Molly

BLAKE DIDN’T SHOW THAT NIGHT like I’d expected him to. In fact, I never even saw his car in the driveway the whole evening. Naturally I thought the worst. That maybe he changed his mind and sought comfort elsewhere. I’d fallen asleep on the couch, which made me feel all the more pathetic.

This morning, I woke up with a kink in my neck and a nagging feeling that this wasn’t what I needed. Maybe Port Townsend wasn’t the place for me right now, and I need to pick up and find somewhere else. Living across the street from Blake was proving to be too much, and for my own sanity and heart strings, they needed to be cut.

I phoned Melonie while I made my coffee. She wasn’t exactly shocked that I had made the decision to sell. She told me that after flipping the property, I could make some really good money on the sale depending on the renovations I’d done. I gave her a time that she could come over today and assess everything. After hanging up, I plopped back down on the couch.

Today was going to suck. Hard work and tears were poured into this place. It had been a labor of love. I had my whole heart invested. And by whole heart, I meant every little bit of it. My pride and dignity were teetering on the edge as I felt I was being toyed with. I hoped like hell I’d be able to find somewhere else to feel contentment.

It took no time at all before my doorbell rang, and my realtor stepped inside my little transformation.

“How are you?” She greeted me with a hug.

Poor Melonie had no idea how much I needed it. I squeezed and released her. “I’m good,” I lied. “I have no idea how this all works, but please, feel free to look around and ask anything about the work.”

Her eyes scanned nearly every inch and surface. We went from room to room and she was nearly silent as she wrote things down and moved on. We ended up back in the kitchen and she set her pen and notepad down on the counter.

“I have to say, this is probably one of the most shocking changes I’ve ever seen. When you bought this place I was certain you were well over your head and you would have called me before now to try and sell this place.” She ran her hand over the granite I’d picked to match the backsplash. “It’s stunning. All of it. I don’t think you went too high-end, but you did just enough to make it shine.”

I beamed. It felt good to smile like this. “Thank you. And listen, I’m not looking to make a profit. I just want my money back. If we have to list it as such so it sells quickly, then I’d rather go that route.”

Melonie cocked her head to the side. “Oh. Can I ask why?”

I shrugged, not caring to go into detail. “I never bought this house to make money on it. But it’s been so trying getting it done, that I think a quick sale is best so I can pick up and move on.”

She eyed me curiously. “Molly, you do know you could easily get an additional ten grand if the right buyer comes along.”

“I have no doubt about that. But I think right now, the sooner the better. I wasn’t doing this for potential resale or money.”

She nodded. I knew she didn’t get it, and I didn’t care. “Well, if I could make one suggestion, I’d touch up a few places of the paint in the living room so it all appears fresh and brand-new. Any personal touches or photos might need to come down, as most buyers can’t picture themselves in your house when it’s you they are seeing.” She laughed at her own joke.

“Okay, I’ll do that this evening.”

I signed some paperwork stating that she was my realtor and she had the rights to show the home and place a lockbox on the door. She told me she had a ‘For Sale’ sign in the back of her vehicle and would put it up now since she was here. The house wasn’t officially on the market, but if passersby saw it, they could call her and get the information while she drew up the paperwork and wrote out a listing.

I watched from the window as she stuck the sign in the yard. I realized my decision was very abrupt and not even thought out before I leapt. I knew I’d probably drive away from here, slapping myself and saying I allowed a man to drive me away. I loved it here. It brought me comfort and solace after my mother’s passing, and for that I found I was more attached than I expected I’d be. But I wasn’t going to do this for another day. The bad habit of looking at the green house across the street. Or wondering if he’d moved on. It was too much for me.

The rest of the afternoon went on as usual. I shoved some furniture out of the way and laid down a drop cloth so I could paint without making a mess. I decluttered personal belongings, which didn’t take long. It was only a few framed photos. The living room was prepped and I was rolling out a pale gray on the wall that had a few spots of missing color. I think it happened when I scraped the ceiling.

I was halfway through when my front door opened and a very pissed of Blake came charging in. His chest was huffing and puffing and he was glaring at me much like he had that first day I saw him. I was startled by the intrusion, but other that blinking at him a few times, I gently set the roller back in the pan and sat back on my feet.

“What… the… fuck,” he said, annunciating every word. “Why is there a for sale sign in the yard?”

I should have assumed this confrontation was coming. I don’t know why I told myself he wouldn’t care enough to come over. I didn’t have an answer, so I stayed silent.

He stood, his appearance intimidating, yet sexy as ever. He was once again dressed in business attire and I wondered why such formality. “Hello, do you have anything to say? There’s a fucking for sale sign in your yard, and I want to know why.”

“Because I’m selling the house.”

He turned around, giving me his back. His hands fisted his hair and he was trying to compose himself. “Jesus Christ, Molly. We have a fight and you suddenly think you need to move and sell?”

Okay, no. “You think this was a simple fight? Just an inky dinky little fight?”

“Yes!” he nearly shouted.

I stood up and marched toward him. Shoving his chest, he took a single step back but otherwise barely budged. “You’re delusional, Blake Whitmore. You tossed me out of your hospital room like I was day old trash. You haven’t spoken to me in how long, and you think we are just bickering.”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t of the caliber to sell your goddamn home!”

“You… haven’t… talked… to… me,” I ground out. “Where the hell were you yesterday, huh? I sat here, expecting you, and you didn’t show. Did you go running to another woman?”

He jerked his head back. “Is that what you thought? Molly, my sister stopped in town as a surprise to me and I had dinner with her and the kids.”

Oh. “Well, that doesn’t explain why you couldn’t have called.”

“True. I’ll give you that. But I felt it more appropriate to just wait till we could talk in person. I had no idea you were waiting for me. I wanted to come last night, I really did. I got in so late, and I saw your lights were off. Now I come home from work and you’re getting rid of your house. I don’t get it.”

I felt kind of sheepish for assuming he was with someone else. I had no idea his sister was here. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

He motioned to the sign in the yard. “Doesn’t explain that.”

I sighed. “Blake, my heart hurts. You not showing last night, nor calling, one could only assume the worst. These last few months have been hell for me. Do you have any clue how it felt having strangers in here doing the jobs you promised me you’d do? Do you have any idea how it felt seeing you over there day in and day out, and you weren’t speaking to me? I can’t keep up with the disappointment. It’s too much.”

His eyes softened and he kneeled down in front of me. “I need you to listen to me. And listen good, please. Really hear me this time. When I first met you, I was infatuated with you. You were this fiery blond-haired woman who wasn’t in the least bit intimidated by me. You had an air around you that was hopeful. No matter how many times I tried to dampen your spirit and said you couldn’t do something, you were determined to show me different. Never have I had that. It’s contagious, and I’ve missed it. I need that in my life, Molly. I demand it to be in my life.”

He demanded it?

“I’m sorry, Molly. Do you hear me this time? I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Not a small one, but a huge one. I messed up. I want to try this again. We deserve to see what could happen between us with everything out in the open. I don’t want to hurt you. And I swear, I’ll do everything in my power to never do it again.”

The depth of his words were sinking in. He was begging me with his eyes to believe him. He meant what he was saying. Blake was apologizing and I was putting him through the ringer. I couldn’t feel bad about that, but he needed to know this couldn’t happen again. My heart wasn’t something that could be mended with pretty words and cuddles.

“How do I know you won’t?” I couldn’t help the tears that were pooling in my eyes.

He reached out and cupped my cheek. I allowed it. “You’ll just have to believe me, I guess.” He brushed a tear away. “I’m falling for you, Molly. I didn’t know I was capable of feeling love again, but you have showed me it’s safe. I’m okay to feel with you. This is what I wanted to tell you last night. I think I’m in love with you. And I want to be with you. Every day, all day, every minute you’ll let me.”

My heart was galloping in my chest. My ears couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Despite all of the pain, I believed what he was saying. He had true feelings for me. I couldn’t deny that. I knew it the first night we’d spent together. I just needed to realize Blake had been through a lot in his life, and he was doing the best he could with what he had known. He was on a learning curve and I had to have patience. We needed better communication.

I licked my dry lips and wrapped my hand around his wrist that was near my face. I leaned into him and soaked in his warmth. “I believe you. And I love you too.”

He ducked his head so he was eye level with me. “You do?”

I nodded. “I do.”

He made me smile when he tipped his head to the side. “The for sale sign, woman. You were really going to sell the house?”

I had the nerve to appear sheepish. “Yeah, and I think I still might.”

His face dropped. “But I thought we just—”

I smiled. “Blake, I’m kidding. Well, maybe. My realtor said I could sell the house for more than I paid for it. Considering how good I did in here, I’m thinking I may have a future in flipping homes.”

“Molly,” he scolded.

“I’m just saying, it wasn’t all that bad. I mean, I did do the showerhead, ceilings, paint job, and sanded cabinet doors. If I took on another, I may become a pro at this.”

“Are you kidding? The house would be on the ground if I hadn’t rescued it from you.”

I gasped. “You take that back.”

“Or what?” he teased.

I snuck my other hand behind me and dipped a finger into the paint. Swinging my arm around, I smeared gray across his cheek. “That.”

He chuckled. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that.”

I smiled. All the unease was washing away. “I do. And I’ll speak to Melonie tomorrow. I really may still sell, but I think it’s something we need to talk more about.”

“That for sale sign is coming up when I walk out of this house.”

“Bossy jackass,” I grumbled under my breath.

“What? I’m sorry, I missed that.”

“Nothing.” I scooted closer to him.

He cupped my cheeks and was now only a hair’s breadth away from my lips. I was dying for him to kiss me. To seal the deal with all of our pent-up emotion. Nobody’s stomach should be put through this kind of roller coaster.

“I love you,” he whispered.

It was so soft I barely heard it. But I did and I was done for. As a writer, not even I could have written this kind of love story. The angst, the heartache, the love, the sadness, the tension, it was incredible. I’d never want to live through the last three months again, but I would if it meant I was right here, in a house built on love, about to kiss the man of my dreams. This was what my kind of stories were made of.

“I love you too,” I whispered back.

“I think you’ve fixed my heart, Molly Hartford.” He smiled.

I couldn’t wait any longer. I pressed forward and my lips met his. It was electric. The softness of his kiss and the fervor between us was all two people could ever need.

“Good, I’m glad.”

He laughed and deepened the kiss. I was happy. The absolute happiest. This was my life.

Blake Whitmore had fixed me too.