Hope Burns

  "Molly . . ."

  "Good night, Carter."

  He gave her a long look before nodding. "Night."

  She went into her bedroom and shut the door, pondered locking it, but then realized how ridiculous that would be. He wouldn't come in. She took off her clothes and got into bed, staring up at the ceiling in her darkened room.

  For some stupid reason, she wanted to go out there and talk to him. But about what? What could they possibly have to say to each other? It would only lead to more pain on her part. She was already in enough emotional trouble just being near him.

  By tomorrow she'd be firmly planted in her parents' house and she'd only have to deal with Carter at the committee meetings. It was minimal contact.

  She could deal with that.

  Right?

  CARTER BRUSHED HIS teeth, then lay on the couch, leaving the small lamp lit so he could read. He sure as hell wasn't tired, not with Molly's scent filling the air around him.

  He thought they'd had a good time tonight, but she was still tense around him. He didn't know what to do about that, other than let her get used to him. He knew she was uncomfortable, that being with him brought old memories back to the surface. He couldn't change the past. Neither of them could change what was.

  But maybe he could show her a better future, and that the town of Hope--and him--weren't things to avoid.

  The only way to do that was to constantly be on her radar. Whether she liked it or not, that was going to be his plan. Because now that she was back in his life, he wanted her to stay there.

  Chapter 13

  AFTER A FEW days back home with her mother, she realized several things. One, her mother didn't understand the concept of the words rest and still. Two, though Molly thought she'd be bored and idle, she'd been anything but, since three, her mother was a list maker. And since her mom couldn't get out there and fulfill the items on her lists herself, that left Molly and her dad to run errands for her.

  One would think that after working nearly thirty-five years, her mom would find this an opportune time to take a breather and enjoy some time off.

  Wrong. Mom, though laid up, was still as energetic as ever, and wanted her fingers on the pulse of everything in town. She was on the phone constantly with the people at her job, on her computer and becoming quickly adept at doing that one-handedly, and running Molly ragged by sending her back and forth to the office to do this and that for her.

  Her father, albeit reluctantly, had fled back to his own job--at least part-time--since it seemed that her mother wasn't going to have some kind of critical relapse at any moment. A nurse stopped by a few times a week to check her vitals, and home health aides came in to help her with her baths and therapy. The only person she hadn't managed to bully so far was Holly, the nurse from the home health agency, since Holly was just as bullheaded as her mother. If that was even possible.

  "Surely you can get me in a walking cast, Holly," her mother implored while Holly listened to her heartbeat.

  Holly took the stethoscope out. "That's the doctor's call, Mrs. Burnett. I'm just here to check your vital signs and manage your medication and pain level."

  "I don't like those pain pills. They make me tired."

  Holly gave her a look. "They're to help you rest."

  "I've rested plenty, and I feel just fine. I'm frustrated being confined. I need exercise."

  "We have you scheduled for physical therapy this afternoon."

  "That's passive and it's boring. I want to walk. I want to go outside and get some fresh air." Her mother affected a pout. There might have even been some tears glittering in her eyes.

  Molly would have been sympathetic if they'd been real tears, but she knew her mother. They were all an act to get her way.

  Holly wasn't falling for the bait. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Burnett, these injuries are going to take time to heal and you're going to have to be patient."

  Her mother heaved a put-upon sigh. "I'm not a patient woman, Holly."

  Holly fluffed her mother's pillows. "So I've noticed. Now let's check your catheter."

  Molly understood the injustice of being confined to a bed when you were used to being a self-sufficient woman. She was just glad her mother was back to her old fiery self. But she would need to be patient as she healed, because no amount of bullying was going to make her bones heal any faster.

  And Molly was going to have to practice an equal amount of patience. After the nurse left, she asked her mom what she wanted for lunch.

  "Some of Bert's chicken noodle soup sounds great to me."

  "I'm on it. Will you be all right here for a few minutes while I go get it?"

  "Of course, honey." She lifted her phone. "I have my lifeline right here."

  "Okay. I'll be right back." She kissed her mother's cheek, grabbed the car keys, and drove to Bert's. The place was packed and she grimaced, realizing she should have called ahead. She went inside and straight to the counter where Anita, the waitress, was handing in an order.

  She'd been here twice already since she'd gotten home, so she'd renewed her acquaintance with Bert's staff.

  "Hi, honey," Anita said. "Are you looking for a seat?"

  "No, just a to-go order today. My mom wants some chicken noodle soup and I'll take some of those chicken fingers with fries."

  Anita nodded and jotted it down on her order pad, then slid it on the carousel. "Coming right up. How's she doing?"

  "Antsy. She wants to get up and walk around."

  "I'll bet she does. I can't imagine Georgia laid up for long. She'll push those doctors until they do her bidding."

  Molly laughed. Anita knew her mother well. "Yeah, she'll definitely give it a try."

  "Order up," Bert said from behind the counter.

  "Gotta go. I'll be back with your order as soon as I can."

  "Thanks, Anita."

  Molly took a seat on one of the stools at the counter and surveyed the people coming and going. Bert's was a busy place, especially at lunchtime. Or anytime, really. Since they were situated on the highway going to and from Tulsa, they served not only locals, but people on their way to the city and hopping on and off the turnpike. They did a steady business. She remembered coming in here a lot when she was in high school.

  "Stopping in to grab a bite to eat?"

  She swiveled to see Carter pulling up a seat next to her. "Picking up lunch for my mother."

  "How is she?"

  "Not happy to be immobilized."

  "I imagine. How are you doing?"

  "I'm doing fine."

  "Are you staying busy?"

  She lifted her gaze to his. "You have no idea."

  His lips lifted. "So your mom has given you one of her infamous lists, huh?"

  "You know about the lists?"

  "I know about the lists."

  "Speaking of things on my mother's list, are we set for the committee meeting?"

  "Yeah. Tonight at seven. Are you sure you have time to deal with this?"

  "Please. If I don't, my mother will drag herself out of bed and crawl to that meeting. I'll be there."

  He laughed. "I understand. Do you want me to pick you up?"

  "That might not be a bad idea. Since George is still being worked on, I can leave the car for my dad then, just in case."

  "About six forty-five?"

  "Perfect. Thanks."

  "No problem. I'm going to grab a seat and get myself something to eat. I'll see you tonight."

  "Okay. See you later."

  She watched him walk away, trying not to stare at his butt, which was difficult since he wore those jeans so well.

  But their conversation went well. Easy, no awkward moments.

  She breathed a sigh of relief.

  CARTER GOT THROUGH what had been a hellish day. A difficult transmission fix, an unhappy customer returning a car that still wasn't running right, and a call from the manager of one of his other shops about an unruly employee they'd been dealing with for a few weeks now. Carter drag
ged his fingers through his hair, mentally cursing that situation. He was going to have to fire the guy, likely tomorrow. All in all, it had been a shit day. He would have liked to head over to Bash's bar and forget it with a couple of beers, but tonight was the committee meeting, so beers were off the table, at least for now.

  Instead, he went to the gym and knocked out a hard workout, getting his aggression out on the punching bag, then the weight room. After an hour and a drenching sweat, he went home and hopped in the shower, then changed clothes and drove over to Molly's parents' house to pick her up. He had gotten out of the car and was about to go to the door when he saw her come outside.

  "I was going to come in," he said.

  "Oh, you don't want to do that. My mom's in a mood."

  He cocked a brow. "About?"

  "Anything. Everything. She's cranky and I've had to deal with her all day. It's my dad's turn now. Let's go."

  Resisting the urge to smile, he went around and opened the car door for her. She slid inside and he went to his side, got in, and started the engine.

  "Bad day?" he asked as he put on his seat belt.

  "You could say that. How was yours?"

  "Sucked."

  Her lips lifted. "We should be a fine pair at the committee meeting tonight."

  "If you think your mother is irritating, wait 'til you meet some of the committee members."

  She gave him a look. "Really?"

  He turned the corner and pulled out on the main highway. "I figured I should give you an advance warning."

  "Any people I should know about?"

  "I'll let you form your own opinions, but you're pretty smart, Molly. I don't think it'll take you long to grab a clue as to who's who."

  City hall was at the heart of downtown Hope. Carter parked in the lot and they made their way inside.

  Mavis Turnball was at the door, waiting for them, which didn't surprise Carter at all.

  "Molly Burnett. I haven't seen you since you were in high school. How's your mother doing? I've been meaning to get by to see her, but things are so busy in the mayor's office. Oh, you probably don't remember me at all, do you?"

  Molly held out her hand. "Mavis Turnball. And you're still working as a secretary in the mayor's office?"

  Mavis grinned. "Yes, I am. Mayors may come and go, but they couldn't survive without me."

  Mavis was tall and slender, and wore her dark hair short. Her heels clicked on the wood floor as she led Molly away. Carter decided to stick close, so he followed.

  "Let's introduce you to the others. Some you might know already. This is Cletus Beaumont. He works for the sewer department. Amanda Flannigan and her father own Flannigan's Auto Sales. And this is Samantha Reasor. She owns a flower shop. Did you two go to high school together? There's also Chelsea Gardner, who's a teacher at Hope High School. A few aren't here yet. Come on in and get acquainted with everyone."

  Molly's head was spinning. Fortunately, she'd gone to high school with Samantha Reasor. And of course she knew Chelsea. They went to get coffee.

  "Sorry you got stuck with this," Samantha said.

  "I don't mind, really."

  "How's your mom doing?" Chelsea asked.

  "She's doing okay. She's a little cranky about being laid up."

  Samantha, who was even prettier now than she'd been in high school, with her long light blond hair and blue eyes, smiled at her. "Who wouldn't be? It has to be frustrating for her."

  Chelsea nodded. "I'm sure it is. Poor Georgia. We're really going to miss having her on the committee. She got things done."

  Samantha laid her hand on Molly's forearm. "But we're sure glad you're here, Molly. And it's so nice to see you again after all these years."

  "Thanks. It's nice to be back."

  "And just a heads-up," Chelsea said, "Mavis is champing at the bit to be in charge now that your mom isn't here. She's disagreed with most of Georgia's suggestions, which were all good ones."

  Samantha nodded. "Plus, your mom kept us on budget. Mavis likes to spend money that doesn't need to be spent."

  "I've got all the files and I've looked them over," Molly said. "It seems things are running according to plan."

  "So far so good. We have Carter and your mom to thank for that," Chelsea said. "And hopefully you'll be able to help us out."

  "I'll do what I can."

  Molly had studied the files the past few days and had sat down with her mom to discuss the project, shocked at what she had managed to accomplish in the past year. It was obvious this was her heart-and-soul project, and Molly wasn't going to let her down.

  "Are you ready for this?" Carter asked as they made their way to the table.

  She nodded. "You let me know what you need from me. I'll back you up a hundred percent."

  He gave her a smile. "Okay, then. Let's get this ball rolling."

  They went to the table and Carter sat at the head. Molly took a seat next to him.

  "Let's get started, everyone," he said.

  All in all, there were eight people. She'd met them all after wandering around for about fifteen minutes. Some she'd known, like Mavis and Samantha and Chelsea. Others were new faces.

  "Old business first," Carter said. "Cement is being poured this week, then the new pavers in front of the fountain are going down. The water department has set the spout system within the ground already. After that work is finished, the fountain itself will be put in the center. If you all look at your packets for confirmation, the schedule should be self-explanatory."

  Molly had pored over the graphics for the water play area and fountain. It was gorgeous, would be fun and interactive for kids in the warm-weather months, and a beautiful area in the center of town.

  "I'm just wondering about the budget," Mavis said. "We could downscale it some, and still have something aesthetically pleasing."

  Molly had also heard from her mother that Mavis liked to disagree about everything, even things that had previously been voted and agreed upon.

  "This has been decided on, Mavis," Carter said. "What is it that you think needs to be changed?"

  "Well, I was just thinking that if we downsized the scale of the water play area we could put in some other equipment, like benches or a walkway."

  "There are two benches on the north and south sides of the fountain, and plenty of walking space already," Samantha said.

  "Yes, but . . ." Mavis paged through her notes. "I just think we need to plan for the future and growth of our town. In retrospect, I think maybe we overspent on the fountain."

  This was Mavis jockeying for position on the committee now that her mother was out of the picture. Time for Molly to step in. "Mavis, I realize I'm new to the committee, but wasn't this entire plan decided and voted upon, and money allocated for the precise construction over a year ago?"

  Mavis smiled at her, but Molly caught the bitterness in her eyes.

  "Well, yes, but--"

  "Then it makes no financial sense, especially since resources have already been allocated, and materials have already been ordered, to make changes this late in the process, does it?"

  She had her, and Mavis knew it.

  Mavis gave her a slimy smile. "I suppose not. But you know someone has to play devil's advocate and suggest alternatives."

  "Of course. And I know everyone here appreciates it," Molly said. "But we wouldn't be fiscally responsible if we altered the trajectory of the project this late in the game."

  "Of course not. You're absolutely right."

  Mavis sat, and the meeting continued.

  "I was wondering if we should do nice plaques for contributors," Mavis said. "We could put them around the fountain, and really showcase our bigger contributors."

  Molly wrinkled her nose. "Now that would definitely not be aesthetically pleasing."

  Chelsea shifted through her notes. "Aren't we planning to thank our contributors in the color informational brochure that'll be handed out upon completion of the project?"

  "Yes," Sa
mantha said.

  "But see, this is a more permanent solution." Mavis had already drawn up a plan and handed it out to everyone. "Each plaque would be in bronze, and mounted at the foot of the fountain. I'm sure every contributor would be so pleased to see their names engraved forever at our town square. Some have given a lot of money."

  "Like my father and I," Amanda Flannigan said. "I like this."

  "And we really can't thank you enough for your donations," Carter said. "But there's no money in the budget for something extravagant like this."

  "And as I previously mentioned," Molly added, "making changes to the project this late in the game could throw a monkey wrench into the entire thing. While I appreciate the desire to give mention to our more than generous contributors, I'm sure they didn't donate for the recognition, but for the revitalization of our town square. Isn't that right, Amanda?"

  Molly gave Amanda a pointed look.

  "Well, of course. For the betterment of the town."

  "And we all know that, and appreciate it so much," Samantha said.

  "Then we're good with the mention in the brochure?" Carter asked.

  "I suppose." Mavis looked defeated. And irritated.

  "What's the timeline for completion, Carter?" Chelsea asked, then gave a grin in Molly and Carter's direction.

  "Should be about a month to six weeks to finish up."

  "So we should be on track to wind around the new town square for the holiday parade," Mavis said.

  Carter nodded. "Hopefully, if there are no delays."

  "Fabulous. And Molly, you'll still be in town for the holidays, won't you?"

  Molly gave Mavis a blank stare. "I have no idea."

  "I'm penciling you in to judge the holiday parade."

  "Um. Sure."

  Carter gave her a horrified look and a quick shake of his head.

  But apparently, it was too late, since she'd already agreed.

  They went through some financial stuff, and a few items of new business. Molly went over the marketing plan for the project, then they wrapped up.

  All in all, not too bad.

  "I hope you and I have a chance to reconnect," Samantha said. "It's been a long time since high school."

  "I know. I'm sorry I didn't stay in touch. I move around a lot."

  "That's what your mom said. Maybe we could have lunch or dinner sometime?"

  "I'd like that."

  They traded numbers and Samantha told her she'd call to set something up.