“Hi,” he whispered as he took his seat. He leaned over to peck her cheek. “I had some last-minute things to discuss with the mayor.” He flashed her a dazzling smile and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
“Aunt Emily said you phoned. Sorry, I got home late from the field trip. One of the children got lost. Did you find out anything new today?”
Jonathan smiled and her heart flipped over. “I think I’ve figured out how save the senior center.” He nodded toward the front of the room. “We’ll talk later, the meeting’s about to start.”
Franklin Taylor claimed his seat behind the large table. Someone leaned over and adjusted the microphone.
“The meeting will now come to order.” His voice could barely be heard above the murmur of the crowd. People in the back were still chatting, and he finally resorted to banging his gavel. “This meeting will now come to order,” he repeated. “We’re gonna be rather informal tonight. The zoning commission will hear from members of the community concerning the senior center that is located on a parcel of land on the west side of Drake Street.” He looked up from his prepared text and frowned, causing his wire-rimmed glasses to slide down his nose. “You folks all know where the center’s at. No sense wasting time reading all this. The way I see it, the owners of the land want the village to rezone the land to accommodate a new shopping mall. If the zoning board agrees with the owners of the land, the senior center, which has been closed for building code violations, will be torn down.” There were boos and catcalls from the back of the room, and Molly didn’t have to turn around to know that one of the voices belonged to her aunt.
“Order, now,” Mayor Taylor continued, banging the gavel again. “Order, please.”
Molly leaned ever to whisper in Jonathan’s ear. “How do you think the vote will go?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure,” he whispered softly. “Molly?”
Something in his voice made her stomach drop, and she turned to look at him, aware that Junior, who was sitting behind her, was listening attentively. Jonathan was so close that she could see the tiny flecks of blue in his eyes. “What’s wrong, Jonathan?”
He dropped an arm around her chair and caressed her shoulder. “I love you, Molly.”
“W-what?” she stammered, looking into Jonathan’s eyes.
Junior tapped her shoulder. “He said he loves you, Miss Molly,” Junior announced in a voice loud enough to be heard by the entire room. Loud laughter spread like measles across the room, and Molly blushed to the tips of her ears.
For once, she didn’t care that they were the center of attention, or that the whole town was watching. Jonathan loved her! After giving Junior a look that would have stopped bullets, Molly leaned over and whispered in Jonathan’s ear. “I love you, too.”
“She loves him, too,” Junior announced with a grin to the waiting crowd, which erupted in a loud round of applause.
Molly’s eyes glinted like summer lightning and not even the applause or comments that filtered from the back of the room could dim her excitement. Jonathan loved her. A feeling of euphoria swept over her, blocking out everything and everyone except the man sitting next to her.
Mayor Taylor banged his gavel and smiled affectionately. “Unless anyone else has any more love declarations,” the mayor said, looking at Molly and Jonathan pointedly, “I’d like to continue our meeting.” He began reading from his prepared text again, and Molly found her thoughts drifting. Her heart was soaring, and she reached out and grabbed Jonathan’s hand, linking her fingers tightly through his.
“Mr. Jonathan Kent, would you address the commission.”
Jonathan gave her hand a gentle squeeze before rising. With a mixture of love and pride, she watched him approach the mayor, glad that Jonathan was on their side.
“Mr. Kent has been over at the senior center all day, examining the property. I believe he has some information that will be of interest to this commission and the members of this community. Even though Mr. Kent has not lived in Hillchester for a long time, I believe his credentials as an attorney and former resident qualify him to testify before this board on this matter. Mr. Kent.” Mayor Taylor handed Jonathan the microphone.
Jonathan smiled and Molly’s spirits skyrocketed. He loved her. She still couldn’t believe it! Willing her racing pulse to a standstill, Molly drew herself up and forced herself to pay attention.
“As the mayor has informed you, I spent the better part of the day over at the senior center, but I wasn’t alone. Mr. William Fisher, an architect with the firm of Fisher and Fisher also accompanied me. After reviewing the property in question, Mr. Fisher is of the opinion that the structure of the building is unsound.” Jonathan paused as a loud murmur raced through the crowded room, and Molly shifted nervously, not sure which direction Jonathan was going in.
“I must confess that I had hoped that after Mr. Fisher’s investigation, we would be able to come up with a concrete solution to the problem. But after learning the results of his findings, I’m afraid I must agree with Mr. Fisher. It’s my recommendation that the center be torn down and the land be rezoned for the shopping mall.”
Molly’s heart came to an abrupt stop as her head jerked up. She met Jonathan’s gaze and felt a feeling of despair wash over her. Her head began to throb and unshed tears stung the back of her eyelids. She stared at Jonathan, praying she had heard him wrong. This wasn’t possible. It had to be some horrible mistake.
The room was in an uproar, but Molly heard none of it. The world seemed to have stopped spinning the moment Jonathan had made his announcement.
“Order, please!” Mayor Taylor banged his gavel. “I demand order. Now, please! Let the man finish.” He hit the table again and the room grew quieter.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jonathan began again. He was talking to the entire room, but his eyes were on Molly’s. She stared at him, her insides reeling. Finally she pulled her eyes away, unable to look at him any longer.
It was then she knew it was true. It had happened again. A knife twisted deep inside of her, and Molly felt a sense of grief overwhelm her. Jonathan had lied to her. He had betrayed her! All this time she’d thought he was going to help them. He’d said he had a solution. This was his solution? To betray her trust? Had he planned to encourage the board to vote for the rezoning all along?
Fierce black rage pummeled her, and it became increasingly hard to breathe. She had been a fool. A blind, trusting, fool. Jonathan had lied to her and deceived her. But worse, he had deceived her aunt. Jonathan Kent was even worse than Paul Host. At least Paul had been honest about what he was.
Good Lord, Aunt Emily! Molly had forgotten all about her. She twisted in her seat and found, to her surprise, that her aunt was listening to Jonathan with rapt attention.
Was everyone going crazy? she wondered, fighting back the dismal pain that sliced through her heart. She tried to breathe, but found her breath had lodged somewhere in her throat. She couldn’t stay a minute longer in the room. She had to get out of there!
Molly jumped from her seat and raced up the aisle, pushing through the crowd that stood at the back of the room. Hot salty tears blinded her, but she angrily brushed them away.
“Trust me,” Jonathan had said over and over again, and like a fool she had listened to him. How could she have been so foolish? How could she have been so blind?
“I’ll never hurt you, Molly.” How many times had he told her that? Over and over until the icy wall around her heart had come tumbling down. She had believed him!
Blindly she raced home, desperate for the sanctuary of her house. Within minutes she was there, and she choked back a sob as she took the stairs two at a time. Jamming her key in the front lock, she threw open the door. With a mournful sob, Molly collapsed on the couch, letting the tears come.
Her worst nightmare had come true. She had fallen in love with a gentle giant. And he had broken her heart.
Chapter Eleven
Molly crept from her bed, gr
ateful that the night was finally over. After crying for hours she had finally fallen into bed, drained and exhausted. Sleep had eluded her, though, as her thoughts had continued to torment her.
She had heard Aunt Emily come home, but Molly had pretended to be asleep when her aunt had knocked at her door. She hadn’t been up to talking. Not to Aunt Emily. Not to anyone.
A lingering sense of sorrow and despair tracked her as she quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a white turtleneck. After tucking her hair into a topknot, Molly picked up her tennis shoes and tiptoed from her room. She had no idea where she was going, but she was going somewhere. Anywhere. Just so she wouldn’t have to think about Jonathan.
“Going somewhere, dear?”
She had just made it to the front door when her aunt’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
“I thought I’d go for a walk.” She deliberately kept her back to her aunt. Molly didn’t want Aunt Emily to see her swollen eyes. Didn’t want her to see the pain she was sure was reflected in her eyes.
“Can’t walk off your problems, dear,” Aunt Emily said softly. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”
Molly whirled. “Aunt Emily! What’s bothering me? You were at that meeting last night. Didn’t you hear Jonathan say he thought the center should be torn down?”
Emily nodded softly. “Of course, I did, dear. I may be old, but I’m not deaf.”
“Then how can you ask me what’s bothering me?” Molly stared at her aunt in horror. Absently Molly lifted her hand and rubbed her throbbing temples. Her head was pounding, and from the trend of the conversation, she had a feeling her headache was about to get worse.
“He told the truth, Molly. You can’t fault the man for that. He honestly believes the center should be torn down.”
The truth. That was a laugh. Jonathan Kent didn’t know the first thing about the truth. She shook her head dully. For someone who had her heart set on saving the center, her aunt was suddenly acting very unconcerned about its demise.
“I’m sure he’s got a good reason for what he did,” Emily continued. “Why don’t you give the poor man a chance to explain? I think you owe him that much.”
“Owe him? Owe him! Aunt Emily, I don’t owe that man anything.” How could her aunt stand here and talk about what Molly owed Jonathan after what he had done to her? To them?
“Yes, you do, my dear,” Emily said softly, closing the distance between them. “You love him, and he loves you.” Molly closed her eyes as she remembered the previous night. Had it just been hours before that she had felt so happy because Jonathan had said he loved her? It had been for such a brief, shining moment. The calm before the storm.
“Aunt Emily,” Molly sighed. “Please try to understand how I feel.”
“I do, child. But you must also try to understand how Jonathan feels. I’m sure he’s hurting, too. You raced out of the meeting last night without even giving the poor man a chance to explain.”
“What’s to explain?” Molly shrugged her shoulders regretfully. “I know everything I need to know. I trusted Jonathan and he lied to me. He betrayed me. He betrayed us.” Her voice rose. “Aunt Emily, I don’t understand how you can defend the man.”
Emily chuckled softly. “I’m not defending him, dear, just trying to get you to listen to reason. Right now, you’re hurting too much to think clearly. I once told you that you needed a man in your life. Someone to make your heart sing and your toes curl. Jonathan Kent is that man, Molly. I can see it in your eyes, see it when you talk about him, when you look at him. Don’t throw that away, Molly. Love like that doesn’t come along too often. Sometimes only once in a lifetime,” she finished softly.
Molly blinked rapidly to hold back a flood of tears. Yes, she loved Jonathan with all her heart, but she didn’t trust him. He’d lied to her and betrayed her. What good was love without trust?
Jonathan would be leaving in a few days and he would be out of her life for good. Yesterday, that thought threatened to immobilize her; she couldn’t possibly imagine life without him. Now, she would almost be relieved when he was gone. Maybe then it wouldn’t hurt so much.
“It’s no use, Aunt Emily,” she said firmly, grabbing a sweater from the front closet. “It’s over between us.” She swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled on her sweater.
“Molly, wait, I—” Aunt Emily stopped abruptly.
“What? What is it?” Molly sighed. She couldn’t bear to talk about Jonathan anymore, certain she wouldn’t be able to stop the flood of tears that was threatening to overflow.
“Nothing,” her aunt snapped. “It’s just I think you’re behaving like a pompous ass!”
“Aunt Emily!” Molly gasped, and her eyes rounded in surprise. In all the years she had lived with her aunt, she had never heard her utter anything even close to a profanity.
“Don’t go looking so shocked! I learned a word or two in my day. Not that a lady should go around using them, mind you. But this situation calls for something…a little less delicate.” Raising her hand, she pointed a finger in Molly’s direction. “Jonathan Kent is the best thing that ever happened to you. You’re throwing away the entire relationship over some imagined hurt.”
“Aunt Emily,” Molly protested, “it’s not imagined. Don’t you understand that Jonathan betrayed me? I trusted him. I thought he was trying to help us. How could he get up in front of the whole town and recommend that the center be torn down? Everyone knows where you and I stand on the issue. You even got yourself arrested over it.” The knot inside her stomach tightened. She still couldn’t believe that Jonathan had hurt and betrayed and humiliated her.
“What are you going to do, dear?”
Molly heaved a sigh and pushed back her hair. Obviously her aunt hadn’t heard a word that she had said. “About what?” she asked with just a hint of impatience.
“Jonathan.”
She loved her aunt dearly, but at times, Aunt Emily was hopeless. Molly lifted her chin to a stubborn angle. “There’s nothing to do,” she said firmly. “It’s over.” Maybe if she kept saying the words again and again, eventually she’d believe them.
“Nonsense! There’s plenty to do. You could march over there right now and tell the man you love him. Give him a chance to explain.”
Molly shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly do that.”
“And why not!” Emily snapped. “It’s the truth, isn’t it? I love you like my own daughter, Molly, but sometimes I wonder if you have any brains at all. You love him and he loves you. You’re going to throw all that away?” Her aunt looked thoroughly appalled. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life alone?”
“I’m not alone,” Molly returned softly, forcing down the bitter taste that rose in her mouth. “I have you.”
Emily sighed in exasperation. “I’m not going to be around forever, dear.”
“Aunt Emily! Don’t say that,” Molly pleaded. Her aunt seemed full of surprises this morning. First she was cussing. Now she was talking about not being around forever.
“Why not? It’s the truth and it’s about time you faced facts. Someday I’m gonna be gone. Then what? You want to spend your life with that miserable cat?”
Anguish squeezed Molly’s heart. “Aunt Emily, nothing is going to happen to you for a long, long time. Please don’t talk like that.”
“Molly, you have to face the fact that I’m not always going to be around. You have to think of your own life. A life you should spend with Jonathan.”
Molly couldn’t respond. She was too busy thinking of all the dreadful things her aunt’s words implied. Was it possible her aunt was trying to tell her something? Her mind raced. Aunt Emily hadn’t been sick recently. In fact, she had always been in remarkable health, considering her age. Listening to her now, Molly wondered if her aunt was trying to break some news.
“Aunt Emily, are you sure you feel all right? You’re not sick, are you?” Her words came out a frightened whisper, and she looked at her aunt anxiously
.
“Oh blast, child!” Emily gave an unladylike snort. “Never felt better in my life. I just think it’s time for you to start thinking about your own life.”
“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” Molly reached out and took her aunt’s hand in hers. She loved her so much. She couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her. “Does something hurt?”
Emily scowled and muttered something under her breath. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, child, have you?” She leveled a hostile gaze on Molly and sighed deeply. “I can see I’m not getting anywhere with you, so I’m not going to waste my breath. You go for your walk. I’ve got things to do.” Emily turned and marched back into her room.
Molly stood there for a moment, contemplating her aunt’s words. A senseless trembling rocked her. Was she losing everything she loved? Molly wondered as she opened the door and slipped outside. First she had lost Jonathan. Was she going to lose her aunt, too?
The day was just coming to life as she walked through the familiar streets of the town. It was the same town she had lived in and walked through her whole life, but today it was different. Today, all the color seemed to be gone.
She rounded the corner. The diner was getting ready to open. The front door was propped wide with a brick, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee filtered through the early morning air. Normally Molly would have stopped for a cup, but this morning, just the thought of coffee turned her stomach.
She waved to the owner and hurried on. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Not just yet. She had to sort things out in her mind. Would she ever walk through town again without thinking about Jonathan?
Everything seemed to be a constant reminder. The ice-cream parlor. The diner. The park. Even the sheriff’s office. It seemed as if she and Jonathan had gone everywhere together. Would her life ever be the same? Would she ever be able to look at the old familiar places without thinking about him?
The pain deepened, and Molly shuddered, pulling her sweater tighter around her. She walked through town, unaware of where she was going. When she found herself in front of the school, she fished in her pockets for her keys. Spring break was in just a few weeks. Now might be a good time to get a head start on cleaning her room. If she kept busy, maybe she wouldn’t have to think. Maybe the hurt would go away.
Heavenly Match Page 13