Butterfly Kisses Read online

  Tiffany shook her head. “As much as I would like to see for myself she’s okay, I think it should be you.”

  Jac’s eyes went wide, not expecting Tiffany to agree to that. Tiffany had been Molly’s best friend and business partner for years while Jac had been nowhere in sight. She had thought she would fight her on this and was thrilled Tiffany could sense her need to be with Molly.

  “Are you sure?” Tiffany nodded. Jac leaned forward and hugged her. “Thank you.”

  “Tell her I’m here though.”

  “I will.”

  Jac pulled back and took a steadying breath, readying herself to see what was beyond the door. When she caught sight of Molly lying on the hospital bed, her heart shattered. Her hand flew to her mouth, trapping a sob in her throat. “Oh, God.” On shaky legs, she moved to the head of the bed and surveyed her ex-lover’s inert form. Although a sheet had been pulled over Molly’s lower half, it wasn’t hard to see the outline of the metal cage over her right leg and pelvis. There was another bulge where her left knee was and Jac knew this was a plaster cast. Molly’s right arm was in a sling over her waist and her neck was stabilised by a neck brace. The injuries were hidden from her and though she couldn’t see them, she knew how much pain Molly would be in when she woke up. It was Molly’s face that threw Jac the most. Both eyes were swollen shut, deep bruising surrounding them. Her lip was split, and she had numerous cuts and scrapes on her cheeks and forehead. Tears slid down Jac’s face as she gently covered Molly’s left hand with her own.

  “Oh, my sweet Molly.” She bent at the waist and carefully kissed Molly’s cheek where a small patch of skin was clear of any injury. “I’m here, my darling. You’re going to be okay. Tiffany is here also. We’ll both be here when you wake up. Jac felt the hand under hers twitch.

  “Jac,” Molly whispered, her voice clouded with pain.

  “I’m here, baby. You rest now.” She bent and kissed her again.

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to leave now.” Jac glanced at the nurse standing by a small desk in the corner of the room, forgetting she was here. Jac looked back at Molly, gave her hand another squeeze, and followed the nurse out of the room. She was loathed to go but had no choice. Tiffany was outside pacing in a small circle. She looked up when Jac approached.

  “How is she?”

  Jac couldn’t answer for fear of losing it completely. She shook her head and Tiffany enfolded her in a hug while she cried.

  “I just spoke to her father. He’s having trouble arranging the funds for a flight home.”

  “I can pay for it,” Jac said as she pulled back.

  Tiffany shook her head. “Do you really think he would allow that?” Not waiting for an answer, she continued, “He thinks the same as Molly, that he lost his son because of your actions. He’d go ballistic just knowing you’re here.”

  Jac stepped back frustrated. When was everybody going to realise it wasn’t her fault Dillon took to drugs and overdosed? She might have been the catalyst for his demise but she didn’t force him to go down that path. Instead of arguing with Tiffany she said, “Tell him it’s from you if you want. He needs to be here for Molly.”

  “And what about when he gets here and you’re around?”

  “I’ll deal with that then. The important thing is he’s here for her, but he’ll have to learn to accept that I’m not leaving. I love her, Tiff, I won’t abandon her now.” Tiffany stared at her for a long moment then nodded her acquiescence.

  “Okay. I’ll call him back now.”

  Jac looked at her watch, it was nearing four o’clock. If she was quick she would be able to catch Barry at his office. She needed to tell him about the accident and hopefully get him to back off selling the land.

  “I’m going to head out and see Barry. Are you okay about staying here until I get back?”

  “Of course.”

  “I won’t be long.” She glanced back at the ICU door. “Call me if anything changes.”

  “I will.” Jac smiled her thanks and turned to go. Tiffany’s voice stopped her. “Jac?”

  “Yeah?”

  “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re back. I’ve missed you. And I know Molly has too. She just needs time.”

  Jac feared all the time in the world wouldn’t heal the hurt and anger Molly still harboured over Dillon. She would stick around and help Molly through this and hopefully, eventually, Molly wouldn’t hate her anymore.

  Chapter Four

  As Jac drove through the city streets the sight of Molly’s accident came into view. The lorry was gone, and so was Molly’s truck, but debris still littered the road. She gripped the wheel tighter, knowing how close she had come to losing Molly. Not that Molly was out of the woods yet. The doctors were concerned about her brain swelling, but the fact she had said Jac’s name was a good sign. She shook the vision of Molly’s broken and battered body from her mind, she needed to concentrate if she was going to persuade Barry into not selling the land.

  She turned down a side road and pulled up outside of his office. Barry had been the local estate agent when Jac had last met him ten years ago and judging by the pictures of houses that filled his office windows, he still was. She stepped from the car and entered. She spotted Barry right away, his short, rotund body was squashed between the back wall and his desk. His hair had thinned considerably in the last few years and the sun hadn’t been kind to his skin. He looked old.

  “Mr. Owens? I’m Jacqueline Colby–”

  “I know who you are,” he said, anger sparking from his eyes. “You were supposed to be here hours ago.”

  “I know but I had an emergency.” Jac hated this prick all ready. “That’s why I’m here.” He eyed her through narrowed lids, then gestured to his guest chair. “Molly Fisher was involved in a serious car accident earlier today down the street.” Just saying the words hurt her heart and she swallowed a few times to keep her tears back. “She’s in the hospital with severe injuries. She won’t be making any decisions about the lease any time soon.” Jac didn’t like the predatory gleam in his eyes. He grinned at her and she wanted to smack him hard in the face.

  “Well, that’s a shame. Maybe we should think about talking to her business partner, then? With her friend in a serious condition, she might be more forthcoming with ending the lease.”

  Jac clenched her hands into fists. Barry really was a heartless asshole. She leaned forward in the chair. “No, that won’t be possible. I came here today to ask you to re-think selling the land. Everything in the lease is sound and I think you’re wasting your time. You should back away from them and wait for the lease to run its course.”

  “That sounds suspiciously like a threat. Does your boss know you’re in here throwing your weight around?”

  “My boss is of no concern to you.”

  “You’re wrong about that. I’m paying his company a lot of money to broker this deal. I want Bloomin’ Butterfly gone off my land and I’ll do everything I can to make that happen.”

  Jac jumped to her feet, slamming her hands onto his desk. She leaned forward, causing him to fly back into his chair and look up at her. “Listen here, you little shit. You leave Molly alone or I’ll have you arrested for harassment.”

  Barry glared at her for a moment with wide eyes, as if not expecting Jac to get so angry with him, after all, this wasn’t how business was conducted. Suddenly his face relaxed, the creases in his forehead smoothing out. That stupid grin was back.

  “I remember you now. You came with Ms. Fisher to sign her lease. You used to be her girlfriend.” Jac closed her eyes briefly. She had hoped he wouldn’t remember her. “Does your boss know you used to fuck her?” He rubbed his chin and pursed his lips in a taunting manner. “I don’t think he does. How about we give him a call and tell him his best solicitor is trying to sabotage our deal?”

  Jac slammed her hands on the desk again making him flinch. She knew the minute she was out the door he would be on the phone to Ralph. She didn’t care, she h
ad more important things to worry about. From now on, Molly came first. “Do whatever you want, but don’t forget, I’m an exceptional solicitor. You come after Bloomin’ Butterfly and I’ll bury you so deep in legal proceedings you won’t have a penny left.”

  “You think that scares me, little girl?” He laughed. “I want my land back and I’m going to get it, no matter what I have to do.” He laughed again so hard his face turned red.

  Jac turned on her heel and left the office, slamming the door behind her. She had a feeling she had just made things worse for Molly. She settled back into her car and took a few calming breaths, trying to figure a way out of this mess. They might have had a fighting chance had Molly not been injured, but with the partner who had controlling interest now indisposed, Bloomin’ Butterfly would rest solely on Tiffany’s shoulders. Jac worried Ralph and Barry would now set their sights on convincing Tiffany to break the lease. Barry had said the exact same thing. Jac would need to talk to her and make sure she had no intention of letting them win. The farm was Molly’s life, and Jac was going to do everything in her power so it would remain with Molly until Molly decided it was time to quit.

  Jac glanced at the clock on the dashboard. She had been gone from the hospital for an hour. She started the engine and steered the car back in the direction she came, wanting to be there when Molly woke up fully. Her mobile rang and she glanced at the caller ID. Ralph. She didn’t answer. Once he rang off, Jac reached for the phone and switched it off. He was the last person she wanted to talk to.

  ***

  The first thing Molly became aware of was a searing agony ripping through her skull. She had had migraines before, but this was a thousand times worse. She tried opening her eyes, but her lids felt like lead balloons. Eventually, she managed to open them slightly, a bright light flooded her senses and she quickly shut them again. Her shoulder ached and her legs felt heavy. Her brain was foggy, she couldn’t remember anything, she had no idea what the hell happened to her. Her only thought was of Jac.

  “Jac,” she whispered through cracked lips. A warm hand touched her own and familiar fingers smoothed through her tangled hair.

  “It’s okay, I’m here.” The voice soothed her, for a fleeting second all her agony washed away. “You’re going to be okay.”

  “Jac,” she said again. Jac was here, that was all Molly needed to know. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  Molly allowed Jac to comfort her for a few minutes, enjoying having her wife by her side. Her brother’s face swam into focus behind her eyes, a sense of dread filled her, her pulse spiking. “Dillon?”

  “He’s gone, Molly, do you remember?”

  Did she? She tried to get her brain to push past the pain and concentrate on something, anything that she could grab on to about her brother. Suddenly it hit her. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  Although her eyes were swollen shut, that didn’t stop them from leaking tears. With startling clarity, it all came back. Her wedding to Jac, opening Bloomin’ Butterfly, Tiffany, Jac’s betrayal. She remembered more. Jac coming to see her, the lorry side-swiping her, and the crushing agony as her legs had twisted under the dashboard.

  “How long have I been here?” she whispered, her throat raw.

  “Three days.”

  “Why are you still here?” The hand in her hair stilled for a moment then carried on smoothing her. She felt warm breath on her ear. Jac had shifted closer, her unique smell calming Molly’s panic.

  “I love you, Molly. I’m not leaving you.”

  Molly took a chance and opened her eyes as far as she could. She tried to twist her head to see Jac but something around her throat stopped her motion. Jac must have realised what she was trying to do as she leaned over into Molly’s field of vision. Molly couldn’t really see her but the familiar outline of Jac’s face was unmistakable.

  “Go,” Molly murmured. “Leave me alone.” A cold hand touched her cheek, Jac’s thumb rubbing her gently. The tenderness of her touch was nearly her undoing. It would be so easy to forget all the hurt Jac had caused her family, but she wouldn’t allow that. Knowing Jac, she was only there to get her permission to sign the lease over to Barry. “Please leave. There’s nothing here for you.” More tears leaked from her eyes as she said the words, the beep of her heartrate monitor speeding up. As much as Molly wanted Jac here, she couldn’t trust her.

  “I can’t leave you, Molly. Not when you’re in so much pain.” The strain in Jac’s voice wasn’t hard to miss.

  “That didn’t stop you the last time.” Jac’s hand left her cheek, the sound of her sniffing signalling to Molly Jac was crying. “Please,” she said more firmly, the throbbing pain in her legs making itself known. She needed Jac to leave and then maybe Molly could get someone to give her some pain relief. It was such torture, she would welcome death right about now.

  A cool breeze wafted over the bare skin of her arms and face as Jac walked past, then the soft click of the door echoed through the quiet. Faintly Molly could hear Jac sobbing on the other side, it sounded much like a wounded animal. Molly cried too. She had sent Jac away for the last time. Funny how it didn’t bring her any closure. All she wanted was Jac to continue stroking her hair and telling her she loved her.

  She had always felt safe with Jac. From the moment they met there was a connection Molly had never felt with anyone before. She hadn’t been the same in the last five years. It was like a significant part of herself was missing. She would never tell Jac that, though. Her brother was dead because of her. Molly had no heart left, it had been torn to shreds and set on fire. She was a broken shell. And now her body was just as broken as her spirit. Maybe it would have been better if she had died in the accident.

  A different beep sounded from her left and she felt a warmth spread through her body, the pain slowly ebbing away. They must have my pain reliever on a timer. She felt heavy and comfortable. She was about to give in to sleep when she heard the door open and close. Apple scented shampoo suffused the air and she knew Jac was back. Jac took her hand.

  “You can tell me to go all you want, but I’m not going anywhere until you’re back on your feet. You’ll just have to deal with it.”

  Of all the arrogant, selfish, and buttheaded nerves of her! Molly couldn’t say the words as she was sucked under into inky blackness. The comfort of the medicine and Jac’s deep voice soothing her into nothingness.

  Chapter Five

  Two days later Molly sat upright, the swelling in her brain had reduced significantly and the doctors were pleased with her neurological exams. Jac, true to her word, hadn’t left Molly’s side and it was starting to wear thin on Molly’s nerves. She was grateful for the company, but she had nothing to say to her. It wasn’t like they could just go back five years and start swapping stories of their past. Those memories of their time together were sacred to Molly, she wanted to keep them locked up inside herself, not wanting to talk about them with anyone, especially Jac. If Molly wasn’t careful she would begin to open her heart to Jac again and that was something she wouldn’t allow.

  Molly had been moved out of the ICU last night and into a private room. She had been hopped up on pain killers, but the movement of the hospital bed still hurt like crazy. Jac had held her hand the whole time, and as much as Molly didn’t want her around, she was glad for the comfort. The door to her room opened and Molly smiled widely as Tiffany strolled in carrying ice-cream. Molly’s face was still swollen, and she found it difficult to chew, the hospital only allowing a liquid diet. As far as Molly was concerned, ice cream was basically the same thing.

  “You’re a lifesaver.”

  Tiffany smiled in return as she placed the tub on to a roller-table and moved it over the bed. She popped the lid and pulled a plastic spoon from her jean’s pocket.

  “Where’s your bodyguard?” Tiffany asked, alluding to Jac.

  “She said she had some errands to run. I didn’t ask what kind.” Due to he
r limited mobility, Molly allowed Tiffany to spoon some ice cream into her mouth. The cold soothed her achy jaw and she closed her eyes in bliss. “I don’t know when she’ll be back.”

  “If I know Jac, she won’t be long.” Molly couldn’t help but roll her eyes. The action didn’t go unnoticed. “You know, Mol, as much as I hate what happened to Dillon, Jac’s been pretty solid since the accident. She hasn’t left your side.”

  “Tell me about it?” Her tone dripped sarcasm, something she couldn’t control.

  “Don’t be so quick to hate on her. You didn’t see her when you were first brought in. She was a mess. She still loves you, Mol.”

  Molly took another spoon of ice cream, thinking over Tiffany’s words. She wasn’t an idiot, she only had to look into Jac’s eyes and she could see the love there. But that didn’t mean Molly could easily forgive her.

  “I know she does, but I can’t get past what she did.”

  “It was five years ago, maybe you should think about moving on.”

  “That’s what I was trying to do before she showed up again.”

  “I didn’t mean from Jac. I meant from Dillon.”

  That was impossible. No way would Molly ever let her brother go. They were inseparable growing up, and though he was no longer here, it didn’t mean she wasn’t still connected to him. She could no more let him go than chop off her own arm. She had no time to rebut Tiffany’s statement as the door opened and Doctor Miles walked in. He noticed the ice cream and shook his head, sighing.

  “I don’t remember that being on the allowed food list.”

  “Sorry, Doc,” Tiffany said, blushing. “That was my idea.” Doctor Miles smiled at her and Molly couldn’t help but think they were flirting with each other. Something in their gazes alerted her about the obvious mutual attraction.

  “Well, just this once I’ll let you off.” He turned his attention back to Molly. “Ms. Fisher, your recent neurological exam was clear, aside from concussion, everything else is fine. As you’re more alert, I want to check your reflexes. Your scans were clear of any spinal damage, but I need to check the nerves running through your legs are all working.” His gaze softened, smiling slightly. “Unfortunately this is going to hurt quite a lot.”