the kids right now,” he said. “I have to get back…”
To nothing. He had no idea if Molly had left the cemetery, or if she had…If she intended to return to his house or find another less complicated place to stay, like her home. Or maybe she’d guilted herself into returning to medical school. She wouldn’t need much time to pack her things in the car he’d stowed in his barn. She might already be gone.
“They’re really neat boys,” Pop said, gesturing toward the twins.
“I’m sure they are,” Eric agreed. “But me and kids…” He stroked a finger over his cheek and forced a chuckle. “We tend to give each other nightmares.”
Pop laughed and slapped a hand against his shoulder again. “You’re such a kidder.”
But Eric wasn’t kidding. He really did give children nightmares. The last woman he’d dated had had a couple of kids, and she’d shared that with him as her reason for breaking up. She hadn’t meant to be cruel to Eric; she’d just wanted to be a good mother. He had respected her honesty. And he hadn’t really cared enough to take it personally.
“We did promise to take the twins for ice cream,” Mrs. Kelly reminded her husband.
They left Eric with a few more words of praise for the boys—and for the man they would obviously have liked for a son-in-law. Was everyone in Cloverville a matchmaker? If Molly changed her mind about marrying Towers, she might have competition now.
Hell, she was Molly. Beautiful and smart. So was Brenna, but Molly had something extra—something that made her so special that a man could never get her completely out of his head or his heart.
He waved to the Kellys and the twins as they rushed out of the park and headed off toward town. He stood a moment longer, in the shadow of the colonel until another man entered the park, the fair-haired best man. Along with a rolled-up blanket under his arm, Dr. Jameson carried a picnic basket. Before the other man noticed him, Eric slipped through the gates. But he waited—not long—to see who showed up.
Colleen. She didn’t rush toward the man who must have been waiting for her. Instead she lingered outside, watching him. Although she hadn’t been hurt as badly as Colonel Clover in the accident all those years ago, she still bore scars from losing her father—and herself for a while—in her adolescence. She’d been hurt enough to remain cautious.
Mrs. McClintock had been right to assure her oldest daughter that she didn’t need to worry about her younger sister. Knowing Colleen could take care of herself—even though she might have yet to realize it—Eric turned away from the park and headed toward the small cabin he’d called home for almost twenty years.
Eric understood caution. First he’d lost his folks, and then he’d lost his guardians. Except for Uncle Harold, people had a habit of letting him down—of letting him go. Then he’d entered the Marines and he’d learned that he needed to be cautious in every aspect of his life.
Never more so than now—with Molly in residence.
Unless she’d already left.
“Y OU CAME HOME .” Relief eased the tight knot in Molly’s stomach. She dropped the book she’d been trying unsuccessfully to read onto the couch.
His voice tinged with irony, he replied, “I do live here, you know.”
“I thought maybe you took me at my word. And you went to Grand Rapids to stay with your friend.”
He pressed the door shut with his back and rubbed his hip. With a rueful half grin, he admitted, “I’m not sure I could have managed the walk to Grand Rapids.”
“Are you all right?” Concern propelled her from the couch to his side.
“I’m fine. I’m just getting old.”
“You’re only twenty-six.” Same as her. But those years in the Marines had aged him. Heck, even when they’d been kids he’d seemed older, despite his small size. Of course by the age of seven, he’d already suffered way too much loss.
“You should have taken your
To nothing. He had no idea if Molly had left the cemetery, or if she had…If she intended to return to his house or find another less complicated place to stay, like her home. Or maybe she’d guilted herself into returning to medical school. She wouldn’t need much time to pack her things in the car he’d stowed in his barn. She might already be gone.
“They’re really neat boys,” Pop said, gesturing toward the twins.
“I’m sure they are,” Eric agreed. “But me and kids…” He stroked a finger over his cheek and forced a chuckle. “We tend to give each other nightmares.”
Pop laughed and slapped a hand against his shoulder again. “You’re such a kidder.”
But Eric wasn’t kidding. He really did give children nightmares. The last woman he’d dated had had a couple of kids, and she’d shared that with him as her reason for breaking up. She hadn’t meant to be cruel to Eric; she’d just wanted to be a good mother. He had respected her honesty. And he hadn’t really cared enough to take it personally.
“We did promise to take the twins for ice cream,” Mrs. Kelly reminded her husband.
They left Eric with a few more words of praise for the boys—and for the man they would obviously have liked for a son-in-law. Was everyone in Cloverville a matchmaker? If Molly changed her mind about marrying Towers, she might have competition now.
Hell, she was Molly. Beautiful and smart. So was Brenna, but Molly had something extra—something that made her so special that a man could never get her completely out of his head or his heart.
He waved to the Kellys and the twins as they rushed out of the park and headed off toward town. He stood a moment longer, in the shadow of the colonel until another man entered the park, the fair-haired best man. Along with a rolled-up blanket under his arm, Dr. Jameson carried a picnic basket. Before the other man noticed him, Eric slipped through the gates. But he waited—not long—to see who showed up.
Colleen. She didn’t rush toward the man who must have been waiting for her. Instead she lingered outside, watching him. Although she hadn’t been hurt as badly as Colonel Clover in the accident all those years ago, she still bore scars from losing her father—and herself for a while—in her adolescence. She’d been hurt enough to remain cautious.
Mrs. McClintock had been right to assure her oldest daughter that she didn’t need to worry about her younger sister. Knowing Colleen could take care of herself—even though she might have yet to realize it—Eric turned away from the park and headed toward the small cabin he’d called home for almost twenty years.
Eric understood caution. First he’d lost his folks, and then he’d lost his guardians. Except for Uncle Harold, people had a habit of letting him down—of letting him go. Then he’d entered the Marines and he’d learned that he needed to be cautious in every aspect of his life.
Never more so than now—with Molly in residence.
Unless she’d already left.
“Y OU CAME HOME .” Relief eased the tight knot in Molly’s stomach. She dropped the book she’d been trying unsuccessfully to read onto the couch.
His voice tinged with irony, he replied, “I do live here, you know.”
“I thought maybe you took me at my word. And you went to Grand Rapids to stay with your friend.”
He pressed the door shut with his back and rubbed his hip. With a rueful half grin, he admitted, “I’m not sure I could have managed the walk to Grand Rapids.”
“Are you all right?” Concern propelled her from the couch to his side.
“I’m fine. I’m just getting old.”
“You’re only twenty-six.” Same as her. But those years in the Marines had aged him. Heck, even when they’d been kids he’d seemed older, despite his small size. Of course by the age of seven, he’d already suffered way too much loss.
“You should have taken your
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