The Chocolatier's Secret (Magnolia Creek, Book 2) (30 page)

‘So we’re doing this?’ Gemma clasped her husband’s hand.

‘We’re doing this.’

Chapter Forty

Molly

Molly sat next to Andrew on the steps of her veranda at the cottage, overlooking the lake as darkness fell over Magnolia Creek. A crescent moon cast enough light across the water to see ripples as a duck sneaked across its surface.

‘There were more than a hundred families here today,’ he began, ‘ten thousand eggs, and Bella reckons we’ve raised upwards of seven thousand dollars, what with the stalls inside Magnolia House too.’

‘Wow, that’s amazing. Everyone had such a great time. Me included.’

‘I’m glad.’ He looked at the water. It had already reformed since it was disturbed, returning to the flat surface as though the duck had never been there at all. ‘What time’s your flight?’

‘Midnight.’

‘Will you be okay? It wasn’t so long ago you were terrified of flying.’

‘I’m hoping I sleep. At least that’s the plan.’ She fiddled with the edges of her cardigan, pulling it more tightly around herself. Andrew smelt of chocolate sitting here beside her, and she wondered whether it was only from today, from his clothes or whether she was imagining it because chocolate was what she associated him with. From now on, every time she ate chocolate she would think of Andrew Bennett, her birth father.

‘Are you sure you don’t want a goodbye committee at the airport?’ Andrew teased.

She was glad he was making jokes, at least pretending to make light of a heavy situation. This was harder than she’d thought, and she wanted to think of him happy rather than the turmoil of the past few weeks since she’d turned up on his doorstep.

‘No, Ben will take me. I don’t need a big send-off.’

‘It’ll be hard to say goodbye to him,’ said Andrew.

‘I’m trying not to think about it.’ She smiled and they both focused on the stars above.

‘You’ve got a good night for flying at least. Where do you change?’

‘Changi Airport. Same as the way here.’

‘Then it’s back to London, eh?’

‘Back to London.’

They sat in silence for a while until Molly spoke. ‘I like the idea of you and Gemma adopting.’ He’d told her that afternoon as they stacked up the empty boxes from the eggs and carried them back to the shop for the next time they were needed. ‘Actually, I think it’s pretty cool.’ She nodded and broke out in a smile.

Andrew grinned. ‘I’m not sure I’ve been described as “cool” in many years, if ever. But if that’s what you think, then I’m glad.’

‘You’ll be a great parent.’ She hesitated. ‘You
are
a great parent.’ When Andrew looked at her she said, ‘I don’t blame you for anything, you know. And I don’t blame Louis, I don’t blame Julia. It is what it is. Or … it
was
what it
was.
’

The shaft of moonlight graced the water in front of them, but nothing else moved save the trees whispering their goodnights.

‘I know you’ll be busy, with the business,’ she said tentatively. ‘But would you come over to England soon? I’m not sure I want to wait too long before we spend more time together.’

When he turned to her, he had tears in his eyes. ‘You try and stop me,’ he said. ‘I’m proud to call you my daughter. I know I’ll never replace your dad, and I don’t want to. But I’m glad you found me. I’m glad to make you a part of our family.’

She put a hand over his. It was the closest they’d been physically, and she squeezed the flesh beneath hers. ‘I’m glad I don’t have to wonder about you any more. Somehow my family understand me and we fit. But I’ve heard of so many children who aren’t quite so lucky and spend their whole lives looking for meaning, for part of them. It wasn’t like that for me, but there was always a yearning to know. And now I do. And I really like what I’ve found.’

She looked up at the moon, willing the tears to stay away. ‘I’m worried this will all fizzle out. I’ll leave the country and I’ll be a girl who visited you once, a distant relation who goes on the Christmas card and birthday list.’

When Andrew started to laugh, she looked at him for answers.

‘Can you see Gemma letting me get away with that?’

Molly laughed too, harder than she’d thought possible tonight. ‘Actually, I can’t.’

The laughter dissipated, and then Andrew said, ‘I’m not going to let it turn into that kind of relationship. Gemma and I are hoping to adopt and we’re thrilled. But don’t for one moment think the family I’m going to have is
instead
of you. You’re a part of it now, and I’ll want you to get to know your new brother or sister. They’ll need someone to watch out for them.’

‘I like the sound of being a big sister.’ She met his gaze, and the words settled around them until Molly checked her watch again. ‘Ben will be here in less than an hour, I should finish packing. I have to check in at some crazy time, hours before the flight.’

Andrew nodded, and she knew he was crying and so she stayed there, beside him, close enough to still get the occasional waft of chocolate carried on the same breeze, which was lifting her hair around her shoulders.

Molly had no idea whether she would hug Andrew goodbye, whether she would shake his hand or if they would simply say a verbal farewell. But all of a sudden, he made the decision for her. He stood, held out his hand, and when she let him pull her to her feet, he wrapped her in a hug they held for a few minutes, a hug that encompassed all the feelings of the last few weeks. This other man, all of a sudden, had a solid position in her life. He threatened nobody else, no other relationship, and only added to her completeness.

Molly held back her tears, forced away the gut-wrenching feeling of saying goodbye when they’d only just said hello.

‘Goodbye, Molly.’ Andrew nodded, accepting what was about to happen. ‘Email or phone when you’re ready.’

‘I will.’ Her voice fell into the cool night air, and she retreated back inside the cottage, not daring to watch as Andrew walked away into the darkness.

*

‘You’ll never cope without me.’ Ben lifted Molly’s suitcase onto the conveyor belt at check-in. It was nine o’clock in the evening, and even at this time, Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport was heaving.

Once Molly had her boarding pass, they made their way to a café.

‘Do you want anything to eat?’ Ben grabbed two bottles of apple juice.

Molly shook her head. ‘I’ll wait at the table over there.’ She was beginning to realise what people meant about airports. They were exciting places, the places where dreams started, the world opened up to travellers. But they were also the places where goodbyes happened, where hearts were broken, where tears were shed.

Molly had cried after saying goodbye to Andrew earlier. She was glad she’d held it together in front of him and glad she’d cried as much as she was going to before Ben arrived, but she knew she looked bad. Her eyes still felt puffy, her head ached.

‘So.’ Ben opened her apple juice and passed it to her. ‘How are you feeling about flying again?’

‘Fine.’

‘Liar.’

She smiled up at him as he sat opposite. ‘I’ve had so much going on. I’ve not had a chance to really worry, but I’m getting a bit nervous now.’

‘Got your colouring books?’

‘And pens,’ she told him before he asked the obvious.

‘You might sleep.’

‘Maybe.’

‘Have you been onto the Facebook group?’

‘Not today.’

Ben took out his phone.

‘Oh no, no photos, I look hideous!’

‘Don’t worry, I’m checking myself in.’ He tapped away at his iPhone screen. ‘I’ll say I’m with you, you’ve had a great time and you’ll be in touch. They’re a great bunch of people, they’ll all want to know what’s happened over the last few weeks.’

Molly sipped her apple juice as he tapped away at his screen. ‘It’s a bit weird how most of us have never met.’

‘Two of us have.’

She held his gaze. ‘They have.’

Ben put his phone on the table and reached across to hold her hand. He’d had his hand on her knee on the drive here, but she’d been quiet, not wanting to talk, looking out the window at the lights whizzing by on the freeway from cars on either side, from overhead. So many emotions were whirring around inside her right now, including feelings about Ben and where they went from here.

‘I’m glad it all worked out for you, Molly.’ Ben squeezed her hand. ‘Come round here already would you.’ He rolled his eyes and pulled her to standing and round to his side of the table.

‘I thought you’d never ask.’ She didn’t care they were in an airport café, that there were people around, when she leant in and kissed him. The warmth of his lips was familiar, exciting and sad all at once, and she rested her forehead against his.

‘I wish I was getting on the plane with you.’ said Ben.

‘You’ve only just got home.’

He shrugged. ‘Things can change.’

Molly put her hand to his lips. ‘Things change all the time. A year ago I never would’ve thought I’d be here, at an airport, in Australia, having met my birth father.’

‘It is pretty awesome.’

‘I wish Louis was still alive.’

Ben pulled her close. ‘I know you do. At least you had the chance to know him. He was pretty sick. I think you timed your visit perfectly.’

They stayed in the café talking about the Bennetts, talking about her family, Ben’s, the nightmare of a long-distance relationship.

Ben rubbed a thumb across Molly’s bottom lip. ‘I want you to stay.’

‘I wish … well, I wish we could be together, but my home is there, Ben.’

He nodded, accepting. ‘Come on, we’d better get you to passport control.’

They gathered her things and made their way from the café to the point where they’d have to say their final goodbye.

‘I do need to ask a favour though,’ said Molly. ‘And it’s a big one.’

‘Go on.’

‘My brother gets married in Connecticut in a few months’ time, and I don’t have a date.’

Ben laughed, and they came to a stop at Passport Control. ‘Then we’d better do something about that, Molly Ramsey. It looks like I’m going off on my travels again real soon … America, here I come.’ He looked at her more seriously, took her face in his hands. ‘And after the wedding, we’ll see what happens.’

‘We’ll see what happens,’ she said. A holiday romance wasn’t at all what she’d been looking for, but some things happened for a reason. And perhaps Ben Harrison was that reason.

‘You’d better go,’ said Ben, tension visible in his jaw, in the way he took in a deep breath as though preparing himself.

Molly burst into tears, her third emotional goodbye in the last week taking its toll.

‘It’s not goodbye.’ Ben held her tight. ‘It’s “until next time”.’ He wiped the tears from beneath her eyes with his thumb.

‘Until next time,’ she said, and turned, leaving Melbourne and a small piece of her heart behind.

Epilogue

‘Your family tree must be overgrown by now,’ said Ben, loosening his tie and top button. He pulled Molly onto his lap.

It was a bright, sunny July day in Connecticut, and the temperature was well up into the thirties. Molly pulled at the bodice of her dress to ensure it stayed in place, but she couldn’t stop smiling at Ben, who was her date at Isaac’s wedding, looking devilishly handsome in the outfit he’d chosen. She had a hard time keeping her hands to herself in public, not to mention in front of her family.

‘My family tree is enormous,’ she said. ‘I have extra aunties, uncles, cousins, living all over the world. And you know what?’

‘I’m sure you’re going to tell me.’ He toyed with the dark ringlets of her hair hanging down from the up-do held in place with a diamante tiara.

‘I intend to meet every one of them eventually.’

‘Please tell me I don’t have to do the same.’

‘We’ll see. Come on, let’s dance.’ She led him into the crowd assembled for Chubby Checker’s ‘The Twist’.

The marquee was bursting at the seams, full of family, full of love and laughter Molly hoped would never end. They joined in, but when the music slowed and men pulled women close and vice versa, Molly leant her head on Ben’s shoulder.

‘I’m glad you came,’ she whispered into his ear.

‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘You’re becoming an accomplished traveller now.’

‘I think I may even be enjoying it.’

She’d taken the flight over to America with her parents, and they’d both been surprised at how she’d handled herself. Even with minor turbulence in the last hour of the flight she’d stayed calm, not panicked, shut her eyes and let it pass. She didn’t have another trip to Australia planned, with all her holidays taken for the year, but Andrew was coming over next week to meet her parents. Her parents had coped with Isaac’s move better than she’d expected, and after they’d finished dancing and Ben had begged to escape into the fresh air, she joined her dad at the bar.

‘How are you doing, Dad?’

He nodded. He had a beer, probably the same one he’d been on all night, not being much of a drinker. He turned and looked over at his son. ‘He’s happy.’

Molly looked at Isaac, dancing with his mother-in-law. ‘They’re a nice family.’

‘They are.’

‘Just because he’s coming over here to live doesn’t mean he’ll forget you, Dad.’

‘Oh, I’m not daft, pet, I know he won’t. Like I know I’ll never be replaced by Andrew.’

Before tonight he hadn’t voiced any concern about Andrew Bennett’s relationship with his daughter. He’d let Molly sort through her own feelings first, hadn’t tried to influence her actions as she searched for answers. But now, it felt good to hear how much he cared. And she was glad her Dad knew his place in her life and that it would never be threatened.

‘You’ll never be replaced.’ Her smiled reached her eyes.

‘I was worried for a while.’ He was joking, but it reinforced how difficult this had been all round. And sometimes Molly knew she was guilty of forgetting that.

‘You look happy,’ Jeff Ramsey told his daughter.

‘I am. And how’s Mum taking Isaac’s departure to America?’ Molly nodded over to her mum, who was the most relaxed she’d been in ages, kicking up her heels and owning the dance floor.

‘She was in bits when he first told us his plans, then again when you told us you were looking for your birth parents.’

‘Dad, I—’

‘No need to say anything, Molly. She would never have told you kids anything to make you change your minds, because deep down she knows you have your own lives.’

‘But after what Gran did to her, leaving her to sort everything out when she left for Canada. It must still hurt.’ Molly waved at her mum, who was none the wiser about this conversation. She was far too busy chatting away with her new daughter-in-law.

‘It hurt for a long time, and there’s no doubt about it, your gran could’ve handled things better. But your mum is excited for you, and for Isaac, whatever the future holds.’ He looked over at Ben, who was at the entrance of the marquee. Isaac had escaped his mother-in-law’s clutches, and he was now chatting away happily to Molly’s date. Molly had no idea what was going to happen with Ben, but part of her reached a sense of contentment that this would be about the two of them, and her parents would give their blessing however it turned out.

‘Thanks, Dad.’

‘She’s even signed up to a discount airfare website for deals so she can holiday wherever she likes. I think secretly she’s wanted to travel for years but never got the chance. Now she has the perfect excuse! She even said that if you moved to Australia, and Isaac is in America, then we could go and live halfway between.’

‘And where would that be?’

‘Hawaii.’

Molly laughed whole-heartedly. She could imagine her mum dancing the hula in a grass skirt, cocktail in hand, as she spent the kids’ inheritance.

‘Nice,’ she said.

‘I’m looking forward to meeting Andrew and his wife.’ Her dad was sincere and she was proud.

‘They’re lovely people.’

‘I hope they bring some chocolate.’

‘Dad,’ she admonished, giggling as they looked on at the throng of people dancing.

‘I like Ben. He seems good for you.’ Her dad clearly wanted everything out in the open tonight, and Molly was enjoying every minute of it. ‘And a doctor no less. I’m impressed. And he’s better than any other boyfriend I’ve met.’

‘There haven’t exactly been many. But yeah, he is.’

‘So what’ll happen with you two? Australia and England takes long-distance romance to a whole new level.’

‘It does a bit.’ Molly sighed. ‘I don’t know. He says he’ll come over for Christmas if we’ll have him.’

Her dad nodded, seemingly impressed.

‘Molly?’ he said after a while.

‘Yes, Dad.’

‘May I have this dance?’

‘I thought you’d never ask.’

*

Andrew held Gemma’s hand as the cabin lights dimmed on the second leg of their journey from Hong Kong to the UK. He sat back in his seat and looked out over the wing of the airplane, the lights flashing intermittently against the inky sky as they cut through deep grey clouds floating past the tiny windows.

Andrew and Gemma had filed the necessary paperwork with the adoption agency, and because they understood it could take some time for their plan to reach fruition, they’d decided to take off to Europe while they could. Andrew felt as though he’d only just started in his relationship with Molly. They were so new to one another, and he wanted to keep his promise to make her as much a part of his family as any other child he may have. He was looking forward to meeting Molly’s parents, although anxious of what they might think of him, wondering whether they’d harbour any ill feeling. From what Molly said they wouldn’t at all; they were nothing but grateful she’d been let into their lives, but the worry still lingered and he suspected in some ways, it always would.

He pulled the grey and red blanket over his lap. Gemma was asleep already, and when he tilted his head towards hers, her blonde hair tickled his nose. She was his life, and watching her go through the paperwork for a possible adoption, he’d fallen bit by bit in love with her all over again. She was going to make a wonderful mother.

He looked out to the darkened sky as they glided through the air as though they weren’t really moving at all and he thought about Louis. His secret must have eaten him up over the years, and even though he’d only known Molly for a short while, he couldn’t ever imagine doing anything like that to her. It made him realise the desperation Louis must have felt to go ahead with such a plan.

Andrew thought about Julia too. He hadn’t messaged her in a while. Julia knew Molly had shown up, but since he’d told her, she’d not written back. He expected she was shocked, trying to work this out in her own mind. He’d leave it a few months, but then Andrew knew he wanted to contact her again, not to ask what she was going to do about Molly, not to rake over what happened, but to ask how she was. And to let her know more about Molly and the life she’d had.

Andrew leant back and closed his eyes, and by the time he opened them again, the sun was rising in the sky and they were coming in to land.

The past was over. The future was here.

THE END