Days turned to weeks and Lucian and Molly had become inseparable. Like two peas in a pod, they both rushed to work at the same time and stayed late to clean up afterwards. Lucian turned out to be a terrible carpenter but surprisingly, a rather good bartender. The staff at the lodge loved him and even though Tracy still worked there, she and Dan too had become inseparable. The difference being, Molly was in heaven with Lucian and Dan seemed to be in hell with Tracy.
Molly couldn’t be happier about both.
Peggy and Marshall had come back from their honeymoon and brought everyone a little piece of Ireland back with them in the form of dirt and little glass bottles, four leaf clovers.
Lucian said it reminded him of their night at the mine when he said he fell head over heels in love with Molly.
After hearing that, Molly had a completely different perspective on the mine now, in a good way.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Lucian said later that night, when they were closing up for the evening.
“What is it?” Molly shoved the cash drawer into the lock box. It had been a really busy night at the restaurant. Sergei and Esmerelda were in a fight and Molly had to talk them both into doing the final dance sequence together for the last show before the end of the season.
“It won’t be a surprise if I tell you,” Lucian said, smiling.
“Okay,” Molly said. “Just let me finish this and then I am all yours.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “I’ll get us some leftover food to take home.”
“Get some hush puppies and chowder.”
“Yeah. Hush puppies and chowder, got it.” With one last breath-stealing smile, Lucian walked out of the office.
Molly sat back down in the chair and finished adding up the receipts.
♣
Later that night while they sat on the floor in front of the fire with takeout boxes from the restaurant scattered on the blanket, Lucian poured them both another glass of wine.
“Here you go,” he said, handing a glass to Molly.
Molly took the glass from his outstretched hand and leaned back against a cushion, kicking her legs out.
“So,” Lucian hedged. “Do you still think I am crazy?”
“I never said you were crazy.”
“Yeah, I know. But you thought it, didn’t you?”
Yes! “No. Not really.”
He lifted his brow. “Come on, you can tell me the truth.”
“It does or did, sound crazy but what do I know. If you asked me a month ago that I would have seen a ghost, a skeleton, or a bag of emeralds in a cave…” or that I would have met you, she thought. “I would have said you were crazy, but I did see them, so…”
“Hmm,” he mused and then set his wine glass down on the floor.
“Do you really think that was your father? In the picture, I mean?”
“I don’t have a clue. But it is strange, the uncanny resemblance, right?”
“Well, yeah. Of course, it’s strange. The ghost of Rebecca thinking you were someone else is pretty strange too.”
“But do you believe me? About my father, I mean?”
Molly chose her words carefully. “I believe that you believe the man in the picture could be your long-lost father.”
His brows creased.
Molly felt bad that her answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear. But what was she going to say to that? That she really believed his father had traveled to the past? She didn’t, not really. Even though there was a small part of her that wondered…
He raked his hand through his hair and then dropped it back to his side. “I guess we won’t ever know.” He looked sad.
“Who knows,” she said, trying to cheer him up. “Stranger things have happened.”
His eyes lit up. “Do you really think so?”
“Sure. Why not.” Why not, indeed.
“Well, in that case,” he said, pulling something from his pocket. “I have something I want to show you.”
Her brows creased. “What?”
“Close your eyes.”
Molly closed her eyes. “Okay.”
Before you open them, I want you to know something.
A feeling of dread crept over her but she squashed it down.
“I don’t know how it happened, exactly,” he began.
Now she felt sick. “How what happened?” Oh, God, he was going to tell her he slept with Tracy again…she knew she should have fired the bitch when she had the chance. But Dan begged her to let Tracy stay and she caved. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
“I know we haven’t know each other that long, but I guess old habits die hard.”
“Old habits?” Oh no.
“Yeah. When I feel something in my gut, I have to act on it.”
Now she felt really sick. He’s going to dump you, her sick mind taunted her. Oh God—WHY?
“Hold out your hand.”
“What?”
“Hold out your hand.”
She slowly lifted her hand and held it out.
He placed something small on her palm.
“Now,” he said. “Open your eyes.”
Molly opened her eyes and promptly screamed.