Patchwork Family

by Judy Christenberry

  “No one. I didn’t sleep well last night. Probably had too much caffeine. I’ll cut back this evening.” He hoped he’d satisfied his partner’s curiosity. “The open house was a success, don’t you think?”

  “Very much so. I hadn’t seen the inside of the house since before old Mrs. Blake died. Molly certainly gave it a face-lift. It didn’t hurt, of course, that she was smiling and friendly. That’s another change from Mrs. Blake. Molly is such a darling, isn’t she?”

  “Um, yeah…darling.”

  “Oh, that reminds me. I got a call from the County Clerk’s office. They’ve set the hearing for the zoning this Thursday evening. Molly will need to be present. I’ve got to call her. Maybe I’ll ask Mrs. Allen to make the call because I’m already running late. I needed to—”

  “I’ll call her.” He couldn’t believe he’d offered to have more contact with Molly. About midnight, after staring at the walls of his bedroom for several hours, he’d decided he’d avoid the woman at all costs.

  Amanda smiled. “Oh, good, thanks. I’ll make a presentation to the City Council, of course, but they’ll probably have questions for Molly. Would you have time to prep her on any possible questions?”

  “Sure.”

  “Great. I’m leaving on the five-o’clock flight today, but I’ll be back Thursday about noon. In plenty of time.”

  “Right,” he agreed, and said goodbye as his partner responded to their secretary’s prompting.

  Then he bowed his head, resting his forehead on his fists in the center of his desk. First a phone call, then a prepping for the hearing. Which meant he had to see Molly.

  “But it’s business,” he reminded himself. “Just business.”

  He reached for the phone.

  When she answered, he almost forgot to speak as emotions flooded him.

  “Hello? Is anyone there?”

  “Uh, Molly, it’s me, Quinn.”

  After a pause, she said, “Yes?”

  “Amanda asked me to call.” He wanted it understood up front that this was not a personal call. He kept his voice stiff and formal. As she had tried to do last night.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. But the date for the hearing has been set. It’s Thursday night. Amanda wanted to give you plenty of notice. But she was running late and had to go to Chicago this afternoon.”

  “But—”

  “She’ll be back in time for the hearing. But I’ll need to go over possible questions with you so you’ll be ready.”

  “No! That won’t be necessary. I’ll be prepared.”

  “It’s my duty as your legal advisor to prep you. There might be things you haven’t thought of, and you have to be prepared,” he warned. Why was he pushing for what he didn’t want? Because I’m a professional. I always do a thorough job. It had nothing to do with what had happened last night.

  “Make a list of questions and leave it with your secretary. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

  “No. This has to be done in person.”

  “My schedule is too packed today. I can’t—”

  “I’ll take you to lunch at Marge’s tomorrow while Sara’s in school. We can talk there.” Then he could see her without being tempted to lose control. Which wouldn’t do at all.

  Apparently Molly thought the same thing because, after a moment’s silence, she agreed.

  “Fine, I’ll pick you up at eleven-thirty.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Her brief response brought a picture of her standing by the door so he wouldn’t have a chance to come in. She didn’t wait for his response but hung up the phone.

  “Damn, you’d think I was a threat to the woman. All I did was kiss her!” he muttered.

  “Did you call, Mr. Spencer?” the secretary asked, poking her head past his office door. He hadn’t realized Amanda hadn’t completely closed it when she left.

  “No. I was talking to myself.”

  She waggled a finger at him. “Better be careful. You know they say people who talk to themselves are crazy.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Allen. I’ll let you know if I need you.” To keep him from going crazy.

  He picked up the contract still on his desk, to be sure the woman realized she was dismissed. When she disappeared, pulling his door closed after her, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  Until he remembered that he had an appointment for lunch with Molly tomorrow. Then he forgot all about the contract.

  By four o’clock, he’d given up trying to read the contract. His famous concentration skills had disappeared.

  “No wonder. I didn’t sleep more than two hours last night.”

  Damn it, here he was talking to himself again. He shoved the contract back into its file and left it on his desk. He’d try again in the morning after a good night’s sleep.

  Some cynical, sadistic voice deep inside him asked, “You think you’re going to sleep any better tonight?”

  He leaped to his feet and grabbed his overcoat. But he didn’t bother with his briefcase. Tonight he was going to relax, take his mind off work…and off Molly. He could handle what had happened last night. After all, he’d been with more beautiful women. Certainly more willing. More his type.

  Before the walls could laugh at him, he raced out of the office.

  SILENCE REIGNED over the dinner table that evening until Brady showed up. Elias and Quinn had been eating their salads without any conversation.

  “Well, aren’t you two a chatty group,” Brady said, as the housekeeper brought another salad and a place setting to the table.

  “You joining us?” Elias asked, a smile on his face. Quinn hadn’t bothered to smile and couldn’t figure out what his father found to please him.

  “I thought I would. Your housekeeper cooks better than I do, and I finished up early tonight.” Brady turned to smile at Quinn. “I think your Molly has spoiled me. I don’t like my own cooking anymore.”

  “She’s not my Molly!” Quinn snapped.

  Elias jerked his head up to stare at his youngest son. Before he could ask any questions, however, Brady spoke.

  “Well, if you’re not interested, maybe I’ll visit sweet Molly. She’s going to make some man an incredible wife. He’d never go hungry.”

  “Don’t you think about anything but your stomach?” Quinn demanded, leaping to his feet. “Molly has a lot more to offer than her cooking.”

  “After seeing her in that dress yesterday, I’d guess all the men in town know that, don’t you think?” Brady responded, winking at Quinn.

  “Sit down, son, and finish your salad, or we’ll never get to the roast beef Eva prepared.” Elias sent a look Brady’s way that Quinn couldn’t interpret, but he wasn’t finished speaking. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Christmas.”

  “Christmas?” Quinn asked, lost. What had they said that made his father think of Christmas.

  “Yeah, Christmas. It’s only a couple of weeks away. I thought we might, uh, expand our guest list a little. Lydia doesn’t have any family here, and I thought it would be nice to ask her to join us. You don’t have any objections, do you?”

  Brady and Quinn exchanged a look, but they both shook their heads.

  “Good. We don’t want Jenna to feel like the Lone Ranger,” Elias said with a grin. His sons both stared at him, a lack of comprehension on their faces. “The only female. That’s what I meant.”

  “Oh,” Quinn said, still frowning.

  “Good thinking, Dad,” Brady agreed.

  “Course, if you two would each find a lady, she wouldn’t be the only female in the family.”

  Quinn began to see a pattern. “Brady and I aren’t the only single men around here.”

  Brady looked even more bewildered.

  Quinn nudged him and nodded toward Elias.

  “True,” Elias agreed, showing no concern.

  “Dad!” Brady exclaimed, shock on his face.

  “Well? I am single.”

  Glad to have something else t
o occupy his mind beside a certain blonde, Quinn agreed. “You are, for way too long. Lydia is a nice lady.”

  “Yeah,” Elias agreed with a warm smile on his face.

  Quinn realized his father had been smiling a lot more lately. Was it because of Lydia?

  “Anyway,” Elias continued, “I thought you should ask Molly and her sweet little girl. It will get us used to having children around at Christmas. I need to practice, you know, because next Christmas we’ll have Seth and Jenna’s child.”

  This time it was Brady who encouraged his father. “Good idea, Dad. I know Molly doesn’t have any other family, so she and Sara would probably enjoy celebrating with us.”

  “I don’t think she’ll come,” Quinn snapped.

  Elias eyed him curiously. “You two have a fight? Is that why you look like you didn’t get a wink of sleep last night?”

  “I had something on my mind,” Quinn replied, avoiding looking at his family members.

  “Maybe he was regretting Clarisse’s departure,” Brady suggested, a teasing look on his face.

  Quinn didn’t bother to protest. Let his brother think what he wanted as long as he didn’t realize it was Molly, not Clarisse, who caused his insomnia.

  “Well, you can invite who you want, Quinn,” Elias said slowly, “though I’ll admit Clarisse isn’t a favorite. But I want Molly and little Sara to come. Will you take care of it for me?”

  Quinn wished he could say no. But he couldn’t unless he wanted to make some explanations that he’d rather avoid. Besides, he figured his father would ask Molly if he didn’t.

  “I’ll extend the invitation, but I don’t know if she’ll come.”

  “Good enough.” Elias rang the small dinner bell beside his plate. When Eva opened the door, he said, “We’re ready for the roast beef now.”

  TWO IN THE MORNING. Quinn stared at the alarm clock, its numbers the only light in his bedroom.

  “This is ridiculous!” he protested to no one. He’d stayed up until midnight, watching late-night television, but he’d found little to catch his attention. Then he’d turned out the lights, sure he’d fall asleep at once.

  But he hadn’t.

  Now he understood why people got hooked on sleeping pills. Nothing was scarier than staring at the walls, knowing he needed sleep but unable to get it. Why? What was the problem? He’d gone without sex before. In fact, he’d practiced abstinence a lot more than most people would believe. Mindless sex had lost its attraction when he’d left the teenage years.

  So why was it different with Molly?

  Why couldn’t he shut her out of his mind, dismiss her influence on his body? Get some damn sleep!

  It was his fault.

  He’d known he’d need to avoid seeing or speaking to Molly. That had been his game plan. But when the opportunity to call her had arisen, he hadn’t been able to resist.

  If anyone had asked, he would’ve assured him his self-discipline was one of his strong traits. He may have played the playboy role, but in actuality, he’d worked hard on his career. He’d done what had to be done to not just survive, but to grow and succeed.

  Except avoid Molly Blake.

  He understood about withdrawal. You suffered a couple of days, then you continued with your life. But he’d agreed to see Molly tomorrow.

  Agreed? Hell, he’d pressed her to meet with him.

  “I was only doing my job,” he muttered, but he had to be honest with himself if no one else. He’d wanted to see her. To see those big blue eyes that twinkled when she smiled. To let his gaze trace her soft curves. To breathe in her warm, wholesome but sexy scent. He craved those things as an alcoholic craved a drink.

  And because he’d given in to his needs, he was spending another sleepless night.

  With a sigh, he gave in to his wants and envisioned a smiling Molly, her arms around Sara. Then he imagined her in the kitchen, filling the room with fragrant odors, her curves wrapped in a big white apron, or in that sweaterdress that he couldn’t get out of his mind.

  It was hours till he finally fell asleep.

  MOLLY HAD ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING with her morning. Except dressing for her lunch with Quinn. At first, she’d considered dressing as she had when she’d first met him: in stained, old clothes, her hair a mess, no makeup on. A silent message to tell him she didn’t care about his opinion. But that would be cutting off her nose to spite her face. And it would be dishonest.

  Besides, as a business owner, she needed to appear professional. And if she wanted people to believe her only reason for meeting Quinn was a business one, she had to look like a businesswoman.

  So she dressed in a suit, a rich plum. It wasn’t new, but she loved it. It gave her some much needed confidence. Then, holding her overcoat over her arm, she went down the stairs to sit on the bottom step, close to the door.

  When she heard steps on her porch, she drew a deep breath, leaped to her feet and stood still until the knocker sounded. Then she shrugged on her coat as she opened the door. “I’m ready,” she announced, turning away after permitting herself one quick look at Quinn.

  Even as she stepped past him, she noted the dark circles under his eyes. She, too, had circles, but she’d hidden them with makeup. Her problem was caused by lack of sleep, since every time she fell asleep she dreamed of Quinn, of being in his arms.

  She couldn’t believe Quinn had lost any sleep over what had happened between them. Perhaps he was coming down with a bad case of the flu.

  “Do you want me to drive my own car so you don’t have to bring me back? I don’t want to take you out of your way.”

  He gave her a disgusted look. “We’re only talking a few blocks, Molly, not a cross-country trek. I’ll drive.”

  She didn’t argue. It was a business meeting. He’d stick to business. She’d known that when he’d called. His formality told her he was having second thoughts about what had happened.

  He might want to take her to bed, but he didn’t want the strings that were attached to her. She knew he wouldn’t be handling this chore if Amanda hadn’t had to go out of town.

  Marge’s Diner was only half a block off the town square and was frequented by all kinds of people. At any time of the day one could see men in business suits, construction workers, women in jeans or suits.

  And it always smelled of fresh coffee and good food.

  Molly took a deep breath when she entered. It was nice to eat someone else’s cooking.

  A sandy-haired waitress showed them to a booth at the back of the L-shaped diner.

  After the waitress left them with menus, Molly tried to cover the awkward silence. “I don’t come in here often, but I don’t remember seeing her before,” she said of the waitress. “She’s very pretty.”

  “She’s been here a few months. I think her name is Caroline. She and Jenna both stayed at the Kelseys’ boardinghouse together.”

  “Together? You mean they knew each other?”

  “No. But they stayed there at the same time before Seth and Jenna got married.” He folded his menu. “Want to know what’s best?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “The hamburger. It’s big and tastes like a million dollars.”

  He actually smiled, a first for the day in Molly’s presence.

  “Okay, I’ll have a hamburger,” she said, hoping agreeableness would make the meeting easy.

  “Then you have to have a piece of Marge’s apple pie. They’ve even heard of it in Chicago.”

  Another smile. Whatever had been bothering Quinn, it wasn’t her. Since they’d arrived at the diner, he seemed quite at ease.

  Caroline returned to their table. “Have you decided?”

  “Yes, I have,” Molly said. “Mr. Spencer has convinced me to have a hamburger.”

  “Good choice. And you, Mr. Spencer?”

  “You know I told you to call me Quinn, Caroline. I’ll have the same. How are things going? You decided to stay in Tyler yet?”

  The woman’s cheeks heated up. “
I’m still deciding, but I do like it here.”

  “Smart woman. I’ll take a cup of coffee right away, too. How about you, Molly? Want to warm up?”

  “I’d love some,” she agreed with a smile.

  Watching Caroline walk away, Molly muttered, “Her hair is almost the same color as yours.” It reminded her of the male dolls whose hair Sara had painted.

  “A lot of people have sandy hair. I think it comes from our Scandinavian forefathers mixing with the heathens.”

  Molly wished he’d stop being charming. Since they’d come in and sat down, he’d been relaxed, entertaining. It was a wonder Caroline hadn’t melted at his feet when he offered her that incredible smile.

  It made Molly want him even more.

  Stop it! she warned herself. Time to talk business.

  “So what questions do you think I need to be prepared to answer?”

  “Don’t you want to wait until we’ve at least gotten coffee before we talk business?” His question was accompanied by another of those killer smiles.

  She looked away. “Um, no, I think we should go ahead.”

  “First I’d like to know how Sara’s doing.”

  “She’s fine.” She hadn’t meant to sound so curt, but she didn’t want this man to break her little girl’s heart.

  “Are you going to get all the quilts in time? You’ve only gotten two, haven’t you?”

  Why was he stalling? She would’ve thought he’d be anxious to get rid of her. “I talked to Martha yesterday afternoon. She thinks they will be. I hope the ladies aren’t overdoing it, trying to have them ready by Valentine’s.”

  “You’re set on that as your grand opening?”

  “Yes.”

  She looked up to see Caroline coming with two mugs and a carafe of coffee, steam rising from it.

  When Quinn realized the waitress had arrived, he said, “Say, Caroline, you and Molly have something in common.”

  “We do?” she asked in surprise, pausing before pouring the coffee. “What?”

  “You both like quilts. Jenna told me you have a terrific one.”

  Molly was looking at Caroline and saw the shock on her face. Then she was distracted when the carafe of hot coffee hit the floor and shattered, splashing the liquid everywhere.