Page 42 of Right in Front of You

I sighed, rubbing the side of my fishing shorts where the letter I’d received after Molly had admitted she set the barn on fire, was neatly folded, acquiring years of life’s wisdom in my pocket. Except after re-reading it many times, I didn’t feel any smarter than I had been five years ago. If she didn’t set the fire, then who did?

“I know she needs time because she sent me a letter. I’ve never read anything that cryptic in my life.”

“A letter? How come you never mentioned it?”

“Because she asked me not to mention it, and here I am breaking a promise.”

“Where is it?”

I reached inside my pocket and pulled out the white paper, with darker creases at its edges. She unfolded the letter gently and read, until tears formed in her eyes.

“You thought she set that barn on fire?”

I then went into detail how I’d found Molly in the forest. Our secret was safe with Jo.

“Are you stupid?”

“What?”

“This is a cry out for help, Carter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Argh! Men! Don’t you get it? For whatever reason, she was forced to lie to you that day.”

“You can’t say anything to her.”

Jo lowered her voice.

“Carter, I won’t. I promise. Now, why haven’t you done anything about this letter? I know she asked you to give her time, but I don’t know, Carter. Something’s not adding up. Of course Molly didn’t set the fire.” She then gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “I bet you it was that scummy father of hers. I never liked him. For whatever reason, he got to her. I just know it.”

I narrowed my brows. Was she right? I knew Molly didn’t get along with her father – in fact, she hated him – but she didn’t disrespect him in public, the way he’d always disrespected his entire family.

“Come on, there’s no one else as crazy as him in town, and you know it.”

“Even if that’s true, what do I do?” I asked, like a coward.

“You have to go see her!” She stood up, pointing her finger up to the sky, like a patriot. When she swayed on her feet, I shot up and caught her around her waist, setting her down on her chair. Yes, Jo was definitely getting on the tipsier side.

“I’m afraid that I struck out one too many times with Molly. She’s just so… perfect.”

Yes, I wasn’t too proud to admit that I was afraid she’d reject me again, just like she had before when I’d broached the subject of dating. But then again, she hadn’t been ready then. After that, she wanted time. And now Molly was on her own, becoming a doctor, from what I’d last heard from her mother. I was proud of her and delighted that she’d reached the dreams she sought. Did it hurt me that she completely avoided me when she came to town? Hell, yes. Was there anything I could have done about it? I thought so, because I had tried, and failed. And I didn’t want to fail any longer.

“There’s no such thing as perfect. And there’s nothing wrong with loving Daisy. I never forgot Nick when I thought he was dead, and now that he’s back I’m confused, but I understand what it’s like to love someone who passed.”

Jo’s words were slurred. She looked up to the second floor window. Mackenzie must have been asleep by now. I’d been helping Jo raise their daughter, whom I’d delivered out in the field: one of the proudest moments of my life. We’d been living together for three years now, since Mackenzie’s second birthday. It was much easier on Jo than living at Nick’s old house, where every little item reminded her of her then-deceased fiancé. But now that Nick was back, I wasn’t too sure about my place in their lives. Fuck, I didn’t know where my place was, period.

“I thought you and I had a pretty good connection.” I needed a change in subject, and so I wiggled my brows. It was a trademark. Jo, of course, rolled her eyes.

Why did all the girls roll their eyes at me?

Hey, at least I could keep her entertained while she struggled to see that she and Nick were meant to be, and with time, would find their way back to each other. And yes, I was stalling for time so that I wouldn’t have to deal with my own feelings.

“You and I, well, you know that I can’t think of you as more than a…. brother.”

“Really? Not even when I wiggle my brows?”

“Not even when you forgot to wrap a towel around yourself after you shower.” She finger quoted ‘forget’, but yeah, she was right, I only pretended to forget.

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