She glanced away, obviously well aware of what he was thinking. “It’s been a whirlwind of ups and downs.”
Hunter resisted the urge to cover her hand with his, to tell her he understood, and that he wanted to help her through the turmoil. She didn’t want comfort from him. She never had.
“Was your real father happy to hear from you?” he asked, because he only had Jessie to judge by.
For his part he couldn’t imagine finding his parents after all this time. They hadn’t given a shit when he was a kid, and he didn’t need them as an adult. But Molly clearly felt differently.
She nodded. “My father couldn’t have reacted any better.” Her eyes lit up at the memory.
“I take it Jessie didn’t share the sentiment?”
“You noticed?” Molly asked wryly. “To say she hates me is an understatement.”
He wasn’t sure how to reply to that, so he changed the subject. “You two look alike.”
Molly crinkled her nose in a way he’d always found cute and endearing. “Do you really think so? I’m blond, she’s brunette. At a glance, we’re polar opposites.”
“In hair color maybe, but I see similarities in your profiles and expressions.”
“Really?” She seemed to mull over that notion for a while, running her tongue over her full lower lip.
His gaze lingered on the moist spot she’d created, the desire to taste her as strong as ever.
“I’ve actually been looking for similarities between myself and Jessie since I got here. I’m glad to hear you found some. It gives me a sense of family no matter how she feels about me.” Molly met his gaze with a warm, open one of her own, so different from the guarded woman he used to know.
It unnerved him. She unnerved him.
“So, to answer your earlier question more fully, in coming here I’ve found the pieces that were missing inside me.”
He was surprised by her sudden, personal revelation. And though he’d always wanted her to be happy, her words sliced deeply into his heart. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy,” he said, unable to control his curt tone.
“I didn’t use that word. I didn’t say I was happy.” In fact, that was one word she’d avoided, because in finding family, she’d still discovered that so much more was needed.
Seeing Hunter again reminded her of exactly what. Molly tried to hold his gaze, to make him understand, but he looked away.
She’d be an idiot not to know his unwillingness to even meet her gaze was deliberate. He didn’t want to have a personal conversation, but he’d asked a question and even if he hadn’t anticipated her being open and honest in her answer, he was damn well going to listen to her reply. He’d traveled all the way here and they had a lot of subjects to cover before they could clear the air and move on with her father’s case.
Her reasons for leaving him were one of them. “I’m sorry.” She let her words stand on their own.
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. I’m over it.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Liar.”
“Tell me about your father’s legal mess.”
She rose from her seat and stepped closer to him. His musky scent invaded her personal space and she almost forgot to breathe. His scent was warm and familiar, comforting yet arousing at the same time. Her desire for him hadn’t diminished one bit.
“Don’t change the subject. We have unfinished business and-”
Without warning, he stood, too. His height gave him an advantage she didn’t appreciate, not only because of his attempt to be intimidating but because she was even more aware of him as a man. A sexy, gorgeous man in a leather jacket staring at her intently.
“I’m here because your father needs a lawyer. Don’t read any more into it than that.”
She tried not to wince, but she couldn’t ignore the pain in her stomach his cruel words caused. “In other words, there’s no reason to discuss anything personal even though you brought it up first.”
He treated her to an abrupt nod. “My mistake.” He stepped aside, walking across the room, adding physical space to the emotional gulf he’d already created.
“Fine.” Molly curled her hands into tight fists and dug her fingers into her skin, trying not to let him see how badly his attitude hurt her. “You’re here for my father, so let’s get down to business.”
The sudden thump, thump of Edna’s cane interrupted them, the sound growing louder the closer it came.
Hunter raised an eyebrow in question.
“My grandmother,” Molly explained, and her stomach churned. It was hard enough dealing with Hunter one- on-one. The thought of introducing him to the most inquiring mind in the family made her nauseous.
“There’s a hog parked out front,” Edna said as she entered the kitchen. “Think whoever owns it will give me a ride?”
Molly’s jaw fell slack and her mouth opened wide.
“Don’t look so shocked. I dated a biker back in my day. There’s something to be said for sitting on the back of a motorcycle, a solid man’s back pressed into your chest and the engine vibrating between your-” Edna stopped short when she turned and caught sight of Hunter. “Legs.” She finished her sentence despite the ruddy color in her cheeks. “I didn’t realize we had company.”
“You thought the bike out front belonged to who then?” Molly asked, well and truly mortified by her grandmother’s words.
Making the situation worse, Molly could vividly imagine doing exactly as her grandmother had described, riding the bike with her arms wrapped securely around Hunter’s back. The vibrating between her thighs had already begun thanks to the vivid imagery. It didn’t even matter that he hated her. His effect on her was too strong.
“I thought the neighbors had company. You know that Bell boy courts trouble,” Edna said. “Not that a motorcycle always means trouble. Although this one has bad boy written all over him.” She gestured Hunter’s way.
“I think I’ll take that as a compliment. Daniel Hunter,” he said, stepping forward and extending his hand.
“Edna Addams but my friends call me Commander.”
“Pleased to meet you, Commander.” Hunter grinned his aw, shucks, you’re cute and so am I grin as he shook the older woman’s hand.
Molly groaned. He’d left Jessie awestruck and now was charming the matriarch of the family. Robin would be a goner for sure and Molly had no doubt her father would admire Hunter, too. He’d definitely like all of them. She suddenly felt adrift in her new family, the lone pariah who Hunter would tolerate only out of necessity while he defended her wrongly accused father.
“So you must be the lawyer Molly was telling us about,” Edna said, beating Molly to the explanation. She leaned on her cane, edging closer to where Hunter stood.
“I hope her words were kind.” His hazel eyes flashed with laughter for her grandmother, but when his gaze fell on Molly’s, the warmth evaporated and ice formed once more.
Molly tried not to shiver.
Edna nodded. “I can’t remember what she said exactly but ‘the best lawyer in the state’ comes close.”
Molly closed her eyes. She was doomed to a permanent state of mortification while he was here.
“She’s right on target.”
“Not modest. I like cockiness in a man.”
Molly sighed. “How’s your knitting coming?”
“Right now it’s a lumpy, ugly scarf but I’ll master it. You’ll see. I had to break in order to heat dinner.” Her gaze zeroed in on Hunter. A guest.
Molly knew exactly what would come next.
“Lucky for you, I made a big dinner. You’ll stay.” Edna didn’t ask Hunter, she presumed.
Molly moved beside her grandmother. “I’m sure he has to get settled,” she said, hoping to make it easier for him to decline.
No way would he want to sit around the table with a bunch of strangers. He didn’t enjoy family, he’d once said when telling her about his years in foster care. And for as long as she’d known him, he’d seemed to be a loner, preferring his own company to that of others-except for Lacey and Ty, the two people he considered his family. The two he’d let breach his walls.
He offered you the chance to come to the other side and you blew it, a little voice reminded her.
“Well, I did reserve a room in a local motel, but I left my credit card number to hold the room, so there’s no
