Chapter Eight
Molly zipped her windbreaker as quickly and quietly as possible. It was still dark out, not yet 6:00 a.m., and she was hoping Ben wasn’t awake yet and ready to keep his promise to jog with her. She had fallen asleep quickly after their talk and had slept for a solid five hours. She needed to sort out her thoughts regarding Ben and her feelings for him.
She closed the door softly behind her and walked quickly to warm up before her run. Ben’s street had no sidewalk, but the road was wide enough. She double-checked to make sure she had her phone in one pocket with her usual self-defence items in the other. She had taken the courses, but she also liked backup. Pretty soon the cool fall air didn’t feel all that chilly, and she was able to enjoy the view of the country. The grass was sparkling with dew in the sun, and in the distance, she could see a farm and barns. “You didn’t actually think you’d sneak out without me, did you?”
She yelped as Ben’s voice from behind caught her by surprise. She stopped and turned around. Sure enough he’d basically caught up to her. He was wearing a T-shirt, athletic shorts, and a ratty baseball cap with the SCFD letters stitched across the front. She had no idea how he wasn’t freezing; it was like they were dressed for different seasons. “I wasn’t trying to sneak out.”
“Yes, you were,” he said, running past her. “I heard you clomping around the house.”
She picked up her pace to keep up with him. “I don’t clomp.”
“Sure you don’t. You’re worried you won’t be able to keep up with me,” he said, and she could see the corners of his mouth twitch.
“I always outran you.”
“I let you win,” he said, shooting her a grin that was both infuriating and gorgeous.
She gasped. “What? No way.”
“Yup. I knew winning was important to you, so I let you win.”
“I feel like everything I ever knew about you has been a lie,” she said.
He laughed and she smiled, watching the way the corners of his eyes crinkled and how the deep sound of his laughter made her feel warm inside. She was so busy noticing how good he looked and sounded that she didn’t see the giant pothole until her foot got stuck in it and she went flying forward, her favorite curse words flying out of her mouth as she hit the ground.
“What the hell, are you okay?” Ben asked, his hands on her shoulders.
She couldn’t answer because she’d had the wind knocked out of her, not to mention humiliation was seeping through her faster than the gravel that had pierced her skin. She stared at the asphalt and didn’t move. Ben hoisted her up like she was a ragdoll and held on to her while she steadied herself.
He winced when he looked at her and gently plucked out bits of the road from her hair. “I’ve never seen anyone do that before,” he said, turning her hands over and shaking his head. “It’s like you were showing off one minute and then face-planting the next.”
She would have come up with a retort to his smart-ass comment, but she followed his gaze and saw the gravel mixing with blood on her palms. But what held her attention captive was the sight of his large hands, holding her smaller ones protectively. He pulled back to look at her and she stood there, feeling almost like a child who’d gotten all scraped and banged up in the playground. “You okay, sweetheart?” he asked, bending down and smoothing her hair from her face.
She held on to her tears, just like she’d learned to, except it was harder. Ben, using that voice that was filled with such concern, for her, was something she never thought she’d hear again, especially two days in a row. She wanted nothing more than to lean forward and wrap her arms around him. She’d been so strong this last decade; she hadn’t cried, and she hadn’t leaned on anyone. She’d worked until she couldn’t move, and ignored her heart. But her heart would always lead her back to Ben and that was so unfair because she couldn’t have him.
“Molly?” he said again, a worried expression in his eyes.
“Of course… I have no idea what happened,” she said, pulling her hands from his grasp.
“I knew you were competitive, but to stage a fall so you could be spared the humiliation of losing—”
She managed to punch his rock-hard stomach as he burst out laughing. “That’s not what I was doing!”
“Okay then. It isn’t,” he said with a grin that made her toes curl, despite the stinging in her hands and knees. “No point in arguing. We should get back to my place and disinfect those scrapes,” he said, walking with a slight limp.
When she didn’t follow, he stopped and turned around. “Coming?”
She frowned and nodded. “Why are you limping?” she asked, catching up to him.
“I’m not limping.”
Her eyes narrowed on him and then looked down, and sure enough he was favoring his left leg. “You’re such a bad liar. I can see you limping. Oh, maybe you’re just so out of shape that—”
“It was an accident,” he snapped. “A floor gave out on me during a rescue in an old building. That’s it.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, as regret filtered through her. She stole a glance, admiring his hard profile, the determination as he limped back to his house evident on his face. They walked the short distance back in silence, both of them hobbling.
“Go sit at the island in the kitchen. I’ll get my first-aid kit and be right back,” he said once they were inside the house.
“You know, I am a doctor. I can deal with these scrapes myself,” she said, uncomfortable with the attention he was giving her. “Besides, I think you need to sit down and ice your knee.”
“My knee is fine. I’ll do that later. Something tells me you need someone to help you out every once and a while,” he said over his shoulder as he disappeared into the washroom.
What was that supposed to mean? It was as though last night something had changed between them. He wasn’t indifferent to her anymore. Animosity wasn’t oozing out of his gorgeous brown eyes.
She sat down at one of the bar stools at the island, wincing as she bent her knees. He was back a minute later and motioning for her to show him her hands. She sighed and unzipped her jacket, pulling it off and then turning the palms of her hands up. She gasped sharply as the alcohol stung her hands, but before she could say anything, he was gently blowing on her skin to relieve the sting. She knew the tears in her eyes had nothing to do with the pain of the cut and everything to do with the kindness he was showing her. He bandaged up one hand before moving to the next, working quickly and efficiently. “You should get a job in the ER,” she said to his downturned head.
He looked up and grinned. “I’m not good with all the crazies that come into that place.”
Her eyes widened and she tried not to laugh. “We don’t really like to refer to them like that.”
He stood in front of her, pleased with his handiwork on her hands and then moved to the scrapes on her knees. “Either you take your pants off or we roll these up,” he said, a challenging glint in his eyes. Her mouth went dry at the take your pants off part and she stumbled, in an attempt to come up with a witty reply. Ben like this…caring Ben, teasing Ben, sexy Ben, was the guy she remembered…the guy she loved. If she hadn’t made the choices she’d made, then taking off her pants would have been the obvious choice. Probably the choice of the majority of women who had him standing in front of them.
She cleared her throat. “Roll them up.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” he said, the smile still in his voice as he slowly pulled her pant leg up. Good thing she’d shaved her legs was thought number one as he positioned her pants over her knees. Thought number two was how gentle he was for someone so tough and big. Thought number three was that it felt even better than she remembered to have his hands on her. She wanted to say something witty, to keep the lightness of their banter going, but she couldn’t, because she was caught off guard by all of it. She wanted this to be the way it always was. She wanted to be with Ben every day.
They held each other’s gaze for a little too long, but he looked away first and took a step back. “I should shower. I need to run an errand in town before brunch,” he said, wincing as he stood.
“Right. Me, too. You think all these Band-Aids will hold up in the shower?” she asked.
“Waterproof,” he said with a grin.
“Okay…great,” she said.
He walked toward his bedroom, his limp still pronounced. She let out a long breath and then draped herself over the island. What had she gotten herself into? How the heck was she going to continue living with a man she was in love with still but couldn’t have? And how was she going to go to his mother’s house and have to pretend to be engaged to him?
…
Ben cursed under his breath as his knee throbbed while he walked.
He stopped and popped a prescription anti-inflammatory and swallowed it down with coffee. He hated using painkillers, which was why he didn’t keep any in the house, but he knew he’d need it today because he’d felt his knee give out when he’d picked Molly off the pavement this morning. It had been one of the nicest mornings he’d had in a long time, and he didn’t want to think about what that meant. He also didn’t want to admit that it was the reason he’d stopped by The Chocolatiers and picked up coffees and chocolate croissants. When he’d left the house Molly was still in the shower, and he knew she’d be looking for some morning caffeine, so he thought he’d surprise her.
He slowed his pace as he spotted Molly’s younger sister Addie inside her store. Addie made eye contact with him and smiled, waving him in. He had always liked both of Molly’s sisters and had often wondered how they all turned out normal with a mother like Marlene. Molly had told him that her sister was back in town and opening up a bookstore. He swung open the door, and Addie threw herself at him. “I’m so happy to see you!” she said.
He smiled. “It’s good to see you too, Addie. The town’s been very quiet without the Mayberry sisters.”
Her blue eyes sparkled. All three sisters had the same eyes, but Addie looked different than the other two. She was just as gorgeous but in her own way. She was shorter, curvier, had jet-black hair, and usually quieter. But he knew her well, despite the time that had passed. “Well, I’m sure Molly’s told you Melody’s back, too.”
He nodded. “I heard. I’m happy for the three of you. You must have missed each other a lot.”
She angled her head, and he caught a flash of something. “How are things with you and Molly?”
He shoved a hand in his pocket, wondering if he was about to become the victim of sister reconnaissance or if she was just genuinely curious. “As in the fake engagement?”
She smiled a little and picked up a coffee cup from the cash desk. “As in living with your former girlfriend.”
He rolled back on his heels. “Ah…that.”
She nodded. “Yeah, that.”
He shrugged and chose his words carefully, especially since he hadn’t exactly figured out how things were going. “Well, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what we are,” he said, shocking himself with voicing his thoughts. Hell, he hadn’t even known that’s what he’d been thinking. But it was true. Some days it felt like they were getting closer, their chemistry was stronger than ever, but emotionally, she kept herself very closed off. He shouldn’t care about her, about what had happened to her, but he was starting to again.
“Don’t give up on her,” Addie said, the expression on her face telling him there was a deeper meaning to her words of encouragement.
“Addie, we aren’t…anything. I know we were young, but there are a few things I have a hard time letting go of; cheating is one of them,” he said, holding her gaze. Tears filled her eyes and she nodded. He had no idea how this had gotten so real, so fast. “I should get going. I don’t want the coffees to get cold.”
“Sure, sure,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee.
“It was good to see you. Good luck with this place. I’m sure it’ll be successful,” he said, his hand on the doorknob and pulling the door open.
“Wait,” she said, walking around some of the boxes.
He shut the door and turned to her, hearing the desperation in her voice.
Her blue eyes were filled with tears. “Something happened to Molly.”
His heart started racing; it was what he’d been starting to think. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, not now…then. When she said she cheated on you and broke up with you. She wouldn’t talk to us, either. At first, we thought she was upset because of the breakup. We knew it was out of character for her though, and we knew she was so in love with you, Ben. I mean you’re all she talked about; she drove us crazy,” she said with a small laugh. “She had a giant binder, and you know Molly, it was perfectly sorted and organized with wedding plans. She had a timeline, when you’d finish school, when she’d finish, where you’d live…everything. And then…nothing. She didn’t return our calls; she just sent the occasional email saying she needed to focus on her career. She never settled down. She never stayed at the same place longer than a couple years. Even this is temporary. She’s running off when her contract is up.”
His chest felt heavy and his stomach churned. “What else,” he said, his voice sounding harsh to his ears.
“She wouldn’t answer any of our calls, emails, nothing. She never came back home.”
“What?”
She nodded. “When she refused our calls, Mel and I drove out to her school, but she was gone. Her roommate said she’d been done for a couple weeks.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t get it. What about your parents? What did they say?”
“Our mother said to leave Molly alone. She’d transferred schools and didn’t need to be bothered.”
He ran a hand through his hair. None of this made sense. “What?”
“I know. We didn’t buy it either until Molly finally called us. She said she was fine and sorry for worrying us. She said after your breakup she just needed to get away and that this program was perfect.”
“But you didn’t buy that?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. But there was nothing we could do about it. At the time, we kind of thought maybe that was it, maybe she was humiliated and regretted what she’d done to you. Our mother kept insisting that was it. We’d hear from her now and then, but it was nothing like before. Ben, the three of us were inseparable.”
“I know that,” he said, wracking his brain for a clue or bit of conversation he’d had with Molly that could point him in the right direction. “Did you parents ever say anything else? She didn’t come home for birthdays or Christmas or Thanksgiving?”
Addie shook her head. “No. When Dad died, she came home for two days. She looked like a ghost. She barely spoke to anyone. It felt like my mother was making excuses for her. She would always say that Molly had her head screwed on straight, working hard and career focused. My father said nothing, but he seemed sad. I do know that Molly and our mother are barely on speaking terms, though. I don’t want to push Molly and ask her a bunch of questions because I don’t want her to get mad and stop speaking again. I feel like I’m just getting my sister back, you know?”
He nodded. He did know. Everything she was saying was adding up to something pretty big that went down. He knew it. Sure, maybe his pride had kept him from really wanting to figure things out because she’d gutted him, but it all added up now. His only choices were to walk away from Molly now before he risked it all again for her or try and find out what happened to the only woman he’d ever loved.