The absolute chill of Cam’s voice sent shivers down Molly’s spine. For the first time in her life she felt protected. She stood behind Cam, who faced her father as if it were the easiest thing in the world to do. Molly looked from one man to the other. Her father’s face grew red with fury.
“It’s awfully good of you to tell me that, Captain. But she got a seventy-eight.”
“So?” Cam challenged darkly.
“So it will drag her down to seventh place.”
“No, it won’t. It doesn’t alter her standing.”
“Captain Sinclair, you’re well known to me. You’ve helped Molly before. And judging from her performance, your interest in her isn’t to help her grades!”
“Father!” Molly cried, moving between them. “That’s enough! Cam has helped me get better grades!”
Jason glared at both of them. “Molly, you always were naive…. You’d better look in this young man’s eyes again. What I see in them isn’t an instructor’s concern for you—it’s a man protecting his woman.”
Cam saw Molly’s face crumple with such injury at the cruel words that he could no longer remain silent. Gently he pulled Molly away from her father.
“Mr. Rutledge, you’ve pushed beyond the envelope on this issue,” he rasped in a low, controlled voice. “Molly has studied twelve to sixteen hours a day, nonstop, since she’s been here. She has no boyfriend, she has no social life, and all she gets for her hard work and care is a bunch of sniping, bitching and destructive phone calls from you and your son. If you want to help Molly, you’ll build her up instead of continuing to tear her down.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed in fury. “Just who the hell do you think you are, telling me how to handle my own daughter?”
“Molly isn’t a little girl anymore. She’s a woman! You don’t ‘handle’ a woman, Mr. Rutledge. She’s an adult and deserves to be treated as such. I believe in her, Mr. Rutledge. I’ve watched Molly battle her way from last on the roster to sixth place. My money’s on her to make the grade.” Cam stepped forward, threatening. “But if you keep lunging at her, tearing her apart, upsetting her with those lousy phone calls and letters, she won’t make it. I really think you want her to fail, not succeed.”
Rattled, Jason took a step back. “I’ve always been on Molly’s side! You young whelp, you have no idea of the pressures on me to make something successful out of Molly!”
“Molly isn’t to be ‘made’ into anything! I don’t give a flying damn about your problems, Rutledge. Don’t you care what happens to her?” Cam’s lips drew away from his teeth as the words hissed between them. “I’m not convinced you want Molly to win. The way you talk to her, cutting her down every chance you get, is that positive? Any football coach will tell you he gets more out of a kid by being supportive than by pointing out the negatives. Are you one of those men who’s been trained to believe that only a man can succeed—that woman are weak and useless?”
Molly sobbed and grabbed Cam by the arm. “Stop it! Both of you, stop it! I won’t have you fighting. I can’t stand it!”
Cam gripped Molly by the shoulder, keeping her well away from her infuriated father. “I’m sorry, Molly, but this has been a long time in coming. Rutledge, leave your daughter alone. If you can’t help her feel good about herself, whether she fails or succeeds, then leave her alone.”
With a curse, Jason turned on his heel and stalked back to the living room.
“Father!” Molly ran after him. She pulled him to a stop just as he leaned down to pick up his briefcase. “Please, don’t go. Let’s talk this out. I know we can—”
He jerked his arm away from her. “Get away from me, Molly. It’s obvious to me whose side you’re on. You’re just like your mother used to be. She was just as hardheaded and stubborn as you are, refusing to listen to me. All right, if you want to be left alone, we’ll leave you alone! From here on out, I’m cutting off your allowance. There won’t be any more phone calls. I’ll order Scott to stop writing to you.” He stood in the foyer, his head held high, looking at Molly and Cam imperiously.
“Don’t cut me off from Scott,” Molly begged, choking back the tears. “Cam’s right. If you could just be more supportive of me, see what I’ve done well in the week, instead of what I’ve failed to do, it would help. Please, try to understand.”
Cam stood aside, opening the door. He was proud of Molly for standing up to her father. He saw anguish in Molly’s face, the tears reflecting hurt in her beautiful green eyes. It took everything in him not to reach out and grab Rutledge by the collar and shake some sense into him. He knew exactly what her father was doing to Molly, manipulating her vulnerable emotions.
“There’s nothing to understand,” Jason told Molly in a rasp, heading for the open door.
“Don’t go!” Molly cried. “Please, Father, let’s talk—”
Rutledge jerked his head over his shoulder and hesitated at the door. “I’m disowning you, Molly. I’m writing you out of my will. No daughter of mine would behave as you have. I’m ashamed of you.”
“Get the hell out of here,” Cam said.
“With pleasure.”
“No!” Molly sobbed. “No…”
Cam caught her before she could go after her father. He shut the door with his foot and drew her deep into his arms. Sweet God, but she was shaking like a leaf. “It’s okay, angel. He doesn’t mean it.” Cam stroked her tangled hair and felt Molly sink against him, her sobs muffled against his chest.
Damn Rutledge! Molly’s weeping was tearing him apart. In one motion, Cam picked her up. He carried her into the living room and deposited her on the sofa next to him, then drew her back into his arms. The evening light filled the room, as did Molly’s pain, expressed in the sound of inconsolable weeping. Her tears soaked Cam’s shirtfront.
Cam shut his eyes tightly, holding Molly against him, rocking her and whispering words he hoped would take away the pain her father had inflicted on her. She’d had a rotten week and a worse day. To have Rutledge here tearing her apart was more than any human being could expect to stand.
“Shh, angel, it’s going to be all right. I’m here. I’ll take care of you. Just cry and get it out of your system….” How good it felt to have someone he loved in his arms again! How good it felt to be needed! Opening his eyes, Cam realized he’d just admitted to himself that he loved Molly. With a groan, he laid his head back on the couch, absently stroking Molly’s back and shoulders to soothe her. When had it happened? How?
Ever since he’d met Molly, he’d been powerfully attracted to her. And she invited his protection not by acting weak or playing coy, but by exposing a vulnerability that few people had the courage to wear outwardly.
Without thinking, Cam pressed a kiss to her fragrant hair. The silky texture beneath his lips goaded him to kiss her again. This time, his lips touched her wet cheek, and he became lost in the feel of her velvet firmness, of her slender warmth pressed against him. Sliding his fingers up along her clean jawline, he eased Molly back into his arms and tilted her chin upward until his mouth fitted perfectly against hers. He felt her tremble once, tense, and then, as he moved his mouth slowly across the wet surface of her lips, she sank into his offered embrace.
The world of pain and anguish Molly was experiencing was soothed by Cam’s mouth fitting gently against her own. The sob caught in her throat turned into a moan of pleasure, not of pain. Her hand had moved away from his chest when he’d first touched her lips. Now her fingers flexed, relaxed and then flowed around Cam’s shoulder, buried in the thick hair at the base of his neck. She tasted the salt of her tears and tasted the strength and gentleness of Cam—as a man, an equal.
Gradually, ever so gradually, he eased his mouth from her lips. Molly lifted her tear-beaded lashes. Cam’s eyes burned with a fever that sent her blood flowing hot with need of him. Her emotions were on overload, and all she could do was stare up at him. Molly remembered her father’s blistering words that Cam was more than just an instructor, that he want
ed her for his own. The turbulence in his stormy blue eyes confirmed that observation, and more. In that moment, Molly realized just how much Cam had hidden from her until now.
Cam saw Molly’s eyes, once dazed with pleasure, turn anxious. He cursed himself for letting down his guard and allowing the situation to force his hand, showing his real feelings for her. It was the wrong place and time. He managed a slight smile and asked, “Where do you keep the Kleenex?”
Molly sniffed. Cam’s shirt was blotched with her tears, and so was her blouse. “I’ll go get some,” she whispered.
“No, stay put,” he ordered. “For once, let someone take care of you.”
Molly hung her head, tears welling up in her eyes once again. “There’s a box in the kitchen,” she croaked.
Cam got up and located it. He also found a bottle of brandy and poured her some. When he came back he found Molly sitting hunched over, her face buried in her hands. Sitting down next to her, he put a couple of tissues in one of her hands and the shot of brandy in the other.
“A very beautiful and compassionate young lady once gave me some brandy when I was having a rotten night. Go on, drink it. She told me her grandma always said it helped in a crisis.”
Molly lifted her chin and looked at Cam through her tears. “Did anybody ever tell you you’ve a pretty good shoulder to cry on, too?”
His mouth curved gently. Cam reached over and drew her hair aside and placed it behind her ear. “I’ve had some experience down that road once or twice. Go on. Drink the brandy, angel.” Cam cringed inwardly. How easy it was to call her “angel,” because she was one in his eyes. A battered angel in need of a little care and love.
Just the tenderness in Cam’s voice and touch healed some of the pain Molly was undergoing. She gulped down the brandy, then choked and coughed. Cam took the glass out of her hand and patted her on the back.
“Your granny made some powerful stuff,” Cam said, grinning.
When she’d finished coughing, Molly managed a short laugh. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes free of the tears. Sitting in the silence, she whispered, “Thanks for staying. You didn’t have to.” Swallowing hard, she added, “And thanks for coming to my rescue. I’ve tried standing up to Father before, but I always let myself get beaten down.”
“That’s because you love him,” Cam explained. “It’s hard to stand up to a parent who doesn’t respect you.”
Pain flowed through Molly, and she touched the region of her heart with her fingertips. “I couldn’t believe what you said to him.”
“It was all true, Molly. Since you’ve started sharing the phone calls and Scott’s letters with me, it’s been easy to put together what he’s doing to you.”
Cam rubbed her slumped shoulder. “I owe you an apology, Molly. I didn’t mean to step in and take on your father, but dammit, he was chewing you up. I couldn’t allow it to happen. You did nothing to deserve it. I figured you’d told him about your grade. I was hoping that when he found out that I failed Martin on the test and you hadn’t lost your standing, he’d cool down, but he didn’t. Your father wasn’t really interested in the truth.”
Molly nodded, gripping the Kleenex between her hands. “If Maggie were here, she’d be cheering you on or jumping in with both feet to help. She’s never liked my father.”
“I can see why.”
“Dana didn’t, either.”
“Your friends were good barometers of the situation,” Cam said quietly. “They love you and didn’t want to see you get hurt. Neither do I.” Because I love you, too.
“Why did he do that, Cam? Why did Father disown me?” Molly kept picking at the tissue until it was in shreds in her fingers. Her voice grew strained. “I try so hard to please him, to please Scott. God, the last thing I expected was to see him here tonight. Father’s never done this before. I was so shaken up at seeing him at the front door.”
With a sigh, Cam took the shredded tissue from her hands and gave her a new one. “Your father has abused the privilege of your love for him, Molly. Look, he’s got a lot of guilt driving him.”
Miserable, she looked over at him. “What do you mean?”
“He probably in some way feels responsible for Scott’s accident. I’ll bet he favored Scott over you growing up, didn’t he?”
“Well…yes. But don’t all fathers favor a son over a daughter?”
Cam shook his head. “No. Listen to me, Molly, you’re going to have to separate what is your responsibility from what he wants you to be responsible for in your family situation. You have every right to live your life for you, not him. He acts like he owns you. He tries to run your life for you.”
Molly nodded. “I guess I’ve been coming to that conclusion for a while. It’s just so hard to accept, Cam. My mother—God, I miss her so much. She was wonderful.”
“She was the buffer between you and your father,” Cam guessed grimly. “When she died early, you were left unprotected, Molly. There were no arms you could run into to feel safe for a little while, were there?”
“No, I guess not.” The brandy was beginning to ease her fear and roiling emotions. “I never did have a safe place, except my room.”
Whether Cam wanted to or not, he knew he had to leave. If he didn’t, he’d stay the night. Molly didn’t need that on top of everything else she was struggling with. “You have me, Molly. I’ll be your safe place when you need one. Deal?”
She gave Cam a warm, grateful look. “I felt so protected when you challenged my father.”
“I’ll always be there for you, Molly,” Cam said, slowly getting to his feet. “Take this weekend and heal. Just rest.” He reached over barely grazing the skin beneath her eyes. “Get rid of those dark circles. Sleep a lot. Don’t work on any programs until Monday.”
It was sound advice and Molly knew it. She caught his hand in her own. “Thank you, Cam.”
The urge to sweep Molly back into his arms was becoming an excruciating torture. Cam gently squeezed her fingers. “Anytime,” he promised thickly. “Because you’re worth fighting for, Molly. Don’t ever forget that. Look at what you did right today and tonight. I’m proud as hell of you. You stood up to Martin and Norton.”
“And my father.”
A pained smile shadowed Cam’s mouth. “Especially your father. Once he gets over his anger, he’ll call you. This disowning thing is nothing more than a manipulation on his part. I don’t think he even realizes why he did it. You didn’t fall for it, so he’s going to have to regroup and learn to treat you in a different way. All this thing needs is time, and you’ve got that.”
With a slight laugh, Molly said, “Maybe I’ll do better without the weekly phone calls.” And then she sobered. “But I’ll miss talking to Scott.”
“Well,” Cam remarked grimly, “if that brother of yours isn’t completely under your father’s thumb, he’ll call you anyway. I’ll see you Monday?”
Although she still hurt, Molly felt as if weight had been taken off her shoulders. “Count on it.”
Cam squelched the desire to lean down and touch her wonderfully soft, sensitive mouth. “Good night.”
Afterward, Molly sat in the semidarkness of her apartment. So much had happened that it took hours to sort it all out. Later, she got up, took a bath and changed into a pale lavender bathrobe. Near ten o’clock, Molly went to bed and slept deeply. In her dreams, Cam was kissing her, and making slow, beautiful love to her.
Chapter Eleven
“Listen, you be careful up there,” Cam warned Molly. He’d caught her just outside the women’s locker room. They stood alone in the hall. She wore a body-hugging G-suit, just as he did.
Molly forced a grimace. “With one more month to go, holding on to fourth place in overall standings, don’t think I won’t be.”
Cam walked along the hall with her. It was Friday afternoon, and hers was the last flight of the day before debrief. Unfortunately, the critical spin-test flight was with Chuck Martin. At the stairs they separated, Cam taking
the exit door and Molly the stairs.
Molly clenched the knee board that held her flight test tightly in her left hand. On the first floor, students in flight suits were coming and going. Breaking out in a sweat, she went out a back door to meet the van that would take her, Martin, Cam and Norton to their waiting F-14 Tomcats at the nearby hangar.
The weather was bright and dry, a perfect October day on the bay. The breeze coming off the water had a bite to it, but Molly was sweating too profusely to be chilled. As she walked to the van, she saw Martin in the back, a scowl on his face. Cam sat up front with the driver. Vic Norton offered his hand and she took it, climbing aboard. The door slid shut, and they rode off down the landing apron toward the hangars.
On this flight, Vic would fly chase with Cam. Molly felt better that the two of them would be along for the ride. Her and Martin’s conversation and actual tests would be monitored by both instructors, as well as videotaped. Nothing like two sets of eyeballs, as far as Molly was concerned. Confidence was something she’d built, brick by brick, since the crisis with her father.
Molly tried to remain focused on the spin test to come, but as always, her father rose in her thoughts in off moments. The phone calls had ceased completely, and she found her life free of pressure. Scott had found the courage to call her sporadically, obvious strain in his voice each time he took the risk. They didn’t talk about her career. He was distraught, and so was she.
Molly’s gaze drifted to Cam’s back and broad set of shoulders. Warmth flowed through her, a balm to her nervousness over the upcoming test. Through everything, Cam had remained unobtrusively in the background. He never told her what to do, but he supported any decision she made. The past two months had been sweet torture as far as Molly was concerned.
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