more.
They didn’t have one.
When she didn’t move, he leaned down and brushed a kiss over her forehead. “Fifteen minutes,” he said, and somehow those words were a promise.
Let me take care of this for you.
She didn’t know what that meant, but she trusted him enough to not make an issue of it.
Nodding, she rose and headed to the door. Then she turned back to look at the girl who didn’t resemble her at all, in any way. “I was told several times that coming here was a mistake, but I didn’t want to believe it. Because I only have one sister, and it seemed like a gift that I might get her back.”
Something flickered in Molly’s eyes, though she remained silent.
“You might prove me wrong this time, but I won’t let you change me for the next. And maybe that’s the biggest gift I can ask for.” Jazz exchanged a glance with Gray before walking out and closing the door behind her.
***
After he heard Jazz’s footsteps descend down the stairs outside Molly’s apartment, Gray sat in the chair she had vacated and tugged out his wallet. He wasn’t at all sure this was the best move to make, but he was running out of time—and options. “So what will it take?”
Molly stopped staring off into space and shot him a look dripping with derision. “What will what take?”
“Tomorrow needs to be special for Jazz and I’m willing to make sure of that through any means necessary. I think she’d be happy to have you there, and I’m gonna guess that you aren’t real interested in doing anything to make her happy. But you do need this.” He inclined his chin at his wallet. “So…let’s talk. Fast. Before she comes back.”
“You’re paying me off?” Shock coated Molly’s previously husky voice. “For what?”
“I just told you, she needs you there tomorrow. And I need her to be happy.” At Molly’s blank look, he realized he was skipping steps in his haste to get this squared away.
If Lila thought he was lacking preparedness for the wedding, he could just imagine what she would have to say about his methods here.
“We’re getting married tomorrow. I hope. It’s a surprise. A surprise ,” he repeated. “Which means if you blab to her, you’re going to answer to me.”
“Getting married because she’s got the bun in the oven, I’m guessing.” Molly’s smirk was back in full force as she sat on the back of the loveseat and propped her bare feet on the cushions. Evidently she and her former “boyfriend” didn’t like actually sitting on the parts of furniture actually intended for that purpose.
“No, getting married because we love each other and we want to be together.”
“You already are together.” She used the back of the loveseat like a slide and bounced onto the cushions, a rather impressive feat considering how tall she was. “Unless you’re trying to lock her down because of that whole love triangle business.”
“So you’ve heard of that but you hadn’t heard the gossip about us being engaged or her being pregnant. You have selective hearing.”
“I think you do too. How do you even know that kid’s yours?”
He didn’t let the jab take root, because it was baseless and he knew it. “How do I know you’re even really her sister?”
Molly pursed her lips in an expression surprisingly similar to Jazz’s. It was the first time he’d seen any sort of resemblance between them, and the glimpse startled him into sitting back in the chair while she rose to rifle through a file cabinet that was being used for an end table. She dug out a sheaf of papers and strode over to him, thrusting one out. “That’s my birth certificate. Mama left it with the other papers when she took off.”
Rather than looking at the paper, he looked at her instead. “How long have you been on your own?”
Immediately the defensiveness snapped back into place. “Why does it matter?”
He sat back in the chair and glanced out the curtainless window. Bars crisscrossed across it,
They didn’t have one.
When she didn’t move, he leaned down and brushed a kiss over her forehead. “Fifteen minutes,” he said, and somehow those words were a promise.
Let me take care of this for you.
She didn’t know what that meant, but she trusted him enough to not make an issue of it.
Nodding, she rose and headed to the door. Then she turned back to look at the girl who didn’t resemble her at all, in any way. “I was told several times that coming here was a mistake, but I didn’t want to believe it. Because I only have one sister, and it seemed like a gift that I might get her back.”
Something flickered in Molly’s eyes, though she remained silent.
“You might prove me wrong this time, but I won’t let you change me for the next. And maybe that’s the biggest gift I can ask for.” Jazz exchanged a glance with Gray before walking out and closing the door behind her.
***
After he heard Jazz’s footsteps descend down the stairs outside Molly’s apartment, Gray sat in the chair she had vacated and tugged out his wallet. He wasn’t at all sure this was the best move to make, but he was running out of time—and options. “So what will it take?”
Molly stopped staring off into space and shot him a look dripping with derision. “What will what take?”
“Tomorrow needs to be special for Jazz and I’m willing to make sure of that through any means necessary. I think she’d be happy to have you there, and I’m gonna guess that you aren’t real interested in doing anything to make her happy. But you do need this.” He inclined his chin at his wallet. “So…let’s talk. Fast. Before she comes back.”
“You’re paying me off?” Shock coated Molly’s previously husky voice. “For what?”
“I just told you, she needs you there tomorrow. And I need her to be happy.” At Molly’s blank look, he realized he was skipping steps in his haste to get this squared away.
If Lila thought he was lacking preparedness for the wedding, he could just imagine what she would have to say about his methods here.
“We’re getting married tomorrow. I hope. It’s a surprise. A surprise ,” he repeated. “Which means if you blab to her, you’re going to answer to me.”
“Getting married because she’s got the bun in the oven, I’m guessing.” Molly’s smirk was back in full force as she sat on the back of the loveseat and propped her bare feet on the cushions. Evidently she and her former “boyfriend” didn’t like actually sitting on the parts of furniture actually intended for that purpose.
“No, getting married because we love each other and we want to be together.”
“You already are together.” She used the back of the loveseat like a slide and bounced onto the cushions, a rather impressive feat considering how tall she was. “Unless you’re trying to lock her down because of that whole love triangle business.”
“So you’ve heard of that but you hadn’t heard the gossip about us being engaged or her being pregnant. You have selective hearing.”
“I think you do too. How do you even know that kid’s yours?”
He didn’t let the jab take root, because it was baseless and he knew it. “How do I know you’re even really her sister?”
Molly pursed her lips in an expression surprisingly similar to Jazz’s. It was the first time he’d seen any sort of resemblance between them, and the glimpse startled him into sitting back in the chair while she rose to rifle through a file cabinet that was being used for an end table. She dug out a sheaf of papers and strode over to him, thrusting one out. “That’s my birth certificate. Mama left it with the other papers when she took off.”
Rather than looking at the paper, he looked at her instead. “How long have you been on your own?”
Immediately the defensiveness snapped back into place. “Why does it matter?”
He sat back in the chair and glanced out the curtainless window. Bars crisscrossed across it,
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