Carly Phillips - Sealed with a Kiss

She’d been determined. Nothing and no one would stop her from becoming independent so she’d never be forced to rely on any man for anything. Like mother, not like daughter had been her motto, even at the expense of a social life.

When she’d met up with Hunter again last year, the sexual awareness had been as potent as ever but this time something bigger stood in their way. Molly had moved to Hunter’s hometown at her mother and soon to be stepfather’s request-she’d been on the verge of finally having the family she’d always wanted and the motherly acceptance she’d always craved. Until Lacey had almost been killed and Molly’s mother’s fiancé had been the best suspect. Only Molly had believed in his innocence, even against Hunter’s insistence to the contrary.

She’d viewed Hunter as a barrier to her oldest dreams. If she’d sided with Hunter, she’d lose her mother’s love. A love she’d never had to begin with, and when she’d been slapped in the face with that painful truth, she’d turned and run away from Hunter instead of to him.

Was it any wonder he’d moved on? With that thought came the memory of the woman who’d obviously shared his bed and this time the tears flowed unchecked.

Molly wiped them with the back of her hand so she could see well enough to drive, reminding herself that she should follow his example. The irony was Molly thought she had moved on with her life.

When she’d shown up uninvited and unexpected on the general’s doorstep, his long-lost daughter, he hadn’t disappointed her. Almost immediately she’d moved into his home so she could get to know him and her family better. But she’d always known that living in her father’s house wasn’t a permanent arrangement. Even before seeing Hunter again, she’d sensed the time was coming when she’d have to make choices and build a new future.

Maybe in the back of her mind she’d hoped she could look Hunter up again one day. Now she never would. But as soon as her father’s name was cleared, she’d find herself a life. Not the transient life she’d lived up until now, but the life she’d told Hunter she had to find before she could commit to a man or a relationship.

A man who wouldn’t be Hunter.

HUNTER WATCHED MOLLY drive away before returning to his apartment. If he thought his head hurt before, man, it pounded like a bass drum now. He strode through the lobby, ignoring the people who stared as if they’d never seen a man walk through barefoot and bare-chested before. Until he was alone, he refused to let himself think about Molly or her request.

When he walked inside, he knew immediately Allison had left. He didn’t blame her. That was one helluva scene and she hadn’t been the one he’d chosen to worry about. He slammed the door shut behind him and checked his room just in case, but her clothes, her bag and anything that had belonged to her were gone. No note, no nothing.

“Hell.” He ran his hand through his hair and lay down on the bed. He’d call her later and apologize, but this affair or whatever it had been was over. Molly had seen to that.

Molly had seen to a lot of things, like stirring up old feelings and messing with his head. But one thing he knew for sure. No way in hell was he going to help her out just because she decided she needed him now. At least that’s what he told himself. But he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Where had she been all this time and how was she getting along? Judging by her appearance, her time away hadn’t been at all difficult on her. Molly looked, in a word, gorgeous.

He growled aloud and continued to think about her. Just how close was she to this newfound father and what were the circumstances leading to his arrest? She hadn’t said much beyond asking him to consider her request. Not that he’d given her an easy opening.

He’d already decided he wasn’t going to be at her sudden beck and call, so there was no point in dwelling on Molly any longer. He showered, dressed and headed to his newly established office in downtown Albany, thanks wholly to Lacey’s generosity. When she’d come into her inheritance, she’d insisted on paying off his student loans. He’d argued, of course, knowing there were better uses for her money but she did it anyway.

In return, he’d decided to focus even more on the pro bono cases, giving those who couldn’t afford representation decent legal counsel. He’d leased larger office space, taken on partners and associates, and unwilling to abandon the people in his hometown of Hawken’s Cove who counted on him, too, he’d maintained his practice here with one attorney covering when he wasn’t around.

After snapping at every paralegal and associate who’d dragged themselves into the office on a Saturday, he knew he’d be no good to anyone and took off to visit his friends in his old hometown. Ty and Lacey had returned for the weekend to visit Ty’s mother and their timing couldn’t be better.

A quick phone call and they agreed to meet at their old hangout, Night Owl’s. He paused at the bar, ordered a beer and carried it over to the table where his friends sat eating dinner. He’d already filled Ty in on Molly’s sudden resurrection in his life. Hunter was certain Lacey knew by default, so there was no need for explanation as he pulled up a chair and joined them.

Ty eyed the bottle in Hunter’s hand and frowned. “Beer not vodka.”

“Your point?” Hunter asked.

Ty shrugged. “You already know.”

Hunter answered by taking a swig from the bottle.

Hunter had refined his tastes soon after putting himself through college then law school, straightening out his life. He’d taken to dressing more like an attorney and drinking name-brand vodka instead of cheap brew. But that was back when Hunter cared what people thought. Before he’d learned appearances meant little and he’d always be the same kid who’d gone through a revolving door of foster homes on the wrong side of the tracks. The guy nobody thought would amount to a damn thing. Since his breakup with Molly, if he could call it that, he’d reverted to his old ways.

“Hard living and harder drinking,” Lacey said, shaking her head, her disappointment and concern clear. “I thought you’d get this need to self-destruct out of your system by now. Do you know how worried we’ve been about you?” Lacey reached across the table and placed her hand over his. “Ty, tell him.”

The other man merely shrugged. “I’m not worried. I just think you’re an ass and you need to get your life in order. No woman’s worth-ouch!” he muttered as his wife elbowed him in the ribs.

“You know what I mean,” Ty said, placing an arm around Lacey’s shoulders and kissing her on the cheek before turning back to Hunter. “You’ve been burying yourself in work and women to forget Molly and it hasn’t helped. Now she’s back and she needs your expertise. That’s two things you can’t resist, so-”

“She dumped me and disappeared for almost a year. Not one word-”

“I’ve heard from her,” Lacey reminded him.

He cleared his throat. “Like I said, I haven’t heard from her until now when she needs my help, pro bono I might add, and she calls on me. Hunter, the sucker. Hunter, the one who can’t resist her. Uh-uh. No way, no how. I am not helping her.” He slammed the empty bottle onto the table for emphasis.

“Pro bono is what you do,” Lacey said in her sweetest, most cajoling voice.

Best friend or not, he was going to strangle her, Hunter thought.

“Besides, you owe Molly,” Lacey said.

“I what? ” Hunter hit the side of his head with his palm to clear his hearing.

“You owe her. Last year when everything went down, I thought Uncle Marc was the one who wanted me dead so he could claim my trust fund. And instead of taking Molly’s side, you backed me up. So you owe her, Hunter, you really do.”