He’d told Carly that part. How that all came about. “Well. I think anger and hunger brought her there. Then we talked. We know I’m sweet to look at and she came back for more. She didn’t have the best childhood. Not from her father, who died seven years ago, and her mother who is still alive but they aren’t close.”
“If anyone can understand how hard it is to have parents you don’t get along with, it’s you.”
“Exactly.”
“So why haven’t you told her that part? Do you think she’d be after your money or something?”
He hadn’t thought that. “No. I just think it’s overload. I told her I went to Columbia and that my family thought I’d be a doctor. I just didn’t go into any other details. It’s early yet for that.”
“That’s still more than I thought you’d share.”
“See. But like I said, she’s sweet on the eyes also, but there is more to her than that. She just…makes me feel different. Good though.”
“That’s all that matters then.”
“Dad!” Jonah came running down the stairs. “Is she here yet?”
“No,” he said. And he was worried over that too. When she saw his house.
But since Ruby sold it to him, he was guessing she might know exactly where he lived in Paradise Place.
“When is she coming?”
“Soon,” he said. “She was stopping at her sister’s first. She lives in Paradise Place.”
“Do I know her? Does she have kids?” Jonah asked.
“Actually,” he said. “I don’t know if you remember from the picnic last year, but they’ve got a son named Caleb. Ruby sold me this house and that is Molly’s sister.”
“I know Caleb. We see him at the park, right, Jonah?”
He turned his head. “You do? I didn’t know that?”
“It’s not all the time. When we go to the park, he’s there at times with other kids. Jonah is outgoing and plays with them. Remember, I just found out about Molly too.”
“True.” He moved to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “I appreciate you putting together the dips and picking everything up.”
“Not a problem. I had the time for the dips yesterday.”
Nothing elaborate really. A crab dip, a spinach one, and ranch. Different crackers and veggies for them.
Things that he knew she’d eat and so would Jonah.
“You can stay for lunch,” he said.
“Nope. You want a buffer. You need to do this on your own. I’m just happy you thought of me to meet Molly.”
“Of course. You’re as close to family as I’ve got.”
Plus, he needed her input on how Jonah reacted to this when he wasn’t around.
“I feel the same way about you, Dean.”
“She’s here,” Jonah yelled when the doorbell went off.
“She is,” he said moving toward the front. His son was on his heels. He was glad he wasn’t the only one excited over this.
He opened the door and she was standing there with a container in her hand. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Molly and you must be Jonah.”
