by Sable Hunter
As the days approaching Philip’s trial sped by, all of their attention was focused on him and the work being done to clear his name. Cato was proving invaluable. Her work at the Cultural Center gave her access to land records and she was working with Zane and Presley to find something that would point them to the real killer and the reason for targeting Philip.
Even with his family in turmoil, Tennessee couldn’t forget he had a child on the way. One night, when he found himself at home alone, he made the phone call he should have made days before.
Molly was at the diner, pushing herself to get through another shift. When her cell rang the first time, she ignored it. Her hands were full. Penny was shorthanded and depending on her. But the second time it rang, she was waiting for an order to come up and could take the call. Glancing at the display, she saw it was Tennessee. Her heart shot up into her throat.
“Hello?”
“Molly, its Tennessee. We need to talk.”
“Okay.” She swallowed hard. “I’m listening.”
“I got the paternity test results.”
“What do you want me to say, Tennessee?” Molly whispered. “The baby is yours and I’m glad he is.” Molly bowed her head, wishing she could call back the words.
“He?”
A small smile escaped her lips. “Yes, he.”
Images of a little tyke in a cowboy hat and boots came to Tennessee’s mind as he became aware of an uncomfortable tugging sensation on his heart. “Why do you say that you’re glad the baby is mine?”
Ire rose in Molly. No way was she going to confess her feelings to him. She hadn’t known Tennessee for a long time, but it was long enough. All rich people thought you were after their money. “Don’t get me wrong, Ten. I want this baby. It’s mine. And since I’ve already made the mistake of becoming involved with you, I’m glad I at least have the baby. I sure don’t intend to ever risk getting that close to another man – not for a long, long time.”
Tennessee paused, a little surprised by the venom in Molly’s voice. She was the guilty one. He could hear Molly choke back a sob. God, he hated this. How did things get so screwed-up? “We need to meet and discuss how all of this is going to work.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
She spoke so low, Tennessee had to strain to hear her. “Why? He won’t let you come?”
“There is no he! There is no one else. There never was!”
Her emphatic words just sank in his heart like a stone. “I know better. I have proof, Molly.”
“No, you don’t, Tennessee.” She sighed. “But that’s what you believe and there isn’t anything I can do or say to change your mind. Is there?”
“I don’t trust you, Molly,” he said harshly.
“I know.”
She sounded so sad, for a moment Tennessee wondered if he had it all wrong. But only for a moment. He had proof, irrefutable proof of his ex-wife’s infidelity. “Can you blame me?”
“The only thing I blame you for is not believing in me,” she spoke with great remorse. “I know exactly who’s responsible.”
“Yea, you,” he spat the words out, pacing across the floor of the living room.
“I gotta go, Ten.” Shaking her head as if to dispel her pain, Molly conceded there would be no avoiding him. “Let me know when and where you want to meet and I’ll be there.”
“I guess you’re busy shopping and going to clubs, so you call me when you can see a way to fit me into your schedule.” Visions of how he and Molly used to be tortured Tennessee. He could still remember her laughter, her kiss, how much he’d love to hold her at night. Until…she’d betrayed him.
“Yea, I’m busy shopping, you’ve got that right.” Molly pushed her damp bangs off her forehead.
“Order up!” the cook bellowed.
“Look, I’ve got to go, Ten. Take care of yourself.” Molly put the cheap trac-phone in her pocket and picked up the plates of food to carry out to the hungry men at table eight. God, she was tired.
* * *
When it rains, it pours was an analogy Ten hadn’t fully understood until now. Ever since he’d talked to Molly on the phone, his life had been crazy. Philip’s trial had started and the reality that he could go to jail for the rest of his life if they couldn’t discover the identity of the real killer hung over the family like an ominous thundercloud. The only bright spot was that he and Bowie Travis had found someone who had witnessed Dalton Smith’s murder, an old hermit who lived in the hills near Enchanted Rock. He hadn’t seen the shooter, but he could pinpoint the exact time the murder had occurred, a time that Philip’s whereabouts could be vouched for by a whole room full of university students. This was a good start to his defense.
One step forward, two steps back. To top it all off, Jaxson had reinjured his leg. One of the ranch hands hadn’t seen him and backed a trailer up, jamming him into a fence. He’d been rushed to the hospital, but to the family’s horror, the doctors told them they’d had to amputate his leg to save his life.
Ten knew Jaxson well enough to know this was going to devastate him. Riding bulls, breaking broncs, and taking care of the ranch was his life. Hell, even the girl he liked was into extreme sports. The loss of his leg didn’t mean his life had to change, but it would take Jax a long time to realize this. He was hard-headed. All Tennessee could do was vow to be there for him.
But now, he had problems of his own. He’d driven to Alpine this round. Honestly, he wasn’t that anxious to get there and he needed the time to think. Molly had called and asked him to meet at her trailer. Flipping off the radio, he let the silence and slight noise of the wind hitting the side of the truck be the only accompaniment to his worrying.
He’d had a long conversation with Heath and Zane. Both thought he should instigate some kind of legal action to set the limits of his paternal involvement. They both recommended that he seek visitation, of course. What they were more concerned about was pinning down a support figure, getting it in writing and getting her signature on it. Ten understood where they were coming from and he didn’t trust Molly an inch – but this was his child they were talking about.
When he drove into Alpine, the memories came flooding back. He remembered the first time they’d met, how she risked her life to help him save Ben Hunt. If he allowed himself, he could still feel the touch of her fingers as she gave him the massage. And the first time they’d made love… Hell, every time they’d made love had been like the first time. In the last two months, he’d seen women in social settings but none held a candle to Molly for him.
Pulling up next to her old red truck, he got out. The weather was getting warm and he remembered she had no A/C unit. He looked around to see if she’d remedied that situation, but he could see no evidence that she had. When he thought of her bringing his child home from the hospital to this raggedy trailer with no heat and no air, he couldn’t bear it.
Walking up to the door, he tapped on it. “Molly!”
Inside, Molly jumped up from the dining room chair where she’d been sitting stiffly as if awaiting the call of the executioner. Nervously she pushed her hair behind her ears and went to the door. Opening it, she steeled herself against the first glimpse of him. Damn. Still handsome as ever. Why couldn’t he develop a case of warts or something? “Come on in.” She held open the screen door and stepped back to allow him to walk past her. “Can I get you something to drink?”
She was being hospitable. “No, thanks.” He didn’t want to risk it being laced with cyanide.
“Sit, please.” Molly gestured toward the sofa and she walked toward a small chair across from him, as far as she could get away and still be in the same room. Before she sat down, she whirled to face him, took a deep breath, and just plunged in to say what needed to be said. “You’re not taking my baby away from me, Tennessee McCoy.”
Tennessee blanched, he literally felt the color drain from his face. “I never considered taking your child away from you, Molly.” What kind of a man did she think he
was?
“Good.” She felt behind her for the chair, feeling dizzy and unsteady on her feet.
Tennessee was confused. “Why would you say something like that? We may have our problems but…” As if a light had come on in his head illuminating the area around him, Tennessee realized that Molly didn’t look well. “Are you sick? Is the baby okay? What does the doctor say?”
Molly hung her head. Of course he would be concerned about his child, but he didn’t care about her. He was a McCoy, a rich man. Her baby was a McCoy.
She was nobody.
“The baby’s fine.”
She was exhausted, that was the problem.
“Do you need anything?” Tennessee didn’t want to love Molly, she had broken his trust with her unfaithfulness.
“No, I’m fine.” Fine? She had thirty-four dollars in her checking account, no place to stay and a baby on the way.
But one thing was for certain. She’d beg on the street before she took anything from Tennessee. “We’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry.”
“You called me, Molly, you must want something.”
“Yes, I did. I wanted to see you to tell you that I’m letting you off the hook. We don’t need anything from you. You can see the baby any time you want to, but I can take care of everything by myself.”
“You mean Greg is taking care of you, paying your bills.”
A rush of anger hit her hard. He was the only person in the world who could hurt her so much. She still loved him, but she hated him almost as much. Her lungs hurt, her throat felt raw. “Think what you will, that’s what you’re going to do anyway.” Her voice rose, and Molly fought to keep from crying. Viewing Tennessee through the sheen of tears in her eyes, Molly admitted the truth. He was lost to her, lost forever. And she didn’t really understand why. She was a pawn, a pawn in some stupid game of revenge and Tennessee was too blind to see it.
Which told her everything, really.
Instead of believing in her and her love, he’d chosen to take the word of his enemy.
And there was no coming back from that.
Standing, she showed him the door. “Goodbye, Tennessee. I’ll call you when the baby is born.”
“Not so fast.” He didn’t budge from his seat. “We’ve got some things to work out. I want you to agree to work with me on visitation and support.”
Molly stared at him. “I already told you that you can have visitation.” She waved her hand in the air. “Since we live so far apart, why don’t we say you can see him for one month during the summer and we’ll trade off on holidays? You’ll have to wait a few months, I’ll have to wean him first. But after that…” Her voice trailed off.
Tennessee frowned. He didn’t know how he felt about seeing his child for such a limited amount of time. If they lived closer, it could be more often. “I’m not sure about that.”
Her eyes widened. “And I don’t want your money, I’ve told you that a thousand times. I’d rather sell my blood than take a dime from you.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Tennessee scoffed. “This whole thing was about money.”
Molly felt like she was explaining something to a child. “Look around.” She spread her arms wide. “If I was guilty, if I did those things to you, money as a motivation doesn’t make sense. Being your wife, I would have been living in the lap of luxury with you. And for your information, not that you’ll believe me but I haven’t seen or heard from Greg O’Neil since the day he came looking for you, the same day Paul had his heart attack.”
Shaking his head. “I don’t want to argue. Although I will tell you this, I don’t want that man anywhere near my son. He’s not to be trusted.”
Molly looked at him like he was crazy. “Exactly. He’s not to be trusted. Yet, you took his word over mine. You believed a man who can’t be trusted rather than your wife. Think about it.”
Tennessee didn’t know what to say. They weren’t making any progress. “I guess we’ll have to have our lawyers work all this out.”
“I can’t afford a lawyer, you know that,” Molly whispered. “I’ll be lucky if I can get legal aid to help me.”
Her mention of what she couldn’t afford, made him think of the air conditioner and the heat. This place would be unbearable for a child this winter, especially a newborn and space heaters were so dangerous. Reaching into his back pocket, Ten pulled out his wallet and took out a business card.
“No, no.” Molly saw what he was doing and thought he was about to give her cash. She felt devastated, completely and utterly broken. The rich man who didn’t love her, who had never loved her, didn’t trust her – had no faith in her was about to offer her money as if that would fix everything that was wrong.
He ignored her. “I want you to get someone to install proper heating and cooling in this trailer. You pay for it and send me the bill. I’ll reimburse you.”
“I don’t want your money.” Molly was emphatic.
“This is my child too, Molly. He will be taken care of.” He glanced around the small room, the place he’d been so happy. “This is no place for a baby. A good mother would put the needs of her child first.” It wasn’t exactly a threat, but Molly could take it however she wanted to take it.
“Bastard,” she whispered.
Ten didn’t answer, he got up and walked out without looking back. Bastard. He hated that word, and he hated even worse that it would be one some would apply to his child.
* * *
The next two weeks were hell for Molly. She missed more days than she was able to work. She was sick, weak and couldn’t eat enough food to keep a bird alive. Refusing to use more than the minimum amount of electricity, she rarely even turned on a light or a fan. The heat was becoming unbearable. Every window was open and some evenings, she left the front door standing open in hope of catching a breeze. Of course she hadn’t contacted anyone to install air or heat, she didn’t have any money to pay for it, even if Ten would pay her back. Like most rich people, he didn’t know enough about real life to figure that out.
Molly knew she had to get her act together…and she would. As soon as she could hold her head up enough to think about it. For now all she craved was sleep.
Hell didn’t play favorites, it broke loose with fury for the McCoys. The same man who framed Philip for Dalton Smith’s murder also blew up Heath’s gas refinery and kidnapped Cato. By the time she was rescued, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind how he felt about her.
On the bright side, Philip did gain his freedom. He was cleared of all charges and the man who would spend the rest of his life behind bars, Caesar Arness, was indicted not only for Dalton Smith’s murder, but two accounts of attempted murder and for destruction of property. All of this was done for revenge. Arness’s father was an enemy of Christian’s, a former business partner who felt cheated. The sins of the father had been passed down to the sons.
Revenge was the accelerant that fueled many criminal acts. Tennessee knew Greg O’Neil’s motivation to cheat him at business and to break up his marriage was revenge. The only thing he didn’t understand was why Molly had cooperated with him.
And maybe he never would.
For a little while he’d been happy. But what totally surprised Tennessee was Heath’s complete reversal on the subject of love and marriage.
Today hell had frozen over.
Heath married Cato Sinclair in a beautiful morning wedding.
When Heath took his new bride in his arms and swept her around the floor in their first dance as man and wife, he looked like he’d been handed the whole universe – and maybe he had.
“Their happy faces are almost enough to make you believe in the great institution of matrimony aren’t they?” Philip asked.
“Not really.” Ten said with a tight smile. Philip’s good mood was contagious, but not enough to make him forget his own problems.
“I hear you’re going back to Alpine tonight.”
“Yea, Molly hasn’t sent me any evidence that she’s ha
d any of the work done on the trailer and she isn’t answering my phone calls. I need to know why.”
They were sitting at a small round table on the edge of the dance floor. “Why are you putting yourself through this?” Philip asked, his eye on a stunning auburn haired woman. Did he know her? “Let Zane handle it. When the baby’s born, you can negotiate visitation. You can be a dad without dealing with the ex. You know you’re better off without her.” Philip put his hand over his mouth, hiding a smirk. He always loved to play the devil’s advocate.
“I’m not arguing with you, Philip. I know I’m better off, and I’m not trying to reunite with Molly. But she’s pregnant and I’m the father. He’s my child.”
Philip gazed at his brother sympathetically. “I understand, I’d be the same way.” Standing, he searched the crowd for the sexy redhead. “Excuse me, I think I see someone I’d like to get to know.”
Tennessee raised his half-empty beer glass. “Yea, sure. I’m about to get on the road anyway. But I won’t be gone long, I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Be careful, bro.” Philip called over his shoulder as he made his way through the crowd.
After seeing the bride and groom off on their honeymoon, the McCoys went their separate ways and Tennessee found himself south bound again. What would he find this time? And why couldn’t he stay away? He’d never admit it to any of his family, but he couldn’t get Molly off his mind. The memory of her haunted him. For three months, Tennessee had lost sleep wondering what she was doing, who she was with and if she was safe. He’d also cursed her, angry with himself because he still cared. What kind of man did that make him?
Before leaving the country club, he’d gone into the men’s room and changed out of his tux into jeans and a shirt. The bag he’d packed was in his trunk, he wouldn’t need much for this quick trip.
Saying goodbye to his family hadn’t been easy. The girls were full of questions about Molly and the baby, which was normal he guessed. Jaxson had shown up for the wedding, but he hadn’t gave them any clue as to when he’d be coming home. Ten had stepped up and taken over the day to day supervision of ranch operations. That was one reason he had to make this a quick trip. Jaxson was depending on him. After the loss of his leg, he’d moved into a small cabin down by the river, saying he needed time to adjust and come to terms with his life. He acted as if there was still some decision to be made. Today, he’d been wearing the prosthesis and even though he’d managed to stand up as one of Heath’s groomsman, it had been obvious he was still in pain and uncomfortable with wearing it.