A Dream of Family

by Jill Weatherholt

  “Oh, Derek McKinney. I’ve met him already. He seems like a great guy. Well, then you could have two extra sets of hands,” Annie suggested. “I can bring Grace by tomorrow morning, if that’s okay? Does nine o’clock work?”

  Molly would prefer to spend time alone with Grace, but she wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to see that sweet little face again. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Great. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Annie gave Molly a quick hug before leaving the store.

  She hadn’t planned on sharing her plans to adopt with Derek, but since they’d be spending time together, he’d find out soon enough. Besides, there was no such thing as a secret in Whispering Slopes.

  Moments later, another knock sounded. It was time to get to work. Derek stood outside the door dressed in relaxed-fit jeans and a black sweatshirt dotted with white paint splatters.

  She opened the door and caught a trace of his woodsy scent. “Hello.” She tried to tell herself the smell wasn’t all that pleasant, but who was she kidding? She loved to take long hikes in the woods and brainstorm her novel. Why did this man make her brain feel like an overripe banana? “Please, come in.” She forced a smile.

  “I would have been here sooner, but Caitlin stopped by to see me.” Derek worked his way across the room with a large can of paint in each hand. An oversized backpack hung from his right shoulder. He placed the supplies on the counter and turned. “She got the okay from her professor. It looks like I’ll be speaking to her marketing class.”

  A twinge of guilt rattled her. No matter how she felt about Derek, it was generous of him to offer his time to the college students. He already had a full plate with his store and helping her. “I’m sure they’ll be excited for your visit.”

  “I’m looking forward to it, too. I love to see students excited to learn about the business world.”

  Molly hoped their bubbles didn’t burst like hers. Well, hers was more of a slow leak. “Make sure you don’t sugarcoat it. Business can be brutal.” She had the battle scars to prove it.

  “Come on, Mols.”

  Molly’s brow crinkled. Mols? Since when did he have a nickname for her? That’s what friends did, and he wasn’t a friend. Derek was a successful businessman offering his advice. That was all. “What?”

  “You’ve just hit a rough patch.”

  Easy for him to say. He had seven or eight coffee shops. Plus, he came from money. If he ever struggled, he’d probably run to his family for cash.

  “Why the silent treatment?”

  “This is much more than a rough patch, as you call it. This is my livelihood. I don’t have a rich daddy to run to when things get difficult.” She bit hard on her lower lip. When would she learn not to say the first thought that popped into her head?

  Derek remained quiet, but his shoulders were rigid. She’d hit a nerve.

  “I’m sorry. I was out of line.” This would be a long night if she didn’t turn this conversation in a different direction. It wasn’t the time to dig up the past. And why would she want to? It was best to keep it buried along with her feelings.

  “No, you don’t.” He pulled a screwdriver from his back pocket and began to pry open the can of paint. “My family isn’t open for discussion.”

  Her stomach clenched into a tight ball. He meant business. His tone spoke volumes, but his eyes expressed sadness.

  She stepped closer to the counter. “Understood. I’m sorry. So, what do you think of the paint color I selected?”

  Derek peered at it. “I think it will look great.” He removed the lid from the can and unzipped his bag.

  Relieved to see Derek had moved on from her remarks, she still couldn’t help but wonder about his reaction. In college, Derek’s family life had appeared perfect on the outside. Like your store seems perfect to outsiders. Maybe his life wasn’t so flawless. Molly’s eye went toward the unopened container of paint. “Wait. What’s with the yellow?” She reached out and slid the product closer.

  Derek removed a wooden stirrer from the bag and plunged it into the thick blue paint. “Remember the children’s section at the bookstore last night?”

  She did. In fact, after their visit to her competition, her mind had been flooded with dreams of a colorful house filled with children who were all loved, not brought into a home just for the money. If it weren’t for you, I couldn’t buy this beer. No. She shook away the hateful words that had stolen her childhood. “Yes, it was wonderful.”

  With one last stir, Derek let go of the stick and ran his hands down the sides of his jeans. “I think this area over here would be a perfect spot to incorporate a children’s area.” He moved toward the side of the store.

  From the moment Rusty had shown Molly the empty space, she’d known it would be the perfect location to open her bookstore. She’d been drawn to the area where Derek stood. The small alcove had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto a landscaped courtyard with a fountain. She had dreamed of doing something special with the space but had never been quite sure what to do. Until now. Why hadn’t she thought of it?

  “What do you think?” He turned with his arms extended.

  She scanned the area that held a table display of a few bestsellers, along with some classics. It was drab and not the least bit appealing with the walls painted brown. Why hadn’t she thought to talk Rusty out of picking the color? But at the time Rusty had last painted, she’d still been mourning the loss of her mother. Her mind had been in a dark place. “I love the idea.”

  “It’s a great space. It brings the outdoors inside.”

  Molly’s mouth dropped open. He’d hit the nail on the head. “You’re right. It’s why I love it so much.”

  “I thought we could paint this back wall yellow.” He pointed to the area alongside the windows. “We could get those tiny rocking chairs and paint some blue and others yellow. In addition, we could put in some built-in bookcases. That large table takes up a lot of space.”

  The sound of an empty cash register ringing permeated Molly’s ears. “But it all costs money. Rusty might have agreed to pay for some paint, but I’m not sure about all these extra expenses.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s covered.” He pivoted in the opposite direction.

  Wait. Who was covering it? Was this another act of charity from Derek? Or was Rusty footing the bill? “Can I ask who’s paying for this? I’ll need to know so I can repay them.” At least, she hoped she could.

  “I’ve cleared it with Rusty, since he still owns the property. We got the green light since it’ll add value to the space. Of course, if we don’t get started soon, you’ll never be able to reopen by Tuesday. Greg, the handyman, should be here any minute to install some additional bookshelves. Rusty gave me his name. He comes highly recommended.”

  Molly was impressed. No wonder Derek was such a success. This guy gave new meaning to not allowing the grass to grow under your feet. “What do you want me to do?”

  Derek glanced out the window. “We’ll get started on painting the other parts of the store while Greg works over here. Since our time is limited, we’ll have to work fast. I hope you brought a change of clothes.” His gaze skimmed her from head to toe. “Your outfit is too pretty to be slopping around with paint.”

  Her cheeks warmed with the compliment. “It looks like you’ve already done some painting yourself.” She playfully poked the front of his sweatshirt.

  Derek chuckled and yanked on the bottom of his shirt. “Yeah, I did some painting in my office this morning. It needed a fresh look.”

  Molly moved in for closer examination. “Ecru?”

  “Close. It’s eggshell.”

  “So you went to the paint store, painted, and ran your coffee shop today?”

  “Remember, I hired the baristas. There won’t be a need to micromanage them. They started today, and they’ve already taken over the place. The
customers love them.”

  “Are they students?” Molly longed for a day she could have full-time employees so she could focus more on her writing. Her stomach twisted. Would there even be a future for her store?

  “Actually, they are seniors.”

  “High school?”

  Derek laughed. “No. They are senior citizens—Charles and Nell. They’re fantastic. It turns out they used to run their own shop in West Virginia. They sold their successful business when they retired, but after a year of traveling, they missed the coffee industry. After they moved to Whispering Slopes, they considered opening a new store, but they saw my ad and agreed it’s perfect for them. They can have the fun and daily interactions with regular customers without the headaches that go along with owning a business.”

  Molly knew all about those headaches. In the past couple of months, she’d taken more aspirin than she could ever remember taking. “They sound like the perfect fit. Let me run and change so we can get started.”

  Seconds later, while back in her office, she heard the bell over the front door chime. She should have locked it after Derek arrived, but if it was a customer, she didn’t want to miss out on a sale. She changed her outfit in record time.

  Molly stepped from her office and her eyes widened. Annie stood talking with Derek.

  “Hey, Molly.”

  Molly approached and spied a pocket folder clutched in the social worker’s arms. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She hadn’t had an opportunity to tell Derek about Grace. “Annie, I’m surprised to see you again.”

  “I completely forgot to give this to you when I stopped by earlier.” Annie passed the folder to Molly. “It’s just a few forms you need to complete.”

  Had Annie already mentioned Grace to Derek? No. Wasn’t there some confidentiality rule or something? “Great. Thanks so much for bringing them over.”

  Molly accepted the papers. Her skin pebbled with goose bumps. Was she one step closer to welcoming Grace into her home? She glanced at Derek, who had his eye on the file. “Thank you so much. Let me walk you out.”

  “It was great to see you again, Derek.” Annie shouted over her shoulder as she was rushed to the door.

  “Same here, Annie. See you around.” Derek waved.

  Safe on the sidewalk, Molly clenched Annie’s arm. “You didn’t say anything to him, did you?”

  “About Grace? No, of course not. Her information is confidential. But if I’m going to bring Grace by tomorrow to help with the painting, you might want to mention it to Derek.”

  “I know. I will.” Annie gave Molly a quick hug before she scurried to her car parked along the curb. Apart from Annie, only Auntie Elsie knew about her dream of having a family. The last person she wanted to share the news with was Derek, but Grace’s presence tomorrow would certainly raise some questions. It was best to tell him this evening.

  * * *

  Derek had never considered himself to be a nosy person, but he had to admit he was curious to know what was in the file. The moment Annie had passed it to Molly, it was as if something inside Molly shifted. He couldn’t quite describe it. A combination of giddiness and joy, along with nervousness. After Annie left, Molly continued to snatch looks at the folder on the countertop. She kept a close eye on it and an even closer watch on him. Whenever he moved toward the mysterious package, her gaze followed.

  “These extended roller brushes make painting so much easier,” Molly called out over her shoulder.

  “I thought it might help.” Earlier, Derek had popped over to his store and brought the rest of the tools he had purchased for their project. Molly had made progress on the larger wall at the front. She looked adorable dressed in bib overalls, with dots of paint spattered on her cheeks and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. He struggled to keep his focus on the job.

  “Watch—”

  Splat.

  Before Derek had time to react to Molly’s warning, he’d stepped into the shallow plastic tray of paint. His ankles were splattered in blue.

  Giggling, Molly climbed off the stepladder. “Hold on a minute. I’ll get some paper towels from the restroom.” She headed to the back of the store.

  “Thanks.” He glanced down at the tray. Thankfully, not much paint had gone to waste.

  “Here you go.” Molly offered him a handful of towels. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” If he hadn’t had his eyes glued on Molly, this wouldn’t have happened.

  “Nah. I’m fine.” He reached for the paper towels, and his fingertips brushed hers. A tingling sensation shot up his arm. What was going on? It was like he was on one of those carnival rides where the floor dropped out from under you. He’d loved those as a kid. Today, it wasn’t as fun. Did she feel it, too? Her look said maybe so. This wasn’t good. “Thanks. I’ll clean it.”

  A knock at the front door sent a wave of relief through him. “That must be Greg.” Good. He needed Greg as a buffer. Something was happening here. But he couldn’t allow any romantic feelings to take root. Love led to marriage, and he knew how that story ended. Painfully. For everyone involved. His goal was twofold. He needed to fulfill his promise to Rusty to help Molly, and also focus on buying the two spaces. That was the plan. Nothing more.

  * * *

  Two hours later, the store buzzed with activity. Greg’s hammering and drilling drowned out the music Molly had turned on earlier. The bookcases were coming along. Greg was a pro. At this rate, he’d finish up tonight.

  “I think it might be time to take a break.” Molly yanked on the tarp protecting the floor and slid it further down the baseboard. “If you’d like, I can call in a pizza for dinner.”

  Food. Exactly what he needed to get his focus off Molly. “Pizza sounds great.” Derek headed toward Greg. “What do you say? Are you hungry, Greg?”

  “Oh no, man. Lila is roasting a chicken tonight. I told her I’d be home in time for dinner. Thanks for the offer though.”

  Dinner alone with Molly? This wasn’t what he had planned.

  Molly made her way across the room. “I’m sorry you can’t join us, Greg.”

  “Yeah, thanks, Molly, but I’m going to finish up the job here and then head home to my family.” Greg turned his focus back to the task at hand.

  “Do you still love mushrooms on your pizza?” Derek’s question broke the silence hanging in the air. Practically every Saturday night, the gang had gone to Mikos for pizza night. It was popular with the college crowd. Of course, Molly had always sat side by side with Ryan.

  Molly glanced over her shoulder. “How did you remember I love mushrooms on my pie?”

  Derek wrinkled his nose. “Because I can’t stand them. I’m an extra cheese and onion guy.” He remembered a lot of things about Molly. She was the kind of person who left an impression.

  “Fair enough.” Molly pivoted on her heel and headed toward the store’s landline behind the counter. “So one large with half mushroom and half extra cheese with onion?”

  Derek slipped his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out his credit card. He approached Molly and offered the plastic. “Here, it’s my treat.”

  “I want to pay as a thank-you for your help.” Her gaze slid toward the ground.

  The gesture was nice, except she couldn’t afford it. But he didn’t want to make her feel bad by denying her offer. “This is on Rusty. He owes us for our manual labor.” He winked, and Molly accepted the card.

  Later, as Molly continued to paint some of the baseboard along the front of the store, Derek greeted the teenage delivery driver at the front door. The aroma of onions infused his nose, and his stomach grumbled in response. “Mmm...it smells good.” He ran the box underneath his chin and placed the pizza along with the beverages on a nearby table. Derek removed his leather wallet from his back pocket. “Thanks a lot.” He passed a ten-dollar bill to the boy.

  “Wow! Thank yo
u. I’ve never gotten a tip this big.” His eyes widened.

  “I used to deliver pizza myself when I was your age.”

  Derek smiled and waved goodbye. He recalled the first five-dollar bill he’d received when he made deliveries as a young boy. His father had put it in a frame and praised him. I’m proud of you, son. A good work ethic is as important as your word. Don’t forget that. His word. Yeah, right. He also said family was important. If that were true, why had he destroyed theirs? Forcing thoughts of his father from his mind, he took the food and headed toward the counter.

  “It was nice of you to give the boy such a generous tip,” Molly remarked.

  “Have you seen the price of a movie these days? The poor kid will have to deliver a lot of pizzas if he wants to go out on a date.” Derek placed the food on the counter and reached for the file Annie had dropped off earlier.

  “Don’t touch that!” Molly’s tone was sharp as a razor, and her face was a fiery red. With lightning speed, she snatched the folder from Derek’s hands.

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to move it out of the way so we could eat. I didn’t want to spill anything on it.” Earlier, Annie had mentioned to Derek she worked as a social worker, but she’d remained quiet as to the contents of the file. It couldn’t have anything to do with the bookstore. A social worker wouldn’t get involved in a failing business. As Derek watched, Molly scurried back to her office with the file held as if it were a newborn baby. Why was she reluctant to talk about it? Like his father, did Molly have secrets?

  Chapter Six

  The following morning, before sunrise, Molly pushed the key into the lock of her store and turned the knob. Inside, the smell of yesterday’s painting project lingered in the air. Molly flipped the light switch and giggled when she spotted the tarp with Derek’s footprint.

  She knew she’d overreacted last night when Derek moved the file that Annie had dropped off. Her nerves were rattled by the idea of sharing her dream with Derek. Getting married had been one of her dreams, and look what he’d done to that. In the end, she didn’t mention her adoption plan. This morning, she had no choice. Annie would be bringing Grace to the shop in a couple of hours. She needed a plan, but first, she needed coffee. A glance at her watch told her Derek’s shop wouldn’t be open for another hour.