Page 36 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
Shaking her head, Reagan said, “Actually, what I’ve found is that I’m safer with Hunter than I am alone. I’m not saying either one of us is perfect, but when it comes to having each other’s backs, I can count on him.”
Molly did like the sound of that. She’d been on her own so long that it was all she knew. The idea that she could depend on someone was both exciting and scary. “If I tell you something, will you keep it a secret?”
“Well, it would depend on the secret.”
“Josiah suggested we get married as a way to keep Ellie.” Molly paused a moment to gauge Reagan’s reaction. “I have to admit it’s tempting, but I don’t want to use him like that.”
“Wow. That’s…wow.” Reagan pulled open a cupboard and took out two cups, pouring one for Molly and then herself. “Sweet, though. Josiah loves Ellie…and I think he feels the same about her mom.”
Waving her off, Molly stood, went to the fridge, and pulled out the cream. “No, we’re friends. Before this…” Before this what? She always found a reason to stick around until he got home on the days she cleaned his apartment.
She’d known from the very beginning that he’d hired her because he found her crying. It had been the elephant in the room from the start, and he’d confirmed it on the drive to Caprock Canyon. Who wouldn’t have a crush on a man who did that?
Plus, sheesh, he was cute. She’d thought that the second she saw him that day in the coffee shop, and if she was being honest with herself, he’d been the reason she’d gotten that order wrong. She’d still been ogling Josiah when the next customer ordered.
Reagan grinned. “Yeah, before this, there was already something brewing. Josiah is a good guy. He’s sweet and funny. Part of the time, I get his movie and song references, but you two? It’s like you speak Elven or something.”
“Josiah is a fantastic guy.” That wasn’t even debatable. He was the most incredible man she’d ever met, and she did care about him. But this was about more than just them. It was about Ellie too. No, Molly didn’t want to get hurt, but more than anything, she didn’t want her little girl to get hurt like Molly was the day her dad packed. He was going to keep in touch. Nothing was going to change, and he still loved her.
But it was a lie. It may not have been an intentional lie when her dad made the promises, but he’d broken them just the same. He didn’t keep in touch. Everything changed, and she’d been left picking up the pieces like breadcrumbs, trying to find her way back to normal—something that didn’t exist anymore.
“Good morning, ladies.” King smiled as he walked into the kitchen, grabbed a cup from the cabinet, and held it out as Reagan filled it. “Thank you.” He looked at Molly. “She’s one of my favorite kids.” He looked back at Reagan and winked.
Rolling her eyes, Reagan took a sip of her coffee. “He always says that. It’s the coffee.” She laughed.
“Nah, it’s the coffee maker.” He laughed and took a seat next to Molly, patting her on the back. “How are you doing this morning?”
“I’m okay. All things considered.”
“That’s about all you can be. Josiah said you’ve got a Tasmanian devil for a lawyer, so that’s got to help a little.”
A little? “No, it helps a ton. I just wish I could understand my mom.” Not just that, but was Molly a bad mom? She’d been asking herself that since the conversation with her mom.
She and Ellie didn’t have a big apartment. She couldn’t be a stay-at-home mom because she had to work. There was no big back yard or great school in the suburbs. Were those the things that made a mom great?
Molly’s mom had worked. They were in just a so-so school district. They lived in a house, but they moved not long after her dad left. Molly didn’t think of her mom as a bad mom at the time.
“I’ve got no answers for that. I won’t judge another person’s parentage. At some point, we’ve all failed.” King took a drink of his coffee and groaned. “Oh, Reagan, I think this is your best pot yet.”
“You say that every time.” Reagan laughed.
“It’s true every time.”
Hunter strolled in, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and stopped by Reagan. “Hey.” He smiled, put his arm around, and kissed her. “Good morning.”
Reagan leaned into him. “Hi.”
Molly’s envy factor tripled. She wanted that so badly, but was she ready to be the person someone could lean on? Granted, she’d taken on the responsibility of taking care of Ellie, but that was a different kind of commitment than a relationship and love and marriage.
“I think I’m going to go check on Ellie,” Molly said and stood, quickly setting her cup in the sink and leaving.
As she reached the top landing, she paused as she heard singing coming from the end of the hall. Following it, she tiptoed down the hall and stopped at her room. She had the monitor in her pocket, but she’d not heard Ellie at all.
Leaning against the doorway, her heart melted as she listened to Josiah singing to Ellie. She knew the melody, “Goodnight, my Angel,” but he was changing the words.
“Good morning, darling, now we’re both awake, and I can’t wait for the smiles you’ll make. My promise is to never leave and cherish moments just like these. Your tiny laughter is the greatest prize a father could ever want to hear. These lyrics are a horrible mess, but I don’t care because you can’t understand.” He sang the last sentence as off-key as possible, and Molly held in a giggle.
Josiah stopped humming and held Ellie up in front of him. “You are the tiniest, cutest person in the whole world, but that’s just between us. Okay? My brother Wyatt would disagree, and I’d hate to throw down with him.” He brought her close and kissed her. “And since I’m a lover and not a fighter, a fight would just end with me having a lot of bruises.”
