing dairy from their children’s diet for a few years. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
Faith gave her a smile and stood up from the bed. “Thanks, Dr. Mayberry.”
“No problem. I’ll call this into the pharmacy and have them deliver it,” Molly said, tucking her phone and Rx pad into her bag.
“I’ll walk you out,” Faith said.
Eliza scooted under the covers. “Bye, Dr. Mayberry. Elsa just whispered that she wanted me to tell you that she’s really happy to be living here with us and that she has such a nice doctor.”
Molly blinked back the emotion in her eyes and smiled at the little girl. “Well, let Elsa know that I’m glad you’re both here. Every time I see the two of you, my day gets a whole lot brighter.”
Eliza beamed at her as she left the room with Faith following her. The two women walked down the upstairs hallways side by side. “This place is really coming along,” Molly said, noting the wallpaper that had been stripped.
“It has. It’s a gorgeous old house. I think they’re almost finished with the rewiring up here, and then they have to paint the hall and they’ll be finished,” Faith said.
“That’s great,” Molly said, shooting her a smile.
“I wanted to tell you that I followed your advice and asked at that chocolate place if they could use any part-time help. The owners are both women, and they are so nice. I have a job!”
“I’m so happy to hear that,” Molly said, hugging Faith when the woman reached out for her. Molly was well aware how she could have easily been in Faith’s position. Really the only difference was that Molly had been born into an affluent family that had pushed the importance of education and wealth…maybe a little too hard. But what made Molly ashamed or uncomfortable was that when she saw Faith with her daughter, it brought out all of Molly’s buried feelings.
“I feel like I’m finally getting my life back on track. I mean, I have no choice, I owe it to Eliza. After what we’ve…she’s been through…I need to make things right for her. This place is great, and I can stay here while I finish my degree and work part time. It’s a dream come true.”
Molly smiled at Faith. “I think you’re doing a great job with Eliza. She’s sweet and funny, and I’ve already noticed a huge difference in how relaxed she seems after only a month.”
“That means so much to me. She’s my world. She’s everything to me, and I’ll always put her first,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Molly swallowed the lump in her throat. “She knows how loved she is. That’s why she’s coming out of her shell so quickly. You’ll find that this town is filled with good people…people you can trust. I know the world can seem scary and like there is no one you can trust, but I promise that will change. You’ll heal. Eliza will heal. You have so many good years ahead of you both.”
They stopped walking as they reached the front door. “Thank you. I will never be able to repay you,” Faith said. “The first chance I get, I’ll pay you for the prescriptions.”
Molly waved her hand. “Don’t. Please. It makes me happy to help.”
Faith looked down. “She’s not…mine. Eliza is my sister’s daughter. He didn’t want my sister to keep her. When she found out she was pregnant, he wanted her to get rid of her. But there was no way. She could never. My sister was the bravest woman I know…knew. I’ll do anything to keep her daughter safe,” Faith said, looking up at her.
Molly was floored by the revelation. She’d never once thought Faith wasn’t the little girl’s biological mother. And the horror of what she was insinuating was painful to imagine. Molly struggled for control, but it was hard to breathe because her chest was clogged with emotion, with regret, with an ache she knew would never leave. “You’re an amazing woman. If you ever need someone…even just a friend, I’m a phone call away.” She backed away and reached for the door knob.
“That means a lot coming from you. Thank you.”
“I’ll make sure that prescription gets filled right away,” Molly said, leaving the house, anxious to be by herself. She could dwell in her pool of regret as she drove over to the hospital. She was going to have to find a way to keep it all together. But Shadow Creek had a way of drawing her out of herself and making her believe second chances were possible, for a few seconds.
Faith and Eliza were getting another chance, but that didn’t mean she deserved one. It was too late for her and Ben. She’d seen a softening in Ben toward her this morning, but she knew it could never go any further. She’d held on to her secret for so many years; she’d let it destroy all of her relationships, all her dreams.