Molly's Cop (10 page)

"It hurts your children when you don't come home night after night. They go to bed sad because you aren't here to read them a story and tuck them in. This cream is a punishment you will endure, Kathleen. Now get your butt into bed and go to sleep!"

"I won't be able to sleep with this burning, Lloyd! Please, you don't understand! It feels like I sat on a stove burner. Please let me bathe!"

"It won't wash off, Kat. You will wear it until it goes away in a while."

"You know I can't tolerate that stuff on my skin! It burns. I can't believe you are doing this!" She started bawling, feeling sorry for herself.

Lloyd took her by the arm and led her back to bed. He gave her two more hard smacks to her fanny and said firmly, "Stay put and go to sleep, young lady."

* * *

Molly was surprised when Michael showed up to drive her to work the next morning, and was even more surprised when he said he would be by later to take her to lunch. "It isn't necessary for you to do that, Michael. I am not used to eating lunch."

"Well, Red, you had best get used to eating lunch. I'll be here at noon."

"No, please don't. I work during lunch hour," she insisted. He'd already done so much for her.

"Molly, if I come here at noon and you aren't ready to go to lunch, I am going to create an office scandal by turning you over my knee in front of your coworkers."

"You wouldn't dare!" she heatedly exclaimed, slamming the car door and walking inside the building. The man was too bossy by far, and she was not going to lunch with him today! It was time to assert herself.

Chapter Seven

Molly was quite busy, just as she was nearly every Monday. As a legal secretary, she normally came in to a pile of work on her desk since her boss often worked over the weekend, trying to stay caught up. She tackled what seemed most pressing and started preparing documents. Her boss had court and wouldn't be in the office until late that afternoon, and with any luck, she would have these items taken care of and ready for his approval and/or signature. The telephone rang on her desk and she answered in the tone of voice reserved for clients or co-workers. "Molly, there is someone here to see you... A Kathleen Henry. She says it is very important."

"I'll be right there, Liz," Molly answered, getting to her feet and nervously wondering what on earth Kathleen wanted with her. The last thing she needed was a confrontation with the other woman here in her workplace. She left her office and walked down the hallway to the winding staircase that led downstairs to the lobby. Kathleen looked uncomfortable standing there, but when she spotted Molly she put a tentative smile on her face. "Hello, Kathleen," Molly said quietly.

"Are you able to take a few moments to talk, Molly?" Kathleen asked hopefully.

"Of course. Liz, is anyone using the library at the moment?" she asked of their receptionist.

"No, it's empty, Molly. Could I get either of you some coffee or some water?" she offered with a bright smile.

"Nothing for me," Molly replied. "Kathleen...?"

"No, I'm fine, but thanks anyway."

Liz nodded and then answered the telephone as Molly led Kathleen into the small room that was lined floor to ceiling with solid cherry bookshelves laden with volumes. The room had two chairs with one small table in between. There was also a larger table with chairs surrounding it. "Would you like to sit down?" Molly asked.

"Yes, I would love to sit down, but I can't," Kathleen said, her cheeks turning pink. She hurt too much to sit down, and the cream that Lloyd applied was still burning, hours later! Kat was positive her ass was a bright red, and she knew that it felt scalded. The shower she'd longed for all night did nothing but intensify the burn, and she'd had no sleep whatsoever. She thought that perhaps Lloyd was feeling a bit guilty over using the cream, but as of yet he hadn't admitted to it. He'd simply reminded her that she was to make her apologies and then start looking for an assistant, and that she was to be home by six o'clock, prepared to spend time with their children. Even though Kat was terribly sore, she knew she was very much loved. The burn was a constant reminder of the promises she made to Lloyd last night. Her parents accepted her apologies to them; her Pop scolded a bit about her temper and her Mama told her that she was worried about her putting in too many hours at work and not spending enough time with her children. Kat meekly agreed and said she was changing all of that as of today. Her Mama praised her for that, and easily forgave her. Kat had tried calling Michael, but he wasn't answering his cell phone. She got the information about where Molly worked from her Pop, who had driven Molly to work earlier. Kat was shocked and relieved to learn that Molly worked for the most prestigious law firm in the area. "Molly, I came to apologize to you for the terrible way I acted yesterday. I made all the wrong assumptions about you, and even when Michael said he recognized you, I continued to act like a nasty witch. I am so sorry," she said humbly, praying Molly would give her another chance. The fact that Michael wouldn't answer her calls told her how upset he was with her, and she would do whatever it took to make things right with him once again.

"In your position, Kathleen, I would have acted the same. You were trying to protect your brother and your family. I can't fault you for loving them so much." Molly saw the look of relief in Kat's dark eyes and moved forward to give her an impulsive hug. "I would love for us to start over," she said.

"I would be grateful for a second chance," Kathleen tearfully admitted. "It would mean so much to me to be able to prove I'm not always so rude."

"I've heard too many wonderful things about you, Kathleen, to think badly of you. I'm just sorry that Lloyd got upset with you because of me. I didn't want that," she truthfully stated.

Kat laughed and then admitted, "You are the only one in the family who feels sorry for me, Molly. My parents both scolded and Pop said that he hoped I wasn't able to sit down this morning!" She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "I upset and embarrassed everyone yesterday with my comments to you. Molly, I truly do regret my words. I hope you believe me when I tell you that I wanted to apologize...? "I'm not doing it because I was told to."

"I believe you, Kathleen. Could we just move forward now and be the best of friends?" Molly asked with a smile.

"I would very much like that." Kat felt tears fill her eyes once more. "I can't believe that Michael has finally met you. We all seem to have inherited Mama's ability to recognize our mates; it is such a special feeling! One minute your life is normal and in the next you know that nothing will ever be the same. It is a heady feeling, wonderful and scary all at the same time!" she declared. "I absolutely adore all of my brothers, Molly, but Michael is special. We are very close, and I am so grateful you have accepted my apology. I couldn't bear to lose him because I treated you so badly." She bowed her head and then said, "He won't answer his phone so that I can apologize to him, too."

"Then he must be busy, Kathleen. He isn't angry with you," Molly reassured her, and then glanced at the clock on the wall. Michael was due here at any moment to take her out to lunch and she had a decision to make; either meekly go to lunch at his bidding or stand up for herself and assert her right to make some decisions for herself! No sooner did the thought cross her mind than Michael walked into the building. She watched as he approached Liz's huge desk in the reception area. Liz pointed toward the library, and Michael turned and headed in their direction, his stride long and hurried as he came through the doors.

"Michael!" Kathleen said, startled. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"More to the point, Kat, what are you doing here?"

"Kathleen came to apologize, and you don't need to be so rude, Michael O'Keefe!" Molly scolded, shocking both of the other people.

"I tried to call you and apologize, but you didn't answer your phone," Kat told him, hurt reflected in her voice.

"My phone died. I charged it, but it won't let me make or receive calls or texts. I have to go and get a new one today, so I wasn't ignoring you, Kat," he patiently explained.

"I thought you weren't answering because you were furious with me," she admitted.

"Now, you know that isn't my style."

She nodded and then said, "I am sorry for the horrible way I behaved yesterday, Michael."

"I know you are," he said with a gentle smile and then pulled her close to give her a hug. "Are you two okay?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

"Yes," they answered together.

"Do you want to join us for lunch, Kat?" Michael graciously asked.

"No, thank you," she quickly replied, then confessed, "I can't sit down, Michael, and the thought of going anywhere public is too humiliating to consider. I'm going to work at home this afternoon and spend some time with my kids after school," she stated.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Michael agreed with a wink. He was going to say something else but there was the unmistakable sound of shots fired coming from the lobby. He pushed his sister and Holly under the table in the library. "Kat, call 911 and tell them officer needs assistance and give them this address. Both of you," his dark eyes settled on Molly, "stay here and stay down and out of sight." With that, he went to do what he could to take control of the situation.

Molly listened in growing fear as Kat quickly made the call, tell the dispatcher there were shots fired, and no, she did not have a visual on the situation. Molly crawled out from under the table and where she could see what was happening. "There is a man with long blonde hair waving a gun. Michael is trying to talk to him and calm him down. The man with the gun is wearing jeans and a white tee shirt." Kat repeated everything to the dispatcher, and then she heard Molly gasp in shock and fear. Her boss was walking into the building, and from what she could overhear through the glass doors shutting the library off from the lobby, the angry man was unhappy with her boss for pleading his ex-wife's custody case over their daughter. He kept swearing he was going to kill Drake Bridges!

Molly had to do something, had to give Michael some help. Without giving the situation conscious thought, she got to her feet, opened the door and flew across the floor and knocked her boss to the ground. A bullet zapped into the carpet close to their heads, but then it was all over. Michael had the young man down on the floor and cuffed by the time Molly got up and helped the clearly shaken Mr. Bridges to his feet. "What happened here?" he questioned.

"That man came in here waving a gun and wanted to know where you were," Molly explained. "Michael is a police officer," she added just as the police cars pulled up out front.

Michael gladly turned his prisoner over to the two uniforms who were first on the scene, and then he was at Molly's side and took her arms in his hands and gave her a solid shake. "You little fool! You could have been killed!"

"He would have shot Mr. Bridges," Molly explained, her green eyes filling with tears. "I had to help you some way, Michael, or you would have tried to stop him and been shot! I couldn't let that happen!" She burst into tears then, and he closed his eyes and held her close. Kat came running then, crying, too. He put one arm around her and simply held them.

"Is everyone all right?" Drake Bridges asked with quiet dignity, recovering his composure. He placed a hand on Molly's shoulder in silent comfort.

"Sir, everyone is fine," Michael answered. He managed to take Kat's cell phone from her hand, and punched in a few numbers. "Lloyd, I need you to come to the Bridges, Bridges, and Porter law firm. You know where it is? Good. Kat needs you. She is fine, but there was an incident, and she is shaken."

"Michael, don't you ever scare me like this again!" Kathleen hit his arm with her balled fist. "And don't you dare scold Molly! Lord, you two are meant for each other! Neither of you have enough common sense to avoid facing down a madman with a gun!" She sobbed. "Damn it, Molly, you are as bad as Michael. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I know I taught the dispatcher some new swear words!" she admitted, and for some reason her words made Molly giggle. Kathleen looked at her in exasperation and then she was giggling, too, and when they hugged each other Michael knew for a fact that things were indeed good between them and they would be fast friends for life.

Michael left Molly with Kat while he took care of loose ends on the scene. The few details that he was sketchy over, Drake Bridges was able to provide. It did not take long for Michael to find out why the man was so successful. He had an air about him that spoke of confidence, and Michael could see that the man was genuinely concerned about his employees, especially little Molly. And when the senior Bridges walked in with a concerned look on his face, Drake wasted no time in going to him and saying, "Dad, everyone is all right. Molly saved my life," he added, shaking his head. "And we are very lucky this police officer was here to take Molly to lunch."

"I think we need to cancel appointments for the afternoon, son. We all need to spend time with loved ones," he said with dignity.

"I agree, Dad," Drake nodded. "Liz, are you up to making the calls...? Just tell them we have had an interoffice emergency and we will call them tomorrow to reschedule."

"Yes, Mr. Bridges," Liz replied, clearly shaken.

"Liz, just show me where the appointments are listed and the telephone numbers. I'll make the calls," Senior Bridges said kindly, stepping behind her desk. "Have you called your Mom or Dad? No...? Well, do so, and ask them to come and drive you home. That goes for everyone. If anyone is too upset to drive, I want to know." He took charge even though he retired over five years earlier. Drake smiled proudly, knowing his father needed to work to calm his own fears.

"Molly, I don't want you going home to an empty apartment," he said. "You'll come home and stay with Rose and I."

"I am not living where I was, Mr. Bridges. I won't be alone."

"Molly is living with my parents and siblings, Mr. Bridges. And I will see to it that she has plenty of attention this afternoon," Michael added, giving the redhead a meaningful look.