The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 3) Page 12

  His dad lifted his hand and cut him off. “Stop comparing yourself. Wyatt thought he was happy with the rodeo. He wasn’t. Hunter thought he was happy with his flipping business. He wasn’t. It was great that Carrie Anne won her award, but she loves her job and being around kids. It wasn’t things that made them happy; it was love.”

  Josiah hadn’t thought about it like that, but it was true. Both his brothers had success, and it hadn’t fulfilled them. Finding love had. All this time, Josiah had been looking at things totally wrong. Did he really care about Realtor of the Year? No. It was a lot of work and long, lonely nights.

  He loved pizza, movies, and hanging out. Not that he wanted to quit his job, but it wasn’t the piece he was missing. It wasn’t even close. “I’m in love with Molly. I love Ellie. All I want is them.”

  His dad pointed his finger at him. “That’s my boy.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You’re welcome.” He sat back and took a long drag of his drink. “Remember, though, you hurt my grandbaby, and I’ll take a stick to you.”

  Laughing, Josiah stood and walked to the door. “I think I’ve stayed too far from home. Maybe I need to see what the real estate market looks like in Caprock Canyon. If Molly wants to stay in Dallas, that’s where I’ll be, but if she’s willing…”

  “Don’t hurt to ask.”

  “Thanks again, Dad,” he said as he opened the door and stepped inside.

  As he shrugged out of his coat, he realized he was more at peace than he’d been in a long while. The award was great, and he was sure he’d still get the nomination. If he won, great. If not, that was fine too. He wasn’t giving his life to it any longer.

  He’d watch his little girl walk across the stage to receive her diploma. Walk her down the aisle. Be a grandpa to her child. That’s what he’d count as success. Loving her, teaching her to love, and being there for her.

  The same would go for her mom. Molly needed someone to walk toward her for once. He could be that guy if she gave him the chance. If his phone rang again for work, they could leave a message.

  Chapter 19

  With her hands in her lap, Molly kept her gaze trained on the road in front of her. “Are you really not going to tell me why we drove all the way to Lubbock?”

  She and Josiah had left early that morning with the hopes of getting back so they could celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family. It seemed odd that he’d pick this day for a road trip. They’d left Ellie with his mom and dad, and the cab of the truck was weirdly quiet.

  Shaking his head, Josiah shot her a glance and smiled. “Nope. It’s a surprise.”

  Since their conversation with the lawyer, Molly had slowly put a little distance between her and Josiah. There were no more kisses or snuggling. They still laughed and joked, but that’s where she drew the line.

  After taking Ellie for a walk, she’d come back to the house with a clear head and a solid plan. She appreciated what Josiah was doing for her, and she’d always be grateful. But the fanciful notions of a relationship were over. He loved his job more than he loved anything or anyone. That wasn’t the life Molly wanted for Ellie. Someone straddling the fence between work and family and choosing work more often than not wasn’t enough.

  They passed the Lubbock Country Club and continued on until they turned into a city park named Mackenzie with signs pointing them in the direction of Prairie Dog Town. Surely, that wasn’t what they were here for.

  Craning her neck, Molly tried to figure out why he would have brought her here. Then her jaw dropped as Brenda came into view. “Ellie’s mom?”

  “I hired a private detective to find her. I wanted to tell you, but at the time, I didn’t know if the detective would take the case or if they could even find Brenda. I didn’t want to get your hopes up just to see them crushed.” He glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”

  Molly didn’t know if she was mad or glad or what. It bothered her that he didn’t include her, but he’d found Ellie’s birth mom. That’s what mattered. “I’m just glad we can talk to her.”

  Josiah grinned as he parked the truck, and they got out. As he reached Brenda, he shook her hand. “Hi, Brenda. I’m Josiah West.”

  Brenda smiled at Molly and then hugged her. “Hey, Molly.”

  “Hey,” Molly replied and leaned back. “What are you doing in Lubbock?”

  “I’m from Lubbock. I missed my family, and my dad offered to help me get back into school. I’m taking a few classes at South Plains College so I can transfer to Tech after.”

  Molly was happy for her, but she still couldn’t understand why they’d come all the way to Lubbock. “That’s great.”

  Josiah slipped his hands into his jean’s pockets. “Brenda has a few things to tell you, but she wanted to do it in person.”

  Looking from Brenda to Josiah, Molly asked, “What things?”

  “Why don’t we sit at that picnic table over there?” Josiah tipped his head toward a covered table a few feet away.

  They crossed the short distance and sat down. Josiah and Molly on one side, Brenda on the other. It felt awkward sitting across from her, knowing she was trying to take Ellie away.

  Before she could stop herself, Molly blurted, “Why do you want to take Ellie from me?”

  “I don’t.”

  Now Molly was truly confused. “Then—”

  Brenda smiled. “Your mom called me a couple of weeks ago when Derek got the parental termination rights. He was on the call with her, and they were saying they wanted to take Ellie from you.”

  “So you weren’t part of that?”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Derek is not Ellie’s father. I told your mom that on the phone. I felt bad for lying, but I’d just come out of an abusive relationship, and Derek was nice to me.”

  Molly felt clubbed over the head. “My brother isn’t Ellie’s dad?”

  “When I found out I was pregnant, I told him it was his. He seemed so happy, but the longer I was with him, the more I realized that neither of us was able to take care of a baby.” Brenda paused, fidgeting with her fingers, not quite meeting Molly’s gaze. “Then I met you. You didn’t judge me or try to force me to do anything. It was the first time anyone had been so kind to me. I wanted you to take Ellie, but I was afraid if you found out Derek wasn’t the father, you wouldn’t want the baby.”

  Josiah leaned forward with his arms on the table. “If Derek isn’t the father, who is?”

  Brenda tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and stared at the table. “His name was Orion Hyde.”

  “Was?” Molly asked.

  “I found out he died of a drug overdose shortly after I left him.”

  Molly was struggling to keep her thoughts in order. “So, if my mom and brother know Ellie isn’t Derek’s, why are they threatening to take her?”

  Shrugging, Brenda said, “They said they didn’t believe me, and I told them to go ahead and have a paternity test done.”

  Raking her hand through her hair, Molly tried to catch her breath. Ellie wasn’t Derek’s child. A smile stretched on her lips. “So a single paternity test will prove that?”

  Brenda nodded. “His name isn’t even on the birth certificate.” She pinched her lips together. “He knew that.”

  “So, he kinda thought Ellie wasn’t his from the beginning?” asked Josiah.

  “I think so,” Brenda replied. “I’m not fighting the termination of rights. I spoke to your lawyer this morning and told her everything. Mostly, I just wanted to talk to you, Molly, and tell you thanks for adopting Ellie.”

  Tears pooled in Molly’s eyes and trickled down her cheeks. “I love her so very much. I can’t thank you enough for letting me have her.”

  Brenda and Molly stood at the same time and embraced. Now they were both crying. “You helped me see my worth, Molly. I’ll never be able to repay you.”

  Josiah’s phone rang, and Molly looked at him. Work on New Year’s Eve? And right in the middle of this?

 
He stood, walked a few feet, and put the phone to his ear. Molly didn’t care anymore. Whatever he’d paid the lawyer, she’d find a way to pay it back. Her days of being abandoned were over.

  She leaned back and smiled at Brenda. “Thank you so much for trusting her with me. I promise to put her first every time, all the time.” A promise she could wholeheartedly keep now that she realized Josiah was no different than all the other men in her life.

  “I know.” Brenda dropped her arms and stepped back. “I need to get back to my family. My grandma is making black-eyed peas and collard greens, and they’re the best.”

  Molly nodded. “Yeah,” she said, looking in Josiah’s direction. “We need to get back to Caprock Canyon. His family is waiting on us. Thanks again.”

  “You too.” Brenda turned and walked away.

  Josiah approached Molly and smiled. “That was—”

  Holding her hand up, Molly stopped him. “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain. Thank you for bringing me here. I feel like I can breathe again.”

  “I kinda do need to explain, though. That was Ms. Salinas. She says we should go ahead and get a paternity test. Once it’s proven Derek isn’t the father, the case is pretty much over. Of course, we’ll still have the court appearance, but as soon as the courthouse opens again, she says we’ll get the extension so the test can be administered.”

  Now she felt a tiny bit guilty for automatically assuming it was work. It didn’t change her feelings about things, but at least he’d kept his word. “Okay, when and where does that need to happen?”

  “She said she’d get it set up after the new year.”

  Nodding, Molly hugged herself. “Thank you.”

  Josiah hugged her, and she stiffened. She needed to set things straight. Pulling free, she stepped back. “Josiah, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and Ellie, from the teddy bear to the lawyer, but I made a promise to Brenda that I intend to keep.”

  His eyebrows knitted together. “Okay. What does that mean?”

  “It means that the last few weeks have been emotional, and I crossed a line I shouldn’t have. I promised her Ellie would be my first priority. You’re a great guy, but I made a rule that I wouldn’t date while Ellie was young. I mean it, and I’m keeping that promise.” Molly could see the pain in his eyes, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t let herself be swayed. Sooner or later, he’d leave, and she knew it.

  “Right. I, uh, I know. It’s okay.” He smiled the world’s saddest smile. It barely lifted the corners of his lips. “We should probably get back so we can watch the fireworks.”

  Molly took his hand in hers. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings.”

  His smile widened. “You didn’t. Ellie comes first, and that’s the way it should be.” He pulled his hand away and hooked a thumb toward the truck. “Let’s get on the road.”

  Turning, she watched him walk toward his pickup. The closer he got, the more rounded his shoulders became. She’d hurt him, and for that, she was deeply sorry. Part of her wanted to run after him, but that was quickly drowned out by the logical part of her brain. The one that said it was better for him to hurt now than later.

  This was the right move. But even as she thought it, a small voice chastised her. For the first time in her life, she’d done the walking away, and it felt just as bad as all those times people had walked away from her.

  Chapter 20

  The awkward silence between Josiah and Molly lasted the entire drive back to the ranch. What could he say? He’d known from the very beginning that she didn’t want to date. Did it really matter that he’d planned to tell her he loved her and didn’t care about a stupid award?

  With all the kissing they’d done, he thought she’d changed her mind. He wasn’t thinking it was stress or worry drawing them closer, but he should have realized it before letting his heart run wild. Now he not only didn’t care about the award, but he didn’t have Molly and Ellie either. Hurt didn’t begin to cover how he felt.

  While everyone else was outside watching fireworks, he brought Ellie inside. The loud noises scared her, and he wasn’t in a festive mood. As he cradled her in his arms, he slowly packed his suitcase. They wouldn’t be leaving until January 2nd, but this way he’d have a head start on it.

  He was so torn between wanting to make their stay last as long as possible and wanting time to speed up so he could get it over with. Molly hadn’t said it in so many words, but when they got back to Dallas, she wouldn’t be working for him anymore. Not only was he losing her, but he was pretty sure he was losing Ellie too.

  “Josiah,” his mom called his name as she entered his room. “If you want, I can watch Ellie while you enjoy the fireworks.”

  He turned, and her gaze landed on his half-full suitcase. “You’re already packing?”

  “Yeah, Molly said she wants to get back to Dallas so she’s available for the lawyer.” It wasn’t a total lie, but it wasn’t the absolute truth either.

  She closed the distance between them. “Are you okay?”

  Nodding, he handed Ellie to her. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “You’re really a terrible liar. You know that, right?” She set her hand on his upper arm and rubbed it. “Now, what’s wrong?”

  “I let myself get a little too carried away with Molly. She doesn’t want a relationship, and I knew that. I should have kept my distance, and I didn’t. I’ll be fine.” He went to move, but his mom stopped him.

  She took her hand from his arm and clasped his hand, squeezing it. “It’s been a rough few weeks for her. I can’t begin to understand what she’s been going through. Maybe give her a little time to sort herself out. I know she cares about you.”

  “Maybe,” he said softly. “Did Dad tell you I’m thinking of moving back?”

  “He did, and I can’t say I wasn’t tickled pink. Is that what you want to do?” She shifted Ellie to her shoulder, and Ellie belched. “My goodness.” She leaned back and looked down at the baby. “You feel better, huh?”

  Laughing, Josiah checked his mom’s shoulder for spit-up. “Wow, nothing. Just air, I guess.”

  “Her poor tummy was hurting, I bet. She’s such an easy baby.” His mom patted Ellie’s bottom. “These are the kind of babies that lull women into wanting more. Then they have a few more and they get a Wyatt West—who made up for all of you in one shot.”

  “I remember. I thought he’d never stop trying to kick me in the face.”

  “Me either.” She smiled. “So, back to you moving. Are you sure you want to do that?”

  He sat on the edge of his bed next to his suitcase. “Yeah, I think so. As the ranch grows, so will the town. Bear isn’t finished hiring people. They’ll need grocery stores, schools, and all the other things that come with having a town. It’s actually a great time to move back.”

  There was also a rumor floating that oil was found between Caprock and Amarillo. If that was the case, it wouldn’t just be Bear’s employees needing homes; it would be oil-field workers too.

  “Well, you won’t have me talking you out of it. I’d love to have all my kids close again.”

  “I’ve missed being home too.” He paused. “Case has wanted my apartment since I bought it.” Neither of them knew it at the time, but they’d been bidding against each other. A year later, Case was looking for another place to rent when he contacted Josiah through a referral. For a second, it had been a little weird, but there were no hard feelings. From there, they’d become great friends.

  His mom walked to the door. “Go outside and enjoy the fireworks. I think we’re going to play a card game while we watch the ball drop.”

  Standing, Josiah sighed and followed her out of the room. He didn’t feel like watching fireworks, but he wasn’t going to argue with his mom. Maybe they’d lift his spirits. Probably not. At this point, his spirits felt buried, and he didn’t have the energy to dig them out. He was pretty certain it would be a while before they left the ground again.

  His mom waved a
s she stepped into her room, and he continued down the stairs, grabbing his coat before stepping outside. He draped it over his arm and sat down in the closest rocker. It was cold, but the crisp air felt good against his skin.

  In the distance, he could see Molly talking to Carrie Anne, Reagan, and Gabby. A few feet away, Wyatt stood with Hunter while their dad held Tucker and pointed to the sky.

  This was almost how he’d pictured the day ending. Instead of sitting on the porch, he would be standing next to Molly with his arm around her, starting the new year with her beside him. He was going to tell her he loved her and didn’t care about Realtor of the Year or any of that. He was choosing her and Ellie.

  Moving back home was a wise choice. It would give him the opportunity to be near family and the distance he’d need to get over Molly. He’d never stop loving Ellie, but eventually, maybe he could move on enough that he could find someone to share his life with. At least, that was his hope.

  * * *

  Looking over her shoulder, Molly spied Josiah sitting in a rocking chair. His mom let her know she was going to watch Ellie so he could see a few of the fireworks.

  He’d been abnormally quiet the whole ride home from Lubbock. She really hadn’t meant to hurt him, but she wasn’t giving in this time. No matter how hurt and dejected he seemed, she knew she’d made the right choice, both for her and Ellie but also for him. He could focus on his career, and she could focus on raising Ellie.

  Reagan nudged Molly’s arm. “You can go talk to him. I’m positive he won’t bite.”

  Molly pulled her gaze from Josiah back to Reagan. “I’m okay.”

  “Right.”

  “I am.” Molly could hear the indecision in her voice. “I really am okay. This is for the best.”

  Reagan took her hand and pulled her away from the group. Once they were out of earshot, she stopped. “Last year at this time, I was so angry I could have spit nails. I thought Hunter had betrayed me. It was the worst feeling in the world.”