Page 42 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
Chapter 19
With her hands in her lap, Molly kept her gaze trained on the road in front of her. “Are you really not going to tell me why we drove all the way to Lubbock?”
She and Josiah had left early that morning with the hopes of getting back so they could celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family. It seemed odd that he’d pick this day for a road trip. They’d left Ellie with his mom and dad, and the cab of the truck was weirdly quiet.
Shaking his head, Josiah shot her a glance and smiled. “Nope. It’s a surprise.”
Since their conversation with the lawyer, Molly had slowly put a little distance between her and Josiah. There were no more kisses or snuggling. They still laughed and joked, but that’s where she drew the line.
After taking Ellie for a walk, she’d come back to the house with a clear head and a solid plan. She appreciated what Josiah was doing for her, and she’d always be grateful. But the fanciful notions of a relationship were over. He loved his job more than he loved anything or anyone. That wasn’t the life Molly wanted for Ellie. Someone straddling the fence between work and family and choosing work more often than not wasn’t enough.
They passed the Lubbock Country Club and continued on until they turned into a city park named Mackenzie with signs pointing them in the direction of Prairie Dog Town. Surely, that wasn’t what they were here for.
Craning her neck, Molly tried to figure out why he would have brought her here. Then her jaw dropped as Brenda came into view. “Ellie’s mom?”
“I hired a private detective to find her. I wanted to tell you, but at the time, I didn’t know if the detective would take the case or if they could even find Brenda. I didn’t want to get your hopes up just to see them crushed.” He glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”
Molly didn’t know if she was mad or glad or what. It bothered her that he didn’t include her, but he’d found Ellie’s birth mom. That’s what mattered. “I’m just glad we can talk to her.”
Josiah grinned as he parked the truck, and they got out. As he reached Brenda, he shook her hand. “Hi, Brenda. I’m Josiah West.”
Brenda smiled at Molly and then hugged her. “Hey, Molly.”
“Hey,” Molly replied and leaned back. “What are you doing in Lubbock?”
“I’m from Lubbock. I missed my family, and my dad offered to help me get back into school. I’m taking a few classes at South Plains College so I can transfer to Tech after.”
Molly was happy for her, but she still couldn’t understand why they’d come all the way to Lubbock. “That’s great.”
Josiah slipped his hands into his jean’s pockets. “Brenda has a few things to tell you, but she wanted to do it in person.”
Looking from Brenda to Josiah, Molly asked, “What things?”
“Why don’t we sit at that picnic table over there?” Josiah tipped his head toward a covered table a few feet away.
They crossed the short distance and sat down. Josiah and Molly on one side, Brenda on the other. It felt awkward sitting across from her, knowing she was trying to take Ellie away.
Before she could stop herself, Molly blurted, “Why do you want to take Ellie from me?”
“I don’t.”
Now Molly was truly confused. “Then—”
Brenda smiled. “Your mom called me a couple of weeks ago when Derek got the parental termination rights. He was on the call with her, and they were saying they wanted to take Ellie from you.”
“So you weren’t part of that?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Derek is not Ellie’s father. I told your mom that on the phone. I felt bad for lying, but I’d just come out of an abusive relationship, and Derek was nice to me.”
Molly felt clubbed over the head. “My brother isn’t Ellie’s dad?”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I told him it was his. He seemed so happy, but the longer I was with him, the more I realized that neither of us was able to take care of a baby.” Brenda paused, fidgeting with her fingers, not quite meeting Molly’s gaze. “Then I met you. You didn’t judge me or try to force me to do anything. It was the first time anyone had been so kind to me. I wanted you to take Ellie, but I was afraid if you found out Derek wasn’t the father, you wouldn’t want the baby.”
Josiah leaned forward with his arms on the table. “If Derek isn’t the father, who is?”
Brenda tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and stared at the table. “His name was Orion Hyde.”
“Was?” Molly asked.
