you.â
âI donât have time for interviews right now, Mols. Canât you handle her?â
âNope. She only wants to talk to you.â Molly raised her eyebrows. âExposure is money, Ethan. The Globeâ s got serious reach and cred. Thatâs a lot of potential donors you could be reaching.â
âI know. I know. Youâre right.â
âOoh! Can you say that againâbut wait till I press record.â Molly dug in her bag and came out with her phone, pointing it playfully at Ethan.
âIâll talk to the reporter. Just not this week. Letâs see how things go with Andy.â
Molly dropped her phone back in her bag and closed the manila folder on her lap. âHeard from Josie yet?â
Ethan swallowed hard. âYe-es. I have.â
Molly slid the folder into her bag, her eyes going wide. âHave you actually seen her?â
âShe stopped by last night.â
âOh. Wow. Here?â
Ethan nodded. âHere.â
âHow ⦠was it?â
âStrange. Very strange.â
âHowâd she look?â Molly squinted her eyes and pulled down her cheeks. âMyopic? Droopy? Has she aged terribly?â
âSorry. None of the above. She just looked like Josie. Just all grown up.â
Right.
Molly paused to study his face. âHuh. Well, does all-grown-up Josie plan to come back here today?â
âNo.â Ethan cleared his throat as he shifted some papers on his desk. âNo, she wonât be back. It was just a courtesy visit. Diana sent her over.â
âI canât even imagine.â Molly studied his face. âYou okay?â
âYeah. Fine. Good.â He tried to summon up his best fake smile, but this was Molly. She saw through him in a second.
âBe careful.â She put up her index finger. âDo not be stupid.â
âI have no intention of being stupid. And thank you for your support.â
âShut up, Ethan. You know how this could go.â
He raised his eyebrows. âDo I?â
Molly tipped her head back on the chair, sighing. âYes, you do. Princess Josie waltzes in here after fleeing in the dead of night ten years ago, and youâre a man, and sheâs a woman, and way back when, you were in love. Bam.â
âBam?â He couldnât help but chuckle. âThatâs it?â
She shook her head as she stood up. âJust be careful, okay? Puh-leeze tell me youâll be careful.â
âYes, Mom. Iâll be careful.â
Ethan bit the inside of his cheek to try to stop from picturing Josie as sheâd been yesterday, all flushed and uncomfortable and so damn gorgeous. Yeah, he hated what sheâd done ten years ago. And yeah, he hated what heâd become after sheâd left.
But damn, heâd never quite gotten around to being able to hate her.
Mollyâs voice broke into his thoughts. âI wonder if sheâll come around to see me while sheâs here? Yâknow, to mend fences and all that.â
âI imagine she has a little more on her mind than mending fences with any of us, Mols.â He shook his head. âBut maybe sheâll pop into Bellinis for a burger before she takes off again. You never know.â
Molly laughed, low and brittle. âIâm pretty sure thatâs the last place sheâll choose to hang out while sheâs here. Well, next to Averyâs House, that is.â
She looked at him, unblinking. âI mean, that is going to be one hell of a surprise, donât you think?â
Â
Chapter 6
An hour later, Ethan looked at the check heâd just written, then shook his head and put it through the shredder. Since Mollyâd left, heâd had the attention span of a gnat. That was the second check heâd screwed up in the span of as many minutes. A year ago heâd finally gotten Andy to agree to an electronic payroll system, but the boss still insisted on