Still, Hunter had been careful. He never promised Seth no punishment or repercussions. In fact, Hunter had assured the boy he’d pay for this mistake for the rest of his life, in the one place that it counted. In his heart. But Hunter had also explained that eventually Seth would grow stronger and overcome the pain, heartache and guilt. And he’d do it all with his family’s support and forgiveness.
Seth found proof of Hunter’s words here at home. After the shock and the disbelief of Seth’s confession subsided, both families not only forgave him but rallied around him in a show of support.
Hunter had work ahead of him on Seth’s behalf. The first order of business would be to deal with the district attorney prior to Seth’s confession. Once Seth officially confessed, the charges against the general would be dismissed. Seth would be arraigned and with any luck, a deal could be reached on the teenager’s behalf. Of course, Sonya, Seth and the general would have to testify to Paul Markham’s abuse, but Hunter doubted that would be an issue.
And once the deal was cut, Hunter could wrap things up long-distance. He’d come here determined to win Molly’s father’s case and free himself from her at the same time. He’d been so sure he could get her out of his system and then be the one to walk away. He didn’t miss the irony. He was walking away but it wasn’t part of any agenda or desire for revenge.
He was leaving Molly because she’d given him no choice. And he felt absolutely no satisfaction in moving on.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A WEEK AFTER Seth’s admission to his family, things had begun to settle down. Just as Hunter hoped, the murder charges against Molly’s father had been dismissed. Seth had confessed and been processed. They lived in a small town with few secrets, and the police had no trouble believing that Paul’s dark personality had turned even darker at home. And since Seth had been able to tell the authorities where he’d tossed the gun, they found the missing weapon after a long, drawn-out search of the garbage dump.
Hunter’s job was done and he was no longer needed in Connecticut. Which was why, when the family decided to celebrate, Hunter remained in the office that had been his bedroom for the last few weeks and packed up his belongings. He’d been invited but he’d decided he had to start pulling away.
He wasn’t a part of the family, therefore he shouldn’t be part of their get-together. It should have been simple. It was anything but.
With past clients, he found it all in a day’s work to walk away when the case ended. But Hunter had bonded with everyone here and not simply because he’d lived with them.
These people had gotten to him. They’d opened their home and their hearts. They’d trusted him unconditionally. And he could tell, from the eccentric commander whose current hair color was a gothic black, to Jessie, whose mood swings he couldn’t keep up with, that they genuinely liked him, too.
And then there was Molly. He’d been avoiding thinking about her all morning because he didn’t want to imagine saying goodbye. He’d come here with the intent of getting her out of his system and walking away yet now that he was about to accomplish his goal, the thought of leaving her turned his stomach.
But he had a career and a life of sorts waiting for him back home-and no way of knowing if Molly could make the changes she needed to move forward with her life. And he couldn’t possibly trust her with his heart until he knew for sure she’d confronted her demons and stood on her own.
A knock sounded at the door, interrupting his rationalizing. “Come in,” he called.
Molly stepped inside and shut the door behind her. “You’re missing the gathering,” she said, obviously eager for him to join them.
He inclined his head. “I’ll stop by the party in a few minutes.”
“Not a party. Nobody feels right saying we’re having a family party given the circumstances. But they still wanted to be together.”
She tightened the belt on her cream-colored dress and rocked back and forth on simple black ballet flats. All in all she looked appealing.
Too appealing.
“You know you’re part of the family, don’t you?” Molly asked.
“Come on. You know I’m just the hired gun,” he said, not quite pulling off the joke.
She shook her head. “After all we’ve been through? You’re like family.” She swept her arm around her, an expansive gesture meant to include Hunter with the people in the other room.
Her gaze settled on his open duffel bag on the couch, stuffed full with his clothes and things. The shock and hurt in her eyes was obvious.
And he was about to hurt her even more. “I represent people charged with serious crimes all the time and when I get them off, they’re always grateful. That doesn’t make me like family. ”
She winced. “I thought we’d taken a step forward.”
“We have.” He strode toward her until they stood so close her fragrance enveloped him. Until he wanted her so badly he could barely think. “We’re friends.”
She wasn’t ready for anything more. And he wasn’t up to explaining why yet again. He’d already told her she hadn’t made peace with her past, as much as she believed otherwise. She hadn’t confronted her mother, she hadn’t pulled her real clothes out of the closet and tested her family’s love by being Molly. And she was still living in her father’s house with a half-assed job that barely touched on her abilities.
Which left him exactly where he had been when he started this case.
Alone.
Molly blinked and stared at Hunter. His words stunned her into silence. She just couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She paused, licked her lips and drew a long, deep breath. He was leaving. She should have expected it, after all he didn’t live here, but she was stunned just the same. His casually tossed words didn’t help her make any more sense of the moment.
“Friends,” she whispered. Was that all they were?
“I’ve done my job here,” he said, touching her cheek. “Your father’s free, Seth soon will be. You have your family together. It’s everything you ever wanted.” His voice was low, gruff as he turned away. He walked to the couch and zipped the top of his duffel closed. “I’m ready to go join the others. Are you coming with me?”
She nodded, her throat too full to speak.
On the surface, his statement was right on. Her family was everything she had ever wanted. But as she walked with Hunter to the next room, Molly couldn’t ignore the contradiction.
Her father was free, her family was together, she should be full to bursting with love and emotion, yet she felt completely hollow instead.
FRANK LOOKED around the room at his family, taking in his mother, his smart, wise college-age daughter, his feisty youngest and his newly found firstborn, then the woman he loved and the boy he adored like a son.
The general lifted his glass, which he’d filled with ginger ale. “A toast,” he said.
Everyone quieted down at the sound of his voice.
“To family. My family, which includes every person in this room. We looked out for each other in good times and bad. We’ve seen one another through the worst of times and we’re going to come out the other side.”
“Hear, hear,” the commander said, tipping her glass against his.
He met Sonya’s warm, grateful gaze. Last night she’d told him she was amazed he didn’t harbor any anger against Seth for letting him take the blame for a murder he didn’t commit.
But Seth was his child. Not by blood but by everything else that counted.