Almost a Family

Chapter One

Molly Schaeffer stopped the rental car at the end of the snow-drifted driveway. Shoving it into park, she reached inside her purse, searching for the slip of paper with instructions on it, written in her assistant’s elegant handwriting. Next door neighbor number one-thirty-two has Sara and the key to the house. Will expect you Wednesday.

Well, it was Thursday, but that couldn’t be helped, she thought with nervous irritation. She straightened the silk scarf around her neck, then pressed a hand to her trembling stomach. Molly had no control over winter storms and closed airports. Spending the night on a vinyl bench in the Toronto terminal hadn’t been her idea of elegant accommodation. She was used to four- and five-star these days.

But getting here had been more important. She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror and tucked a few strands of disobedient hair behind her ears. She took a fortifying breath. As difficult as it had been getting here, it was nothing compared to the job before her.

Putting the rental car into drive again, she inched her way up the snowy lane until she was sitting outside a cute little Cape Cod with blue shutters. Exhausted, she turned off the key and pocketed it, exiting the vehicle in flimsy heels that sank in the packed down snow. Icy cold bits flicked over her feet, so she stamped them against the step as she approached the matching blue door. She hoped this neighbor wouldn’t prolong matters. What Molly really wanted was to pick up Sara, put the child to bed for a nap and take a long, steaming bath.

She rang the bell, her fingers shaking from fatigue and nervousness, the beginnings of a headache tensing behind her eyes. She hadn’t seen her niece since the girl’s first birthday, and now Sara was nearly four. And she’d be staying with Molly for at least the next few weeks, full-time. Molly wasn’t sure she was up to the challenge.

The door opened, letting out laughter and ear-splitting squeals and giggles, but her jaw dropped in a most unflattering way when she came face to face with Jason Elliot.

She stared for a long moment. He hadn’t changed over the past six years, not really. Though his hair was shorter, it was still thick and black, his eyes still a deep rich brown, the color of espresso. Then there was the hint of dimples, always present, smiling or not. He still filled out his faded jeans like they were tailor-made just for him and his chest was wider, his arms stronger, beneath his tan button-down shirt.

His smile disappeared abruptly. “Molly.”

She tried to close her mouth and look composed, but it didn’t work. “You? You’re the next-door neighbor?”

“Kim didn’t tell you?” He frowned, his chocolate brown eyes disapproving.

He looked down her body and she flushed beneath his scrutiny, feeling incredibly stupid as she saw the corners of his lips quirk at the sight of her snowy heels. How was she to know they’d have six inches of new snow today? Who in their right mind wore heavy boots on an airplane, anyway?

She tucked her bag under her arms and straightened. “No, she did not. It doesn’t matter. I’m here to pick up Sara and take her home.”

His gaze met hers and she felt the pull, the one that still tethered them together though years of blame separated them. She swallowed, not wanting to get in any deeper than a basic hello. “Is she ready?”

“You haven’t seen her in a long time. Why don’t you come in and get acquainted first? We were just about to have a snack.”

Well, that plan was foiled. Head high, Molly squeezed by him into the foyer, removing her leather gloves and tucking them into her pockets. He looked good. Too good. Keeping an icy exterior wasn’t who she was, but she knew how to do it and donned it like armor. Even after all this time, looking at him made her warm all over. And that was a bad thing.

“We were expecting you yesterday.”

Uncomfortable and unsure of how to proceed, she removed her coat and draped it over the newel post of the white banister. “Yes, well, winter hit southern Ontario yesterday, and I was stranded at Pearson. I would have called but I couldn’t get through to Kim’s hospital room after nine o’clock, because they stop all incoming calls. And I didn’t have your number. I’m sorry if it inconvenienced you.”

A blonde rocket zoomed into the room. “Uncle Jason, when can I have my cookies, huh?”

Jason bent and picked up the girl, laughing and touching a finger to her nose. “In a minute. Do you remember your Aunt Molly?”

The girl narrowed brown eyes at Molly, deep in thought. “You sent me Barbies for Christmas.”

Molly laughed, charmed. “That’s right. I hope you liked them.”

“Yeah, but Bubbles chewed one’s head off.”

Molly looked at Jason, confused. “Bubbles?”

“Her dog.” He ruffled Sara’s hair, his voice and eyes softening. “You go on into the kitchen. We’ll have a snack together, then you need to get your things, okay? You’re going back to your own house today, muffin.”

She took off as quickly as she had arrived, and they stared after her.

“She looks like a handful,” Molly remarked, smiling after the tiny bombshell. A handful that was going to be in her charge for the next few weeks. Her smile faltered a little.

“She’s energetic and smart, but she’s a good kid,” Jason defended sharply, and Molly got the feeling that despite the warning note in his tone, Jason wasn’t too comfortable with their reunion either. He definitely didn’t act happy to see her.

“I never meant to imply she wasn’t,” Molly retorted, avoiding his gaze. If only this headache would disappear. She sighed and pressed her fingers to her eyelids.

His voice took on a cool veneer of politeness. “Come on into the kitchen. You look ready to drop. I’ll make you some coffee.”