Page 23 of Island Protector

“I’m right outside the door if you need a hand.”

Dressing quickly, Molly sent Sharon a text message making sure her aunt was feeling well.

The response came back immediately.

S: Doing awesome. See you soon.

Molly carefully washed her face and brushed her hair, doing her best to cover the bandages and bruising around her eye. There was no way to hide the brace Dr. Sanders said had to be worn on her wrist around the clock until her follow up in three days.

Which was Valentine’s Day. She stifled a groan. Nina and Hailey would be working around the clock without her. There had to be some way to help them.

Once her shoes were on, she opened the door. “We’ll need a cart for the flowers,” she said.

“I’ve already asked Henry to swing by,” Nina said. “He’ll pick them up and take them to your place.”

“Oh, good.” Their delivery driver really was the sweetest guy. “Sharon will be so excited.” She loved it when Molly brought home fresh flowers for the house. “What about Addison?”

“Boone and Dad have her at the nursery. Dad swears her supercharged baby smile increases sales by at least twenty-five percent.”

Molly smiled. The Billings Nursery was a big draw in Brookwell. Folks came from all over the Lowcountry for the excellent plants and help with gardening questions and designs.

“So about work—” she began as Nina drove away from the clinic.

“Nope. Not going there.”

“But—”

“Brunch first,” Nina said firmly. “We’ll eat and enjoy ourselves, and then we can decide when or if we’ll discuss any business. Dr. Nyland already gave me your work restrictions, remember?”

“Vaguely.” Everything felt smothered in a foggy blur right now.

“People have been asking about you all morning. I’ve let everyone know you’re doing great.”

“Thanks.”

Of course word would’ve spread. The community was tight here. People cared—about her and about each other. That friendly warmth had been a shock after the strained and distant relationships she’d had at home. She had never been the most popular girl in school. A little awkward, shy, and definitely insecure about where she fit in. All of that compounded by parents she couldn’t seem to please.

Bryce was only five, but she’d vowed from day one not to put him through the same kind of crap. She valued him for who he was, encouraging his interests no matter how fleeting. Which explained her continued visits to the marina even though the boats terrified her.

Lost in thought, she was late to notice Nina wasn’t heading into town. “Did a new place open?”

“Kind of.” She smiled. “Just enjoy the drive.”

Within minutes, Molly chuckled. Nina turned into an established, familiar neighborhood. “We’re going to your parents’ house?”

“Yes.” Nina beamed. “Mom heard what happened and she wanted to have you over. If not today, it was going to happensoon. But Dr. Nyland approved and Dr. Sanders confirmed this morning.”

Molly took it as reassurance that the medical consensus agreed her symptoms would pass quickly.

“Your mom does the nicest things.”

Roxy Billings and her husband Nico had raised Nina and Nash in that same mold. They were instrumental in maintaining a strong, stable community here on the island and Molly appreciated the dedication. Did her best to contribute as well.

Brookwell had become so much more than a temporary safe haven. This was where she wanted Bryce to grow up. The place he would always think of as home. Sure, small towns had a few drawbacks, but for Molly the occasional nosiness was outweighed by the perks of the location and the friendly people looking out for one another.

“The guy who hit me was a tourist,” she blurted. “Why didn’t that register sooner?”

“Because the collision was awful from what I hear. And you have a concussion. Along with a thousand other things on your mom-brain. Let the police deal with all of that,” she suggested.

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