She was on the floor in front of the fire, hugging her knees and crying bitterly, unaware of his presence.
‘Hey . . . don’t go upsetting yourself like that,’ he said. Kneeling, he reached out and pressed her into his arms.
‘It hurts me to see you so upset, Molly.’ Deeply moved, he leaned his face against hers, tenderly stroking her hair and murmuring reassurance. Easing him away, she looked at him, her curious, intense gaze affecting him deeply. ‘I won’t let anyone hurt you,’ he whispered. ‘I love you, Molly. I always have, ever since we were kids . . .’
Molly was deeply touched by his loyalty and friendship. Unlike Jack, he had always put her first. Smiling through her tears, she kept her gaze on his face. He dared to read the signs, and slowly, half-afraid she would turn away, he kissed her on the mouth.
In that very private moment, it felt right between them. Even though Jack lingered in her mind, Molly felt safe with Mal. She felt as if she didn’t know Jack any more. Mal, on the other hand, was like an open book. She knew him. She knew how kind he was, and how much he truly loved her. He would never clear off to the other end of the country, and leave her behind.
When she now felt two strong arms gently laying her down, she made no protest. Even when his kisses grew demanding and passionate, she didn’t mind. She needed someone to hold her. Someone who cherished her, above all else.
She gave herself to Mal, freely and willingly. There were no regrets; at least not for now. Not in the heat of the moment.
Later, though, there might well be a price to pay.
AFTER A RESTLESS night, Jack clambered out of bed. He showered, shaved and dressed, and with Molly strong in his mind, he ran downstairs and looked up the phone number of Molly’s parents.
Twice he dialled the number, and twice he replaced the receiver before the number rang out. ‘Come on, Jack!’ he chided himself. ‘You need to sort things out with Molly.’ He had to make her understand how much going north meant to him.
He took a moment to make a cup of coffee and to feed two slices of bread into the toaster. When the bread popped up, he threw it onto a plate and smothered it in full-fat butter – a long-held weakness of his. He then took time to enjoy his breakfast, while thinking what to do about Molly.
Fortified by his toast and a second cup of coffee, he picked up the receiver and tapped out the number once more. This time he let it ring until someone answered.
‘Hello?’ He recognised the voice at the other end. It was Pauleen, Molly’s mother. A staff-nurse at the local cottage hospital, she was a busy, amiable person – sometimes overwhelming, but in a nice way.
‘Hello, Pauleen. It’s me – Jack.’
‘Oh, hello, Jack. Everything all right is it?’
Not knowing how much Molly might have told her, Jack played it safe. ‘Yes, everything’s fine, thank you. But I wonder if you could please put Molly on the phone. I’m off to work in a minute and need to arrange for us to meet up at lunch-time.’
There was a pause, during which Jack heard her answering someone. ‘No, dear. You go ahead. I’ll just be a minute.’ Returning to her conversation with Jack, she told him, ‘I’m sorry, Jack, but what makes you think Molly might be here?’
‘Are you saying she’s not?’
‘That’s exactly what I’m saying, dear.’ She was beginning to get worried. ‘What’s happened? Have you had an argument and she’s run off? I know how impetuous she can be. Don’t worry, she’ll be back with her tail between her legs.’ She gave a loud tut. ‘I have no idea why she would tell you she was coming to us.’
Having heard her quiet remark to a third person, whom he assumed to be Molly, Jack simply asked, ‘Will you do something for me, Pauleen?’
‘You know I will, if I can.’
‘Thanks. Look, I’ll be at the coffee shop in Bletchley around one o’clock. Molly knows the one. If she does turn up at your place, will you please tell her I’ll be there for about half an hour?’
‘Yes, of course I will.’
‘Thank you, Pauleen. I appreciate that.’
Replacing the receiver, and convinced that Molly had been standing right beside her mother, listening to every word, Jack felt a rush of anger. ‘All right, Molly. I know you were listening. If that’s the way you want to play it, there’s nothing I can do. Meet me, or don’t meet me. I’ve held out the olive branch. It’s up to you now.’
He hoped she would meet him, because he hated the way things were. ‘I want you and me to have a future together,’ he murmured. ‘We really need to thrash this out.’
With the call made, and hopefully Molly aware that he wanted to see her, he turned his thoughts to the imminent meeting with Curtis Warren ‘Who knows,’ he muttered as he went out the door, ‘they might not want me in the new post, after all. If they turn me down, that’s the end of that.’ He smiled a sad little smile. ‘No doubt Molly would be well pleased.’
One way or another, with or without Molly alongside, he meant to pursue the idea put forward by the psychiatrist. It was an astonishing and frightening thought, but he was determined to follow it through.
He hoped the outcome of this morning’s meeting would be in his favour. A definite approval from the big boss would be the first step in a journey that could either save him, or damn him.
At ten thirty, Jack was behind his desk, feeling reasonably confident, but not taking anything for granted.
Just as he was beginning to wonder if they had cancelled the interview, he noticed a black Lexus driving up to the front of the building, and he recognised the man inside as Curtis Warren, the boss himself.
‘Hey!’ Jan the receptionist poked her face round his office door. ‘I expect you’ve already seen him, have you?’ She made a sad little face. ‘If he approves the posting, don’t take it, Jack. I’ll miss you too much. We all will.’
Jack smiled, ‘Let’s not jump the gun, eh?’ he warned. ‘We don’t know for sure that I’ll get it.’
‘Oh, you will.’ Like everyone else there, she knew it was a foregone conclusion. Catching sight of Stuart Branagan making his way to Jack’s office, Jan slunk away. ‘See you later, eh? And good luck.’
A few moments later, Jack was summoned to the main office.
‘Sit down, Redmond,’ Branagan commanded. ‘You already know Mr Warren.’ Warren was a tall, well-built man of confident stature.
‘Great to see you again, Jack.’ Reaching out, he shook Jack by the hand. ‘I understand you’re ready to take on the responsibility for the new showrooms. Am I right in thinking that is still the case?’
Jack nodded. ‘You are. I have with me the signed contract. If you want me there, I’m ready to go.’
‘Mmm. Well, there are a number of reassurances we need from you. Firstly, Do you understand that this is a long-term responsibility?’
‘I do, yes.’
‘And are there any reasons why you might not be able to stay the course, if the job was offered to you?’ He gave a knowing smile. ‘Obviously, we’re concerned about domestic arrangements – that kind of thing.’
Jack was brusque but respectful. ‘First of all, can I say I was led to believe that the post was already offered – subject firstly to my acceptance, and then to your approval.’
The other man smiled again, only this time his smile was genuine. ‘That is absolutely