Page 100 of Enforcer's Obsession

“Hot dogs in the park?” she said with a smile.

“Sounds fantastic,” I responded.

I finished the rest of my shift, feeling something like relieved.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell her, wasn’t sure what I could tell her, but if nothing else, I knew I’d have her ear.

“Nothing for you?” I said as we walked through the park.

“Not. Not hungry,” she responded.

I looked her up and down, noticed that there was something different. It was hard to pinpoint what.

Molly was open, spontaneous, but could be as guarded as anyone I’d ever known when she chose to be.

It looked like now was one of those times.

She looked at me, smiling.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said.

“Like what?” I responded.

“Like you’re going to probe my brain until I reveal my deepest secrets,” she said.

“So you do have secrets?” I said, my eyes on hers.

She smiled.

“Nice try. But this is about me and the shambles I’ve made of my life,” she said.

“What’s up, Molly?” I asked, looking at her.

She shook her head, then smiled at me. “Seriously. Everything’s fine. Or it will be. What’s going on with you?”

I held her gaze a moment longer, trying to decipher her expression.

Then, finally, I let it go.

Molly was like me a lot of ways.

She wouldn’t speak until she was ready, and no amount of prodding on my part would change that.

“Do you remember what happened to me that night atCarlo’s?”

“Not the details. And Enzo will fill them in for me, What about you, Hope? Do you remember?”

I smiled. “Point taken,” I said, settling on one of the benches in the park.

“So go ahead,” she said.

“I guess,” I started, looking off at the dense trees, trying to gather my thoughts.

I shook my head.

“Wait, let me start over,” I said.

“Take your time,” she responded, patient, supportive, like she always was.

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