The Rancher and the Event Planner - By Cheryl Gorman Page 0,39
taken place, none of this would have happened.
Molly came into the house and ran straight for the kitchen. He listened to his brother and Molly chatting as she settled at the breakfast table with a glass of milk and some cookies. He said something to Molly, making her giggle. Gratitude and joy filled him. It was good to hear Molly laugh again and to know that she understood now why he’d said what he did and that he loved her beyond anything and wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone or anything in his life.
In a few minutes, his brother walked into the den. “Jennifer left already? I was going to invite her to stay for dinner.”
Rafe slumped into a chair. “I asked her to leave.”
His brother’s blue eyes, so like his own, widened and his lips parted in shock. He sat on the arm of a chair. “Why would you do that to Jennifer? We’ve known her practically our whole lives and besides she adores Molly.”
He looked at his brother, the most decent man he knew. “I blame her for what happened at the barbecue. If it hadn’t been for her, Molly would have never found out the truth.”
Linc huffed out a breath and moved next to him.
Rafe stared straight ahead.
“Rafe, look at me.” Here it comes. The big lecture.
Reluctantly, his eyes met his brother’s.
“Caroline is still making your life a misery.”
Shock rippled through him. “What do you mean?”
His composed features held a faint hint of amusement. “She made you miserable when you married her. You did everything you could to make her happy but she saw deception at every turn. She clawed and scratched at you like an angry pole cat.”
Rafe’s body stiffened and he pressed his lips into a hard line. “I made her miserable no matter what I did. I tried to keep her smiling and happy, but I couldn’t make it happen. I’m no good at relationships with women. I tried not to be unreasonable or thoughtless or selfish, I wanted the marriage to work, I really did. I wanted Caroline and me to be a team. Molly is my little girl and I’m going to be the best dad in the world to her or die trying.”
He nodded. “Yes, but Caroline ripped you apart. She corrupted your marriage and ruined any chance you might have had at true happiness.”
Rafe looked away, knowing he couldn’t argue with the truth. He gave in to her demands for more of his time, for more of his attention until she destroyed any feeling he ever had for her. “Where’s Molly?”
“She went down to the barn to see Lucy.”
“You want to know the real truth.” He swallowed while guilt and regret lacerated his insides. “The day of Caroline’s funeral, I thanked God she wouldn’t be raising Molly with her ranting and raving one minute then all lovey-dovey the next when I was giving her what she wanted.”
Linc clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Me too, because she was always unhappy and it overflowed into the family. But what about Molly?”
He glanced at his brother. “What about her? She’s fine. She has a wonderful life here with me and you.”
He nodded. “That’s true, but Molly loves Jennifer. It’s obvious every time I see them together and I know Jennifer loves her, too. The woman is a natural with kids. She’s kind, considerate, smart and extremely pretty which I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
“How are you going to tell Molly you don’t want Jennifer hanging around so much?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t planning to tell her exactly, just figured she’d forget about Jennifer after a while and stop asking.”
“I understand you’re Molly’s father and want only what is best for her. You worship that little girl and God knows she loves you, but don’t you see Molly will be hurt either by you shrugging off her pleas to see Jennifer, or by Molly wondering why Jennifer isn’t around?” He rose from the chair. “Think about it.”
Chapter Ten
JC fought desperately against her rising emotions as she headed down the dusty road, the scenery blurring in a wash of tears. She swallowed against the knot in her throat and heaved a choking breath. With trembling hands, she pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the road and shoved the gear into park. Unable to hold back any longer, she let her emotions rip free. After a good cry, she dug into her purse and repaired as much damage