Redemption Chapter Eight

She wished for Cody the love of a mother, but she was glad that at least he had a father who cared for him, and wanted what was best for him—something that Molly truly didn’t understand. Her father claimed to want the best for her, but murdering women, going to jail—no child should have to live with that shadow over their head. If her name was still Jesse Blake, Molly knew life would be much, much more difficult.

The only person who had wanted what was best for her may have been her mother, but her death had taken away any compassion Molly might have had growing up. Instead, she tried to find purpose in the life she had.

The soft padded slippers shuffled in the quiet as she tiptoed from the room and eased down the hallway. Painkillers would be a fantastic addition to her diet right now, but she wouldn’t be able to focus on driving. Molly also didn’t want to have her inhibitions lowered. If certain things slipped out, she would hurt the family that least deserved it. Not to mention saying out loud how attractive she found Aidan.

She needed to get to her car. Holding her breath she sent a silent prayer to whoever may be listening that it still sat across the street from the general store.

“Morning.”

Molly all but jumped out of her skin, whirling around to find Corbett standing behind her. She groaned wrapping her arm around the fresh flare of pain that thrashed through her ribs. Now, she really wished she’d kept that prescription. It’d be better if she had an IV so that she could just inject morphine into her veins. She took a slow breath, the expanding lungs pressing against her sore bones.

“That’s why you’re supposed to be in bed.” Amusement twinkled in Corbett’s eyes.

She felt like a child that had been caught sneaking in after curfew, only she’d been trying to sneak out.

“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be up this early.”

“I tend to have trouble sleepin’ some nights. Old age will do that to you.” He walked past her, gesturing for Molly to follow, and wandered to the kitchen. He flipped on the light and went to the cabinets pulling out coffee. “What’s your excuse?”

She padded after him and sat at the breakfast bar. The kitchen had been modernized with matching stainless steel, a center island, and two ovens stacked on top of each other. It almost seemed out of place considering the rustic, simple state of the rest of the house.

The living room had oversized, plush floral sofas, with striped wallpaper, and knickknacks that looked like they’d been bought in the seventies. Porcelain figurines sat on shelves, and Cody’s toys were strewn in front of the old box TV. They made sure it was clean, but not spotless—livable without being uncomfortable.

The warm feeling swept through the Spencer’s home from comfortable colors, and soft decor. Blues and creams accented almost everything. Much nicer than Molly’s one bedroom, roach infested apartment. Her old place had minimal furniture, and an ex-boyfriend who knew where she lived. Thomas liked to show up more now than he had when they were dating.

Since they’d broken up, he’d camped out by her front door on more than one occasion. Molly slept in her car a few times just to avoid him. Thomas didn’t seem the type to go stalker on her, but he’d been proving her wrong. It made her scared to go back to the apartment, and Molly was glad she made the decision to find someplace to make a new start. Without Blake’s shadow hovering over her, Molly could get off the east coast. Maybe the Midwest where Blake was nothing but a blip on the radar.

Molly found comfort in the Spencer’s home—something she hadn’t expected. Not that she felt purely at ease, but the house didn’t seem like a place that anyone would ever be scared of.

Resting her elbows on the cool wood, she leaned forward, trying to take some of the ache out of her muscles. “Stiff.”

“Why didn’t you want to take the medication?” Corbett put together the coffee and flipped it on. The aroma filled the kitchen with the refreshing smell. Molly adored coffee and her recent caffeine withdrawal made her cravings stronger than she cared for. Her mouth salivated.

Outside, the sun peeked over the horizon. Bits of gold flecked across the skyline, casting shadows across the tan, tile floor from a large spruce tree. It pushed against the darkness of the night, mixing pinks and yellows in the sky. Despite living in Florida, Molly never paid too much attention. Her view came behind the lens of a camera most days. Not that she didn’t take the time to enjoy it, just that, she normally focused more on what would pay than what she found beautiful.

“I’m not a drug addict, if that’s what you think.”

He pulled two mugs out of the cabinet and set it next to the coffee. Walking to the fridge he grabbed a carton of egg and some bacon. “I didn’t think that.”

She ran her fingers through her hair. They caught in the tangles and she grunted in frustration as she freed her hand. Annoyance bubbled up at everything that had happened to this point. It compounded the anger Molly felt toward herself for getting in the situation to begin with. “I don’t like the way they make me feel. The fuzziness of my head. I don’t like that they keep me asleep. I want to be able to wake up when I want to wake up, and be clear headed.”

“I can understand that.” He took a pan and let it heat up while going over and pouring two mugs of coffee. “How do you take yours?”

“Cream and sugar please.”

Molly searched his words for judgment or suspicion, but found nothing but genuine curiosity and kindness. The only explanation was that Molly had been dropped in the Twilight Zone. They didn’t know her, but at the same token, Molly wondered if she were anyone else, if she’d be more accepting of their kindness.

He fixed it up and stirred before sliding it across to her. “You know how to cook?”

“A little,” Molly admitted. “I had to learn growing up, especially when my grandmother was at work or gone for a few days.”

“Gone for a few days?” He pulled out the bacon and put it in the pan. Grease popped, flying into the air, but Corbett didn’t seem to mind.

Molly had to be careful how she spoke about her past. Giving away too much information might give herself away. Her finger traced the edge of the counter and she stayed quiet for a moment before answering. “Yeah. She liked to go to the bars. After my mom…well I guess she couldn’t really cope.”

“And you were left home alone? How old were you?”

“She took me in when I was six, but she left more and more around the time I was nine.”

Molly sipped her coffee. He’d made it the way she liked, cutting through the bitterness with enough sugar, and balancing it with cream.

She didn’t know why she told him this. Corbett didn’t need the burden. The family had plenty of their own strife without Molly adding to it. A nagging feeling wiggled deep inside her. A desire to apologize to Corbett and his family, to beg for their forgiveness. They’d never give it. Not if they knew who she really was. All she’d do was hurt them more.

He glanced over at her in surprise before going back to the bacon. “How is it you don’t have any friends or someone who cares about you?”

She swirled the coffee cup around. The aroma of food filled the kitchen and her stomach growled. “There was someone, but it didn’t work out.”

“That happens sometimes.”

She bit her lip again. “It does.”

The phantom feel of Thomas’s hand against her cheek in a less than gentle manner made Molly clench her jaw.

“But he would still be worried if he knew you’d been hurt.”

“I’m sure he would.” She sipped her coffee and absently rubbed her face.

Corbett didn’t pry anymore, and she was grateful. Her relationship with Thomas carried the least weight of Molly’s past. She didn’t want any more sympathy from the family than they’d already offered.

Aidan came down stairs wearing green plaid pajama pants and no shirt. His chest and abs rippled with smooth muscles. Molly held the coffee cup half way to her mouth, gawking, unable to tear away her gaze from his disheveled hair and half lidded blue eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Morning,” Aidan said. He took the seat next to her.

He smelled of aftershave and something a bit sweeter she couldn’t put her finger on. Unsure if her words would come out as anything other than a squeak, Molly put the mug to her lips and gave a soft nod, trying very hard to pull her gaze away from his muscular form.

Aidan looked down at his chest. “Do I have toothpaste on me?”

Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “No. Sorry.”

Flushing with embarrassment, Molly focused on the brown and gray marble counter top.

“Mornin’ son.” Corbett slid a plate of bacon and eggs under her nose. “Cody still sleeping?”

Loading up another plate, he handed it to Aidan.

He nodded. “Yeah. I figured I’d let him. It’s a weekend and he’s had an exciting few days.”

“Heather sleeping too?” Molly asked.

Aidan shook his head, but couldn’t answer for the eggs he chewed.

“No,” Corbett said instead. “She’s gone down to the farmers market. Likes to be there before the sun. Says anyone else who gets there before her will get the best pickin’ in vegetables and fish.”

“Oh.”

Aidan leaned forward, and Molly’s gaze moved across his sun-tanned back, her breath catching as he moved. Damn he was sexy. Her belly burned with desire. She averted her gaze silently cursing her libido again, and berated herself for how utterly inappropriate it was. He had a girlfriend, he was happy. Molly needed to split before the toxicity of her family’s blood spilled on the Spencers again. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said. “And while I’m grateful for everything, I really think I should go.”

“What’s the rush?” Corbett asked.

He made everything seem so easy. Like allowing a stranger into his home was the most natural thing in the world. Molly didn’t touch her breakfast. Her appetite gone, she leaned back in the chair, biting her lip to counter the pain from her sore back. Her posture was rigid, shoulders hunched over, jaw tight. She stayed quiet.

Aidan turned toward her. “Look, I know this isn’t comfortable for you,” he said in a gentle tone. “But the fact is, you shouldn’t be on your own right now, and we’re not the type of people who are going to just send you off to deal with this by yourself. Try and relax. No one here is going to hurt you.”

She tilted her head, brown eyes narrowing slightly at him. A lock of dark hair fell over her shoulder and rested on the counter top. Of every worry that ran through her mind, Aidan—or anyone else in this house trying to hurt her—wasn’t one of them.

“Is everything okay with you and Krysta?”

“Ahh,” Aidan said. “Now the truth comes out. Don’t worry about me and Krysta. We’re fine.”

“Are you sure? She seems—” Molly clamped her mouth shut not wanting to say anything that might offend him.

Aidan smiled reassuringly. “You’re not causing any trouble between us.”

“Krysta is just feisty,” Corbett reassured her. “But we want you here. We want to make sure you’re all right.”

She couldn’t help but think that things were being sugar coated.

Since the family rose in time with the sun, Molly would just have to make her escape in the middle of the night when they slept. She’d try that tonight. In the meantime, she needed to play along so they wouldn’t worry too much.

Cody walked down the stairs, bringing the conversation to an abrupt halt. For a small child he tromped like an elephant. He rubbed his sleep swollen eyes with the heels of his hands, hair in disarray much like his father’s. He wore Captain America pajamas and yawned without covering his mouth. “I smelled breakfast.”

Aidan chuckled. “Somehow I’m not surprised.”

Cody walked over and Aidan hoisted him into his lap, letting Cody eat off his plate.

“Hey,” Aidan said. “Where are your manners, pal?”

Cody glanced at Molly, uncertainty wavering in his gaze. “Mornin’ Miss Molly,” he said around a mouthful of bacon.

Aidan laughed. “That also means not talking with food in your mouth.”

She couldn’t help but smile. Not because she saved him—that had been pure instinct. Molly would have done it for any child.

Cody first stole her heart when he hid behind Aidan’s chair, looking at Molly like she were some foreign entity he shouldn’t come in contact with. Not the most wonderful of starting points, but his face was upturned, and a dimple stuck out of his left cheek. Molly’s heart melted, and she didn’t regret saving him, or where it took her. Cody was okay—that’s what mattered.

“Morning sweetie,” she said.

He pointed to her plate. “You’re not eating.”

She picked up her fork and took a bite of eggs.

“Can I have some of your bacon?”

She took two off her plate and put it on his. He smiled, some of his reservations visibly fading. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

The morning sun streamed into the kitchen, reflecting off Aidan’s intense blue eyes as he stared at Molly. She dipped her gaze away and focused on her eggs. She still wasn’t hungry, but she didn’t want to upset Cody by not eating.

“Dad?” Cody said.

“Yeah bud?”

“Can Miss Molly come with us to the beach today?”

“That’s right,” Corbett chimed in. “We were supposed to go and have a cookout. I almost forgot.”

“Well it’s okay with me,” Aidan said. “As long as Miss Molly is all right with it?”

She could take that time to sneak out. The family would be at the beach, enjoying the sun and cooking meat on the grill. Molly could get to town, take her car, and head out. 

Cody smiled at her. It would break her heart to break his by leaving, but if she stayed, she might bring worse things on him.

“Pleeeease!” He clasped his hands together and looked up at her, eyes hopeful.

 Swallowing thickly, she nodded and forced a smile.

“I’d love to.”