by Jenna Brandt
As soon as she sent the text, she regretted it. What was wrong with her? Part of her wanted a second chance with Spencer, but her heart kept throwing up roadblocks in an attempt to keep from getting hurt again.
Her mind drifted back to the aftermath from the last time she had let herself open up to someone.
“You ready to head out?” her Uncle Craig asked as he loaded her last box into the car.
Molly nodded her head as she took one last look at her house before climbing into the back of her aunt and uncle’s Ford Explorer. Her parents waved as they pulled out of the driveway.
She couldn’t believe her parents were making her move away. Her father said it was for her own good, but she wondered how good it could be to leave everything she loved and knew during the middle of her senior year. She had wanted to argue with them when they told her they had made the arrangements for her to move, but all the fight had been sucked out of her when Tiffany had attacked her in the hall two days prior.
“Are you all right, Molly?” her Aunt Susan asked with concern. “I know this is difficult, but you’ll like living in Miami. There’s so much to do and see. I already have plans to take you to a couple of museums as well as some great hiking trails I looked up.”
Molly knew she should be grateful her aunt was trying to give her a pep talk, but it didn’t penetrate the thick wall of pain residing in her heart. Instead of responding, she turned her head to look out the window.
That was a mistake. As they pulled out of the driveway, she saw her mother crying into her father’s shoulder. He was patting her back, but lifted his hand to wave goodbye with a disappointed look on his face.
Molly couldn’t muster the effort to wave in return. The last image she had as she left Crystal Cove was of inconsolable parents.
Her phone buzzed and she looked down to see several texts flowing in from Spencer, all of them asking her to respond or call him back.
No matter how much she wanted to let Spencer in, she couldn’t help but remember how hard it had been to get over the pain of what he did to her. It took six months for her just to get comfortable living with her aunt and uncle, then another six months to work up the courage to sign up for college classes. She distrusted people so much, she never made friends. She even picked a major based on that distrust. She knew being an online reporter would mean she would have very little contact with people, and when she did, it would be strictly business.
Molly put the phone away and started to get out of her clothes. No point in staying in her mom’s dress when she wasn’t going anymore.
Spencer couldn’t believe the text from Molly. As he stared at the screen, he wondered what he did wrong. He had thought they were making progress, and that she was finally starting to trust him again. Her dismissive words though, proved otherwise.
The Mariner’s Club was bustling with commotion. The volunteers were adding the final touches for the fundraiser, but Spencer would have given anything to be alone at the moment.
He sat down in one of the chairs, wilting into it like a deflating balloon. Impulsively, he sent up a silent prayer, asking God to help him figure out what to do.
“A last-minute auction item came in. We wanted to know where you would like us to put it…” Greg stopped talking as he got closer to Spencer. A concerned look crossed his face as he asked, “Are you all right? You look like you just got some bad news.”
“I did. Molly just texted me and told me she couldn’t make it tonight.”
“Did she say why?”
Spencer nodded. “Molly said she needed distance, that it was too hard being around me.”
Greg sat down in the chair across from Spencer. “You want to pray about it?”
“Thanks, I already did, but it can’t hurt to do it again.”
Both men closed their eyes and Greg started to pray. “Dear Lord, please help my friend, Spencer. Show him what he should do. He cares about Molly, but He wants to be within Your will. Guide him towards it as Your way is always best. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
Greg stood up and said, “Don’t worry about the auction item. I’ll take care of it.” Gesturing towards the door, he added, “You have more important things to do.”
“Like what?” Spencer asked with confusion.
“Like going after your girl. Don’t let Molly’s fear keep you apart. It was awful what happened to her in high school—and yes, you were the cause of it—but you are a changed man. Everyone sees this, even Molly, but she’s just too afraid to admit it.”
Spencer jumped to his feet, saying, “You’re right. I’m going to go to her parents’ house and convince her it’s time she takes a chance on me.”
“There you go, friend,” Greg said, patting Spencer on the back. “Go get her.”
Spencer rushed out of the inn, into his waiting car, and drove the short distance over to Molly’s parents’ place. The whole time he prayed for God to give him the right words to say when he got there.
He parked in front of the house and looked at the door anxiously. “You got this, Spencer. You and Molly are meant to be. You just have to help her open her heart and take a chance again.”
He made his way up the path and rang the doorbell. A few seconds passed before the door opened to reveal Mrs. Price. She looked shocked to see him, but gave him a tentative smile anyway.
“What are you doing here, Spencer?” she asked with confusion. “Molly told us she wasn’t going tonight.”
“I know. She sent me a text. I was hoping I might be able to talk with her and convince her to change her decision.”
The older woman shrugged. “Good luck. Molly is pretty stubborn once she’s made up her mind.” She stepped aside and let him inside, as she added, “I’ll go get her.”
Spencer glanced around the entry hall of the Price home. There were collages of family portraits from when the kids were young, along with nature photos with Bible scriptures on them. “I have plans to prosper you and not to harm you,” one of them read. It warmed Spencer’s heart as the words drifted through his mind and settled in his spirit.
“What are you doing here?” Molly asked in an accusing tone. “I told you I wasn’t going tonight.”
“I know you did, but I let you walk out of my life once without fighting for you; I’m not doing that again.” He moved towards her and took her hands in his own. “I’m here to show you this is serious for me. I’m not giving up on the possibility of us. I won’t quit like I did last time. Just give me a second chance.”
Her face scrunched up as she stepped back a bit from him. “I don’t know how to do this, Spencer. I’m so scared. When things ended badly between us, I never fully recovered. I never let anyone get close again because I was too afraid.”
“Molly, you can’t live your life always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sometimes, you have to trust that good things can happen too.”
“I want to believe that, Spencer, honestly I do. I’m just not sure how to make myself.”
“You ask God to help you. Believe me, if He could help me, He can help anyone. Everyone keeps saying I’ve changed, but it’s not because of anything I did. It’s because of what I let God do in me.”
Molly bit her lip as she stared at Spencer for several moments. “I know you’re right. I’ve felt God calling me back to Him for some time now. I’ve just been too stubborn to admit I was wrong to walk away from my relationship with Him.”
“It’s okay,” Spencer assured her. “He doesn’t put a clock on our decision.”
“Do you mind praying with me?” Molly asked.
“I’d be honored to.” He closed his eyes and squeezed Molly’s hands. “Dear Lord, right now we come to You and ask You to help Molly. You can help us with our deepest hurts and darkest fears, all we need to do is give them over to You. She’s willing to do that now, God, so please take her burdens from her and give her peaceful assurance. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
“Thank you,” she said as tears formed in the
corners of her eyes. “If you had told me last week that I would end up back in Crystal Cove praying with Spencer Wilmington, I would have told you the possibility of lightning striking me would happen first.”
He chuckled with a shake of his head. “Life has an interesting way of working out, that’s for sure.” Releasing her hands, he looked at her sweats and t-shirt and asked, “You think you can get ready in twenty minutes?”
She glanced down at her outfit and smiled. “I’m a news reporter, getting ready in a flash is my specialty.” She started to turn away to head back down the hall.
Before she got too far though, Spencer reached out and grabbed her arm. “I need to tell you one last thing.”
She paused and arched an eyebrow at him. “What’s that?”
“I want you to know, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you from getting hurt again.”
Molly nodded. “I don’t know why—and I hope I don’t regret it someday—but I believe you.”
Spencer felt peace as he watched Molly head down the hall. It might be a long road to get to a place of trust with Molly, but he couldn’t ask for a better traveling companion.
Chapter 9
Molly’s inner child was bursting with joy as she walked beside Spencer down the pier. At the end, she could see the Mariner’s Club twinkling an invitation to come closer.
“I can’t believe you picked the one place I always wanted to go to as an adult. I daydreamed about eating lots of little appetizers and dancing the night away,” Molly confessed.
“Then I’m glad I get to be the one to make that dream come true,” Spencer said, as he reached out and took Molly’s hand. “We’re going to do plenty of both tonight.”
Their hands fit together perfectly; just like they did when they were adolescents. The warmth from his touch moved up her arm and filled her heart.
As they walked into the club, the volunteers greeted them. A few rushed up to Spencer to ask about auction items and decorations, showing that he didn’t just put his name on the fundraiser, but was involved with the details.
“Spencer, we have a huge problem,” Greg said, coming up to them. He glanced at Molly, and said quickly, “Hey there, Molly. I’m glad you could make it, but do you mind if I steal Spencer for a few minutes?”
“Of course not,” she said, gesturing for them to leave. “Go take care of whatever it is you need.”
“You’re sure? You’ll be here when I get back, right?” Spencer asked skeptically, “because I’m sure whatever it is, I can probably just tell Greg—”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not going anywhere.”
After Spencer disappeared, Molly glanced around the room, trying to figure out what she could do to pass the time until he returned. Most of the people didn’t look familiar to Molly until she laid eyes on Allison Pratt. They had gone to high school together. Though they hadn’t run in the same social circles, they didn’t have any problems either.
Not only did she know her from when they were young, but she also had come across the fact during her researching this story that Allison was Spencer’s paralegal. Maybe Molly could talk with Allison about Spencer and see if she had any pertinent information about his dealings at work. The closer she got to Spencer, the more she hoped her boss was wrong, and there was no evidence to support the allegations of corruption.
Molly made her way over and said, “Hello, Allison.”
As the other woman turned towards Molly, her smiling disposition turned to one of disdain once she realized who was greeting her.
“What do you want?” she asked with irritation.
Molly was shocked by the open hostility from the other woman. She had no idea there was a problem between them.
“I was wondering if I could talk with you for a few minutes.”
Allison’s face bunched up in disgust. “I don’t think that’s the best idea. I work with Spencer.”
“I don’t know why that would be a problem. I came with him tonight,” Molly explained.
“Exactly, you being here with him is unacceptable. I can’t believe he’s stupid enough to start spending time with you again, let alone bring you to an event this important. I mean, it’s one thing to slum around in private, but to do it in such a public venue is beyond me. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt when I heard you were first back in town, but then you flaunted yourself all over town and at the reunion. Tiffany warned me not to trust you, so you might as well save your breath.”
And now it all made sense. The reason Allison was treating her with such hostility stemmed from Tiffany. Not surprising, because she had a way of getting to everyone.
Molly tried to force down the anger rising inside her. Allison was turning out to be more difficult to question than she first anticipated, but Molly had dealt with her fair share of problematic sources. She decided to use a compliment to try to diffuse the other woman, knowing any friend of Tiffany’s would most likely be vain.
“I can understand how you feel, but I was only coming over here to tell you I love your dress. It compliments you so much,” Molly stated, glad she was able to tell the truth. Allison did have a good figure and had picked a dress to enhance the fact.
“And what’s your point? Do you think I care any little bit about your opinion?” Allison stated as she crossed her arms. “Why don’t you just run along,” she added dismissively, before turning away.
Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere with Allison, she decided it was best to end the endeavor and look for someone else to question. She talked to three more people, and ended up hearing the exact same thing from all of them. Spencer was a great guy, and an even better public defender.
Did that mean the information her boss gave her was invalid? There had been specific cases with data to back it up. Spencer had the highest acquittal rate in the state, which made Molly wonder how it was possible. He was either lucky, good at his job, or succeeded in doing so by cutting corners. She wasn’t any closer to figuring out which one was the truth since she had returned to Crystal Cove.
Molly headed to the nearest table and took a seat. She felt like she had whiplash from the tongue lashing she just received from Allison. She needed a break before she ventured to talk with anyone else about Spencer tonight.
Over the next half hour, guests arrived for the event, including many prominent people from Crystal Cove. There was the mayor who held the position for the past twenty years, the local television news anchor, and the district attorney, as well as Pastor Matt and his wife.
People were meandering around, looking at the auction items and placing their silent bids. Molly decided to get up and take a look at the different offerings.
There were over twenty items, but the most impressive big ticket items were along the center wall.
A ski trip for two to Clear Mountain Resort in Colorado
A gold bracelet and necklace from Star Jewelry
A weekend trip with horseback riding lessons in West Linn, Oregon
A Kindle Reader with a year of Kindle Unlimited Subscription
A couples’ spa package at Island Inn
Dinner for two at Posh Steakhouse in LA along with a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel
Molly hadn’t expected such expensive items and trips to be up for grabs. Spencer must have spent a pretty penny to have such enticing offerings for the auction.
“You ready to grab a seat?” she heard Spencer say from behind her.
She swirled around to find him only inches away. His nearness made Molly uncomfortable, but in a good way.
“Sure, lead the way.”
He guided Molly over to a table in the front of the room. He held out a chair for her, then pushed it in behind her.
“You’re going to love the band I hired to play tonight,” Spencer said with a grin.
One of her eyebrows quirked as she inquired, “Why? Who is it?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see. I have to get up and welcome everyone, but
I’ll be right back.”
Spencer made his way into the center of the room. He looked out on the gathered group of people as he made a clearing noise in his throat. Everyone turned towards him, giving their undivided attention.
“Good evening, friends. I’m so glad you decided to come out tonight for our annual dinner to support the Boys and Girls Club here in Crystal Cove,” Spencer said into the microphone he was using. “This is the fifth year, and over that time, we have raised enough money to completely remodel the recreational room, the gymnasium, and refurbish the pool. The kids have told me on countless visits how grateful they are for us investing in them. Your belief in and support of this organization will impact hundreds of at-risk youth. By being here tonight and participating in the silent auction, each of you are helping change Crystal Cove for the better. I want to thank you on behalf of every child that passes through the doors of the club. Enjoy your meal, and don’t take off before you have a chance to dance later this evening.”
There was clapping and cheers by the guests as Spencer took his seat again. The waiters came out and placed the steak, lobster, and goat cheese risotto dinners in front of each person.
Everyone at their table dug in to their meals and staggered taking bites of food with conversing about work and family.
Sarah arrived a little late, but she had texted and asked Molly to make sure she was seated at their table.
“It’s good to see you.” Sarah leaned down and hugged Molly, before taking her seat next to her.
“You too,” Molly said in return. “I’m glad you were able to make it.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it. The Boys and Girls Club is so important to the community of Crystal Cove. Spencer has really turned it around since he became the head of the board a couple of years back. Plus, he volunteers there a couple of times a week along with my brother.”
Molly had known his name was on the board, but she hadn’t been sure how involved he truly was. She was impressed to find out that he did more than just work on policies and procedures, but cared about the kids as people, not just numbers.