When Hearts Collide - By James, Kendra Page 0,63
Katherine? What do you want?”
“I did a lot of thinking while I was away.”
Pearce interrupted her. “And what?”
“I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Nesbit wrung her hands. “I want your forgiveness. I want to get to know Gracie. I’ve missed out on so much. I want to be part of your lives.”
Pearce glared at his mother-in-law. “How can I trust you?”
“Please, Pearce, give me a chance. I’ve already helped Miss Tanner here.”
Molly and Pearce stared at the woman, then simultaneously asked, “What are you talking about?”
“I have good news for you, Molly. My lawyer’s been working on your case.”
“Your case?” Pearce looked from one woman to the other. “What case?”
Katherine fluttered her hand. “It’s nothing, just something where Molly worked before.”
His voice was curt. “Did something happen?”
Before she could explain, Katherine jumped in again. “It’s all straightened out.”
“What? When?” Molly couldn’t believe her ears. Everything was straightened out? She felt her mouth open wide enough to catch flies. “Mrs. Nesbitt, tell me.” Molly heard the harshness in her voice, but couldn’t prevent it. This woman treated her situation as if it was no more than an annoying mosquito. But this was her life, her career, they were talking about!
Mrs. Nesbitt waved her ringed left hand as if shooing the insect away. “David met with the hospital. They found out who the real culprit was.
“Who?” Molly demanded.
“Oh, I don’t know dear, Roger, Raymond...”
“Randy?”
“Yes, Randy something or other. Please, I need to sit down.” Mrs. Nesbitt crossed the hall and entered the living room, leaving Molly and Pearce in her wake.
“What the hell is going on here?” Pearce demanded.
Molly felt too stunned to speak. Randy! How could he? He was furious with her for breaking off their relationship, but she would never have thought he would be so vindictive as to implicate her in stolen medications.
“Somebody tell me!” Pearce shouted.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Mrs. Nesbitt said. “There was a mix up at the hospital. Some missing drugs. Molly was suspended.”
“Suspended? Missing drugs?” Pearce glared from one woman to the other, his face crimson. “Molly, were you suspended?”
Molly felt the color drain from her face. Perhaps she should have told Pearce before now, but she didn’t want him to think poorly of her and risk that he’d believe all the lies. “Yes, but...”
“But what?”
“It was a mistake. They said I took medications...I didn’t.”
“They suspended you!” He glared at her. “Didn’t you think that was something important to tell me?”
Molly rung her hands, her voice trembled. “I was going to.”
“And just when were you planning on telling me?” Pearce demanded.
Molly looked down at the floor. “I wanted to tell you, but it never seemed to be the right time.”
“And Katherine, how could you have someone in my house, looking after my child, your granddaughter, who’d been accused of stealing drugs?”
“Oh, Pearce, you can’t believe that of Molly?” Katherine Nesbitt shook her head without disturbing one gray hair. “It was all a misunderstanding.” She fluttered her manicured hands. “She didn’t take anything. It was one of her co-workers. It’s all been straightened out. My lawyer...”
“Your lawyer?” Pearce asked.
“Well, yes, David. That was part of the deal.”
“What deal, Katherine?” Pearce demanded. “What deal did you make with Molly?”
“Oh, Pearce, calm down. It was when she first came here. She wanted to be on her way.” She turned and sat on the edge of a high-backed chair, her hands folded as if in prayer. “I mentioned that David had checked her out.”
Pearce interrupted. “Checked her out?”
“You don’t think I would let someone walk in off the street and look after my granddaughter, do you? Of course I had David check her out. He called Doctor Braithwaite. Small world.” She smiled. “They went to Yale together. Doctor Braithwaite told him it had to be a mistake. Molly is an excellent nurse and very trustworthy. He vouched for her and said he would look into the matter himself.”
Pearce advanced on her, and Molly read the anger in his slow, deliberate steps. Towering over her, his stance was rigid, his eyes blazed. His gaze stabbed through her like a lance. She stumbled backwards. Why was he so angry? She hadn’t done anything. It had all been a terrible mistake.
His eyes narrowed. “So when the hell were you going to tell me?”
Molly’s temper flared. “Tell you what? Tell you something that I didn’t even do?”
His chin rose, his facial muscles twitched, and his lips lengthened into a long thin line. “You don’t think I should have known.”
Molly shook her head. “That