Bidding Wars (Love Strikes)(24)

The only way to know what was going on it her head was to ask. Her mind worked overtime most of the time, and he couldn’t understand why. Then again, she wouldn’t be the woman he was falling in love with if she wasn’t who she was.

He dialed her and waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. He left a voicemail for her to call him back. He then thought maybe sending her a text was the best way to get through to her.

I don’t care about the house. I care about you. Call me.





Chapter Eighteen





Monday morning, Luke sat at his desk with a mix of emotions. Frustration and sadness were two of them.

He’d called her once more on Saturday and texted several times. But she never responded. He tried to understand why she was upset, but he couldn’t. The woman was getting her dream home. Sure, she had her heart set on them going head-to-head again, but it wasn’t his fault the seller declined her request. So why was she taking it out on him?

Several times over the weekend he had debated packing Sammy up and going over there, but he hadn’t yet told Sammy about him and Molly. The kid had an idea, and Luke didn’t hide his feelings, but until he knew for sure what he and Molly were, he wasn’t confirming anything to his son. And it didn’t look as though he was going to be able to stop by anytime this week either to see where her head was at. Leslie sent him a text on Sunday an hour before Sammy was due home stating that she’d be out of town all week and he needed to keep their son.

Leslie hadn’t called once over the weekend either. He didn’t care, but his son did. Sammy asked about her frequently, wanting to know when he was going back to his mom. Sammy had cried himself to sleep on Saturday night because he missed her. When Luke told him he was staying longer, Sammy didn’t object, but he could tell it hurt. Sammy wasn’t seeing a lot of his mother these days, even when he was with her full time.

Luke sent Leslie a text message letting her know they needed to talk about their son and his living arrangements. At the moment, he wasn’t sure if she really cared. Perhaps last week while her son was away, she realized how much more she liked her life without him. She always said that having Sammy tied her down. Maybe the strings had been cut and she felt free.

There was a knock at the door. Luke looked up to see Annie standing there with a somber look.

“What’s up?”

“Did you hear the news over the walkie-talkie?”

“No, I was caught up in work, why?” A gut feeling hit him.

“There was an accident on Elm Street, sir.”

Elm Street…Molly worked on that road.

“Is it Molly?”

Annie shook her head. “No fatalities, but your ex was involved in it.”

“Leslie?” He stood up. Wasn’t she out of town? “Is she OK?”

“Should be. I talked to Officer Smith, and he said she was being taken to the ER for precaution.”

Relief swept through him. “Thank God.”

“But sir, there is more.”

More?

“She was driving drunk.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?”

“After she checks out, they’ll be bringing her down to the station for booking.”

He sat down and raked his hands though his hair. His ex-wife was being charged with a DUI. He pounded his hand on the desk. “Was anyone else hurt in the accident? Did she hit someone?”

“She and the man in the car were the only ones hurt. She didn’t hit another vehicle, she hit an electric pole.”

“Thank God no one else was hurt by her stupidity.”

“You know you have to remove yourself from this case.”

“I’d love nothing more than to be the one to cuff her ass and toss her—and her bozo boyfriend—behind bars.”

“I know, sir. Keep your distance, though.”

He didn’t know why he was shocked. Should he really be that surprised that Leslie would do something like this? He knew she was drinking a lot, and probably more than usual without Sammy there, but she knew better than to get behind the wheel. Or at least he thought she did. Looking up at the ceiling, he thanked his lucky stars he had Sammy. He couldn’t imagine how he would feel right now if he didn’t. She was not getting his son back. He needed to contact his lawyer and see how soon they could schedule a hearing. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Sammy because of her recklessness.

“Even if I’m not on the case, I still plan to stop by and give her a piece of my mind.”

“Once she’s behind bars, you’re welcome to. But until then.” Annie gave him a stern eye.

“I know. You don’t have to keep telling me.”

“Are you sure? You’re a very stubborn man.”

He smiled. She had that right.

Almost two hours later, he saw Officer Smith and Officer Rogers drag in Leslie and her boyfriend. Leslie was sobbing and looked panicked. He hoped he was the cause of some of the panic she felt walking into his station, after what she’d done. Even though he couldn’t go over there as they were being fingerprinted, he stepped out of his office and leaned against the wall.

Leslie saw him and called out to him for help. He let her holler for a moment before he shook his head, went into his office, and shut the door. She disgusted him.



* * *





Molly entered her home, taking in a deep breath. It had been a long day, and it was only the second day of training. The new nurse was catching on, but having to explain everything was difficult. She forgot about all the basic things that were like a second nature to her. It was almost a refresher course for herself as well.

The upside, however, was that she got off every day by three. After she cleaned up, she’d grab the boxes in the back of her trunk and start packing. She knew it’d take her no time at all, but with this week being a little less hectic of a schedule, she thought it best to get a majority of the packing done now.

The appraisal occurred that morning, and Gail said she thought she could get the home closed in two weeks. Two weeks! Molly couldn’t believe it was all happening so fast. They were fast-tracking it because of the sellers. Their loan was moving smoothly and on schedule, unlike hers, which she’d held up by throwing a monkey wrench in the process.

Molly needed to call Luke. She’d been avoiding it. He’d sent her several texts over the weekend, expressing how he felt. He repeatedly let her know he didn’t care about the house. But Molly was the one who couldn’t move past it. How could she continue to see him after she moved in? It would be awkward. Each time he came over, would he be thinking about how this could’ve been his home? If things got messy between them and they broke up, he’d hate himself for letting her have the home. But then, she thought, what if things worked out for them? Could they both live happily ever after on Maple Street? That was the scenario she’d prefer, but there was no guaranteeing it.

Her cell phone rang, and she hesitated looking to see who it was. She sighed with relief when she saw Sandy’s name. “Hey, girl. You caught me before I was about to hop in the shower.”

“Ah, well I have some news for you.”

“Give it to me.”

“Remember yesterday there was that nasty accident a block from us on our street?”

“Yeah, someone said two drunks hit a power pole and knocked out the power for half a day.”

“I found out who was driving. You’re going to be shocked.”

“Who?” Her curiosity was piqued.

“Does the name Leslie Logan ring a bell?”

No. She had to be hearing her friend wrong. “You’re not serious.”

“I am. Rumor has it she begged to be brought to a different police station than the one your man runs.”

“Do you blame her?” Molly couldn’t imagine what Luke was going through right now. She wanted to help him, comfort him, let him talk to her.

“I thought I’d pass the info on in case…you know.”

“Yeah, thanks. However, I doubt he really wants me around right now. He probably has a mess on his hands and a son to explain it all to.”

Her friend let out a loud groan. “Oh, please. You’re wrong. One of these days you’ll stop punishing yourself for every little thing and finally get everything you desire.”

“Hey, that’s not fair.”

“I’ve listened to you complain since the moment you and Steven started having problems conceiving. You’ve been living in a poor-me bubble. And frankly, it’s time to pop that bubble and start living.”

Molly’s mouth dropped open. She needed to take a few moments to compose herself. “I need to take a shower. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And she hung up.

Laying the phone down on the counter, she wondered how much truth was behind what her friend had said. Had she really been having a pity party all this time and expected everyone to lift her up?