Molly tried to sleep for a solid eight hours, but she was too excited. The combination of seeing Liam and finally bidding on the orange grove was more than she could handle.
He was to meet her at the courthouse, having spent the morning with his father. She sang at the top of her lungs on the car ride there, ready with her paperwork filled out to submit her bid. She was twenty minutes early, but that only added to her happiness. She hit every green light on the way there, and when she stopped off at the specialty coffee shop to pick up something to share with Liam, there was no line to slow her down.
Molly parked and waited on the courthouse steps, unable to conceal her grin. This was her moment. Her well-planned date with independence. Today would be the best day of her life, and she was ready for it.
Her cell phone rang. Her brow creased when it was not Liam, but her realtor calling. “Good morning, Sue.”
“Molly, I have to talk to you about the orange grove.”
And then it broke. With every sentence Sue spoke, Molly’s dream crumbled into smaller, unsalvageable bits. Apparently the son who owned the property sold it privately yesterday, taking it off the auction block at the last minute.
Molly had no response for Sue. “Molly, did you hear me? I’m so sorry, hun. We’ll find you something else, I promise.”
Molly hung up, unable to speak. She looked down at the coffee in her hands that moments ago heated her fingers. Now, she felt nothing. All her plans were for nothing. Her parents’ money would sit and not grant her the freedom she needed to declare herself with. It was the freedom she was ready for, and now it was gone.
There were no tears. There was white noise. There was nothing.
And then there was Liam. He pulled up in his father’s car, running out with flowers and a grin to greet her. He stopped short when he saw her besotted state. “Molly? What? What’s wrong?”
She looked at her phone, and then met his eyes, unable to speak her heartbreak. She shook her head.
“What? Did something happen to the property? What’s wrong?”
Molly nodded. It took her a few minutes to locate her voice, and when she did, it came out in a whisper. “It’s gone. Someone bought it privately yesterday. It’s gone. It’s all gone.”
Liam’s arms went around her. He gave her a hug, and then lifted her off the concrete steps. “Let me take you home.”
“I don’t understand,” she muttered as he drove them away in his father’s car. “I… I had a plan. It was perfect. How could… I had a plan.”
Liam said nothing. He drove for ten minutes before she looked out the window and actually saw her surroundings. “Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something.” He pulled onto the street that dead ended at the orange grove.
“No, I don’t want to see it, Liam.”
Her tone was so mournful, Liam felt guilty at subjecting her to such pain. “Give me five minutes. If you don’t want to stay after that, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Molly looked stricken. “You can’t even take me home! I don’t have a home. I live on Johnny’s couch. My home is a couch that smells like a wet cat!” A solitary tear dripped down her cheek, and she knew it would be the first of many.
Liam got out of the car, walked around and opened the door for her. He extended his hand to her, urging her forward with an armful of flowers. “Five minutes. Give it a proper goodbye.”
Hand in his, Molly submitted to his whim, making a mental tally of the seconds so she could beg to leave after the five minutes expired. He led her up the path to the house, onto the expansive wraparound porch that made her heart ache, then to the front door. Liam tried the handle with no luck.
“Sue has the keys. Had. Whoever the owner is has them now.”
Liam fished around in his pocket and pulled out two bronze keys on a small ring. “Well, would you look at that?” He smiled at Molly’s look of confusion and shoved the key in the door. When it fell open, he ushered her inside. “Let’s give it one last look.”
“Liam?” Molly pointed to the keys, her perplexity unmasked. “Where did you get those? Was there a hide-a-key out front? Because I don’t feel like getting arrested for breaking and entering.”
“Nothing’s broken. We’re just entering.” Liam pulled her forward, despite her hesitancy. “What do you think about the crown moldings?” he asked, pointing to the ceiling.
Molly shrugged, noticing the differences in the house since she’d seen it last. “Lucky guy wasted no time making repairs. That’s new.” She sighed through her defeat, shoulders slumped. “They’re pretty. Did they paint the kitchen already?” Despite herself, she moved forward into the kitchen. “New appliances? This didn’t happen yesterday. There’s no way. Unless the new owners also own a moving company and a painting company or something.” The kitchen was a dusty blue, and she immediately felt at home in it. Stainless steel appliances sparkled out at her, teasing her with their newness and perfect functionality. “I can’t look anymore,” Molly admitted, shaking her head and backing up. “Has it been five minutes? This is too painful.” She turned around and saw Sue walking up the path. Molly’s hand flew to her chest. “Liam! We’re caught! Sue’s here!”
“Quick, hide!” he exclaimed, shoving her behind his large body.
“Stop being childish!” she admonished, slapping his arm. “You’ve had your fun. I’ve been tortured enough. Let’s go before she calls the cops on us.”
“Sue won’t call the cops. She’s just here to give me my copy of the paperwork.”
“Huh? What paperwork?” Molly pulled him toward the door. “Let’s get out of here!”
Liam laughed. “Do you really still not understand what’s going on? I thought you were a genius.”
“Five points below genius. What are you laughing about?”
Liam handed her the flowers. “Go put these in the kitchen, sweetheart.” He opened the door for Sue, who greeted him with a knowing smile.
“Have you had your fun, Mr. DiNatali?” Her heels clicked on the dark wood floor that had been recently refinished.
Liam’s smile could not be contained. “I have. You might have to explain it to her, though. I’ve jerked her around too much. I don’t think she’ll believe it coming from me.”
Molly stood in the middle of the living room with a sour expression on her face as she clutched the bouquet. “Believe what?”
Sue was demure as she smiled at the young client. “Here is the deed to your new home.” She handed Molly the thick stack of papers, all bearing Liam’s signature. The date indicated they were signed a week ago.
Molly dropped the flowers and leafed through the paperwork with shaking hands. “Liam? What is this?”
“I decided I didn’t want to do long distance anymore. So I bought you your orange grove,” he answered, his voice booming with pride. “Happy Birthday.”
“What is this?” she repeated, knowing the words he was saying could not be true.
Liam shook his head, sniggering at her confusion. “I told you. Sue?”
Sue spoke slowly, trying to keep the delight off her round face at being in on the scheme. “Liam came to me two weeks ago and asked to speak to the seller. They met, and Liam charmed him into taking the property off auction. He got a good deal, well below the asking price. Twenty-five percent down payment, and the property was his.”
Molly gawked at the pages, the print swimming before her in unrecognizable characters. “What… I… twenty-five percent?!” she exclaimed, gaping up at Liam.
One hand rubbed her lower back while his other palmed her stomach. He pulled her hip to his abdomen. “Now you can get your solar panels and build your grid. I already pulled a permit for you. I think I covered all my bases.”
Molly’s whole body shook with trepidation. She did not want to believe in yet another false hope, but she was holding the documents in her hands. She looked up at him, her eyes large with adoration and a sea of questions she could not find the edge of. “Liam?”
“I decided to leave sports medicine. I start at St. Martin General in three weeks. It’s a small pay cut, but I happen to think you’ll make it worth my while.”
Molly leafed through the documents again, not even registering that Sue said her goodbyes and left the house. “Liam, I don’t understand.”
“Yes, you do.”
“You… You bought me my orange grove.” She looked up at him in wonder, never having seen such a beacon of strength and goodness in one man before.
“Not in full. Just the twenty-five percent. Now you can afford the rest of your master plan. I’ve been renovating, trying to get the house as livable as possible for you. It’s not done, obviously, but it’s a far sight better than it was. Don’t you think so?”
“You… But… You bought me a house.”
“I bought us a home.”
Before she knew it, the papers were scattered around her like leaves in the fall. She cleared the distance between them, jumping into his arms and kissing him like she never had before.
“Now, that’s more like it.” Liam smirked into her lips and lifted her off the ground.
Molly wrapped her legs around his hips and found his tongue with hers. “I love you,” she murmured, tears slipping down her cheeks and melting into their kiss. “I love you. I love you.”
Liam carried her just like that up the stairs to their bedroom, which was freshly painted with new flooring. The king-sized bed in the center of the room was the only piece of furniture, but it was all they needed. Liam dumped Molly onto the bed like a caveman.
“This is our new bed?”
“Yeah, baby. All ours.” He gave in to her tug on his shirt and leaned over her, kissing her lips with all of his pent-up passion. “Oh, man! I missed you.”
“I love you,” she murmured between kisses. “You bought us a house!”
“I did. It’s all ours.”
“Say it again.”
“You’re safe here. I bought you a house. It’s all ours.”