by Nadia S. Lee
“I remember that,” Molly murmured. “Mom and Dad were stunned, but you said they should let me because I’d chosen my path.”
He nodded, thrilled that she remembered. “I thought you were wonderfully smart and strong then, and I wanted to see you thrive, doing what you want.”
Her gaze softened. “I wish you’d told me earlier.”
“Yeah, um… Maybe you’ve noticed, but I’m not good with words.”
She laughed. “You underestimate yourself, Charlie. You’re very good with words.” She pulled him down for a quick kiss. “You’re a genius with them. And if you’re asking me to date you…”
“I am.”
“Then I’m all for it.”
He couldn’t help grinning. He didn’t have to look in a mirror to know that he was beaming with happiness. “Really? Seriously? So we’re, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?”
She nodded. “It’s official.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t. You’re an amazing guy.”
He knew she was talking about him treating her right. But he meant to do more than that. He was going to fix the madness with her store, because it wasn’t just business. It was her dream, and he’d do everything in his power to clear the road for her.
Chapter Eleven
Molly was floating on air the next day. Charlie Hackman was her boyfriend. Charlie Hackman was her boyfriend.
Oh God, Charlie Hackman was her boyfriend!
She couldn’t believe how a few words from her forever crush could change everything.
The air was crisper. The birds were cheerier. Even the frown on the sheriff’s face looked somehow nicer and more paternal as he pulled a teenager over for speeding.
Of course, there was the matter of Eddie’s complaint still hanging over her head. But she was confident it would get resolved. When she’d spoken with her dad, he said Eddie’s lawyer would most likely talk him out of it. One, the bank would give him his money back, and two, there was no concrete evidence her site was responsible for his troubles.
Still, she should ask Charlie to check her site out, just to make sure. She needed to be certain her customers’ data was protected.
She went to Charlie’s house late in the morning with a bag of groceries. They could have a nice lunch and spend the day together. She had to work—she had a tote bag full of materials for new jewelry pieces—but she wanted to be near him when she created them.
“Heya!” she called out as she went in, then stopped when Charlie appeared with Emilia cradled in his arms, all bundled up in soft blankets. His eyes were wild, and his hair was standing up. “What’s wrong?”
“Emilia. She’s burning up.”
“What’s her temperature?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a thermometer.”
Molly almost smacked her forehead. How could she have forgotten to pick one up when they’d first gone to buy things for Emilia? Molly reached over and placed her hand on the baby’s forehead. It did feel hot. “How long’s she had the fever?”
“I noticed about ten minutes ago, but… She was a little fussy last night. I thought it was just a mood or something. And this morning she didn’t want to eat. I mean, drink.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Whatever.”
“Has she pooped yet?”
He shook his head. “No. Why?”
“Checking for a diarrhea. We need to take her to the doctor. Just to be sure.”
“Okay.” While Charlie grabbed a small travel bag with a few diapers, wipes and a blanket, she called Dr. Walden. He was the only pediatrician in town, and although he didn’t always do house calls, he would see patients on weekends.
“Dr. Walden?” she said when he answered.
“Molly? What a surprise.”
“I’m sure you’ve heard about Charlie’s Halloween baby.” She would’ve been shocked if everyone didn’t know by now.
“Yes. How someone could do that to a child, I don’t know. She could’ve died outside by herself.”
“I agree. Listen, she’s feverish and very fussy. Do you mind if we bring her over? We just want to make sure it isn’t anything serious.”
“Has she been fully vaccinated?”
“We don’t know. Whoever dropped her off didn’t say.”
“All right, then. Bring her to my house as soon as you’re able.”
“Thanks, doc. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” She hung up. “We have to go to Dr. Walden’s house.”
“I know where it is. I helped him set up his computer system there and linked it to the one in his clinic.”
They took Charlie’s SUV. The doctor lived on the other side of Silver Springs. His house was a sprawling one-level building with a charming green roof and a few shrubs and sizable spruce trees in the front and back.
The doctor opened the door immediately, dressed in a casual sweater and jeans. His eyes were the color of faded denim, kind and concerned, as he gestured for them to come in.
The doctor quickly took Emilia, taking her temperature and checking her thoroughly, then asking Charlie some questions about Emilia’s recent behavior.
“She’s fussy, but that’s the fever making her uncomfortable. I can’t prescribe anything, since she’s so young. But most babies recover fairly quickly on their own unless there’s some other underlying issue. This one doesn’t seem to have anything.” Dr. Walden smiled. “If her condition deteriorates or the fever gets higher, call me immediately. Keep her comfortable and cool. Charlie, you’ve bundled her too much, and that’s bound to elevate her temperature.”
“Yes, sir.” Charlie reached into his pocket for his wallet, but Dr. Walden shook his head.
“No payment necessary. Consider it my welcome gift to the little one.”
“Are you sure? We interrupted your weekend.”
He laughed softly. “For a good cause. It warms me heart to see you being so good to Emilia. She’s a lucky little girl. Now, if you’re that sorry about interrupting my weekend, go on and leave me alone.”
On their way back to Charlie’s home, Molly said, “We should stop by the store to get a thermometer. That way we can track how she’s doing.”
Charlie nodded. “Agreed. Thanks, Molly.”
“For what?”
“For being there, for me and Emilia. I’m not very good at this.” He scowled. “I tell myself I can be, but it just doesn’t come naturally. And I worry. I mean, if I do something wrong, she could really suffer.”
Molly reached over and squeezed his shoulder. The fact that she could now touch him freely and give him the comfort he needed warmed her soul. “Charlie, you’re the best there is. And she’s not going to be permanently damaged just because you don’t follow every parental best practice.”
“But the psychological trauma. I read about it. How some children get damaged and have a difficult time processing events in their lives because of what happened in their childhood.”
“Yeah, okay, well, she already knows you love and care for her. That’s all kids need to feel secure and grow up well adjusted. Don’t beat yourself up over this. Every child gets fevers and other minor illnesses. It isn’t your fault. I promise.”
Charlie parked the SUV in front of the drugstore and brought her in close for a kiss. “You’re the best there is, Molly.”
And she knew, without a doubt, that Charlie was the man for her.
Chapter Twelve
Molly stayed with Charlie until Sunday evening, when Emilia’s fever finally broke. The way Charlie cared for the sweet little girl still squeezed Molly’s heart. He worried so much about her, but he was a naturally nurturing guy. How he couldn’t see that about himself, Molly would never know.
Although her eyes were bleary from lack of sleep—a fussy and feverish baby had that effect—she was in a fantastic mood. She’d managed to produce more pieces for her site, plus she’d already made back the cost of her social media advertising. People loved her designs and had left great rev
iews on her Facebook page. Many had also posted selfies wearing her jewelry with the hashtag #MollysCustomJewelry.
The influx of inquiries for more items and possible custom work brightened her mood, and she went to the post office on Monday to drop off the packages for items that had been ordered over the weekend. She hadn’t considered opening a business account or having a carrier come to her place to pick them up, since she hadn’t anticipated this much success. She really ought to look into more convenient shipping options, since it took precious time out of her day to stop by. Besides, she’d rather spend the extra hour she’d gain with Charlie and Emilia.
Ally walked in as Molly was wrapping up her transactions. She waved. “What’s up, cousin?”
“Hey, Molly. Doing good business there?” Ally smiled, eyeing the huge pile of packages.
“Yup, yup. You?”
“Can’t complain.” She placed a big box on the counter. “Mailing a special item to a customer.”
“Huh. Online?”
“No. He’s a tourist who happened to stop by on his way to the airport because he had some time to kill. He couldn’t fit it in his suitcase, so he asked me to mail it to him.”
“Nice.” Molly grinned.
“But I have a feeling you’re happy for reasons other than business.” Ally leaned closer. “Spill.”
Molly lowered her voice. “I’m officially dating Charlie.”
Ally blinked. “Charlie Hackman?”
“Yup.”
“Wow! Good for you. He’s cute in a computer guy sort of way.”
“He’s amazing. The best there is.”
“You’re mooning.”
“I don’t care,” Molly said. “I gotta go now. Have a great day, Ally.”
“You too. And be careful, because Wayne’s right outside. No speeding.”
Molly saluted. “Aye, aye, ma’am.”
Sure enough, as she walked out of the small post office and toward her car, Wayne was there, walking toward her. “Hello, sheriff.”
“Hi, Molly.” He tipped his Stetson. “I need to give you this. Can you sign here to acknowledge receipt?”
Her eyebrows rose. Personal delivery? “Um, yeah. Sure.”
She scrawled her name on the piece of paper he pushed her way. As soon she was finished, he handed her a manila envelope.
“What’s this?” she asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling.
“You’re being served.”
“What?”
“Lawsuit.” Red tinged the tips of his ears. “I don’t enjoy this, but I gotta do it. Part of the job.”
Her mouth dried. The sender’s address was in Denver.
Eddie. He hadn’t been kidding about suing her.
Wayne cleared his throat. “Good luck, Molly.” Then he climbed into his car and left.
Molly ripped the envelope open and read the complaint, then just stood there, stunned and unable to digest what had happened. Her dad had said the chances of Eddie’s complaint going this far were virtually nil, but obviously he was wrong.
What should she do?
Although her business was going well, it didn’t have enough money to fight a lawsuit. Her dad and Sam would offer to defend her for free, but that wasn’t the problem. She didn’t want her business to scrape by because family members were providing services for free. She wanted it to be successful because it could pay all its bills and still have money left over.
Then there was her reputation. If this made the news, it would obviously hurt Molly’s Custom Jewelry. Who would want to shop at a store where your credit card info could be stolen?
Okay, first things first. She should ask Charlie if he’d been able to test her site to see how secure it was. Once she had that information, she’d be better able to respond to the lawsuit.
She went to his house. Charlie’s car was in the driveway. She went inside and saw him dozing off, Emilia napping on his chest. They looked adorable together, and she took a moment to appreciate the tableau, since Emilia would never be this young and small again.
But she had things to do. Feeling guilty at having to wake Charlie up, she approached him.
His eyes opened before she could lay a hand on his shoulder. He gave her a sleepy smile. “Hey. I was just dreaming about you.”
“Maybe you were conjuring me.”
“Maybe.” He adjusted his glasses, growing serious. “What’s going on? You look a little pale.”
“It’s my client, Eddie. He did decide to sue me after all.”
He sat up, holding Emilia carefully. “What? For real?”
She nodded, showing him the envelope bearing the name of Eddie’s lawyer in Denver. “He’s claiming my site caused him ‘enormous financial harm.’”
Charlie snorted. “It did not.”
“Huh?”
“I already checked it out, and I was going to tell you but totally spaced it, what with Emilia’s fever and all. Sorry about that. But your processor is actually owned by a buddy of mine, and he’s no slouch when it comes to security. I already tried to hack it.”
“And? You couldn’t do it?”
“I did with great difficulty. I mean, almost anything is hackable if you’re determined enough and know what you’re doing. But I doubt some small-time criminal would have the know-how to be able to pull it off, and the guys who can…well, they wouldn’t bother with a brand-new online business. Not worth the time or effort. People with skills like that go for bigger targets with a better payoff.”
“So…” she said, wanting to make sure she understood exactly what Charlie was saying.
“So Eddie’s full of it. There are lots of ways his card info could’ve been stolen. It doesn’t have to be your site. He has no proof that it was you.”
“Well, great. That makes me feel better. But that doesn’t mean he can’t hurt my reputation.”
“Yeah…that’s true. Go talk to your father and Sam. Get their advice. They’ll know how to proceed on the legal front.”
Right. The legal front. She exhaled, shoulders slouching.
“Hey, don’t look so grim. If anybody knows how to hamstring the other guy’s lawyer, it’s going to be your father and brother.”
She kissed him on the mouth. “Thanks, Charlie.”
“I’d go with you, but Emilia’s still asleep, and once she wakes up, she’s going to want to eat.”
“I know. It’s okay. I’ll tell them what you said.” She kissed him again, then planted a careful smooch on Emilia’s forehead.
After leaving the house, she drove to Roberts & Son. She didn’t have an appointment, but her father and brother would squeeze her in.
When she reached the office, walking toward her Cadillac was the last person Molly expected to see: Beatrice. Was the woman actually using the law firm’s parking lot as her own public parking space?
Molly pulled into an empty spot and got out. “You know, you shouldn’t park at a law firm you threatened to sue.”
“I didn’t threaten to sue Roberts & Son, just your good-for-nothing father,” Beatrice sneered.
“What kind of logic is that? My dad is Roberts & Son.”
“So what are you going to do? Call the sheriff to give me a ticket?”
Molly glared at the older woman. “That sign right there says clients only.”
“Too small. Couldn’t see it. Seems to me, though, instead of worrying about where I park my car, you should be worrying about your little business.”
“What?”
“‘What?’” Beatrice mocked. “You think I haven’t heard? Tsk, tsk. Not the best way to start, playing fast and loose with your customers’ information.”
Molly gasped. “How dare you.”
“Just repeating what I heard.” Beatrice laughed breezily. “It’s fraud, but you probably won’t go to jail thanks to your fancy family connections. But everyone, including the people of this town, will know what kind of trash you are.”
The knot in Molly’s chest grew until it was nearly suffo
cating. She could barely draw in air as she watched Beatrice get into her car and leave.
Molly stood there for a time, trying to breathe, then jolted when a gentle hand touched her shoulder.
“Molly?” Lina asked, her concerned eyes probing. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, hey,” Molly croaked, then cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. Yeah. Is Sam or my dad available?”
Lina searched her face. “Of course. Come on in. I’ll tell them you’re here.”
Chapter Thirteen
What an outrage. We’ll take care of it.
Her father and brother’s reassurances still ringing in her ear, Molly tried to focus on other commissions. Except for Eddie, her customers still apparently trusted her, and she wanted to do a good job for them. Still, the lawsuit was there, bothering her from a small and dark corner of her mind. It was like a cockroach you knew was in your room…somewhere.
But did it matter? She knew she had two of the best lawyers in the state on her side. All she had to do was let them do their job…just like her customers were waiting for her do hers.
Around five thirty, she stretched her neck and lay down on her back on the floor. She was tired and wasn’t going to get much done now. Maybe she should get something to eat and relax.
Her phone rang. The caller ID said Charlie.
“Hey, Molly. What do you want on your pizza?”
“Pizza?”
“Yeah. Thought it’d make a good dinner…unless you have some other suggestion?”
“No, pizza would be fine.” She cleared her throat. “But I don’t think I’ll be coming over tonight.”
“Why not? Is something wrong?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not you. Just some stuff I have to deal with, and I’m not in the best mood. I make rotten company when I’m like this, so I’m sparing you.”
He grew silent, then finally said, “I see. Okay.” Then he hung up.
She frowned. His voice had been oddly flat there. Was he mad?
No. Probably he was just disappointed. She was being overly sensitive—another sign that she would be bad company right now.