“Kids make some stupid decisions in the heat of the moment. This one could wind up with her getting hurt.”
“That won’t happen,” Molly said, eyes blazing.
“Because she has you to protect her?” he asked quietly.
Too late, she saw the trap. So far she’d managed to avoid admitting that she’d ever seen Kendra, much less that she’d provided her with a safe haven. She’d kept their conversations about Kendra purely hypothetical, or at least she thought she had. All the lying was getting to be more and more complicated.
She tried to dance around any admission. “Because she’s obviously a smart kid.”
“How do you know that?” he pressed.
“She must be, if she’s eluded you and Joe Sutton for all this time.”
He gave her a wry look. “She’s had help doing that, though, hasn’t she?”
Molly refused to look away. “I certainly hope so. All children should have someone willing to offer a helping hand when they need it.”
“You’ll get no argument from me on that score. Usually that’s what I am, a helping hand. I could be that for Kendra, if you’d stop standing in the way.”
He said it as if there wasn’t a doubt about Kendra being there, so apparently Molly wasn’t half the liar she’d tried to be. Given the number of opportunities she’d had lately to practice, she was bound to be better before this mess was cleared up.
“I have a legal right and the experience to look out for her,” Daniel added. “You have nothing. In fact, quite the opposite. You’re interfering in a police matter.”
Molly felt her temper kick in at his reasonable tone and at the suggestion that he could be relied on to be anyone’s help in a crisis. “I know all about your kind of help,” she snapped. “Believe me, wherever she is and whoever she’s with, she’s better off on her own.”
Daniel actually winced at the cutting words. Molly hadn’t thought he could ever be wounded by anything she said, but it was apparent that he was. Not that she was going to take back her words or apologize for speaking the truth.
“I’m sorry you believe that,” he said quietly. “I won’t hurt her, Molly, and I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to protect you.”
“Is that what you call turning your back on your own baby and on the woman you claimed to love?Protection?” She could hear her voice climbing, so she turned aside before he could see the tears she was trying desperately to blink away.
She heard him move and thanked heaven that he had the sensitivity for once to go and leave her in peace. But before she could even finish the thought, she felt his hand on her shoulder, gentle, comforting.
“Molly, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
When she finally risked looking at him, there was so much torment, so much emotion, in his eyes that it nearly stole her breath.
“I really am sorry,” Daniel said, brushing awkwardly at the tear that slid down her cheek. He’d never been able to bear making her cry. “What I did was stupid and careless, but I honestly believed I was doing the right thing. I had no idea how it would turn out.”
She sniffed. “It could hardly have had a happy ending now, could it?”
“No, but I never thought you’d lose the baby. I never wanted that.” His hand cupped her chin. “Believe me. A part of me would have given anything for you to have my child, even if it meant watching him or her grow up from a distance. You would have been a wonderful mother.”
Because she so desperately wanted to believe him, because a part of her wanted to block out the past and live in the moment, Molly brushed away his hand. “I can’t talk about this anymore. Go away, Daniel. If you ever cared anything at all for me, stay away.”
“I can’t do that,” he said, a hint of regret in his voice.
“Because of Kendra,” she concluded, resigned.
He shook his head. “Not entirely. Because of you, too. I don’t want things between us to end like
“That won’t happen,” Molly said, eyes blazing.
“Because she has you to protect her?” he asked quietly.
Too late, she saw the trap. So far she’d managed to avoid admitting that she’d ever seen Kendra, much less that she’d provided her with a safe haven. She’d kept their conversations about Kendra purely hypothetical, or at least she thought she had. All the lying was getting to be more and more complicated.
She tried to dance around any admission. “Because she’s obviously a smart kid.”
“How do you know that?” he pressed.
“She must be, if she’s eluded you and Joe Sutton for all this time.”
He gave her a wry look. “She’s had help doing that, though, hasn’t she?”
Molly refused to look away. “I certainly hope so. All children should have someone willing to offer a helping hand when they need it.”
“You’ll get no argument from me on that score. Usually that’s what I am, a helping hand. I could be that for Kendra, if you’d stop standing in the way.”
He said it as if there wasn’t a doubt about Kendra being there, so apparently Molly wasn’t half the liar she’d tried to be. Given the number of opportunities she’d had lately to practice, she was bound to be better before this mess was cleared up.
“I have a legal right and the experience to look out for her,” Daniel added. “You have nothing. In fact, quite the opposite. You’re interfering in a police matter.”
Molly felt her temper kick in at his reasonable tone and at the suggestion that he could be relied on to be anyone’s help in a crisis. “I know all about your kind of help,” she snapped. “Believe me, wherever she is and whoever she’s with, she’s better off on her own.”
Daniel actually winced at the cutting words. Molly hadn’t thought he could ever be wounded by anything she said, but it was apparent that he was. Not that she was going to take back her words or apologize for speaking the truth.
“I’m sorry you believe that,” he said quietly. “I won’t hurt her, Molly, and I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to protect you.”
“Is that what you call turning your back on your own baby and on the woman you claimed to love?Protection?” She could hear her voice climbing, so she turned aside before he could see the tears she was trying desperately to blink away.
She heard him move and thanked heaven that he had the sensitivity for once to go and leave her in peace. But before she could even finish the thought, she felt his hand on her shoulder, gentle, comforting.
“Molly, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
When she finally risked looking at him, there was so much torment, so much emotion, in his eyes that it nearly stole her breath.
“I really am sorry,” Daniel said, brushing awkwardly at the tear that slid down her cheek. He’d never been able to bear making her cry. “What I did was stupid and careless, but I honestly believed I was doing the right thing. I had no idea how it would turn out.”
She sniffed. “It could hardly have had a happy ending now, could it?”
“No, but I never thought you’d lose the baby. I never wanted that.” His hand cupped her chin. “Believe me. A part of me would have given anything for you to have my child, even if it meant watching him or her grow up from a distance. You would have been a wonderful mother.”
Because she so desperately wanted to believe him, because a part of her wanted to block out the past and live in the moment, Molly brushed away his hand. “I can’t talk about this anymore. Go away, Daniel. If you ever cared anything at all for me, stay away.”
“I can’t do that,” he said, a hint of regret in his voice.
“Because of Kendra,” she concluded, resigned.
He shook his head. “Not entirely. Because of you, too. I don’t want things between us to end like
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