****
Two hours later, Molly, Steve, and Karli were on the road to Red Rock and Mike’s Timber Ridge Clinic. Karli was in the back seat, tucked in a car seat they’d borrowed from the Phillips. Her precious Mr. Muggins sat beside her.
Steve entertained Karli with stories while Molly concentrated on driving. He soon had them both laughing at the antics of a trained bear that didn’t want to be in the circus anymore.
“Where’d you learn all those stories,” Molly asked, when his narrative ended.
“From my grandfather.” Steve settled back in his seat. “He was quite a storyteller. I don’t know where he got the stories. I think he made them up. I always thought I’d tell them to my kids someday, but in the meantime, I’ve been entertaining my niece and nephew.”
“You’ve still got lots of time to have your own children,” Molly said, and then wished she hadn’t brought up such a personal subject.
“I guess so.” He clamped his jaw shut and turned to gaze out the window.
At the clinic, Mike examined Karli and questioned both her and Molly. “The illness appears to be just a virus,” he said afterward, sitting on his stool in the examining room. “Although I shouldn’t say ‘just,’ because that’s bad enough. No fun being sick, is it, Karli?” He smiled at the little girl perched on the examining table.
“No, it’s not.” Shoulders drooping, Karli shook her head.
Mike turned to Molly sitting nearby. “Keep on with the medicine, lots of liquids, and bed rest. Call me at home tomorrow and let me know how she’s doing.”
“She’s a tough one to keep down, but I’ll do my best.” Molly gathered up her purse and stood.
“You’ll feel better sooner if you rest a lot,” he told Karli as he patted her head.
Mike accompanied them to the waiting room, where Steve tossed down the magazine he’d been paging through and jumped up. “What’s the verdict?”
“Hey, Steve, good to see you.” Mike clapped Steve on the shoulder. “Looks like our little gal here has a virus.”
Steve’s chest expanded as he drew in a breath. “I’m glad we came in and can get her treatment started.”
“Me, too,” Molly said, keeping her arm around Karli’s shoulder.
“She should be as good as new in a couple of days,” Mike added, and then gestured to Steve’s injured arm. “How’s the arm?”
Steve rubbed his injured wrist. “Better, but sore if I try to use it.”
Mike turned to Karli. “See, Steve has to rest his arm, so it will get better.”
“Yah, but I have to rest my whole body!” Karli said, which brought a laugh from everyone.
Chapter Thirteen
At the Rolling R, Molly dropped off Steve at the Jacksons’ then she and Karli continued on to their house. After Molly put Karli to bed, she opened a can of chicken noodle soup for their lunch.
Karli ate half of hers then pushed away the bowl, saying she was too tired to eat any more.
Molly sat with her until she fell asleep. She was cleaning up the kitchen when Sara arrived.
“Here are samples of my newest recipe, Coconut Oat Cookies.” She handed Molly a foil-covered plate. “I thought Karli might enjoy them.”
“Thanks, Sara. I’m sure she will.” Molly lifted a corner of the foil, allowing the sweet aroma of coconut to float out. “They smell wonderful.”
Sara laughed. “I hope they taste as good as they smell. But, now, tell me what Mike said about Karli.”
“Sit while I put these in the kitchen. Then I’ll fill you in.” Molly gestured toward the sofa.
After putting the cookies in the refrigerator, Molly returned to the living room. “She’s got a virus,” she said, dropping into a chair across from Sara. “I’ll have to keep Karli away from Teresa’s until she’s well.” She cast Sara a worried glance. “What am I going to do about my job?”
“You’ll stay with Karli as long as you need to.”
“But—”
With a shake of her head, Sara held up a hand. “Not to worry. We’ll set you up with a laptop, and you can work from here. This will be a good time to revise the procedures manual to fit with the new software. Since your cell phone’s already set up for call forwarding, taking orders won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, but won’t setting up the laptop be a lot of trouble?”
“Not at all. Steve can help. Installing the laptop with his program is a good idea, anyway.”
“I don’t know—” Molly put her head in her hands. Everything was piling up, and she wasn’t sure how she could tend a sick child and accomplish her tasks.
Sara stood and approached Molly. Leaning down, she slipped her arm around Molly’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. Everything will work out okay.”
Molly took a moment to let Sara’s gesture comfort her. Sara was probably right—about this particular situation. But the future, filled with potential disasters, loomed over Molly.
“I know this all looks overwhelming to you now,” Sara said, as though she’d read Molly’s mind. “Raising Karli, making a living. But take one day at a time, okay? You never know what’s on the horizon.”
Molly dropped her hands and forced a smile to her lips. “You’re right. I promise to do better. And bring on the laptop. Work is good for me right now.”
****
After dinner that evening, Steve left the main house and headed down the road to Molly’s. Sara had filled him in on Molly working from home on a laptop and asked if he would install the software. Of course, he would. He was happy to do whatever he could to help. Sara called Molly and set a time with her for this evening.
He had another, personal, reason for coming tonight. He’d decided to tell Molly the truth about his marriage to Angie. After the incident at the Harwell party, he figured he owed her the entire story.
“Hope I’m not too early,” he said when Molly opened the door.
“Not at all. Come on in.” She smiled then nodded toward the kitchen. “I was about to dish up our ice cream. Do you want some?”
“Ice cream sounds good.”
He followed her into the kitchen, where the aroma of chicken soup lingered in the air.
While she dished up the bowls of ice cream, he considered launching into his story. But, no, better wait until Karli was settled for the night.
Molly put the three dishes of ice cream on a tray and led Steve into Karli’s room. The air was warmer here than in the rest of the house, and the only light came from the bedside lamp with a plastic horse for the base.
Karli lay in bed, propped up against the pillows. Beside her, Mr. Muggins peeked his head out from the covers.
“Hi, Steve.” Karli’s lips broke into a smile.
“How’re you doing, Karli?” He glanced at her face, noting pink cheeks.
“I’m better all the time. Aren’t I, Mommy?”
“I sure hope so. Grab a seat, Steve.” Molly nodded at a straight chair against the wall.
Steve retrieved the chair and sat.
Placing the tray on the nightstand, Molly sank into a chair already positioned by the bed. She picked up two dishes, handing one to Steve and one to Karli. “Here, honey.”
As Karli took the bowl, she looked up at Steve. “Can you tell me and Mr. Muggins a story?”
“We have a story to read.” Molly pointed to a picture book lying on the nightstand.
Karli cast a frown in the book’s direction. “That’s old. I want to hear one of Steve’s stories.”
A muscle in Steve’s neck tightened. Here was another tug-of-war between mother and daughter, with him in the middle. How could he keep them both happy?
To delay his answer, he took a bite of his ice cream, letting the chocolate swirl around his tongue. “I need a little more time to come up with one of my stories, so why don’t we read your book tonight?”
Karli pouted and scooped up a spoonful. “All right, but you read it.”
His hand stilled halfway to his mouth and he shot M
olly a glance.
She swallowed a spoonful of her ice cream and shrugged. “Okay, if you really want to.”
“’Course I do.”
When they finished eating, he picked up the book and balanced it on his lap, so he could turn the pages with his left hand. “Ready?”
Karli grinned and snuggled down in bed, her arm around Mr. Muggins.
Molly rose and collected the empty ice cream dishes. “I’ll take care of these while you’re reading,” she said, and left the room.
The story was about a pig and a bear that formed an unlikely but strong friendship, first out of necessity, then with genuine caring. Karli was asleep well before he reached the last page, but he finished the story aloud anyway.
He replaced the book on the nightstand and tucked the covers under her chin. Warmth curled around his heart. With only a little imagination, he could envision himself as Karli’s father. He gazed at her round face and blond curls for a few moments longer, reveling in the wonder of the experience. Then, with a deep sigh, he turned out the light and left the room.
The sound of water running led him to the kitchen. Molly was putting the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. She poured in some liquid soap, snapped shut the door, and pressed the Start button. The machine gave a loud whoosh then settled down to a steady rumble.
“Is she asleep?” Molly rinsed out the dishrag and hung it on a nearby rack.
Leaning a hip against the counter, he grinned. “Before I finished the story.”
“She’s on the mend. I can tell because she’s getting demanding again.”
“She has a mind of her own.”
“Like her father.”
While Molly’s wistful smile touched Steve’s heart, the mention of Buck Henson slipped him a dose of reality. Yes, Karli was Buck’s child. A few minutes ago, he’d imagined her as his own. But that wasn’t so. Never could be. He must remember that.
What if telling Molly the truth about his marriage would be a mistake? Their association was only temporary, wasn’t it? Maybe he should keep that part of his personal life to himself. “Anything a one-armed guy can help with?” he asked, his gaze taking in the rest of the kitchen.
“No, thanks.” She dried her hands on a towel hanging next to the dishrag. “We’d better get the computer set up.”
Steve followed her into the living room, where the laptop sat on the table in one corner.
Molly pulled up two straight chairs. “Can you do what you need to with one hand?”
“I can. But tonight I’ll talk you through the program and let you do the actual work.” He nodded at the stack of books and CD cases next to the laptop. “I see Sara included all the manuals and software, so we have everything we need.”
“Yes, I think we’re all set.”
He sat and opened the laptop. As she settled beside him, he caught a whiff of her hair, which smelled fresh and fragrant, like the wild flowers he’d passed along the road. With her so near, how was he going to keep his mind on business? He cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s get started.”
For the next half hour, he concentrated on coaching her as she installed the program. Then he showed her several formats for setting up the procedures manual.
Molly’s forehead wrinkled. “I don’t know which one will work best for Sara.”
“Set up a few pages in each format. Then show them to her and see what she says.” He liked they had this task to share and that he could offer advice.
A smile grew on her lips, and she nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
He sat back. “You want to start on it tonight?”
She glanced at her wristwatch. “No, it’s too late. I’ll wait until tomorrow.”
“Okay, shut ‘er down.”
After she’d turned off and closed the laptop, an awkward silence descended. Molly fiddled with one of the manuals, while he straightened his sling.
Finally, she put down the manual and turned. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I can make some.”
What he wanted was to kiss her, as he had at Harwell’s party. If only he could repeat those wonderful moments. But that was wishful thinking.
“No, thanks. I’d better head back to the house. Today has been a long one for both of us.”
As though relieved of a burden, she jumped up.
“You’re right,” she said. “And I’ll be up and down all night, checking on Karli’s temp.”
“All the more reason for me to head out.” He pushed to his feet.
“Thanks for getting me started on the program,” she said on their way to the front door.
“No problem. You have any questions, be sure to holler, okay?”
“I will… See you tomorrow.”
“Right, tomorrow.” He cut her a glance, hoping to catch her eye, hoping something other than words might pass between them. No luck, though. She kept her gaze on the door.
Then he was on the road, with a faint moon shining down to light his way, and sagebrush and hay scenting the air. As he passed the stable, a horse neighed, and a second one nickered a soft answer.
Molly had been cool and distant tonight, as though they were strangers. He thought he was ready to confide in her, but tonight hadn’t been the right time. Tonight was about her work for Sara, and about Karli.
Maybe the right time would never come, and, as he had thought earlier, he and Molly were destined to have only a brief time together. Steve trudged on, feeling more alone than ever.
****
Molly sat at her desk in the bakery’s office working on the monthly bookkeeping. For four days, she’d stayed home with Karli, setting up the procedures manual on the laptop and taking orders on her cell phone.
Now Karli’s temperature had been normal for two days, and with great relief, Molly had let her go back to Teresa’s.
Sara came in from the kitchen. “Hey, Molly.” She clapped her hands. “Seeing you sitting at your desk again is wonderful. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed being here.” Sara’s effusive greeting brought a smile to Molly’s lips. “But I sure appreciate your letting me stay with Karli while she was sick.”
Sara crossed to the supply closet and poked her head inside. “I’m glad she’s better now,” she said over her shoulder. “You did let Mike know she’s okay?”
“Yes, I called his office this morning and told his nurse, Lucy.”
“Good. When I talked to Rose last night, she asked about you and Karli.”
“That was nice of her.” Knowing that others cared about her daughter warmed her heart. Molly leaned back in her chair and propped her elbows on the armrests. “How is she doing with her pregnancy?”
“She’s doing fine. Very excited, as you can imagine.” The sound of shuffling came from the closet. “Do you know what happened to those labels we had for the boxes? Doreen and Lupe need them.”
“They should be on the middle shelf. Want me to help look?”
“No, I’ll find them…Oh, here they are.” Sara turned, holding the cardboard box of labels. “Steve was asking about Karli this morning at breakfast.”
Molly’s shoulders tightened. Steve hadn’t been to the house since the night he’d set up her laptop. When Karli had asked why Steve hadn’t come to see them, Molly told her he was giving her time to get well, and he’d be around later. But she wondered if he would. Perhaps her coldness that night would keep him away permanently.
Deep down, she hadn’t wanted to distance herself, but she knew pulling back on their relationship was for the best. Even if doing so had hurt. Nothing lasting could develop between them. Why risk her feelings? Or Karli’s?
“Molly, is there something wrong between you and Steve?”
Jolted back to the present, Molly looked up to see Sara standing on the other side of her desk. “Not really. Why?”
Sara shrugged. “I thought his asking about you was strange, because I figured you two were keeping in touch.” She set the box on the desk and dropped into a nearby chair.
Molly picked up a pen and twirled it between her fingers. She wished Sara would leave and let her get back to work. “I haven’t talked to him since the night he set up my laptop. Does he need me to drive him someplace?”
“I don’t think so. He seems to have plenty of work to do from the house.” Brows pulled together, she leaned forward. “I, ah, thought you two were beginning to—”
Molly interrupted with a wave. “Please don’t go there, Sara. Steve will be returning to New York soon. Besides, he’s way out of my league.”
Sara frowned and shook her head. “I don’t know why you say that. You two seem very well suited.”
“Not at all. He’s big city, and even though I came from a big city, now I’m country. We’re in two different worlds. I can’t get involved with him, don’t you understand?” Molly’s stomach knotted. “The more I let him into our lives, the harder letting him go when he leaves will be for Karli.”
“But think about all you’re missing if you don’t get involved.”
Molly shook her head, her grip tightening on the pen. “I’m not the one who matters here.”
“I disagree. Putting Karli first sometimes is fine. But you need to think about yourself, too.”
“I’ll be glad when he’s gone.” Molly sighed and shifted in her chair. “Then I won’t have to worry about whether anything is happening between us or not.”
“Really?” Sara’s eyebrows shot upward and her voice rose. “And what about the next guy who comes along? Are you going to push away every man who’s interested in you to protect Karli? Or are you using her as an excuse because you’re afraid of your own feelings? Afraid you might have to let go of Buck’s memory and go on with life?”
Molly’s jaw dropped and tears burned behind her eyes. “What a hurtful thing to say.”
“I’m sorry.” Sara pressed her fingers to her lips. “I don’t want to hurt you. But standing by and watching you and Steve go your separate ways is painful.”
“You’re assuming too much. Steve and I barely know each other. If he hadn’t hurt his arm, he’d be gone by now. His accident was my fault.”
“Did you ever think maybe the accident happened for a reason? So you two would have more time to get to know each other?”
Marrying Molly Page 15