Taking the Fall (14 page)

Molly could only image the pain involved in long distance custody. Regardless of the current riptides she had been experiencing with Jess, at least she saw her every day.

“I’m a jerk for complaining, though. There was a time I never thought such a day would come. For such a long time, Leah struggled with socializing, always preferring to be by herself. So, when she finally had made a few seemingly close friendships, I feel guilty for not wanting to support them into blossoming further.” Hunter shook his head as if mentally berating himself would take away the words he already spoke. Then his face transformed once more into a look of complete love before he murmured this last part, “But damn if I don’t want to have her all to myself.”

Their pace quickened, and Molly could feel the burn of her legs keeping up with his longer stride.

Time to be that friend.

“I think that is a battle every parent has, not just for kids on the spectrum. The best we can do, the best anyone of us can do, is just let them enjoy their childhood while supporting them in their own personalities. I don’t know a parent who doesn’t guide with a heavy hand once or twice, trying to involve their kids in the parents’ own interest in the hopes that they will have at least one common interest.”

He smiled at her, giving her the impression that he was enjoying their talk, which gave her a little thrill in itself. “Yeah, but I’m not trying to veer her toward medicine or mulching. I’m honestly jealous of her spending time with a friend rather than me. The fact that there was a time I didn’t think she would ever have a friend is the irony of all irony. Socialization was never easy for Leah; the fact that she excels at it now should be celebrated by me not vilified.”

Molly didn’t pretend to know what it was like to raise a child on the spectrum, but she did know what it was like to be a mother. Fears were fears, regardless of how big or small. And to her, one of the biggest fears out there for any parent was their child growing up and pushing them away. Granted, she didn’t know Leah very well, only in passing and the small number of visits she’d made to the restaurant, but the Leah she knew was a beautiful little girl who might have seemed shy, but when she allowed you to enter her world, you were truly blessed with a gift.

Even though their paths had crossed less and less over the years, every encounter had made Molly smile.

To this day, she couldn’t look at a plastic cup the same way. She guessed Leah to be about three, maybe four, when she had come into the restaurant with Bianca and had asked for ten plastic red cups, the kind of cups favored at frat parties and backyard barbecues. When Molly said she didn’t have any of those but offered the smaller to-go cups, Leah pouted that they were the wrong ones but took them anyway. Then Molly truly became amazed. Over and over again, she watched as the little girl stacked the cups in a pyramid formation. She would stack them up and then break them down repeatedly with such technique, never having them crash. It really was a sight to see; in fact, she used to get quite the crowd of onlookers.

Bianca had told her it was one of her favorite pastimes, and she would sit for hours with just a simple stack of cups.

This favorite memory had Molly asking, “Does she still cup stack?”

The smile didn’t go completely away, but it did show signs of something else.

“No, her mother made sure of that.”

Dammit, Allison.

She wondered if his sudden quietness had something to do with her bringing Leah’s mother up or for another reason
.

“Sorry,” Molly muttered, suddenly entranced with the path in front of them and anything in the opposite direction of Hunter.

“No, I’m the one who should be saying sorry.” Hunter slowed down as he stepped in front of Molly, stopping her forward motion. They were on the far end of the park, alone with no walkers in their vicinity. He looked at her before hanging his head almost in defeat. The sun picked speckles of gray through his dark hair as his chin continued to touch his chest. His hands were on his hips and Molly wanted to offer something, comfort or a friendly touch, but she didn’t know if she should, or if such an act would be welcomed let alone warranted.

He raised his face and removed his sunglasses, tucking the arm of one side into his neckline.

“Look, I had no intention of making this awkward for you. I thought it was about time we cleared the air between us. I really did mean what I said about wanting to walk with you and being a friend.” He looked off into the distance for a moment before looking at her again, and this time when he spoke, it was softer. “We used to be friends, a long time ago, Molly. We see each other practically on a daily basis, yet one of us, it seems, is usually tripping over ourselves in the presence of the other.”

He had a point and was gracious enough to use the pretense of it being both of them, when it really was just her.

She laughed so he laughed. “I really want to be a friend rather than an acquaintance.”

She didn’t know if there was a deeper-rooted meaning for his saying all this, but honestly, she didn’t care. She enjoyed his company and the fact remained that she liked the idea of having him as a friend. So much so that she told him, “I could use a friend.”

He smiled another body-melting smile where her knees threatened to buckle before putting his sunglasses back on.

Hunter pivoted on his heels before wrapping a light hand around her shoulder, restarting their pace, as he stated plainly, “Then consider the position filled.”

Every weekday for the last two weeks, Hunter and Molly walked together at the park. The awkwardness slowly began to slide off Molly, and their friendship seemed to be in full effect. Every day he enjoyed learning just a little bit more of the lost years. He too shared things, but both steered clear of one particular subject and timeframe without even agreeing to it.

It was but a few days into their budding friendship when Hunter realized just how much he wanted to move past the friendship column and into something else.

All the old feelings were rushing back to him, adding all the new ones to its arsenal. Having the special alone time every morning allowed him to get his fill of her beautiful face, contagious laugh, and amazing outlook on mostly anything.

It was almost as if she truly was the same girl from a couple of decades ago.

He never let go of the knowledge he held, but at the same time, there were moments it threatened to fade away. And he struggled with that. Which was the right route? If he chose wrong, would he survive the other side?

Not to mention, he hadn’t the foggiest idea how she felt about him period.

He arrived at
Molly’s
for lunch, which was beginning to become a more often than not occurrence.

Gage and Delaney sat in one of the oversized booths enjoying their routine of family time during lunch. Whether they met at
Molly’s,
Delaney brought Jacob and Tessa, their four-month-old daughter, to the station or Gage returned to their newly constructed home, the young Dennisons made it a point to share this time of the day together.

Hunter was unable to hide his delight at the sight of them sharing this daily occurrence. His older brother was finally the happy family man he deserved to be. He had gone through hell and back with his first wife, and after he found her in their bed with his best friend, no one including Hunter thought anything would be able to pull Gage out of the dark hole where he took up residence. But that all changed when Delaney came to town. The feisty redheaded mother hooked the big bad sheriff from the first moment they met. Gage fought it. Hell, he fought it with everything he had, but his resolve eventually crumbled. Gage almost screwed it up, big time. Delaney had left town, unable to see a way they could work through all his tightly held aggressions and jealousy. But by the grace of God, she came back, and from that moment, Gage never let her or Jacob go. Now add in the mix of their beautiful little girl and you had the picture perfect small town family imagery that should be surrounded by other Norman Rockwell pictures.

Delaney was currently coloring with an overzealous Jacob, who didn’t understand why his mother wasn’t just scribbling with her green crayon. Gage was preoccupied with his daughter’s adorable exposed toes, that when he tickled she smiled and cooed continuously, when Hunter walked over and joined them.

Their attendance gave him a better cover than sitting at the counter. But something special also fueled Hunter’s eagerness to see his brother and his family along with Molly.

“Well, aren’t you guys just a vision out of Happiness Weekly?” Hunter teased as he leaned over to kiss Delaney on her cheek, ruffling Jacob’s hair before pulling an available chair from another table and sitting at the end of the booth. He removed his scally cap, placing it on his knee under the table.

“Hey, Hunter! We weren’t expecting you. Are you off shift?” Delaney questioned while Jacob grew excited at seeing his uncle.

“Unul Hunna! Unul Hunna!”

“How is my favorite short stack?” Hunter asked Jacob, who was beyond excited to show him all his colorful drawings. Jacob was placated a moment later so Hunter addressed Delaney. “Nah, just out stretching my legs before I go back for another ten hours. Nevertheless, I don’t think I will be able to wipe the smile off my face for a bit.”

“What has you so happy? Is it destiny has been righted and the world spins as it should have decades ago? Or is it all that fresh air you’ve been getting in the morning as of late?”

Delaney looked at her husband, issuing a silent warning.

Hunter chose to show his older brother with a certain finger what number he was in his book, under the table and away from his young nephew’s eyes.

“Sorry, Hunt, go on and tell us what’s up?” Gage asked, still holding his daughter but giving his brother his attention.

“I just got the strangest call from Allison.”

“There definitely has been a shift in the world’s axis, if that is a good thing at any time.” Gage’s statement dripped with sarcasm.

“In this instance, yes. According to Allison, Leah is so far ahead of her studies that Allison is going to allow her to come here for a week at the end of the term. A bonus, shall you say, for hers and my good behavior.” The last sentiment carried a bit of irony.

“Well, isn’t that so un-witch-like of Allison,” Gage answered, unable and unwilling to let the disdain dwindle from his voice.

“Gage!” Delaney scolded because it seemed the right thing to do.

“Oh, Princess, you haven’t met Allison yet. Trust me, I am being kind.” He winked at his wife, smiling widely when she rolled her eyes back at him but smiled just for him.

Delaney shook her head, returning her full attention back to her brother-in-law. “Go on, Hunter, don’t mind him. So, if this means Leah will be home, when will she arrive? We will have to go all out making it special. Jacob was just asking for his big cousin.”

At the mention of his cousin, Jacob perks up from his oh so concentration of color mastery once again and smiles excitedly yelling Leah’s name.

“Yeah, buddy! I’m excited, too. I miss her like crazy,” Hunter said, pulling a fry from Gage’s forgotten plate.

“Well, I think it is great! It’s been too long,” Delaney said, extending her hand to her brother-in-law’s forearm and delivering a squeeze of happiness. “I’m looking to spend some quality time with her, auntie and niece style.”

“She’ll love that, Delaney,” Hunter confirmed knowing it was nothing but the truth before playing devil’s advocate. “But Gage is right; Allison never gives me extra time with Leah unless there is something in it for her. Generally, it is real estate or a new diamond in at least a karat of weight that she tells Garrett to surprise her with.”

Gage laughs aloud at the truthful answer as Delaney just shakes her head in disbelief.

“Well hello, good doctor, twice in one day and three times this week. Whatever does my humble establishment owe the honor?” Molly asked when she stopped next to Delaney and looked down at her newest customer.

“What can I say, I had exciting news to share and this was the first place I could think to come,” Hunter answered back, completely aware of the double meaning of his words.

“What a guy! Value and enjoy your family. You only get one,” Molly said looking toward the family at the table.

“The fact that my family is here is just a bonus, but not the reason I came.”

“Oh.” Said with a bit of confusion, Hunter watched as Molly’s cheeks reddened and how her fingers quivered ever so slightly when she took out her order pad. “Do you know what you want?”

“I think I know exactly what I want, but what do you recommend today, beautiful?”

At the sound of the endearment, Molly’s cheeks turned crimson. Gage smiled and Delaney became quite engrossed in Jacob’s Picasso-esque drawing, but Hunter held strong, never breaking eye contact with the blond restaurant owner.

True, the private name he held for her really did slip from his lips, but at the same time, it just felt very natural to say it aloud. Not to mention about damn time. To him, she was the epitome of beauty, a beauty that has just gotten more pronounced and more appealing to him as the years go by.