Chapter 31 – Molly
To everyone else in the world, today was Valentine’s Day, but to me, it was my due date.
After some solid convincing, Liam managed to get me off the couch—my perching spot for the last few weeks—because at this point in my pregnancy, doing even something as simple as walking was hell.
But he said he’d made a reservation at one of my favorite restaurants in Great Falls.
Snow had recently fallen too, covering everything in a beautiful blanket of white.
As long as we weren’t doing anything like hiking or dog sledding, I could manage a couple of hours out of the house without being in excruciating pain afterward.
Before leaving the bedroom, I pulled on my comfiest pregnancy leggings and an oversized turtleneck sweater that hit at my upper thighs. Liam was standing at the kitchen island, watching me waddle over as fast as I could—which was turtle-speed slow.
I held my belly and turned around carefully. “I’m sure you’d rather me be walking out here right now in some kind of sexy lingerie since it’s Valentine’s Day,” I said, laughing. “But nothing fits me right now, so here I am. Take it or leave it.”
“You’re the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he said. “Holding our son in your belly, your body preparing to bring him into the world at any moment. That’s better than any lingerie on the market, if you ask me.”
The way he gazed down at me made me believe he meant every word.
“I’ve heard sex helps stimulate contractions,” Liam said, as if his suggestion were purely to help me and had nothing to do with his own needs.
“You have to eat your dinner before you get your dessert,” I teased, grabbing his shirt and pulling him into me.
“Then we better get this show on the road before my dessert changes its mind,” he said, glancing up at the clock.
As I grabbed my purse and walked toward the front door, Liam slapped my ass.
“Calm down, feisty,” I said as we headed outside.
“Why would I, when I have this beautiful woman walking in front of me?” he said. “Seems like a waste to pass up the chance to touch these beautiful curves.”
He opened the passenger door of his Jeep, using one of his hands to help me leverage myself into the SUV. He made sure I was all the way in before closing the door, then made his way around the front and into the driver’s seat.
“Our reservation is for six o’clock, so we should make it there right on time.”
As Liam drove down the highway from Silver Creek to Great Falls, snow started to fall again.
The restaurant Liam had picked was downtown, and it felt like a scene straight out of a movie.
Edison bulb string lights stretched from one side of the road to the other as large snowflakes shimmered in the soft glow, the full moon adding to the ambiance.
We made our way through the double doors leading into the restaurant.
“Good evening,” the hostess said, looking over at Liam. “What name is your reservation under?”
“Carson.”
She slid her finger down the list, scanning the names. “Yes, I see it right here. Two for Carson,” she said. “Right this way.”
She led us to a small table in the back of the main dining room. The restaurant was very nice, with the lights turned down low and a small candle burning at the center of each table. The perfect place to take someone on Valentine’s Day.
Liam pulled my chair out, making sure I was comfortable before taking his seat.
I opened the black menu, scanning the dinner options. “What are you thinking about getting?” I asked as Liam did the same.
“I’m thinking about a steak. What about you?”
“A steak sounds good, but I think I might do the shrimp scampi.”
“That sounds like a good choice too.”
As we made our final decisions, the waitress approached our table.
“Good evening. In case you didn’t see it when you walked in, our special tonight is the ribeye with roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, and your choice of dessert.
I can take your order now if you’re ready, or I can give you more time if you need it. ”
“I think we’re ready now,” Liam said, handing her our menus.
She took our order, then moved on to her next table.
“The doctor said if the baby doesn’t come on his own by Sunday, they’re going to induce me the following week,” I said, thinking back to the appointment I had yesterday.
By every measure, the baby was happy and healthy—a bun in the oven, cooked to perfection.
Now he just needed to decide when he was ready to come out.
My hope was that his time would come sooner rather than later.
My OB-GYN had walked me through every step of delivery, but I was still a little anxious about actually giving birth.
“Whatever happens, I’ll be there every step of the way,” Liam said, reaching across the table and cupping my hand in his. His ability to read my emotions was superb.
I scanned the room, searching for the entrance to the bathrooms. “I’ve got to use the restroom,” I said, the sudden urge to pee hitting me like a freight train—my new normal for the last couple of months.
From the look on his face, Liam didn’t want me going to the bathroom alone. Not with my stalker—or whatever all these idiots were—still on the loose after all this time. But it wasn’t like one of them could follow me into the women’s restroom without getting some serious sideways glances.
“I’ll be fine,” I said before he even had the chance to object. “It’s the bathroom. No one here is out to get me,” I added, glancing around at all the normal couples trying to enjoy a nice dinner.
“Five minutes. Anything more than that and I’m coming in there. Got it?”
“Got it,” I said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before making my way down the small hallway that led to the bathrooms.
The bathrooms at this place were as nice as the rest of it.
Dark green tile stretched all the way up the walls, and golden lights hidden behind the large mirrors reflected softly off the tile.
Except for the tile, everything was finished in shades of gold—the sinks, the faucets, the door handles, all of it.
I peeked under the first stall, making sure it was empty before opening the door. They were all empty. As I stepped into one of the single-person stalls, someone entered the bathroom.
I glanced over instinctively, expecting to see one of the women who’d been eating dinner with her date. What I saw instead made my face go pale.
It was a guy dressed just like the one that Liam had killed that day in my bakery.
The moment his eyes locked onto mine, he charged at me.
I tried to run, but there was nowhere to go.
I was cornered. As soon as I started to yell, he grabbed me and pressed a cloth over my mouth.
It was wet, like it had been soaked in something.
Whatever was on it made the room turn hazy and jagged.
My body went limp, like I no longer had control over it. I fought to keep my eyes open, to keep moving… But no matter how loudly my brain screamed fight, my body refused to cooperate.
The last thing I remembered was being dragged out of the bathroom, through the back door at the end of the hallway, and into the dark, snowy night.
Liam
I glanced at my watch. Five minutes, ten seconds. Maybe Molly thought I was joking, but I absolutely wasn’t. Her time was up. At the very least, I’d go to the door to check on her.
I made my way to the women’s restroom. An older woman walked out, eyeing me strangely.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I just need to check on my date. She’s pregnant, and she’s been in there a while.”
The woman looked even more confused. “Uh—there’s no one in there.”
“What do you mean there’s no one in there?”
“Honey, all the stalls are wide open. I was the only one in there the whole time,” she explained.
I slammed the door open and rushed inside.
She was right. There wasn’t a single person in the restroom.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, dialing Jace.
“Hello?”
“She’s gone.”