Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bobby
With Molly by my side—and my brothers still at the hospital—we head to my parents’ house. I show her my room, the pictures on the staircase wall that showcase my terrible haircuts over the years, my hockey trophies, and then the shade tree in the backyard where all five of us boys carved our initials.
Seeing my childhood home through Molly’s eyes reminds me that there’s been a lot of good that’s come out of this house too. The Rhodes boys are far from perfect, but there’s love underneath all the immaturity. Maybe with a little more therapy, I can tap into the love and not just the immaturity.
I call the hospital again and they inform me that Mom’s staying overnight for more tests to be sure she’s stable, and that visiting hours have ended. I figure Dad and my brothers will be home soon, so I take Molly to the nicest hotel in town. It’s still not much, but I get us a room on the top floor and breathe a sigh of relief knowing we don’t have to stay at the house with my brothers.
Molly sinks onto the fluffy comforter and swings her legs up to lay down. Today’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but there’s nothing I want more in this moment than to show this incredible woman how much I love her. Hearing her fight for me, for us, was everything I needed to get my doubts to shut the fuck up.
I slip into the bathroom and lay a mat down on the floor, then kneel to run the hot water. Soon, the bathtub is nearly full, so I dump in the entire travel bottle of bubble bath the hotel provided and turn off the water. The scent of lavender and something woodsy fills the bathroom. Standing back up, I head into the bedroom and see Molly thumbing out a text.
“Everything okay?”
She puts her phone down and smiles up at me. “Yeah. Just checking in with Matty. He had his second therapy appointment today.”
“How did it go?”
“He said the counselor is easy to talk to, so that’s a good start, right?” She shrugs and I nod in reassurance. “Anyway, he told me he’s studying right now and I am going to trust that isn’t a lie.”
I reach down and slip her boots off her feet, tossing them behind me. “You being a good mom is incredibly sexy, Molly.”
Her grin turns to a smirk. “You should see me yelling at him when he’s about to miss the bus.”
“You being a realtor and prancing around in your heels and pencil skirts is incredibly sexy.” I unzip her jeans and peel them off her legs.
“What else?” Her breathing has picked up and I’m sure she expects a few of those orgasms I always deliver. But first, I want her to relax.
I reach behind her and pull her up into a seated position so I can unbutton the blouse behind her neck and peel it over her head. Her bra is a lacy black material, matching her panties and designed to drive a man insane. Fuck. Maybe we could skip the bath? I mentally give myself a smack across the face. Focus, Rhodes.
“I think you coming between me and my brother today was incredibly brave and most definitely sexy as hell.” I reach around and unclasp her bra, letting it fall from her shoulders. I can’t help but cup her breasts in my hands, feeling their weight and watching her nipples pucker under my gaze. But I force myself to release her, pulling her to the side of the bed so I can strip her panties down her legs.
She lets out a yelp as I swing her up into my arms and carry her across the carpeted bedroom. “What are you doing?”
“Bubble bath for you, Ms. Sparks. You’ve worked hard controlling this idiot.” I shoot her a lopsided grin. Molly kisses me and we stop right there in the bathroom for a long moment with her in my arms and our lips locked. Reluctantly, I pull back and set her on her feet in the tub. She sighs and sinks down under the bubbles.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever drawn me a bath. Not since I was a toddler.” Molly leans her head back against the porcelain and closes her eyes, lost in bliss.
My heart aches, knowing she’s been fending for herself for far too long. I make a promise to myself: I’m going to spoil the hell out of her. I’m going to turn all that energy I spent being an idiot and funnel it into making her life easier. Seems like drawing my woman a bubble bath is a better use of my time than punching my brother in the face. Way easier on my knuckles too.
I slip out of the bathroom and get ready for bed. Coach has texted me, so I update him on my mom. He isn’t pressuring me to get back, but I know we have a game the day after tomorrow. I just need to go see Mom again in the morning to know she’s on the mend and to formally apologize for being stupid. I also want to introduce her to Molly. She’s going to love her, I just know it.
A good half hour later I hear water splashing so I go into the bathroom to dry off every inch of Molly’s skin before she can get her own towel. She giggles when I get to her belly and gets that hazy-eyed look when I give her breasts plenty of attention. When she’s fully dry and has tried to stifle a yawn for the third time, I get her back in my arms and deposit her under the covers.
I climb in behind her and pull her in close, tucking her head between my chest and arm. My hand glides across her hip and stays there. Despite how badly I want to slide between her legs and hear her chant my name as she comes undone, I force my hand to rest. She’d let me, I know, but more than sexual release so good it makes my eyes roll back in my head, I want her happy and content.
“I love you,” I whisper into her hair. It hits me that I almost lost her today. Lost this. Lost us. My eyes slide shut as I will away the emotion. I refuse to let that happen again. Molly’s mine. Forever, if she’ll have me.
She reaches up to the arm that’s cushioning her head and intertwines her fingers with mine. “I love you too.”
We fall asleep that way, only waking once around two in the morning. Molly’s eyes are open, staring up at the ceiling.
“Can’t sleep?” My voice is barely an audible scratch.
She shakes her head. “That stupid 2:36am. It’s my nemesis.”
I grunt and slide beneath the covers, rolling over her leg until my face is above her pretty pussy. Sadly, I can’t see her and I contemplate turning on the light, but my whole focus is on making her sleep. Dark it is.
My left hand snakes up her torso to cup her breast. “Bobby,” she breathes, already squirming under me.
I spread her open with my right hand and dive in, leaving not one inch of her unexplored with my tongue. Since it’s the middle of the night, I get serious, zeroing in on her clit and pumping two fingers inside her tight heat. Molly says my name again, but it’s muffled, like she’s buried her face in the pillow. I grin against her flesh and flick my tongue with reckless abandon until she goes stiff beneath me with a loud bark of my name. Her limbs start to quake and then she relaxes every single muscle. I kiss her still, lapping up her taste and wondering if she’d let me do this every night around 2:36.
Eventually, I climb out from under the sheets and pull her into my arms again. It only takes a few seconds for Molly’s breathing to even out as she goes back to sleep. It takes me a little bit longer to make my dick realize it’s not happening for him right now and then I’m out like a light too.
The next morning, we head back to the hospital as soon as visiting hours start. My brothers are night owls, so I have a feeling we’ll get Mom all to ourselves. Molly starts acting nervous when we get to the hallway that leads to Mom’s room.
I spin her into the wall and press her into a kiss too hot for a hospital full of sick people. “She’ll love you just like I do.”
Molly bites her lip, looking up at me. “I hope not just like you do.” Her cheeks flare with color and I know she’s thinking of what I did under those sheets to put her back to sleep.
“I like it when you talk dirty, baby,” I whisper against her mouth, intent on saving that poor lip from her teeth.
A throat clearing behind me has us parting. I spin around to see a nurse in scrubs leaving Mom’s room. She’s biting back a smile. “Here for Sue? She’s sitting up and ready for visitors.”
“Thank you.” I take Molly’s hand and we enter the room. I poke my head behind the curtain to see Mom sitting up with a tray of food in front of her. Molly, being the genius I’ve fallen in love with, convinced me to stop and pick up Mom’s favorite pastries in town, informing me that hospital food sucks.
“Good morning, Mom,” I say quietly, not wanting to scare her.
Mom looks up, a ready smile on her thin face. “Oh! Bobby!” She holds up her arms and we hug.
Then I turn to Molly. “I want you to meet my girlfriend, Molly. Molly, this is my Mom, Sue Rhodes.”
Molly comes to the bedside and holds out her hand. Mom lifts her arms again, to which Molly smiles and gives her a hug. It’s a surreal moment to see my mother and my girlfriend hugging. I never envisioned this day happening.
“It’s so good to meet you, dear. Bobby has told me all about you. Sorry about how I look.” Mom swipes a hand through her hair. “They’re all fussing over a little heart murmur.”
“I think you look amazing. All the boys care about is you feeling better. In fact, we brought you some contraband to help you get out of here sooner.” Molly holds up the pastry bag so Mom can see it.
Mom gasps. “Oh, you’re now my favorite, Molly. Did you get the cinnamon rolls?”
“Of course we did. Got two of them, actually.” I wink at Mom, just happy to see some color back in her face. “Did the doctors confirm it’s a heart murmur?”
Mom lifts her nose in the air, a sure sign she’s about to lie. “Well, it was a heart murmur for sure.”
“Mom.” I fold my arms across my chest. I can feel Molly looking between us.
Mom sighs. “Fine. It was a heart murmur right before the heart attack.”
I take the pastry bag from Molly. “Maybe we should throw these away. I’ll talk with the team nutritionist and see if she has some suggestions for you.”
“Robert Rhodes, you’ll hand me that cinnamon roll if you know what’s good for you!” Mom turns to Molly when I don’t instantly hand over the goods. “Did I ever tell you about the time I caught him jacking off to an American Dolls catalog?”
“Mom!” To say I’m horrified is an understatement. Molly sputters a laugh that has heat climbing up the back of my neck. “You said we’d never speak about that.”
Mom rounds on me, plenty of energy in her now. “That was before you stole my cinnamon rolls out from under me!”
I shake my head, finally seeing my resilient mother back in action. I’m filled with such relief I hand over the pastry bag. “You’re lucky I love you.”
Mom holds my hand instead of ripping into the bag like I expected. “Yes, I am. I’m the most blessed mother on the planet to have you, Bobby. Santa granted my wish early by sending you out here to see me.”
Tears sting my eyes. Mom and I share a moment. I could have been ten, sitting there in the warmth of my mother’s love and feeling a level of comfort I haven’t felt in a long time.
“You’re going to be okay,” I whisper.
“Of course I am. Never doubt that.” And then she lets me go, reaching into the bag, and jamming a huge bite of dripping cinnamon roll into her mouth.
When she searches the bag for a napkin, she comes up empty but, of course, Molly pulls an entire stack from her purse.
We leave the hospital a half hour later, mostly so I don’t run into Dad and my brothers. I’m convinced Mom is in good spirits and I even got to chat with her doctor when she came around to check on Mom. The team’s nutritionist has already texted me back with several resources for what Mom needs to do to rehab from the heart attack. I have plans to place a few calls later today and get Mom into regular physical therapy visits and to schedule healthy meals to be delivered. I promise to come back and visit as soon as I have a stretch of off days, but she knows that doesn’t happen often in season.
We load up the car with our luggage from the hotel and still have two hours to kill before we head back to the airport. I look at Molly over the hood of the rental car.
“Do you mind if we stop somewhere special?”
“Anywhere.”
I take one wrong turn because they tore down the Dairy Queen and put in a Cook Out that throws me off. We eventually make it to the local ice rink where I practiced for hours each day growing up. I sign shirts, skates, and random pieces of paper for the kids just finishing practice. Here, I’m not a screw up, just a local boy who made it big. Frank, the owner who’s been here since I was in middle school, has lost more hair and grown his belly a bit more.
“You two have time to skate?”
I look at Molly. “Want to take a spin?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not very good on skates.”
Sliding my arm around her waist, I tuck her into me. “You’ve got a professional skater right here, baby.”
Molly doesn’t look so sure, but she gives me a nod. I help her with her skates and hold her hand as we step out onto the ice. She wobbles, but I stay by her side the whole time. This isn’t about me. This is about introducing Molly to my life, my past, my future. I want her to know every part of me, even the not-so-nice parts.
When I feel like she’s had enough, I take in her pink cheeks, bright smile, hair gone curly at her temples as strands escape the ponytail, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful woman. I let her glide right into my body and put my hands on her hips to absorb the impact.
“Oof!” Molly laughs. “I don’t think I know how to brake yet.”
I shake my head, thinking I don’t know how to put the brakes on how I feel about her either. I’m head over skates in love with this woman. Somehow, I need to do everything in my power to be who she needs in her life so she’ll keep me. Because from where I’m standing, I’m getting way more out of this than she is.
“I don’t either,” I mutter, making her frown with confusion. And then I kiss her, hot enough to melt the ice.