Cursed by Love

by Jacie Floyd

  As her laughter ebbed away, all the tension drained out of her and she relaxed, collapsing against him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gabe held Molly and rubbed her back, smiling while she floated back to earth.

  Steps crunched against gravel in the shadows. A pudgy guy in a robe and slippers came into view, slowing as he took in the scene. Sniffing, the schnauzer strained against the leash.

  “See, Bongo? Just kids playing.” His eyes met Gabe’s over Molly’s head. “I forgot how much fun the playground can be.”

  “Me, too,” Gabe admitted, moving to make sure all of her private parts were covered from prying eyes.

  She hid her face in Gabe’s neck until the man and dog moved on. “Way better than a frisky rabbit,” he thought he heard her mumble.

  “A frisky what?” he asked, as she lifted her head.

  “Never mind.” She maneuvered out from under him with a nip on his ear. “You’re a good kisser.”

  Before she got too far away, he pulled her back down for a swift possessive kiss. “You, too.”

  She showed him where to snap her strap back into place, and his hands lingered on the spot, reluctant to stop touching her. He dropped another kiss on her shoulder.

  He located his jacket, and they headed toward her house. She attempted idle conversation at first, but he was lost in thoughts that turned in a vicious circle. He wanted her. He couldn’t have her. He wanted her. He couldn’t have her.

  After several silent moments, she tapped him on the shoulder. “Tag.” She danced a few steps away from him, “You’re it.”

  “Come on, Molly.” He reached for her, but she remained an arm’s length away. He checked his watch as she ducked behind a tree. “I don’t have time to play. I need to get back to the office and put in a couple more hours on the Quigley program.”

  Circling around, she sneaked up behind him, put her arms around his waist and rested her forehead between his shoulder blades. She sighed. “I participate in so many games of tag, hide‘n‘seek and Red Rover that I forget that most adults don't.” She stood on tiptoe to whisper into his ear, “You need to take more time to play. It’s fun.”

  Tempted, but not convinced, he shook his head. “I will, later. After the Quigley project.” After he had everyone secure. After he had his life back. He couldn’t begin to compute how long that would take. And to think just yesterday, he hadn’t minded the uncertainty so much. Well, okay, he’d minded it then, too, but now it weighed him down like an anchor.

  Her breath tickled his neck as she sighed. “Okay, but you’re still ‘it’.”

  “Agreed.”

  When they reached the corner, she stepped off the curb to cross the street, but Gabe pulled her back in the nick of time. A familiar-looking gray car careened by them, going too fast for a quiet residential neighborhood, even if it was after midnight.

  “Idiot!” He glared at the car and driver, gripping her elbow before letting her start off again. “You all right?”

  “Fine, but that car looked familiar.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “One of your neighbors?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He tried to focus and bring the car into his memory. “That might be the car that was sitting outside my house this morning when I went out for my run.”

  “It reminds me of a car that was following me the day I went to your office.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “But that doesn’t make sense, does it?”

  “There must be thousands of cars like that.” Gabe wasn’t buying it, but no better theory sprang to mind.

  They continued on in silence while Gabe considered the car incident. He assumed Molly was doing the same, until she looked up at him with a shy smile.

  “I can’t believe we did that.” She tipped her head toward the park. “On the merry-go-round.”

  Gabe couldn’t believe how she got him to do all kinds of things he’d never done before. “Do you have a thing about public displays?” He had to admit that the possibility of getting caught added an extra dimension of excitement.

  “I never did before. That was fun, but the next time things heat up, I’m willing to do it in private.”

  He lost his breath for a moment and his cock came to attention. “Next time?”

  “Now?” She toyed with his fingers, draped over her shoulder. “Tonight? My place? Oh, no, I forgot. You have to get back to work, don’t you?”

  “Maybe work can wait.” He took her hand. “Molly, I’ve been thinking.”

  She looked at him speculatively. “Ok-aay.”

  “I don’t want to sell the Sleeping Lotus after all.”

  That stopped her in her tracks. Her mouth dropped open and she gaped at him. “But you need the money.”

  “I do, but we’ll manage without it. Somehow. You make your decision and let me know what it is. Whenever you’re ready. I don’t want it to come between you and me.” He motioned his hand back and forth. “Whatever’s happening here.”

  “Wow, are you sure?”

  Was he sure? Not even close. Not about anything. “Once Quigley pays up, we’ll be fine.” He pulled her along toward her house. “Now what were you saying about privacy? Come on, I’ll race you.”

  As they turned up her driveway, she dug her keys from her purse and abruptly stooped down. “Would you look at that? A new lucky penny.” She held out her palm so he could see the shiny coin. “I’ve been looking everywhere for one, and here I find one in my own front yard.”

  “Must be your lucky day.” Gabe still didn’t believe his fortunes could be affected by random mumbo-jumbo, but if she wanted to think so...

  “And yours.” Mischief danced in her oh-so-blue-eyes, as she pushed the door open. Then stopped.

  Behind her, he could see a tornado had hit her living room. Primary colors and disarray littered the space like the guts of a gigantic kaleidoscope.

  “Oh my God!” Molly stepped into the room and turned in circles, trying to take in everything at once. Furniture stood upside down. Drawers hung open. Papers and books were tossed about. The curtains lay in a heap on the hardwood. Even the daisies were dumped in a puddle on the floor. Shaking her head, she turned to look at Gabe in confusion. “Who would do this?”

  “Somebody who wanted something you’ve got.” Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he barely contained the anger building inside him that someone would invade Molly’s personal space in such a violent and irreverent way.

  Although fury pulsed through him, she hadn’t worked through the shock to get to her feelings of violation yet. But it would hit her before long. As he watched and waited, the look of loss and confusion disappeared from her face and tension reverberated through her body. She broke away from him and sped toward the kitchen.

  “No, wait.” Gabe hooked his hand around her arm and held on. “We should call the police first. Whoever did this could still be here.”

  “You call.” Molly handed him her phone, but her eyes filled with tears. “I have to find Houdini.”

  “Who?” Gabe activated the phone with one hand, keeping a firm grip on Molly with the other.

  “My kitten, Houdini. He’s shy and hid when you came in earlier. Surely no one would hurt him, but I don’t see him.” She cupped her mouth and hollered. “Houdini!”

  “Does he usually come when he’s called?” He punched in 911.

  “No, but no one’s ever broken into my house before either. There’s a first time for everything. Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.”

  Papers rustled in the corner, and a curious white face peeked out of a box. The kitten beelined toward Molly. She scooped him up, pressing kisses between his ears and stroking his fur. Gabe reported the break-in to the emergency operator, who urged him to stay out of the house and remain on the line until officers arrived.

  “What do you think happened?” Molly cuddled the cat as they retreated to the front porch. “Why would someone break into my house? I don’t see anything missing. The television’s still
there. That expensive car’s still parked in the driveway. What could they have wanted?”

  The Sleeping Lotus immediately popped into his mind, but apparently Molly hadn’t made the connection yet. “Do you have any valuables?”

  “No.” Her brow furrowed while her fingers stoked Houdini. “I’m a school teacher. What little jewelry I have is in the jewelry box on my dresser. Nothing would have had to be ransacked to find it. I don’t own anything anyone could possibly want.”

  “Think about it, Molly.” He wanted to protect her from the realization, but she’d have to get to it sooner or later. He watched the light dawn in her eyes.

  Her face paled and then turned green. Slipping an arm around her, he held on, afraid she’d take a face plant or lose her dinner. “The Sleeping Lotus.”

  “Was it here in the house?” He tried to keep the worry out of his voice.

  Although he could still feel her shaking, she took a deep breath and pulled herself together. He enclosed her in a big hug anyway, succumbing to the need to comfort her.

  “No, I left it with Mom yesterday. She said she’d put it in her safety deposit box.”

  “Has she taken it to the bank yet? Where’s the key?”

  “I’m not sure if she took it yet or not. She and Dad have keys to the box, and so do I. Here’s mine.” She held up her key ring, still clutched in her hand from when she unlocked the door. “Gabe!” She straightened her back and her eyes went wide. “That car! You don’t think…?”

  “Could be.” Relief sluiced through him to know the Lotus was safe, and so were they. He and Molly might have narrowly missed interrupting a burglary in progress when they decided to walk to the park instead of going into the house earlier. Just then a hopeful Disney tune erupted in his pocket, but it filled him with dread. “Damn. I’d better get that. I told Granddad and Sierra not to call unless there was death or destruction, so let’s see which one it is.” He handed Molly’s phone back to her, continuing to hold her close while he answered his.

  He listened a moment and winced. “Can it wait until tomorrow? He what? Are you sure?”

  “See for yourself,” Sierra said in his ear.

  He moved farther down the porch to keep Molly from seeing the picture of Contract Communications empty office space on his phone. Sierra never lied, but it still took visual evidence to prove to him that someone—probably Harold, damn him—had indeed cleaned them out of their computers, desks, plants, chairs, and all.

  Shaking his head at the news, he clamped down on the panic clawing at his stomach. “That’s a new trick, even for Harold, but there’s nothing we can do about it now.” He stuck his head inside the door to Molly’s house and scanned the living room. No telling how the rest of the house looked. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, but it won’t be for a while. Who’s there with you? All right then, if he leaves, you leave too.”

  He looked at the mess in Molly’s living room, and thought of the exact opposite situation that had occurred at his offices tonight. Were the two incidents related somehow?

  Well, so much for Molly’s lucky-penny theory. The only kind of luck it had brought them tonight had been bad.

  All bad.

  Wearing a yellow T-shirt and shamrock-themed flannel boxers the next morning, Molly stumbled into her mom’s kitchen for the day’s first cup of coffee. Houdini rested in the crook of her arm. The coffeepot, full and hot, was a sure sign Mom had gotten an early start on the day. Penny sniffed her bowls until Molly fetched some food and refilled her water.

  She had awakened feeling antsy and confused about the break-in. And about Gabe. It had been late by the time the police finished dusting for prints and asking questions.

  After they had left, Gabe helped with the cleanup, but she was disappointed that the activities were so far less exciting than those they had planned. And he kept looking at his watch, like he couldn’t wait to get out of there. When she told him she intended to sleep at home, he’d insisted it wouldn’t be safe for her to stay alone.

  A moment of awareness crackled between them when Molly asked him to stay with her. She felt a wash of equal parts disappointment and embarrassment as he explained he had things to take care of at his place.

  He followed her as she drove over to Mom’s. With one look at Molly’s face, Mom enveloped her in a comforting hug and settled for a brief explanation. She sent Molly and Houdini into her old bedroom, agreeing to talk everything out this morning.

  Sleep eluded Molly most of the night. About four in the morning, Penny scratched on her door. Grateful for the company, Molly got up and let her in. With Houdini snuggled beside her and Penny curled at her feet, she drifted off.

  The next thing she knew, the morning sun filtered through her window blinds. Climbing out of bed and into the shower began the process of putting her worries into perspective. A good heart-to-heart with Mom was next on her agenda.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” Mom entered the kitchen carrying a stack of laundry. She looked unusually fresh and chipper. A lot like the mom of old. “I wasn’t expecting you up yet.”

  “Can’t sleep my troubles away. I want to go home and put things in order.” She flinched, dreading the idea.

  “I’ll help.” Mom gave her a quick, comforting hug.

  Relief washed through Molly at the idea of having company as she returned to her house. “Thanks.”

  “Let’s take our coffee out to the sunroom. Grab that basket of muffins, okay?”

  “These smell great.” She lifted the corner of the cloth cover and sniffed. “Raspberry-orange? Homemade?”

  Mom loaded a tray with coffee and serving essentials. “No, it’s silly to bake for just one person. I bought them at Busken’s yesterday and heated them up a few minutes ago.”

  With Houdini still in Molly’s arms, she and Penny followed her mom out to the sun room. Flooded with light from all sides, it was Mom’s favorite Saturday morning spot, warm and cozy, with a view of her lush backyard garden and pool.

  With the muffin basket and coffee tray on the glass-topped table between them, the two women each claimed a green wicker chair. Penny dropped onto her pillow in a warm sunny spot. Molly put Houdini down and rolled a ball into the corner where the cat followed. Her mother spritzed her row of crinkly-leafed ferns before settling back.

  Content for the moment, Molly sipped and let the caffeine zap its way through her system.

  “So, dear, what’s new with the Bella story?”

  Molly didn’t want to talk about anything connected with the Sleeping Lotus, but once she got started, she couldn’t stop. She spilled everything in one long rush, from Bella and Jebediah receiving the gift to Gabe’s latest request for her to forget about selling the Sleeping Lotus, and her desire to purchase it from him anyway.

  “If I had the money, I’d buy it,” Molly admitted, “since he’s so determined to sell it.”

  “Surely he has good reasons for wanting to sell.”

  Molly thought of Gabe’s determination to save his family from themselves. A tall order. She wasn’t sure it was what they wanted or that it would even be the best thing for them, but clearly, he intended to make it happen, do or die, no matter what it cost him.

  “Has he told you what they are, Mom?” It struck Molly how the loss of his mother at such an early stage might have him welcoming the appearance of a sympathetic motherly substitute. Maybe his reaching out to her mom had as much to do with his own needs as it had to do with his desire to please Molly.

  “Me? Why, no, of course not.” Mom lifted her eyebrows as she refilled her mug with coffee. “When would he have done that?”

  Molly grinned. “He told me he pumped you for information. And the two of you really hit if off the night he visited here with me.”

  “He did call me. I thought it was sweet, but we’re hardly confidantes. He said you were going out to discuss the latest on the Sleeping Lotus, but he seemed a lot more interested in your personal likes and dislikes than in a piece of ancient history. H
e said you were just friends, but I was hoping...”

  Molly rolled her eyes. She already knew what Mom hoped. Did Molly hope the same thing? She wasn’t sure.

  “That there was more to it than that. He seems like a very charming, responsible young man. And so good looking. Just what you need, dear.”

  “What makes you think I’m in the market for a charming, responsible, good-looking young man?”

  Mom hid her smile behind her cup, but her eyes twinkled above the rim. “If you aren’t, there are several young teachers at Elmwood who’d kill for an introduction.”

  Molly’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and wouldn’t come unglued. Not that she had any claim on Gabe, but she sure didn’t like to think about him being passed around to her mom’s needy young friends. The thought of it made her a little queasy. May as well stake a claim. “I do like him. And you’re right, he is attractive. But he has a lot of issues, a lot of pain he doesn’t know how to deal with. I thought I might talk to Dad about it.”

  “Well, your father is the psychologist, but here you are, talking to me instead.” She folded her hands in her lap and waited, wearing her most serenely, patient expression.

  “Dad has the education and the degree, but I always seem to come to you for advice, don’t I? It’s just that you’re such a good listener and so intuitive. When you said earlier that Gabe was very responsible, how did you know that?”

  “It’s apparent in everything he does.”

  “He missed his childhood because he was busy being the adult in the family. All the others are these goofy individualists, and he takes it upon himself to hold it together for everyone.”

  Her mother topped off their coffee “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Bad? No, but it weighs him down. He’s trying to hold a business together to keep them all employed, but they seem to be pulling in the opposite direction. And I think he’s more like the rest of them than he knows, but he keeps that fun, creative, playful side locked away.”