The Firefighter's Pretend Fiancee (Shadow Creek, Montana)

by Victoria James

  Molly ran out of the washroom a minute later. She was wearing a dark pair of skinny jeans with navy loafers and a red sweater. Her blonde hair was shiny and hanging loosely around her shoulders. The mascara smudges were gone, and she had lip gloss on her full mouth. She looked like a woman any guy would give a double take. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said, picking up the bouquet of flowers.

  He should probably acknowledge that kind gesture, but then he remembered how she’d treated him, how she’d shut him down, how she’d refused to even speak to him face-to-face. And lastly, he remembered her telling him that she’d fallen in love with someone else.

  Good manners had him holding the door for her, though, and as she passed him he caught the subtle scent of lilacs.

  They walked in silence to the side elevators. Another family was in the elevator, and their eyes lit up as they saw Molly. “Dr. Mayberry!” the little girl squealed, tackling Molly in a hug.

  Molly laughed as the parents told the little girl to give her some breathing room. He watched the exchange, curious to see this side of her. He knew she’d always wanted to be a doctor. Back when they were dating, she’d always floored him with her work ethic and her dedication to her dreams. No one had worked harder than Molly. He knew she was some kind of genius, skipping two grades. He wanted to dislike Molly for the rest of his life, but watching her with the family and hearing her ask how the little girl was feeling with genuine interest in her eyes reminded him of the loving girl he’d once known and loved.

  “This is our floor,” he said, interrupting the conversation and placing his hand in the small of her back. He felt her muscles tense immediately. He gave the family a nod as he and Molly stepped out of the elevator and onto his mother’s floor.

  They walked down the hallway in silence, moving to the side a few times to let a gurney and attendant walk by or a patient and family member slowly make their way through the hallway. When they reached his mother’s room, he knocked softly, expecting that she might be sleeping.

  “Come in! Come in!” his mother called out, sounding nothing like a person remotely ill, let alone someone who’d just had a tumor removed from her stomach.

  He let Molly go first, and the second she rounded the corner, his mother squealed. His gut clenched, watching Molly run over and lean down to gently hug his mother. They embraced for a long time, and he stood there until Molly pulled away. “I brought you some flowers,” she said, picking up the bouquet to show his mother. “But I see your room is already filled with them,” she said with a smile.

  His mother waved a hand, smiling back at her. “My boys spoil me, but these are truly lovely, Molly, thank you. I am so happy to see you. I’ve missed you and our long chats,” she said, holding out her hand.

  He was surprised to see Molly’s eyes fill with tears as she sat down beside his mother. He’d underestimated their bond. He almost felt like he should give them privacy.

  “Well, hey there, future sister-in-law.”

  Ben gnashed his teeth together at the sound of his brother’s fake exuberance. He turned to the door in time to see Finn flash him a smug smile and then walk forward and pull Molly into a slightly-too-friendly hug. So much for brotherly loyalty. Molly laughed, but judging by the color on her face, she felt just as awkward as Ben did about the lie. “Nice to see you, Finn,” she said, her voice sounding strained despite the smile.

  “You, too. Congratulations on your new position at the hospital. Ben is really lucky to be with someone so successful. His track record the last few years has been less than stellar,” he said, giving Molly a wink before leaning forward to give their mother a quick kiss on the cheek. Ben fantasized about the day he’d be able to tackle him to the ground. If he were ten, he might have even considered filling his smug mouth with dirt from one of the flower pots.

  “I’m so proud of you, my dear. I knew you were going to accomplish all of your dreams. I had prayed for the two of you to find your way back to each other,” his mother whispered with tears in her eyes. He glared at Finn. It was one thing to try and make their mother happy and another thing entirely to feed her such a blatant lie.

  “Thank you,” Molly whispered. “I’m really happy you’re on the mend. You’re in good hands with Dr. Barrett. He’s a very talented surgeon.”

  His mother nodded. “Yes. We’re waiting on some test results, but he said he’s confident the surgery was a success.”

  Molly leaned forward and held his mother’s hand. It struck him how much a part of their family Molly had been. His father had adored her as well. He’d often told Ben that Molly was special, and that when you found a special woman you should do everything to keep her. He didn’t think Ben was crazy for wanting to get married so young; he’d understood that when you met the right person, you just knew. She had been kind and compassionate and selfless. Sometimes, it was still so hard to reconcile how she could have betrayed him so badly. It’d been so out of character for her. The one person to believe in her had been his mother, though. She had kept insisting that Molly’s betrayal and rejection didn’t make sense. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you. I’m back and working at the hospital. I’ll pop in and visit in between my shifts.”

  “Oh, that will be such a nice treat. I’m so happy. So you’re all settled, then? Where are you living?”

  Molly winced. “I’ve been meaning to look with Julia Donovan, but I haven’t had much free time. I want something close to the hospital so I don’t have to waste time commuting, especially in the winter when there’s a storm. I’m staying at the inn.”

  “Well, that seems like an unnecessary expense when Ben has a house. A young couple looking to start their life together should combine expenses and save for the future.”

  They both jerked their heads toward Finn whose eyes were twinkling, and the bastard looked as though he was trying to hold back a smile.

  “Oh yes,” their mother said. “I know Ben’s house is a hot mess, but I always thought it had potential with that view of the mountains and all that land. That’s not up to me to decide. It’s a decision the two of you should make.”

  Molly looked over at him, panic in her eyes.

  He cleared his throat. “Thanks, Mom, glad you think my house is a hot mess.”

  She blushed slightly and he fought his grin. “You know what I mean.”

  He racked his brain trying to figure out a lie. “We’re checking out all our options right now.”

  “So why doesn’t Molly move in with you until you guys find your dream house?” Finn asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

  Ben was going to kill him. After their shift tonight, he was going to drive over him with the fire truck.

  “Oh…I don’t know,” Molly said, clearly trying to come up with a reason. “My family is pretty traditional about those things,” she choked out.

  “Yeah, me too,” Ben said.

  Finn laughed and laughed.

  Ben never realized how much he hated the sound of his brother’s laughter. He was going to make sure he didn’t have to hear it again for a while.

  Their mother patted Molly’s hand. “Of course, dear, I didn’t mean to pressure you. You do what you need to do. Of course, Ben does have three bedrooms over there.”

  “And it’s under twenty minutes to the hospital,” his stupid brother chimed in. “It beats staying at the inn and having to constantly eat out and pay for storage. I’m available this weekend to help you move boxes.”

  “Oh that’s wonderful, Finn. How nice of you,” his mother said, picking up a Styrofoam cup of water and sipping from the straw as though she were sipping ice tea, chatting on the front porch.

  Ben clenched his teeth. Molly was staring at him with panic. “We don’t want to rush into things,” Ben said.

  “But you’re practically engaged,” Finn said. “And, Molly, if you live with Ben, you wouldn’t have to worry about security. He’s like a giant guard dog, just uglier.”

  His mother made a tsking
sound.

  “And think of the money you’ll save by living together. My brother doesn’t make the kind of money you do, so—”

  “Okay, enough. I don’t remember the last time I heard you talk so much,” Ben snapped. “Stop giving us marital and financial advice. You’ve done more than enough for us. When we’re alone I’m going to thank you personally,” he said.

  Finn smiled lazily, like this was all worth it.

  “Okay, you make a lot of good points,” Molly said. “I think it’s a great idea. Ben, do you have time to help me move in this weekend? I have tomorrow off.”

  What? He looked at her, not understanding what the hell had just happened. He had no idea how his life had gone from predictable and normal to now having his ex move in with him as his pretend fiancée.

  “Ben, it’s not nice to leave a lady hanging,” his mother said, twisting her straw and pointing it toward Molly.

  “Yeah, Ben,” Finn chimed in.

  He forced a smile even though it killed him. “Sure, Molly, I’d love for you to move in.”

  Her face turned a pretty shade of pink, and she glanced down at her watch. “I better get back to work,” she said, standing.

  “Oh my dear, it’s late to be going back to work,” his mother said with a frown.

  Molly shrugged. “I’m filling in for a colleague in the ER tonight. It’s okay, I’m used it. One day I’ll be able to have all those favors returned,” she said with a cheery smile. She leaned over to hug his mother and then stood awkwardly in front of him.

  “Uh, so, I’ll see you later,” she said, looking up at him.

  “Don’t be shy in front of us,” Finn drawled.

  Right, because they were a couple. Ben leaned down and kissed the top of her head like he’d never kissed a woman. She patted his arm. He was pretty sure a couple in their nineties had more action than they did. “See you later,” she said and then all but ran out of the room.

  He braced himself for Finn, but his mother beat him to it. Her gaze was still on the door, a worried expression on her face. “Ben, she’s working too hard.”

  He shrugged, but then remembered he needed to act the part of the doting fiancé. “I’ve told her, but you know how stubborn Molly is. And she takes her job seriously.”

  His mother shook her head. “No, there’s more to it than that, Ben. Did you see the circles under her eyes?”

  He wished he’d noticed dark circles. Instead, he’d noticed her eyes, how beautiful they were. He noticed the flawless skin, the gorgeous smile, the full lips. He noticed the way her laugh made him want to smile. He noticed everything he didn’t want to notice about her. He’d look for the dark circles. Maybe that would help. He cleared his throat when he realized his mother was waiting for a reply. “I didn’t. I’ll talk to her.”

  His mother didn’t look convinced. “Watch out for her, Ben. She needs you.”

  Chapter Four

  Molly had no idea what she’d been thinking. How could she have agreed to move in with Ben when it was clear he couldn’t stand her, and that he hadn’t forgiven her, despite how many years had passed?

  Well, she did have a few theories as to why she’d agreed to this. The first was that she knew it would drive her mother nuts. That had occurred to her as Finn went on and on about her and Ben living together. Her mother liked to project to the world that she was a devout woman with deep morals and traditions; hearing that she was moving in with Ben would surely drive her nuts. While her mother loved saying that the Matthews brothers were exceptionally handsome, firefighting, while a noble profession, was not prestigious enough of a career.

  She marched down Main Street, holding a cardboard tray of coffees and muttering to herself as she approached her car. She had picked up the coffees for Ben and Finn because they were helping her move into Ben’s place today. She always liked Finn. She’d expected him to give her the cold shoulder as well, but he’d done the opposite.

  As she sat in her car, it occurred to her that she had no idea where her fiancé even lived. She placed the tray inside her car and then pulled out her phone and texted him, asking for his address. It was lucky Finn had cornered them outside their mother’s hospital room yesterday and reminded them to exchange numbers. Her car was loaded with two suitcases and a box of books and files. The rest of her belongings were in storage, and Finn had said he’d help her retrieve anything else she needed.

  She paused as she caught movement in the vacant store in front of her. There was Kraft paper hanging in the windows, but she could have sworn she saw the paper move, and a vaguely familiar figure caught her eye. She looked up and noticed there wasn’t any signage, but the lights were on inside even though she couldn’t see anything else. Her jaw dropped open as the paper moved again, and she spotted her youngest sister, Addie, make eye contact with her.

  She opened the car door and ran up to the store. She heard the locks opening, and seconds later her sister was opening the door. She hadn’t seen her in years, which had broken her heart, especially because she was the one responsible for letting the three of them drift apart. They had always been close growing up, but after what happened, Molly had pulled back; it had been her only option.

  “Addie?” she whispered.

  “Oh my goodness, it is you!” Addie screamed and opened her arms. Molly ran forward and hugged her sister, a surge of emotion coursing through her, love and regret, so much of both.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as Addie closed the door and pulled her into the empty store.

  Addie spread her arms wide, “I’m the new owner of this place! I’m moving back to town and opening the Shadow Creek Bookworm.”

  Molly covered her mouth. She couldn’t believe it. Her youngest sister had been a librarian, but Molly knew she’d always wanted to own her own shop; she just hadn’t expected her to do it here. Her sister had barely changed; she was still gorgeous, her almost-black hair falling halfway down her back in loose waves, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “I think this is great. Congratulations. I noticed there wasn’t a bookstore in town anymore.”

  Addie nodded. “And there are hardly any children’s programs, either. I’m going to serve coffee and have some tables by the window and then a nook in the back for kids. Maybe a reading rug too where I can host a kids’ club or something on the weekends.”

  “Oh, Addie, I think this is great. Does Mom know?”

  Addie rolled her eyes. “Not yet, which is why I was hiding. I know Mom will be disappointed. I’m the underachiever in the family, remember?”

  Molly shook her head. “We’re all underachievers according to her. Do what you love and never mind what she thinks. Where are you living?”

  “Upstairs. I saved enough and bought the building. Real estate out here is way cheaper than in the city. Living upstairs is perfect. It’s a small apartment, but cozy. I’m so happy you’re here, too. I’ve missed you so much, Molly,” she said, tears in her eyes.

  Molly’s heart squeezed. “I missed you, too,” she said, feeling awkward and guilty but not knowing what to do about it.

  “So guess who else is coming back?” Addie said, with a gleam in her eye that reminded her of when they were little.

  “Who?”

  She clasped her hands together. “Melody!”

  “What? When? Why?”

  Addie grabbed her hand and ushered her over to sit on some crates. “She’s going to be joining you at the hospital. They really need more OB/GYNs.”

  She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but knowing her sisters were back in town was disconcerting. She adored her sisters, but so much had happened. Being around them would make it hard to keep her distance and to keep her secrets.

  “You don’t look happy,” Addie said.

  She snapped her gaze to Addie’s and was relieved that her eyes looked concerned and not accusatory. She shook her head. “Of course I’m happy. I’m in a bit of a situation, and I really need to get going.”

  “What
’s the situation?” Addie asked, leaning forward.

  She drew a deep breath. “Remember Ben?”

  “Uh, who could forget sweet, hot, gorgeous Ben.”

  That about summed him up. “Well, I ran into him, and his mother is pretty sick. She’s recovering from surgery, and they’re waiting on results to see if she needs to pursue any more treatment or if the margins are all clear and all malignant cells gone or if the tumor was completely benign, which would be the absolute best news.”

  “Oh my gosh. I love Marjorie.”

  She nodded. “Her kind of tumor is treatable, so hopefully she won’t have to do anything else. Her surgeon is new to the hospital as well, but he is impressive.”

  Addie nodded. “Good, I’m glad to hear that. So…you and Ben?”

  She shook her head. “No, not in the way you’re thinking. Finn was worried about Marjorie because she’s been in a depression. He ended up blurting out that Ben and I are engaged in an attempt to wake her up and give her something to be excited about.”

  Addie’s eyes widened comically.

  “I know. I can’t get out of it, especially since Ben is applying for promotion to fire chief, and he heard the preference is for a family man. What was I supposed to do?” She still couldn’t believe she was involved in this lie and that she was about to move in with Ben. She knew he hated her—it was in his eyes, in his expressions when he looked at her. But deep down, no matter how much he still loathed her, she knew Ben was a good man and that he would treat her well. They both worked a lot, they would probably hardly ever see each other. Maybe in the end she could get Ben to forgive her. Maybe they’d be even. Even though it was like another lifetime, she’d never gotten over the idea that he hated her.

  “Wow, that’s pretty crazy. How are you going to be able to do that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m on my way over to his place now. I’m moving in temporarily.”