Finding Molly Parsons, page 13
Molly laughed, “Jeez, small world, right?”
“Yeah,” Faith smiled. “We just hit it off. She’s so sweet.”
“And cute, I’m guessing by your blush.”
“She’s gorgeous.”
Molly laughed. “Ah, to be young and in love.”
“We can’t be in love. We haven’t even had a first kiss.”
“Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.”
“I’m not sure it’s my heart that’s doing the talking,” Faith muttered under her breath.
Chapter 13
Carmen
Holy hell in a handbasket Molly Parsons was Hot with a capital H. Yes, she looked like Faith but there were subtle differences. Her figure was fuller, her skin a golden brown from days spent under the sun. Her hair was a darker shade of blonde, actually it was more brown, and her eyes were closer to gray than blue.
It had taken all Carmen’s strength not to drool when they pulled up to the ranch. Molly was a sexy vision in her short denim cut-offs and yellow tank top. Thankfully, Faith was too preoccupied to notice Carmen’s ogling of her aunt. Mateo, not so much. He’d noticed alright. Carmen was going to get ribbed as soon as they were out of earshot.
Thankfully, that wouldn’t be anytime soon. Leaving Faith and Molly to talk was the right thing to do. Now Carmen found herself in the ranch’s kitchen surrounded by people. Mateo had charged blindly inside to look for a bathroom. Enid had automatically started chatting with Bessie, which left Carmen alone with two young women she didn’t know the names of.
“Hey, I’m Carmen.”
“Hi, I’m Lisa and this is Courtney.”
Carmen caught the subtle heart-shaped eyes Courtney was throwing Lisa. Young love made Carmen’s heart sing.
“Pretty nice place you have here.”
“Oh, it’s the best. Bessie and Molly are awesome,” Courtney chimed.
“So, who else can we expect?” Carmen asked, hoping Mateo would come and save her soon. He was the social butterfly.
“There’s Micah, who is at a job interview right now, and my brother Liam,” Courtney answered, her eyes never straying too far from Lisa.
“That’s better,” Mateo sang as he strutted into the room. Who knew you could strut in flip-flops? “I was fit to burst. Remind me not to take the extra shot next time, Hermana.”
“I told you not to this time.”
“Hmm, anyway. Who are these two fabulous ladies?”
“Courtney and Lisa,” Carmen replied, pointing to each girl, respectively.
“Mateo Ruiz, Esquire,” Mateo announced.
“There is no esquire in your name,” Carmen huffed playfully.
“Well, there should be.”
“Are you two siblings?” Lisa asked, her face full of amusement.
“In every way that’s important,” Mateo answered as usual.
“And you know Faith?” Courtney asked.
“We do. It’s a long story. I’m sure Faith would be happy to share once she’s chatted with Molly.”
“I can’t believe Molly has a niece,” Courtney mused, “And one that looks just like her.”
“I take it you ladies know Molly well, then?” Mateo asked, dropping into the nearest chair, flinging one leg over the other, resting his hands on the top knee.
“Oh yeah, Molly is like… well, she’s like family. Everyone who comes here loves her,” Lisa replied.
“It’s true, we love Molly and Bessie. I don’t know what any of us would do without them.”
“You’d be fine,” Bessie answered, carrying a tray of lemonade over to the table. Enid stood beside her, cradling a cup of coffee. “You just needed a helping hand, but you’re all survivors. We’re proud of each one of you.”
A lump formed in Carmen’s throat. What she would have given to have had that kind of influence and support in her life. Even if it had just been someone to chat with, other than Mateo. Her mind wandered to Camilla Ruiz. What would have happened if she hadn’t died? Would she have taken Mateo and Carmen in permanently? They’d gotten a brief glimpse of what a mother could be, only to have it cruelly ripped away.
“Ah shucks, Bessie, you’re gonna make me cry,” Courtney laughed.
“Wiseass,” Bessie laughed. “Everyone, grab a drink. I’ll make some sandwiches too.”
“Please don’t go to any trouble,” Carmen interjected.
“No, please, go to trouble. I’m famished,” Mateo added.
“That’s because you loaded up on candy instead of actual food, Hermano.”
“Sorry, I forgot you were the candy police,” Mateo scowled, then stuck his tongue out.
“You two are like children,” Enid chimed.
“She started it,” Mateo chuckled, causing Carmen to grin and flick his nose.
“You two are hella funny,” Courtney giggled.
“So everyone says,” Mateo grinned.
“Enid here tells me you live in Molly’s old house.” Bessie settled in the chair next to Mateo. Carmen got the gist they might be here for some time, so she took a seat.
“Yeah, we didn’t know that until Faith turned up. It’s been an interesting few weeks.”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Carmen looked up to identify where the deep voice came from. Stood in the entry doorway was a young man who resembled Courtney, but with a beard. No, not a beard. That was way too generous.
“Li, this is Carmen, Mateo, Enid and outside with Molly is Faith.”
“Is Faith joining the house?” Liam asked.
“No, Faith is Molly’s niece,” Lisa added.
“Cool.” That was as far as Liam’s interest stretched by all accounts. “I’m gonna go play on the Xbox, call when you want a hand with the laundry.” Liam stalked off.
“Your twin, I gather,” Carmen asked Courtney.
“Yeah, real bag of laughs, that one,” she replied, shaking her head. “It’s like puberty hit and turned him into a hungry hippo with a side of attitude.”
Carmen laughed at the comparison. Mateo would never admit it, but that’s what happened to him. Carmen couldn’t keep food in the fridge longer than a couple of hours when he went through that stage. God knows how Bessie and Molly coped with four teenagers in the house.
“Everyone goes through puberty differently,” Bessie softly chastised.
“Well, if he ever wants to get laid, he needs to chill the fuck out,” Courtney stated.
“Dear Lord,” Bessie sighed. Everyone else laughed.
When the coast was clear, Carmen leaned over to Mateo. “Do you think Faith is okay?”
“I’m sure she’s fine, Carm. Don’t worry. They need a bit of time to adjust and talk. Faiths come a long way.”
“Oh, I think my gummies are finally wearing off,” Enid interrupted. “Those green little shits are potent.”
“You have gummies?” Bessie asked.
“Oh yes, want one?”
“I’ll take you up on that later. As soon as this lot clears out.”
“Excellent, I’ll join you.”
“Um, Enid, we need to find a place to stay for the night. You need to stay reasonably sober.”
“Nonsense, you’re staying right here,” Bessie exclaimed, as if Carmen had just said the stupidest thing possible. “We have two extra rooms and the couch pulls out.”
Carmen was grateful for the warm welcome, but she was also aware that things with Molly might not go how Faith planned, and if that were true, staying in the same house wasn’t appropriate.
“Stop worrying,” Mateo whispered. “It will be fine. Please, Hermana, relax.”
The sound of tires on the gravel pulled everyone’s attention. In strolled a very dapper young man. His hair was pitch black and swept stylishly back. “Hello everyone. I didn’t know we were having guests, Bess.”
“Micah, how did the interview go?”
“Nailed it,” he grinned. “I start next week.”
Rapturous applause broke out, and Lisa, Courtney, and Bessie swarmed Micah. Carmen and Mateo exchanged a smile.
“That’s it. We need to celebrate. Micah’s new job and Molly meeting her niece,” Bessie sang.
“Molly has a niece?” Micah asked.
“Yeah, long story,” Carmen smiled. “Hi, I’m Carmen and this is my brother Mateo.”
“Hey, nice to meet you.”
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Enid barked. “I’m Enid Butcher, pleasure to make your acquaintance, young man.”
“You too,” Micah laughed. “I’m Micah, they/them.”
“Alright, how does pizza sound this evening?” A deafening round of agreement echoed through the kitchen. “Lovely. Now you lot get your chores done. Let us old folks have a quiet five minutes.”
The three teens smiled, kissed Bessie on the cheek, and waved goodbye. “They seem like great kids,” Mateo remarked.
“They are. All of them have done so well. You wouldn’t have recognized Micah if you’d met them when they first turned up.”
“Are the kids referred?”
“Yes, we work with a couple of shelters in the city. We do what we can, but there is always more demand than we can accommodate. That’s the part of this job I hate.” Bessie rapped her knuckles on the table. “But we do what we can, and for kids like those four, it’s worth the heartache.”
“You’re doing a fantastic job. If we hadn’t been there to take Faith in, I hope she would have been able to find a place like this.” Carmen hated the thought of Faith being anywhere but with them. That led her thoughts to Molly and the time she must have spent in shelters after her brother disowned her. Reaching out instinctively, Carmen took Mateo’s hand. It was times like this she was so grateful to have him by her side.
“Thanks sweetheart, it’s nice to hear sometimes.”
“How are those sandwiches coming along?” Mateo asked, earning a slap upside the head from Enid.
◆◆◆
The sandwiches were eaten, and the kitchen tidied. Carmen and Mateo accepted a tour around the house from Micah, who kept looking at Mateo’s ass every five seconds. Keep dreaming, Micah.
With the sun setting, Carmen got antsy again. Molly and Faith were still outside talking. Carmen spotted them walking through one of the fields earlier. They seemed to be doing okay. Faith’s body language was relaxed. If only Carmen could feel the same.
As the pizza delivery guy dropped off eight large pizzas, Faith and Molly finally came inside. Both faces showed signs of crying. Carmen swiftly made her way to Faith. “Hey, you okay?”
Faith pulled Carmen into a fierce hug. “I’m great. Thank you, Carmen, for keeping your promise.”
“You’re welcome, kid,” Carmen smiled, her chin resting on Faith’s head. Molly stood a few feet away smiling, and Carmen felt her belly tingle.
“Alright you lot, let’s get some food in our stomachs,” Bessie shouted over the din.
Chairs scraped and plates clanged as they all tucked into the food. Carmen sat next to Faith. Maybe she should have let Molly sit next to her, but selfishly Carmen needed to be close to Faith, just in case.
If Molly was put out, she didn’t show it. In fact, the woman made a beeline for Enid. They embraced each other tightly and began chatting.
Conversation flowed between the mix of people. Faith quickly got into a discussion about music with Lisa. Carmen had to stuff down the chuckle she felt when she caught Courtney scowling at the two girls talking without her. Oh dear, there’s some lesbian drama on the horizon.
As soon as the last piece of pizza was claimed, Enid stood from her seat. “I’m taking Bessie out to the porch. Us seniors need a break.” Enid winked, kissing Molly on the cheek.
“Hey, do you want to come and chill for a bit?” Lisa asked Faith.
“Sure,” she replied, looking at Carmen for reassurance.
“Go for it. I’ll help clear up. You go relax.”
“You’re the best, Carm.”
“I’m going to take a shower and then hit the hay,” Mateo whispered into Carmen’s ear. His eyes darted between her and Molly, which was weird. Well, Carmen thought so anyway.
Once the masses cleared out, Carmen suddenly felt nervous. Molly was clearing the table, and Carmen couldn’t help but watch just for a minute. The gentle sway of Molly’s hips was almost hypnotizing. What is wrong with me?
Leering after a woman wasn’t Carmen’s style, so why was she finding it so hard to tear her eyes away from Molly, a woman she didn’t know?
“Want a beer?” Molly’s sudden proximity to Carmen’s ear made her jump.
“Shit,” Carmen exhaled, her heart rocketing inside her chest.
“Sorry,” Molly giggled. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s all good. I spaced out and didn’t hear you approach.” Didn’t hear you approach? What is she, a fucking animal? Christ, Carmen, get your shit together.
“So, beer?” Molly wiggled the cold beer bottle she was holding.
“Sure, that would be great, thanks.”
“Want to sit out back? I’ll leave Bessie and Enid to the front porch. I don’t want to know what kind of trouble those pair are going to get into.”
Carmen chuckled, “Yeah, I’m not sure it’s a good idea we let them become friendly.”
Molly tipped her head towards the kitchen door that led to the backyard. “This way.”
Carmen followed a few paces behind because she couldn’t stop being a creep and Molly’s ass in those shorts was criminal. I need to call Rachel when I get home!
Molly settled down on the grass and looked up at the darkening sky. Carmen mirrored her actions. They fell silent for a few minutes. “Thank you,” Molly began, “for being there, for Faith.”
Carmen glanced over at Molly. “It’s no problem. She’s a great kid.”
“She is,” Molly trailed off. “I can’t believe I never knew about her.”
“Would you have done it differently if you had known?”
“I want to say yes, but honestly, I don’t know. There’s no way I could have ever moved back, not without Alan accepting me. But…”
“But?”
“I would have made sure I was there for her. She must have felt so alone all those years.”
“Faith is a strong girl. Well, young woman. What she went through was pretty terrible, but she coped and she did the right thing by staying as long as she did. Trust me, I wanted to find your brother and rip him a new asshole when I heard how he behaved.”
“I… he was so different. I honestly thought he would come around at some point.”
“The important thing is Faith. She’s safe now, but Molly, you have to be prepared for Alan to come looking for her.”
“Yeah, Faith told me he’d already turned up in Seattle. He doesn’t know this place, though. I hadn’t gotten around to writing to him and giving him this address.”
“Can I ask—”
“Why do I keep writing to him?”
Carmen nodded. It made little sense to her. Not when she’d done her level best to keep people at bay, even the nice ones. Why would Molly invite that kind of person willingly into her life?
“After our parents died, he was all I had. I think I clung to the guy he was before my life turned to shit. By holding onto that version of him, I kept my parents close. I know they wouldn’t want me to give up on him, but now? Now I’ve heard the things he’s done to Faith and to Maureen, and I think I finally have to let that version of my brother go.”
The overwhelming desire to pull Molly into a hug almost became too much. Just like Faith, Carmen wanted to keep her safe. “I won’t offer unsolicited advice about any of that. It’s up to you to decide. Just know you have someone to talk to if you want. Faith means a lot to me and Mateo. We’re happy to be there for you, too.”
Molly’s gaze finally dropped from the sky and Carmen felt those gunmetal eyes bore into her. “You’re a good woman, Carmen Ruiz.”
Oh mama! Molly saying Carmen’s full name, all quiet and whispery, was not helping Carmen’s resolve to stop being a pervy perv of Faith’s aunt.
“Thanks, but I like to think most people would have done what we did.”
“I would like to think that too, but we both know the world isn’t like that.”
“Can I ask how you coped?”
“Not sure I did,” Molly laughed. “I was a mess for a while. There were some hairy moments. A young girl on her own, with no money or place to stay.”
Carmen shook her head. That same anger she felt when Faith explained her situation when they first met began boiling to the surface again. “Asshole,” she hissed, conjuring a mental image of Faith’s father.
“Thankfully, I met a group of kids on the street who helped me out. I got into a shelter. After that I moved from city to city when I could. I found under the table cash jobs to fund my way. I knew I wanted to work in the shelters. They gave me my life back by keeping me safe.”
“Yeah, um… Ruth said you were passionate about your work.” Why was she bringing up Molly’s ex?
“Oh, of course, I didn’t think about the fact you would’ve met Ruth. Do you think I’m a monster?”
“For what? Following your heart?”
“Ruth wanted to be the one that had my heart,” Molly sighed. “I loved her, but she…”
“Wasn’t the one,” Carmen answered.
“I’ve always said I would know the right woman for me because I’d feel safe and at home. I didn’t have that with Ruth, even though she did everything possible to make me feel that way. I don’t know, something was missing.”
“I get it. Really, I do.” They fell silent again. Carmen hadn’t meant for the conversation to wade into such deep waters. “I’m sorry,” Carmen said after a few more silent minutes. “You don’t know me and here I am getting all up in your business.”
Molly chuckled. “It’s fine. It’s been a while since I’ve had someone to talk to apart from Bessie. And I know we’ve only just met, but we have Faith in common. I think we’re going to become friends.”
Carmen’s tummy clenched at the thought of growing closer to Molly. Her heart also ached at the thought of losing Faith. They were a unit now. She needed to talk to Mateo. “I think I’m going to head in,” she whispered, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness of the night.
