find an easy way to come up with that ten grand she bid on Beau!”
That did it. Something inside her snapped. “Cora, I don’t think that was a very kind or generous thing to say, do you?”
The room went uncomfortably silent, and Molly swallowed hard. “Thank you all again. We really appreciate it.”
She mumbled her gratitude into the microphone one last time, handed it back to Buck and gave Gabriel a silent plea to help her get Josh down. He did, murmuring, “Hey there, hell cat. You might want to calm down before you get behind the wheel.”
“I’ll calm down when I’ve killed Cora. And Lily.”
He whistled long and low. “I don’t blame you for Cora, but Lily? Why don’t you wait till you’ve heard her side of the—”
“She shouldn’t have done it.” She rounded on him, poking his chest with every frustrated sentence. “I am not pathetic, Gabriel. I am not a charity.”
He captured her finger. “Hey. I know that.”
“Yeah? Then why did you build us a ramp? Why become my fairy gas-mother?”
His cheeks colored, as if his blood could acknowledge the truth even if his mouth wouldn’t.
“I am not too nice to take care of my son. I’m a Montanan and a single mom. Which of those things makes you think I’m helpless?”
“Mom, people are staring.”
She blinked and looked around. Embarrassment washed over her. “Sorry. I’m…” So very humiliated. “We should go. Bye, Gabriel.”
She bundled herself up and shoved her hands in her pockets while Josh struggled to put his winter coat on. He didn’t ask for her help, so she didn’t offer it, even though she had to clench her fists to stop herself. Walking alongside Josh through the crowd, she stopped briefly to thank people along the way, still trying to find Lily. But with every step, she felt the burn of regret. Like cursing, her temper was something she normally had a tight rein on. Apparently she had a lot to learn about the darkness living inside her.
The frigid February air and a violent flurry of snowflakes slapped at her cheeks when she and Josh made their way to the truck. But reality stung far worse.
She’d just lost it with a man who’d been nothing but kind to her. And she had no way to contact him to try to explain why.
The next day she gave in to Josh’s pleas to let him play at his friend Jake’s house. Jake’s mom, Kira, had called a few days earlier to offer a play date, and Molly had been reluctant to let him out of her sight. But she had to listen to her son. So much of his autonomy had been taken from him. As difficult as it was, she would force herself to help him regain as much of it as she could.
She dropped him off, a process that took longer than she’d expected since the streets had been blanketed with snow, the driveway was slick with ice and the house had a porch with stairs. Her boots had slipped and slid all over as she pushed his chair up the driveway, but Kira’s new husband, Casey, rushed out of the house and said, “Let me help!”
Together they got Josh inside, where he, Jake, and their buddy Tyler Saddler immediately launched themselves into a rodeo video game while Molly quietly explained things Kira and Casey needed to know. When she left, she gave him a kiss on the head, but he hastily pushed her away, crying, “Mom, you’ll make me fall!”
Her heart quickened until she realized he was talking about his video-game avatar, which was hanging on to a bunking bronco.
Every step away from him was a challenge, but she got in her truck and drove to Lily’s apartment. She had a lot of questions, and Lily was going to answer them, whether she felt like it or not. Fifteen minutes later, Molly was standing in Lily’s living room, arms crossed, staring Lily down. “I’m not taking your money.”
Lily handed her a letter typed on letterhead from a fancy-looking law firm in Seattle. “Read this before you make any hard and fast decisions.”
Molly scanned the sheet of paper, quickly
That did it. Something inside her snapped. “Cora, I don’t think that was a very kind or generous thing to say, do you?”
The room went uncomfortably silent, and Molly swallowed hard. “Thank you all again. We really appreciate it.”
She mumbled her gratitude into the microphone one last time, handed it back to Buck and gave Gabriel a silent plea to help her get Josh down. He did, murmuring, “Hey there, hell cat. You might want to calm down before you get behind the wheel.”
“I’ll calm down when I’ve killed Cora. And Lily.”
He whistled long and low. “I don’t blame you for Cora, but Lily? Why don’t you wait till you’ve heard her side of the—”
“She shouldn’t have done it.” She rounded on him, poking his chest with every frustrated sentence. “I am not pathetic, Gabriel. I am not a charity.”
He captured her finger. “Hey. I know that.”
“Yeah? Then why did you build us a ramp? Why become my fairy gas-mother?”
His cheeks colored, as if his blood could acknowledge the truth even if his mouth wouldn’t.
“I am not too nice to take care of my son. I’m a Montanan and a single mom. Which of those things makes you think I’m helpless?”
“Mom, people are staring.”
She blinked and looked around. Embarrassment washed over her. “Sorry. I’m…” So very humiliated. “We should go. Bye, Gabriel.”
She bundled herself up and shoved her hands in her pockets while Josh struggled to put his winter coat on. He didn’t ask for her help, so she didn’t offer it, even though she had to clench her fists to stop herself. Walking alongside Josh through the crowd, she stopped briefly to thank people along the way, still trying to find Lily. But with every step, she felt the burn of regret. Like cursing, her temper was something she normally had a tight rein on. Apparently she had a lot to learn about the darkness living inside her.
The frigid February air and a violent flurry of snowflakes slapped at her cheeks when she and Josh made their way to the truck. But reality stung far worse.
She’d just lost it with a man who’d been nothing but kind to her. And she had no way to contact him to try to explain why.
The next day she gave in to Josh’s pleas to let him play at his friend Jake’s house. Jake’s mom, Kira, had called a few days earlier to offer a play date, and Molly had been reluctant to let him out of her sight. But she had to listen to her son. So much of his autonomy had been taken from him. As difficult as it was, she would force herself to help him regain as much of it as she could.
She dropped him off, a process that took longer than she’d expected since the streets had been blanketed with snow, the driveway was slick with ice and the house had a porch with stairs. Her boots had slipped and slid all over as she pushed his chair up the driveway, but Kira’s new husband, Casey, rushed out of the house and said, “Let me help!”
Together they got Josh inside, where he, Jake, and their buddy Tyler Saddler immediately launched themselves into a rodeo video game while Molly quietly explained things Kira and Casey needed to know. When she left, she gave him a kiss on the head, but he hastily pushed her away, crying, “Mom, you’ll make me fall!”
Her heart quickened until she realized he was talking about his video-game avatar, which was hanging on to a bunking bronco.
Every step away from him was a challenge, but she got in her truck and drove to Lily’s apartment. She had a lot of questions, and Lily was going to answer them, whether she felt like it or not. Fifteen minutes later, Molly was standing in Lily’s living room, arms crossed, staring Lily down. “I’m not taking your money.”
Lily handed her a letter typed on letterhead from a fancy-looking law firm in Seattle. “Read this before you make any hard and fast decisions.”
Molly scanned the sheet of paper, quickly
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