figuring out it was notifying Lily she’d inherited $10,000 from a man named Luther Pascoe. The name hit Molly like a bucket of freshly melted snow. “Luther. Isn’t he the one…?
“That’s right.”
Oh, God. Lily’s evil stepfather, the reason she’d run away from home as a teenager, had left her the money she’d essentially donated to Molly the night before. Molly rested her hand on Lily’s arm. “Are you all right?”
“I haven’t seen him for years. I’m fine.”
“Good. Because he is—was—an asshole.” Curse words usually felt so wrong. This one felt exactly right. No better word described such a monster.
Her own money troubles fizzled away for a while as she and Lily sat on the couch and talked about why Lily refused to keep the money. Molly’s pride screamed that she couldn’t accept such a huge amount from her friend, especially one who could use the money herself. But deep down she understood why Lily wanted to get rid of it as quickly as she could.
After pouring her heart out, Lily leaned forward and grabbed an envelope with a bunch of numbers scribbled on it. It looked like someone’s math homework.
“What’s this?” Molly asked.
“Guess.”
Molly stared at the numbers. Then she noticed the big one at the bottom, circled and underlined. She gasped. “ No .”
“That’s the takings from the bachelors, plus the raffle money. And we still need to add in your share of the night’s tips, plus Jason said he’d match that, so it’s probably a lot more than this.”
“It’s too much,” Molly said, hardly able to breathe. “I mean, it’s just… I never imagined we’d raise anything close… I don’t know what to say.”
“No kidding.” Lily grinned.
Tears flooded Molly’s eyes, and most of the numbers blurred—except the most important one: $24,575.
Her beautiful, amazing friend had just changed her life. As angry as she’d been at Lily the night before, she now felt humbled and lucky beyond belief. “What did I ever do to deserve you, Lily Taylor?”
“Get outta here. It’s the other way around. Always has been.”
But Molly knew the truth. She’d never done anything this incredible for a friend. Lily hadn’t just helped her out—she’d changed Molly’s and Josh’s future.
The next few days rushed by as Molly paid off a bunch of bills—including the loan Greg had given her with five percent interest—and began researching wheelchairs for adolescents. Having her ex and other creditors melt away should’ve eased most of her worries, but it coincided with Josh going back to school for the first time since the accident. In Boulder, he’d had a few home-school classes so he wouldn’t fall too far behind, but he hadn’t experienced the rigor of a classroom in a long, long time—and he’d never been very good at it.
By Wednesday, tension jackhammered inside her skull. Josh’s principal, who was also Molly’s boss, had called her into the office to talk about how they could help him adjust, but all Molly had heard was disruptive attitude. Her patience snapped when she got him home. “We need to have a talk, young man.”
His shoulders hunched sullenly, and he slouched in his chair, giving her a pathetic look. She shook her finger in reprimand. “Don’t try that with me. I’m your mom and I love you, but I will not let you disrespect me by manipulating me. I won’t let you be disrespectful to Mrs. Slager, either. I know it’s tough sitting in a classroom all day, but you have eight more years of it so you have to get used to it.”
He hung his head, finally taking her seriously. “I hate school.”
“I know. And I can help you to a point, but you have to make some effort yourself, too. If you don’t, you can kiss your Wednesday nights with Aunt Lily goodbye.”
He gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
“You bet I would. School’s important, Josh. Hard but important.”
“Okay, but I can still go to Aunt Lily’s tonight, right?”
She rolled
“That’s right.”
Oh, God. Lily’s evil stepfather, the reason she’d run away from home as a teenager, had left her the money she’d essentially donated to Molly the night before. Molly rested her hand on Lily’s arm. “Are you all right?”
“I haven’t seen him for years. I’m fine.”
“Good. Because he is—was—an asshole.” Curse words usually felt so wrong. This one felt exactly right. No better word described such a monster.
Her own money troubles fizzled away for a while as she and Lily sat on the couch and talked about why Lily refused to keep the money. Molly’s pride screamed that she couldn’t accept such a huge amount from her friend, especially one who could use the money herself. But deep down she understood why Lily wanted to get rid of it as quickly as she could.
After pouring her heart out, Lily leaned forward and grabbed an envelope with a bunch of numbers scribbled on it. It looked like someone’s math homework.
“What’s this?” Molly asked.
“Guess.”
Molly stared at the numbers. Then she noticed the big one at the bottom, circled and underlined. She gasped. “ No .”
“That’s the takings from the bachelors, plus the raffle money. And we still need to add in your share of the night’s tips, plus Jason said he’d match that, so it’s probably a lot more than this.”
“It’s too much,” Molly said, hardly able to breathe. “I mean, it’s just… I never imagined we’d raise anything close… I don’t know what to say.”
“No kidding.” Lily grinned.
Tears flooded Molly’s eyes, and most of the numbers blurred—except the most important one: $24,575.
Her beautiful, amazing friend had just changed her life. As angry as she’d been at Lily the night before, she now felt humbled and lucky beyond belief. “What did I ever do to deserve you, Lily Taylor?”
“Get outta here. It’s the other way around. Always has been.”
But Molly knew the truth. She’d never done anything this incredible for a friend. Lily hadn’t just helped her out—she’d changed Molly’s and Josh’s future.
The next few days rushed by as Molly paid off a bunch of bills—including the loan Greg had given her with five percent interest—and began researching wheelchairs for adolescents. Having her ex and other creditors melt away should’ve eased most of her worries, but it coincided with Josh going back to school for the first time since the accident. In Boulder, he’d had a few home-school classes so he wouldn’t fall too far behind, but he hadn’t experienced the rigor of a classroom in a long, long time—and he’d never been very good at it.
By Wednesday, tension jackhammered inside her skull. Josh’s principal, who was also Molly’s boss, had called her into the office to talk about how they could help him adjust, but all Molly had heard was disruptive attitude. Her patience snapped when she got him home. “We need to have a talk, young man.”
His shoulders hunched sullenly, and he slouched in his chair, giving her a pathetic look. She shook her finger in reprimand. “Don’t try that with me. I’m your mom and I love you, but I will not let you disrespect me by manipulating me. I won’t let you be disrespectful to Mrs. Slager, either. I know it’s tough sitting in a classroom all day, but you have eight more years of it so you have to get used to it.”
He hung his head, finally taking her seriously. “I hate school.”
“I know. And I can help you to a point, but you have to make some effort yourself, too. If you don’t, you can kiss your Wednesday nights with Aunt Lily goodbye.”
He gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
“You bet I would. School’s important, Josh. Hard but important.”
“Okay, but I can still go to Aunt Lily’s tonight, right?”
She rolled
Similar Books
