by Nic Saint
She found herself wondering if or when these few brief moments snatched from fate would end and throw her back into her own humdrum existence—her loveless lonely life—when she suddenly became aware of a dark, black cloud shifting over the sun, and promptly plunging the world below into darkness.
And even as she glanced back at the house, a couple of hundred yards away, a sudden chill crept into her bones, and her skin erupted in goosebumps.
Without warning there was slash of lightning and she yelped when it was followed immediately by a crashing thunder. Then rain lashed down so hard and fast she was drenched within seconds. She whimpered in agony, and when she looked at the house found that it was gone! The curtain of rain was now so thick and impenetrable it was impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her.
She stumbled in the direction she thought the house was located, but then slipped on a slick patch, and she was tumbling down a steep incline, finally coming to rest against a small rock formation, her head thumping against the flinty edge, and then she was enveloped in darkness, and knew no more.
Chapter 19
When Steve woke up and didn’t find Molly by his side, he was perturbed. And it was then that he noticed what had actually awakened him: the crashing of another autumn storm as it lashed the small island. The skies had suddenly turned pitch-black and the deluge that was coming down was so fierce and relentless that for a moment he feared it might wipe away the house.
But he knew his great-grandfather had used the very best materials and that the house was as solid as a rock, and could withstand the sometimes capricious clime that ruled the island. It had occurred to him that it might not be the best place to organize a site for recovering vets. That perhaps they’d much rather convalesce in the mellower clime of the Caribbean. But then he had his own experience to back up his decision. It was exactly the harsher climate that ruled these outcroppings that had enabled him to regain the mental and physical strength that had been so sorely lacking when he’d returned from the war.
He rose with a groan, and could still smell Molly’s scent on him. She was wrapped all around him, he recognized, not merely bodily but mentally and emotionally as well. She’d managed to crash his defenses and make her way into his heart. Yes, he admitted ruefully. Even though he’d been deceiving himself, telling himself that the only reason he wanted her here was because of her expertise, the truth was that he wanted her here because of her. Because of how he felt about her. He loved her, dammit. He’d fallen for her and now he couldn’t imagine his life without her, so he’d resorted to the dubious trick of forcing her into accepting her role by his side. If he couldn’t have her in his life as his wife, he could damn well have her as his business partner.
He glanced at the window, where the rain was now coming down so hard and heavy it was like a curtain obscuring all else. He strode to the living room, and was surprised to find it empty, and the door open. Where had she gone?
“Molly?” he called out. “Molly? Where are you?”
No response. Suddenly a sense of panic set in. She hadn’t gone out, had she? He knew these storms. They set on so suddenly and so violently you could well be on the other side of the island when they hit.
He quickly checked every room of the small house, and when he discovered her gone he raked his fingers through his dark mane. Where the hell was she?
Molly had been lying there for she didn’t know how long when she came to with a groan. The rain was still coming down relentlessly, pounding her face with its heavy drive, and when she tried to raise her head it hurt fiercely, a shooting pain lancing her. She’d fallen and hit her head against a rock. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t see in which direction the house lay.
Oh, no, she thought forlornly. She’d survived a terrorist attack and now she was going to die out here from exposure, without even having confessed to Steve that she loved him. She’d lacked the courage to confide in him the true nature of her feelings—the real reason she’d initially declined his offer. And now it was too late. He would find her body here once the storm had spent its brutal force, and he’d mourn her death. Because she was a cherished contributor. Very quickly he would forget about her—the silly girl who’d gone out and got caught by surprise by the volatile weather in these parts.
And she was just about to close her eyes again, her body already too weak to rise, when she saw a shadow moving nearby. Instantly she feared for her life. Perhaps one of the wild animals from the forest beyond the plateau had ventured up, in search of prey? Her body shaking violently, she curled into a fetal position, and when the dark shadow moved closer, she awaited the painful bite of its fangs. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, the blood from the gash on her head mixing with the rain on her face. And then a familiar face swam before her disappearing vision. “Steve,” she murmured. “Oh, Steve…”
When she woke up again, she was in bed, and as her eyes fluttered open, she saw the hulking figure of Steve standing next to her. He was staring out through the window, a look of such anger on his face that she was momentarily afraid she’d done some terrible, terrible thing. But then she stirred and when he looked down at her his look morphed into one of compassion and solicitude.
“Molly?” he rumbled. “Molly, thank God. I thought I lost you.”
She shook her head and tried to smile, but she felt too weak. Then she muttered, “I’m such a nuisance to you, Steve. You keep having to save me.”
He laughed at that, then suddenly clasped her in his arms and held her close, rocking her gently. “Oh, Molly, Molly, thank God.”
“I just went for a little stroll,” she murmured.
“And were caught in the storm. I know. I should have warned you. Storms are treacherous in these parts, they roll in from the ocean and take you by surprise.”
He laid her back down and wiped the strands of hair from her brow. “You’re going to be fine,” he told her gently. “You have a slight fever but nothing to be worried about. And that cut on your head will heal. You don’t even need stitches.”
“Yes, Doctor Knight,” she said croakily.
He smiled. “Well, we did have some medical training in the army, you know. I might not be a trained nurse but I know enough to know you’ll be fine with a couple of days rest. Thank God I found you when I did. The exposure might have been the death of you if you’d stayed out there for even a few hours.”
She nodded, then coughed, frowning. “Steve… There’s something I need to tell you.”
She needed to tell him how she truly felt about him. Even if he didn’t feel the same, she felt compelled to reveal to him her true feelings. If he felt he couldn’t work with her because of that, then at least he would be making the right decision based on the right information.
But when she started to speak he pressed a finger to her lips, and softly said, “I have something to tell you as well, Molly. Seeing you like that made me aware of how fragile life is. There’s no sense in denying how I feel about you. You need to know the truth.”
Her stomach clenched. He was going to tell her he could no longer work with her. “Steve, it’s all right,” she told him brokenly. “You don’t have to keep me on your payroll. I know I’m not the kind of woman…” She swallowed against the painful knot in her throat. “I have fallen for you, Steve. I’ve gone and fallen in love with you.” She shook her head, her lashes fluttering down, fanning her face. She couldn’t bear to look at him. “I love you, Steve, and I understand that you could never love me back. You could never love a woman like me, who’s damaged beyond repair and who will never be able to bear you any children, any heirs. But I needed to tell you that… that this is the reason I felt I couldn’t accept your offer. Working with you every day, feeling the way I feel about you… It’s too much for me to bear. I—”
“That’s all right, Molly,” he told her quietly. “I’ve fallen in love myself.”
Pain lanced her so hard she feared her gentle heart might collapse from it
s lacerations. Still, she managed to ask, “Who is she?”
He’d taken her hand in his and was gently stroking the inside of her wrist, sending a thrill of delight through her, in spite of her heartbreak. “She’s a nurse and the most courageous, wonderful, beautiful and kind-hearted woman I’ve ever met. She dropped down on my island one day out of nowhere, uninvited and unbidden. And I was so hung up on my own stuff that I didn’t even recognize her for who she was: a gift from heaven, and the woman who took possession of my heart so swiftly I didn’t even realize it until it was almost too late, and she was lying brokenly against a rock.”
Desperate sobs were wracking her chest. “Steve, what are you saying?”
He looked at her earnestly. “I’m saying that I’ve fallen in love with you, Molly. That the only reason I wanted you on my project was so that I could be close to you. I’m saying that I thought you couldn’t possibly love me back, seeing as I’m damaged goods.”
She snuck her hand up his cheek and eyed him with wonder, her eyes swimming with tears. “Oh, Steve. I love you so much.”
He smiled, and his face lit up. “Molly Grayson, would you be my bride? Would you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?”
Her eyes darkened. “But, Steve, I’m a broken woman. I’m not even a woman at all. I’m—I’m incapable of conceiving a child—your child. Your heir.” She shook her head. “I can’t let you—I can’t do that to you.”
He tilted her chin and gazed at her gently. “Molly, my love, I have enough nieces and nephews to stock an entire family tree, as Stu and Mike are producing heirs at an astonishing rate. And as for us, if you want we could adopt. Many children are in need of the kind of warm home that you can provide—that we can provide.”
She held his gaze. “Do you—do you want that?”
He nodded. “More than anything. I want us to be together, Molly, as husband and wife, and I want us to have a family, and if you agree, we can adopt.”
She nodded fervently, emotion rendering her incapable of speech.
He rubbed his thumb along her cheek to wipe away her tears. “Let me make you happy, Molly. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to prove a husband worthy of your big heart.”
“Yes,” she finally managed. “Yes, I will marry you, Steve.”
“Oh, Molly,” he groaned, and took her in his arms.
And then they kissed, the kiss of new beginnings, of new life and new hope. Of two broken people who’d managed to become whole again, and who were going to offer a home to other broken souls, their hearts big enough and their souls kind and loving enough to heal and nurture others.
“I want… a big family,” she murmured against his lips, her eyes liquid and filled with so much love Steve felt moved to tears himself.
“You’ll have it,” he promised. “You’ll have everything you want and more, Molly.”
Epilogue
He hadn’t been lying, Molly recognized with a happy smile when, nine months later, she was carrying baby Jack on her arm while surveying the first of twelve cabins on the island. Mike and Stuart had also flown out for the inauguration, along with their respective wives Chloe and Kirsty. And as she shared a kiss with Steve, she was proud to watch the group gather around the cabin. Not everything was ready, yet by the time the first residents arrived in two weeks it would be. They would find discreetly tucked away cabins that offered comfort in the heart of nature, and a choice of being separate or to connect with the other members of the small community that would inhabit Tyler Island.
“Our great-grandfather would be proud,” Stu told them as they inspected the first of the cabins.
“Yes, you did great, Steve,” Mike added his two cents to the chorus.
Molly hung back while the others walked through the cabin. They all contained a living space, kitchenette, small bathroom and bedroom, and had been built with energy-efficient, eco-friendly and durable materials that were strong enough to sustain a hurricane while keeping the inhabitants safe inside. They all had solar panels on the roof, and receptacles to convert rainwater into drinking water. They were also equipped with panic buttons, and were all connected to the main house where a small medical crew was on standby.
“You and Steve really created something wonderful, Molly,” Kirsty said as she joined them outside.
“Thanks,” she said, shifting Jack. The baby gurgled happily at all the excitement. “We’re very excited about the way the cabins came out.”
“He’s a lively little fella, isn’t he?” Kirsty asked, tickling baby Jack. He grinned happily, shaking his pudgy fist.
They’d adopted Jack from an orphanage in Vietnam, and already she loved him more than she’d dreamed possible, and so did Steve. They were already planning to adopt a baby girl, this time from Guam, their family quickly expanding.
Mike’s wife Chloe had also joined them. She’d been enlisted to help with the accounting aspects of the entire endeavor, and now worked for the Knight Foundation as its CFO. “I think the first guests will be more than thrilled,” she told her sisters-in-law. “Even I wouldn’t mind spending a few nights here.”
“Yes, the climate can be harsh, but it’s such a powerful place,” Kirsty commented.
“A place for healing,” Molly said softly. It had healed both her and Steve, and now they would share that experience with others.
Chloe took over Jack, and he splayed his little fingers against her face, eliciting a smattering of titters from the three women.
“He’s adorable,” Kirsty declared decidedly.
Molly smiled. “He is, isn’t he?” He had Steve’s thick dark hair, even though that wasn’t possible, of course. But then nothing of what her life had been like since meeting Steve was possible, and yet it had all transpired as if in a dream.
And as the three women watched, their three husbands came ambling up, deeply engrossed in conversation. Three Knights—three billionaire brothers—loved by three remarkable women.
“Dada,” Jack suddenly gurgled when he caught sight of Steve, and as the group gathered around the baby boy, Molly smiled as she looked up at the heavens, where she knew her family was surely watching on.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
And for a moment she thought she could hear her mother’s voice, murmuring a message of love on the wind, and she knew she was truly blessed.
And then Steve leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her lips, and she gave his arm an affectionate squeeze. “I love you,” she sighed.
“And I love you,” he whispered back.
About Nic
Nic Saint is the pen name for writing couple Nick and Nicole Saint. They’ve penned 40+ novels in the romance, cat sleuth, middle grade, suspense, comedy and cozy mystery genres. Nicole has a background in accounting and Nick in political science and before being struck by the writing bug the Saints worked odd jobs around the world (including massage therapist in Mexico, gardener in Italy, restaurant manager in India, and Berlitz teacher in Belgium).
When they’re not writing they enjoy Christmas-themed Hallmark movies (whether it’s Christmas or not), all manner of pastry, comic books, a daily dose of yoga (to limber up those limbs), and spoiling their big red tomcat Tommy.
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Also by Nic Saint
Billionaire Knights
Contemporary Romance
The Billionaire’s Ruthless Intrusion
The Billionaire’s Disgraced Lover
The Billionaire’s Beautiful Intruder
Russian Enforcers
Romantic Suspense
Russian Enforcer’s Reluctant Bride
Russian Enforcer’s Virgin Captive
Russian Enforcer’s Feisty Lover
Russian Enforcer’s Resistant Rescue
To Defy a Russian Billionaire
Russian Enforcer’s Burning Obsession
Russian Enforcer’s Dangerous Game
Russian Enforcer’s Royal Engagement
Standalone Novels
Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
The Billionaire’s Valiant Rescue
Navy SEAL’s Virgin Lover
The Pastor’s Jezebel Lover
Billionaire Novelist’s Fiery Debutante
The Russian’s Tenacious Lover
Novellas
Romance
Blast From The Past
The Thorntons
Dark Romantic Suspense
Scott
Roland
Jackson
William
The Mysteries of Bell & Whitehouse
Humorous Cozy Mystery
One Spoonful of Trouble
Two Scoops of Murder
Three Shots of Disaster
Box Set 1 (Books 1-3)
A Twist of Wraith
A Touch of Ghost
A Clash of Spooks
Box Set 2 (Books 4-6)
The Stuffing of Nightmares
Standalone Novels
Humorous Cozy Mystery
When in Bruges
Once Upon a Spy
The Whiskered Spy
Copyright © 2016 by Nic Saint. All rights reserved.
Published by Puss in Print Publications.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.