Page 16 of Rufus

He simply hadn’t been able to reconcile the idea of having another life, another love or children, when Beth and Emily had perished in such a horrendous way.

“It would have felt as if I was replacing you,” he admitted.

“No.” Mia squeezed his arm, a frown between the eyes that were the exact color of his own. “You must never think that.”

“I haven’t lived the life of a monk, love,” he assured ruefully. “I’m really not that noble. I just never allowed myself to care for anyone enough to take the relationship further. I always made sure they knew that before—well…before.”

“Not sure I want to hear about my father’s sex life,” Mia teased before sobering. “But what about now?”

“What about it?”

“Dad.” There was a wealth of daughterly reproval in that single word. “I’ve seen the way you look at Molly.”

Rufus tensed, immediately passing that tension on to Lilybeth, who began to stir and whimper in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He lowered his head to kiss Lilybeth’s downy forehead before scowling at his daughter. “Isn’t Molly a little young for me?” he dismissed.

“What do they say? Age is just a number.”

“So is seventeen, which is how many years older than her I am.”

“But you like her?—”

“I like a lot of people.”

“Apart from Nikolai,” Mia derided.

“Hey, I like him,” he protested. “I just have an impulse to punch him in his arrogant nose every time I see him.”

“But it’s such a regal and aquiline blade of a nose,” Mia lamented.

“If you like arrogant Russians. Which you and Darius obviously do,” Rufus acknowledged. “I think your choice of the Volkovs as Lilybeth’s godparents is perfect.” He had absolutely no doubt that Nikolai would take the duty of protecting Lilybeth as seriously as he did that of his own family. Which was very seriously indeed.

“What about Molly?”

“Darling, I just told you?—”

“We’ve decided to ask her to be Lilybeth’s other godmother.”

Rufus could only stare at his daughter in disbelief.

“Admittedly, we haven’t known her for very long, but I feel—I feel the same instinctive connection to her as I do Nikolai,” Mia explained. “Probably because of our similar backgrounds. She doesn’t have any family of her own, Dad,” she pleaded when Rufus couldn’t think of a suitable reason to veto a decision which would keep Molly in his life.

Initially, at least. “And when she leaves, which she will invariably do considering her work record shows she never stays long in one place,” he grated. “What happens then?”

“If that’s what Molly decides to do, then she can be Lilybeth’s godmother from a distance.” Mia’s mouth firmed. “I’d like your approval of the idea, but Darius and I won’t change our minds if we don’t have it.”

Rufus had seen how quickly the friendship between Mia and Molly developed. It was one of the reasons he had tried to stay away from Molly. Darius obviously also accepted the closeness between the two women, or he wouldn’t have agreed to Molly being godmother to their beloved daughter.

Rufus hadn’t seen Molly in the two days since they’d kissed at the hospital. He’d telephoned the shelter the following day to see if Molly needed any help preparing for the open weekend today and tomorrow, but she had politely refused his offer, assuring him she had everything under control.

He was sure that she had, but with no news yet from Linus on Ronan Harper, Rufus had just been looking for an excuse to see her again.

An excuse Molly obviously didn’t reciprocate.

“Molly will make a good godmother,” he agreed abruptly before glancing at the watch on his wrist. “Now, if you and our beautiful little miss will excuse me…” His voice softened as he looked down to kiss his granddaughter’s cheek before handing her over to Mia. “I have a few errands to run today.”

“Are any of those errands taking you near the animal shelter around closing time?” Mia teased, as if she already knew they were. “If so,” she added before he could answer, “Molly prefers Chinese food to any other.”

He frowned. “Who knew you would grow up to be such an annoying little shit.”

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