“I already drew up some designs.” Hunter stood up. “I’ll go grab them so we can get the ball rolling.”
Molly rubbed at her temples before sneaking a sip of wine from Cessy’s glass. Kaleb should probably ask her to step outside so they could—
“Ohhhh,” Maxine moaned as she grabbed her stomach and her husband sent his chair flying backward.
“Are you okay?” Molly asked her sister.
Cooper’s face grew pale. “I think it’s time.”
* * *
Kaleb had never been more thankful to have a woman go into labor than he was at that second. Maxine and Cooper left for the hospital while Cessy and Hunter quickly packed up a bag of everything they thought she would need and followed in a separate car.
Molly volunteered the two of them to clean up the dishes and put the food away. Because she had already been on edge before, Kaleb didn’t say a word until the kitchen was spotless.
When there was nothing left to do but start the dishwasher, he asked, “Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?”
“I don’t know,” Molly replied. “I probably should wait to hear something from Cooper. What if it’s a false alarm or something?”
“Should we stay here?”
“I don’t know,” Molly repeated. Kaleb’s muscles twitched, anxious to do something. To make some sort of decision.
“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we head down there? If they send her home, then we come back. But sitting around and waiting is going to make us nuts.”
“Us? Or you?”
He rolled his eyes. “Us, because I’ll eventually get so stir-crazy that I’ll get on your nerves.”
“Fine.” She grabbed her purse and they locked up the house. When they climbed inside the truck, she added, “You don’t have to drive me all the way down there, though. Just drop me off at the apartment and I can take my own car.”
He tried to ignore the uncertainty settling on his chest. He hated being unsure of something even more than he hated waiting. “You don’t want me to take you?”
“I’ve seen how you get in hospitals.”
“Well, I’ve seen how you get behind the wheel. I think we’ll all be safer if I drive.”
“If you think I’m such a bad driver, why would you create some sympathy pilot consultation job for me?”
Aha! He knew she was annoyed by that. But he didn’t understand why until she’d implied that he’d only done it out of pity. “Actually, Hunter was the one who suggested that you’d be good at it.”
“So you’re not really offering me the job?”
“Is there a way for me to answer this question without you being pissed off at me?”
“Probably not.” It was too dark inside the cab of the truck to see her face so he couldn’t tell if she was joking. “Is this really something you’re planning or was it just something you went along with to appease my nephew? Like that summer internship you promised him?”
“When it comes to my company, I don’t appease anyone.”
“Hmm.” She shifted in her seat. Kaleb sensed her studying him and he wondered if her ex had made her mistrustful of all men. “So this is seriously something you’re considering doing?”
“I’ve wanted to get into a project bigger than video games for a while now, but I hadn’t been able to figure out what. My roommate from college is designing robotic lasers that can perform complicated surgeries, and one of our classmates invented photovoltaic software for solar panels. Other people in my industry are coming up with self-driving cars and technology that nobody had even dreamed about five years ago. And I sell computer-animated worlds where people can craft things with blocks, or pretend they’re a sports MVP, or force aliens and pirates and zombies to fight for control over the galaxy. When we were at Shadowview, that bald guy made a point about how the video games they were playing weren’t doing anything to benefit them or benefit the world.”
“Really? Because I watched those other patients playing your games and you brought them joy,” Molly argued.
“I used to think that, too. Yet, lately I’m wondering if that’s enough.”
“Kaleb, sometimes people need an escape from the real world and you’ve been able to provide that. That man in the cast was working on his own demons and you can’t take it personally. You can’t solve everybody’s problems.”
Yet, that’s what Kaleb did. He invented, he developed, he solved. His family, and even Molly, had made enough pointed comments over the week to make him question whether he was really the corporate genius and a successful entrepreneur he thought he’d become. So Kaleb didn’t admit that the soldier wasn’t the only one who’d brought his attention to some deep-seated inadequacy he hadn’t known existed.
“He also dissed my T-shirt,” he complained.
Molly laughed. “For the record, I like the way you dress. Could you imagine how unapproachable you’d be if you wore fancy suits?”
“What do you mean unapproachable?” he asked, hating that he was fishing for affirmation.
“You’re this billionaire, hotshot, computer whiz. Kids want to be you when they grow up. Do you know how many people would kill for your intelligence or for even a quarter of your fortune? And if that’s not unfair enough, you’re always the most handsome man in the room.”
“Will you tell Kane that I’m the most handsome man in the room and tell Kylie that you like my character shirts?”
“No way. Watching your family tease you also makes you more approachable. So don’t worry.” She reached across the center console and squeezed his leg. “In a couple of days you can go back to your old life and be as powerful and superior as you like.”
Right. So then why did that sound like a punishment?
Chapter Fifteen
Sunday was the day of the Sun Potato Parade and Festival, not to be confused with the Ski Potato Parade and Festival, which took place in the winter. Kaleb woke up in Molly’s bed that morning knowing that tomorrow would be their last day together. He studied her sleeping form curled against his side. Her tan skin soft and warm, her blond curls tangled and sexy.
Last night, just before they turned onto the highway to go into Boise, Cooper had sent Molly a text saying it wasn’t actual labor, only something called Braxton-Hicks contractions, and they were sending Maxine home.
So Kaleb had turned around and driven them back to the apartment. He knew Molly was emotionally drained so it hadn’t surprised him when she’d fallen asleep before they returned. What had surprised him was that she’d dozed off with her smartphone in her hand, the screen still lit up with results from her internet search of “pregnancy and type 1 diabetes.”
He’d never thought about having kids, but it broke his heart to think that she might want children and wouldn’t be able to have one of her own. When he parked in the alley behind the cookie shop, he let Molly sleep in the seat beside him as he used his own phone to do some research. He was relieved to find out that while it could be risky, it was still possible.
Then he’d tried to be romantic and lifted her out of the passenger side of the truck to carry her up the stairs to the apartment. But she woke up and drowsily commanded him to put her down before he hurt his back.
They’d made love only once last night, and even though they’d used protection, Kaleb couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of having a child with her. Kids had never really been on his radar before. There were just so many other things he’d envisioned doing with his life first. But if he was going to have a son or daughter, he would want them to have a mother as strong and as courageous as Molly. As he held her close and drifted off to sleep, the idea of fatherhood didn’t seem quite so far-fetched.
Waking up, all the baby thoughts began to permeate his mind again, just like the sun pushing itself through closed wooden shutters. He tried to shut them out. To tell hi
mself that by this time next year, he’d be a distant memory for her and she’d be the punch line of an embarrassing story his brothers told about him. Hey, you guys remember that time Kaleb fell for the sexy combat pilot and she shot him down?
He knew she’d said that she wasn’t looking for a relationship because she had her future to figure out. Kaleb hadn’t been looking for one, either. He’d never had to. Back in high school and college, he’d learned early on that the only girls who were interested in him cared more about his family’s money and his famous last name. And those weren’t the type of girls hanging out in the video game lounge at the student center or in the computer store, where Kaleb tended to spend most of his time. When he’d started Perfect Game Industries after his junior year, he was so busy launching his company, there wasn’t any spare time to eat, let alone date.
The more successful he became, the more people wanted something from him, the more he was invited to attend lavish social events. He hated going, but he knew that he was the face of his corporation, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t hide behind his laptop all the time. Then, the more social events he attended, the more women threw themselves at him.
But no matter how much money he made, Kaleb remained the same person. The same shy, geek who would rather go to the office than go to parties. Which only cemented the fact that women who wouldn’t normally give a guy like him the time of day, were only doing so because of the perks that came with dating a famous billionaire.
If he needed a date to walk the red carpet of a premiere or to be his plus one whenever he was the guest of honor at some convention, there was always one willing to escort him. Usually, they were equally willing to stay the night with him afterward if he was in the mood. Most were comfortable with the arrangement, but every once in a while, he’d date a woman who expected something more and he’d have to ask Angela to send a bouquet and his apologies. He’d never understood those expectations.
Until now.
Kaleb had formed some sort of attachment to Molly this past week and he wasn’t quite ready to move on. A few days ago, it would’ve been easy to tell himself that after he returned to work and fully immersed himself back into the business, his feelings toward her would eventually cool. But what if they didn’t?
Molly was unlike any of the women he’d dated in the past. She wasn’t impressed with his company or his money or what he could do for her. In fact, he got the feeling that she would probably like him more if he was just an average guy with average resources. Perhaps he was simply suffering from a case of wanting what he couldn’t have.
And right this second, there was no denying that he wanted her.
Currently, she was sleeping soundly with her knee hitched across his thighs and he couldn’t bring himself to untangle his body from hers long enough to use the restroom. How in the world was he going to go back to Seattle without her?
He could try to return to work, waiting and biding his time until she finally figured out what she needed. However, he’d had enough waiting in hospital rooms and traction beds and back braces while his teenage years had passed him by. Clearly, she was holding out hope of returning to the military but he’d done plenty of research lately and the writing was on the wall. Molly had a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and he was pretty sure that they were going to confirm her medical discharge. So it seemed clear to him that the best path for her was to come and work for his company as a consultant.
Kaleb stared up at the ceiling, plotting the best way to get her to come to that decision on her own. When they’d told her about the flight simulator idea last night, Molly hadn’t seemed as excited about the prospect as he would’ve hoped. But he had a feeling that was because she was more concerned with the fact that they’d brought it up in front of Maxine and she was worried that he’d let something slip.
They hadn’t discussed salary, but only because he doubted Molly was the type to be persuaded by the almighty dollar. After all, she chose to be a military pilot rather than a commercial one, which made it pretty clear where her priorities were. Maybe he should appeal to her sense of adventure?
Kaleb was used to giving orders and she’d been trained to follow them—as long as they came from a commanding officer and not from him. He was also used to solving problems and she needed a solution. He’d found the perfect one. All he needed to do today was convince her that his plan was in her best interests.
Being careful not to wake her, he gently raised his forearm up and reached over her sleeping head as he typed out a text message on his watch.
* * *
Snowflake Boulevard was closed to traffic and the last Miss Sun Potato contestant’s float had just passed Molly and Kaleb. The volunteer mounted rescue patrol—which was actually only four people on horses—carried the final banner that would close out the parade.
Two months ago, if someone had told Molly that she’d be standing on the sidewalk of a small town wearing a Styrofoam potato on her head and waving a miniature version of the Idaho flag at the local high school marching band, she would’ve doubled over in laughter. Yet, here she was on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Kaleb standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, and her sister’s family beside them.
It was a little too relaxed, a little too simple, a little too everything. And by tomorrow evening, it would all be over. Molly leaned against him, but resisted the urge to intertwine her fingers with his, to hold on to him a little longer.
She would be going to the doctor in the morning, and although she’d once held out hope, there was no longer a doubt in her mind that the news wouldn’t be what she wanted to hear. Molly had no idea when Kaleb was planning to leave town, but his company jet was supposed to be picking him up tomorrow. As far as Mondays went, the upcoming one was promising to be pretty brutal.
Reminding herself that it wasn’t like the world was going to crash down around her, she pasted a smile on her face and set out to have a perfect last day together. They walked along the vendor booths set up in the town square park and Molly was surprised by how many people said hello to them. More shocking was the fact that she actually knew at least half of their names. She wasn’t convinced that small-town life was for her, but with all the uncertainties she was experiencing lately, there was definitely something comforting about the familiarity and the slower pace.
“You want a snow cone, Aunt Molly?” Hunter asked her.
“No way, buddy.” She tugged on the bill of his baseball cap. “That’s pure sugar.”
“What about a funnel cake?” he asked. Molly spotted an older man with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth, carrying a plate of some sort of fried dough buried underneath a pile of canned cherry compote and whipped cream.
“I’ll just have a bite of whatever you get,” she told her nephew.
Kaleb, who was walking with his arm draped over her shoulders, used his hip to slightly bump her. “Check you out, making all the healthy choices.”
“And I didn’t even need you to boss me about it.” She wrapped her hand around his waist. “I told you that I would eventually figure it out for myself.”
But instead of returning her playful smile, he gave her an odd look. After a few more steps, he tried to steer her toward a booth with an enormous fabric sign that read Sugar Stitchers.
“Are you in the market for a new quilt?” she asked him with a sideways glance.
“Maybe. Do you know there’s a whole niche of software programs for designing quilting patterns?”
“That’s fascinating. And here, I thought you were trying to avoid running into all your brothers who are lined up over by the dunk tank.”
“That, too.” He kept his attention locked on to the sunflower pattern of a displayed blanket. “Are they taking bets yet?”
“I can’t tell from here. But it looks like the mayor is coming down from the perch over the water and Kevin is taking his spot.”<
br />
“In that case, things might actually get interesting.” Kaleb immediately switched directions and yelled over the crowd, “I get first pitch!”
As much as Molly wanted to watch the competition, her tote bag vibrated and she reached inside to pull out her phone. Looking at the screen, she gulped. “This is my commanding officer. I better take this.”
Kaleb’s face was completely expressionless. “Do you want me to stay with you?”
She tried to chuckle, but her mouth had already gone dry. “I’m sure I can handle a phone call by myself. Go play with your brothers, and if you dunk one of them, I’ll buy you a corn dog.”
“Hopefully, you’ll have something to celebrate, too,” he said with a smile before walking off.
That was an odd thing to say, Molly thought before she swiped her finger across the screen. “Hello, Sir.”
“Markham,” his gravelly voice barked out. “How’s your leave going?”
“I’m currently at a potato festival in Idaho, so I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, Sir.”
“What have the doctors at Shadowview said?”
Nothing. Because she’d been putting off her appointment until tomorrow. She bit her lip before giving a mostly true answer. “We’re waiting for some test results.”
“I know the Bureau of Personnel isn’t likely to give you your wings back, but I’ve got some good news. Someone must have pulled some strings for you because I just got a call from the Joint Staff Surgeon over at the Pentagon and they’re willing to give you a desk assignment if you’ll agree to serving as an adviser on a special training program they’re coming up with.”
Pulled some strings for you? His words sent off an alarm bell. “What kind of special training program?”
“I’ve never heard of it because it’s still in the beginning stages. Something about flight simulators,” he said, and Molly’s blood went cold. “Anyway, they’ll let you retain your rank and your pay scale. So unless the doctors tell you otherwise, it’s either this new gig or a medical retirement.”
A Proposal for the Officer Page 15