Spencer. Couldn't you have found me someone who actually likes me?
" No," said Jessy, her expression growing more intense, "I really want to know why you said that. Nobody's ever said that to me before."
Molly didn 't bother to hide her surprise. "I would think you'd hear it hourly."
Jessy pushed back her chair and stood up. "I don't much like being insulted."
" I don't blame you," Molly said. "Nobody does."
" So why did you do it?"
" I didn't insult you. I'm trying to help you. If you're going to live here with me, you might want to pretend it wasn't a punishment."
" I think you're the one with the problem," Jessy said. "I'm real sorry your husband died, but don't go taking it out on me."
" Hold on a minute," Molly said, rising to her feet. "You want to say that again?"
" I'll say it as many times as you want me to," Jessy shot back. "Just because your husband died and you have to take in strangers."
" My husband didn't die," Molly broke in.
Jessy 's eyes widened. "Oh," she said, cheeks reddening. What was that all about? "I didn't realize. Is Spencer—"
" Spencer's my lawyer. My husband walked out on me two months ago."
#
Jessy tried to concentrate on what Molly was saying, but the sound of her own relief overwhelmed everything else. Actually, relief sounded an awful lot like a heartbeat sliding toward arrhythmia, and it took a few deep breaths to bring it back to anything approaching normal. For one terrible moment she'd thought. Spencer and Molly were married. She knew it was irrational. Spencer Mackenzie's wife wouldn't be taking in boarders. You only had to look at his beautiful clothes and perfect hair to know that. Still, when Molly said she wasn't a widow and then mentioned Spencer's name, Jessy's heart came close to breaking.
She wouldn 't have thought it possible. Human hearts didn't break from emotion, especially not over someone just met. Everything she'd learned in med school pointed her away from such a belief. But none of that explained the way her heart had felt, as if someone had dragged a big rig across her chest.
Relief wasn 't much better. She felt giddy and disoriented. She understood maybe every fourth word Molly uttered.
" Are you listening to me?" Molly demanded. She sounded exasperated, and Jessy couldn't blame her. "I just told you my whole story, and you haven't said a word."
" Sorry," Jessy said. "I was thinking about a patient." She doubted Molly believed her, but it was the best she could do. Husband left . . younger woman took everything. She hoped that covered the highlights. "So you're getting a divorce?"
Molly shot her a skeptical look that might have sent another woman running for cover. Jessy , however, was made of sterner stuff. At least, she pretended to be. "I'm getting a divorce. I'm having a baby. I can't afford to keep this house and I can't afford to sell it."
" Which is where I come in?"
" Exactly."
" I was sleeping in the doctors' lounge," Jessy said. "I couldn't afford an apartment in town. Finding this"—she gestured broadly—"is a godsend." And finding Spencer Mackenzie was a downright miracle.
They considered each other for what seemed like forever. You said too much, girl. Now she knows you're white trash and she'll send you packing. It was one thing to he left high and dry by a no-good husband. Everybody understood it wasn't your fault. They knew you were used to better. For Jessy, this was the best it had ever been. She had no doubt they knew that, too.
" So what do you think?" Molly asked, folding her arms across her slightly rounded belly. "We don't have a whole lot in common. Do you think this can work?"
" Like you said, we don't have to be friends. We just have to live together."
" Talk to my husband," Molly said with a quick smile. "He'll tell you how good I am at that."
" I'm willing if you are."
Molly extended her right hand toward Jessy. She clasped Molly 's hand and met her eyes. To her surprise she saw kindness in them
" No," said Jessy, her expression growing more intense, "I really want to know why you said that. Nobody's ever said that to me before."
Molly didn 't bother to hide her surprise. "I would think you'd hear it hourly."
Jessy pushed back her chair and stood up. "I don't much like being insulted."
" I don't blame you," Molly said. "Nobody does."
" So why did you do it?"
" I didn't insult you. I'm trying to help you. If you're going to live here with me, you might want to pretend it wasn't a punishment."
" I think you're the one with the problem," Jessy said. "I'm real sorry your husband died, but don't go taking it out on me."
" Hold on a minute," Molly said, rising to her feet. "You want to say that again?"
" I'll say it as many times as you want me to," Jessy shot back. "Just because your husband died and you have to take in strangers."
" My husband didn't die," Molly broke in.
Jessy 's eyes widened. "Oh," she said, cheeks reddening. What was that all about? "I didn't realize. Is Spencer—"
" Spencer's my lawyer. My husband walked out on me two months ago."
#
Jessy tried to concentrate on what Molly was saying, but the sound of her own relief overwhelmed everything else. Actually, relief sounded an awful lot like a heartbeat sliding toward arrhythmia, and it took a few deep breaths to bring it back to anything approaching normal. For one terrible moment she'd thought. Spencer and Molly were married. She knew it was irrational. Spencer Mackenzie's wife wouldn't be taking in boarders. You only had to look at his beautiful clothes and perfect hair to know that. Still, when Molly said she wasn't a widow and then mentioned Spencer's name, Jessy's heart came close to breaking.
She wouldn 't have thought it possible. Human hearts didn't break from emotion, especially not over someone just met. Everything she'd learned in med school pointed her away from such a belief. But none of that explained the way her heart had felt, as if someone had dragged a big rig across her chest.
Relief wasn 't much better. She felt giddy and disoriented. She understood maybe every fourth word Molly uttered.
" Are you listening to me?" Molly demanded. She sounded exasperated, and Jessy couldn't blame her. "I just told you my whole story, and you haven't said a word."
" Sorry," Jessy said. "I was thinking about a patient." She doubted Molly believed her, but it was the best she could do. Husband left . . younger woman took everything. She hoped that covered the highlights. "So you're getting a divorce?"
Molly shot her a skeptical look that might have sent another woman running for cover. Jessy , however, was made of sterner stuff. At least, she pretended to be. "I'm getting a divorce. I'm having a baby. I can't afford to keep this house and I can't afford to sell it."
" Which is where I come in?"
" Exactly."
" I was sleeping in the doctors' lounge," Jessy said. "I couldn't afford an apartment in town. Finding this"—she gestured broadly—"is a godsend." And finding Spencer Mackenzie was a downright miracle.
They considered each other for what seemed like forever. You said too much, girl. Now she knows you're white trash and she'll send you packing. It was one thing to he left high and dry by a no-good husband. Everybody understood it wasn't your fault. They knew you were used to better. For Jessy, this was the best it had ever been. She had no doubt they knew that, too.
" So what do you think?" Molly asked, folding her arms across her slightly rounded belly. "We don't have a whole lot in common. Do you think this can work?"
" Like you said, we don't have to be friends. We just have to live together."
" Talk to my husband," Molly said with a quick smile. "He'll tell you how good I am at that."
" I'm willing if you are."
Molly extended her right hand toward Jessy. She clasped Molly 's hand and met her eyes. To her surprise she saw kindness in them
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