More Than Memories (21 page)

A weight lifted from her shoulders. Molly hadn’t
even known it was still bothering her. They chatted for a good half hour, and
just a few minutes after they hung up with Alicia, Mark called.

Molly had expected some heavy conversation between
her and Trent during the drive, but instead they were catching up with friends.

“Hey, buddy,” Mark greeted. “I’ve got good news
and good news.”

“That’s what we like to hear.” There was a lift to
Trent’s voice that matched the skip in her heartbeat.

“Quinn called the station and said Atwood
confessed to shooting at you. He was just trying to scare you. So they’ve got
him on that and stalking.”

Trent let out his breath. That didn’t reassure
Molly as much, and she asked, “Don’t we have to worry about him still?”

“Hi Molly,” Mark said. “No. He’s in jail and
headed away for a while, and he’s on medication for depression. It sounds like
he’s been lonely and isolated, maybe didn’t fit in with others, but he’s
getting help.”

She felt bad for Justin but also glad he’d be out
of her life.

“So,” Trent asked. “What was the other good news?”
He grinned at her because they both knew the good news already.

“The DA isn’t worried about prosecuting anything
in connection to the Anderson disappearance.”

She pulled in a breath. That wasn’t what they were
expecting him to say but it was even better.

“The case is closed,” Mark added. Trent reached
over and engulfed her hand.

They pulled into the driveway just before two
o’clock in the afternoon. Trent turned the car off and they both stared at the
house. Actually she was looking at the red roses in bloom. Now she knew she
planted them just after he had bought the house for them. That broken rose lamp
had matched them, too. There were so many tiny little details that fit
together, weaving their life story.

“We’re home,” she said. Or, she tried to say. Her
throat closed up but he understood her. Suddenly he launched out of the car and
ran around to her side to open the door and pull her to her feet.

“Trent, wait,” she said, stopping him. “I’m sorry
about what I said before. I didn’t mean it.”

“What did you say?”

“That what we shared was about need.” She laid her
head on his shoulder as they stood cheek to cheek, arms around each other.
“When we made love. I was confused and scared about what you’d expect from me.
And maybe I was a little mad that you didn’t tell me we were married, even
though I understood why. What we shared wasn’t just about physical need. I just
said that…”

He ran his lips over her cheek. “I know. I knew
you didn’t mean it, either.” His chest moved in what felt like a chuckle. Of
course he’d known.

She tried to give him an exasperated sigh, but
ended up laughing. His lips made it down to her neck, making her laugh mor
e.

“I love you,” she
whispered happily.

“I know that, too.” He
swung her up into his arms and started for the front door.

She looked back at the car with the passenger door
open. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t I get to carry you across the threshold?
It’s an old tradition.”

“Aren’t we a little late for that?” she asked as
he paused on the porch. The words slipped out, followed by the thought that their
timeline didn’t have to match with everyone else. “I mean, who cares?”

She felt an old fire ignite and grinned. She was
still that girl that ran to the edge of the hill and yelled to all of Ridge
City when she got engaged.

“Exactly. So what if we have our own timing?” He
kissed her mouth and carried her in, kicking the door shut behind them. He
headed straight for the bedroom.

She squealed in mixed glee and mock protest. “Trent!”

“I think this is part of the tradition.”

They slept in the next morning, snuggling in a
blissful dreamlike state. Even when she woke up, Molly
lay in bed daydreaming about sharing her life with Trent and maybe starting a
family in a few years. Or maybe sooner.

The red roses in bloom in front of the house kept
popping up in her visions. She was thinking about their life blooming now as
they headed toward summer. She’d been thinking about the money she’d get when
the house in California sold. Probably not a large sum, but enough to start her
own business. She’d surprise everyone by finally picking something – something
she’d loved all along: growing plants. She could see her nursery and smell the
plants growing and blooming.

Trent leaned up onto his elbow to see the clock.
“We should probably get up since everyone will be here in about an hour.”

She opened her mouth at him in disbelief. “You
invited everyone over for our first day back?”

He grinned. “Yup. Well, okay, it got planned and I
didn’t say no. You know how those guys are.”

And the funny and wonderful thing was, she did.

Soon they were up and ready and Trent was firing
up the grill. He came in when he heard a car outside. Even though she’d
complained, she was anxious and excited to see their friends. When David and
Alicia came inside, Molly met them with hugs and a question. “So, have you
thought of any names yet?”

Alicia’s hand went to her stomach without any
thought. “No, it’s harder than I thought.”

David smiled when his baby was mentioned and squeezed
Alicia’s shoulders. Alicia still reminded Molly of a flower, a small bloom but
a bold, bright flower blooming in a desert. David must see it, too. Both their
faces were shining with their renewed love and excitement about their coming
baby.

They would flip when she shared her news. That
thought, along with t
he smell of barbeque coming in
the back door, made her stomach clench up.

“Mol?” Trent took her arm. “What’s the face for?”

She mumbled, “morning sickness,” and rushed to the
bathroom. She was sitting on the rim of the bathtub as her stomach settled down
again.

 Trent knocked on the door, although it wasn’t
completely shut. “Mol?”

“I’m okay, I think.”

He pushed the door open and came in to ask, “Really?”

She hadn’t expected to see such hope in his eyes. It
took her breath away and filled her with new, strange emotions.

“I’m pregnant.” She tried for a smile, a laugh,
but didn’t feel too great. Looking up at him, though, she felt loved and
excited all at once. “We’re pregnant, Trent. Think we’re ready for this?”

She had just found him, and her gotten her memory
back, so this seemed like too much, as if she was tempting fate. He knelt down
in front of her, his eyes still shinny. “We wanted a baby, remember? We decided
to wait a few years back then. Well, it’s been a few years, and I don’t want to
put anything off ever again.”

With his reassurance, her fears dissolved like a
bad memory. They were in this together. Molly nodded and took a deep breath.
Joy spread through her.

He grabbed her, wanting to lift her off her feet,
but was overly gentle instead. Whirling, he yelled out to their friends, “We’re
having a baby too!”

Alicia and David met them in the hallway where
Alicia grabbed Molly in a hug. “Oh, I’m so happy we get to be pregnant
together. I used to dream about this and I secretly worried you’d never come
back. But now…”

“Now we moan and complain together through morning
sickness!” Molly said, and they both laughed. The front door shut and more
people called out a hello.

“Oh, I hope it’s okay that Mark’s bringing Melinda.”

“Of course!” Trent called for Mark. He wanted to
share the news. “We need to celebrate everything.” His voice caught because he
was smiling so hard and had a shine in his eyes.

“Trent, everything’s perfect.” Molly embraced her
husband, the father of her baby. They gazed into each other’s eyes and she felt
so thankful for finding him again. He rested his forehead against hers, holding
her tightly, both of them caught up in their emotions. She had her memories
now, but more than that, she had her friends, her love, and her future back.

The End

Kristen James loves to watch wildlife in her yard
and on the river by her house. Besides reading and writing, she loves traveling,
cycling, hiking, berry picking, canoeing, fishing and camping, and especially
doing these with her family. Life should be an adventure!

Visit
www.writerkristenjames.com
to learn more and read her blog. Connect on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/WriterKristenJames
and Twitter at @writerkristenj. She loves to interact with readers.

Amazon author page with full book list available at
http://amazon.com/author/kristenjames

New
Title - The Enemy’s Son

http://amzn.to/TheEnemysSon

Cora discovers her father is in trouble… and the
only person who can help her is the enemy’s son, Nick Holloway.

Her father couldn’t have stolen a million dollars,
so how is he going to replace it? In one week?

Praise
for
A Cowboy For Christmas
:

“
A Cowboy for Christmas
is a great romance
for the holidays or anytime you like. A bit fun and flirty read that will not
disappoint.” Coffee Time Romance

“Kristen James has done it again with another
romance novel to warm your heart. She has created truly down to earth and
like-able characters with Missy and Brent. The story is perfect for the
holidays! Not too long, not too short, I finished the book in about a day. Like
her other book,
More Than Memories
, you become immersed in the story,
the plot and the descriptive scenery.”

Read more
on Amazon at

http://amzn.to/ACowboyForChristmas

Praise for
Embers of Hope, Flickers of Passion
:

A beautifully woven plot, Embers of Hope, Flickers
of Passion, will have you crying with Cassie, cheering for Jason, and praying
Eric does not return to distinguish the flames that are spreading between Jason
and Savanna.

Read more
on Amazon at

http://amzn.to/EmbersOfHope

Reading Guide:

A Cowboy For Christmas –
flirty contemporary romance

More Than Memories –
emotional romantic suspense

Embers of Hope, Flickers of Passion –
emotional women’s fiction

The Enemy’s Son –
nonstop action, romantic suspense

The Fairy and her Giant –
Fantasy novella

Quick Reads –
short stories and two novellas

The River People –
Native American fiction

A Miraculous Fate
– a mystical thriller co-written with Tommy
Garrison

Kauai Spy Games
– Spy/ CIA thriller co-written with Jeff Ivanov

Recovery of Agent M
– CIA/ Navy Seal military adventure co-written
with Jeff Ivanov