A Boyfriend's Secret - Chapter one

A BOYFRIEND'S SECRET 

Chapter 1

Making her way over to the front window, Stacey weaved around the pile of boxes stacked in the middle of the living room and peeked outside, careful not to be seen. “I think someone is moving in next door to Audrey?” she whispered, still peeking through the edge of the curtain.

“Why are you whispering?” Molly asked, sitting on the floor, taping another box together. “And why do you think that?”

“Because there’s a white moving van parked outside,” Stacey said, continuing to play the snoopy neighbor. “That didn’t take long. The couple that lived there before only moved out last week. It’s a pity we didn’t get to know them.”

“Well, they were pretty private. I never saw them have company or go anywhere.” Molly looked up from where she sat on the floor, the half-taped box resting on her crossed legs. “I wonder where they’ve moved to?”

Stacey finally turned to face her, slipping her hands into the pockets of her white bathrobe. “I’d like to know who’s moving in. I hope it’s not a family with noisy kids.” She glanced out the window again. “I think that place is a two-bedroom, two-bath. It’s definitely bigger than ours.”

Molly smirked. “Correction. Your place. After today, this will be your place.”

Stacey slumped into the couch and frowned. “Don’t remind me. I’m going to miss you when you’re gone, and this place will feel huge without you.”

Molly laughed. “Huge? This place is tiny. I’m surprised we didn’t kill each other over the past six months, and how you’ve managed to sleep on that couch all that time is beyond me. Now you get to sleep in a real bed, and so can Henry.” She glanced around the room and under the coffee table. “Where is that little bugger anyway?”

“He’s lying on the kitchen floor waiting for his breakfast, just like every morning, the moment he knows I’m awake.”

Molly smiled, set down the box she was taping, and stood. Crossing the room, she sat beside Stacey on the couch. “Are you going to be okay? I don’t want to worry about you.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’ll just take some getting used to, living by myself, and it’s going to be so quiet around here without you.”

“You lived by yourself in Texas and were fine, and as far as it being quiet… are you saying I’ve been a noisy roommate and sister?” Molly teased.

“No, silly. But I’ll miss our morning coffee, sitting at the bistro table, and talking about our plans for the day. I’ll also miss our movie nights.”

“I’m only moving across town to Gus’s place. I’ll be five minutes away; you can come by anytime you want, and, I promise, I’ll come visit. We can still sit at the bistro table and have a nice chat over coffee.”

“Please don’t forget me,” Stacey said, half teasing, half serious. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for you and Gus; I knew it was bound to happen. He really loves you. I can tell just by the way he looks at you.” She chuckled and leaned back onto the couch. “Funny, I always thought I’d be the first one to find someone. You were so against dating while we were looking for our mom, Caroline, then boom! Gus literally fell into your lap while we were line dancing! I wish I could be that lucky.”

Molly reached over and patted her knee. “Your turn will come. They say it happens when you least expect it, and I wasn’t when I met Gus, so quit looking and it’ll happen!”

Stacey sighed. “You’re right; I’m being selfish. This is an exciting time for you. Enough about me and my woes. Henry and I’ll be just fine, and, like you said, you’re only five minutes away.” She glanced at the kitchen clock. “What time is Gus coming over with his truck? My first appointment isn’t until noon, so don’t worry about me having to work while you’re loading up.”

Molly stood and returned to her box, picking up the roll of tape. “He said he’d be here around ten. And you’re working? On a Sunday?”

Stacey nodded. “Yep. Being self-employed, I don’t have fixed hours like you do at the bookstore. But eventually I hope to take Sundays off.”

“I’m sure it’ll happen soon. Hey, are you going to move your office into the bedroom, like you mentioned? Your web design business is going so well you’ll probably need the space.”

Stacey shook her head. “No, I thought about it, but when I have clients over, I don’t want to discuss business in my bedroom.”

Molly nodded. “You have a point. That would be kind of weird.”

Stacey pointed to the chair across the room. “I thought about moving that chair into the bedroom and using the entire wall for my desk and file cabinets and maybe use the couch as a divider.”

“I think that’s a brilliant idea. Do you want Gus to help move things around while he’s here?”

“Nah, I can manage, but thanks. I’m still thinking about it.” She quickly changed the subject. “Do you think you and Gus will get married?”

Molly froze mid-motion and looked up. “What? We’ve only been dating a little over four months!”

“Yes, and you’re already moving in with him. The next step is usually marriage, then kids,” Stacey grinned. “Oh, that would be amazing. I’d be an aunt,” she said, clasping her hands up to her heart.

“Hey, slow down. I can assure you that there’s been no talk of marriage, or kids, for that matter.  We just want to enjoy each other at the moment.”

“Well, when you do, I want to babysit as much as I can.” She paused and thought for a moment. “Shoot, Caroline would be a grandmother, and little Emma would be an aunt, and she’s only six,” Stacey laughed.

Molly shook her head, smiling, then softened. “You know, six months ago we drove all the way from Texas to find our real mother, and we did. We started a new life, not knowing what was ahead.”

At the same time, almost without thinking, they both reached for the gold heart necklaces around their necks, rubbing the smooth metal between their fingers.

“I had my doubts that things would work out so well,” Molly confessed. “I’ll never forget our first Christmas as a family at Caroline’s house with Emma, and, of course, my love, Gus.”

Stacey lifted the heart to her lips and kissed it gently. “I’m never taking this off; it means too much. She even had them engraved To My Daughter on the back of each one.”

“Me neither. It was the perfect Christmas,” Molly agreed, glancing at the framed photo on Stacey’s desk of Caroline with her three daughters, Emma sitting on her lap with herself and Stacey standing behind her. It was a picture Gus took on Christmas Day, and he’d made each of them a copy. Molly returned her gaze to Stacey. “It’s kind of ironic, don’t you think – we gave her a necklace, too. A silver one that says Mom inside the heart. She said she’d never take it off either.”

Stacey smiled. “As much as I love her, I still have a hard time calling her mom. I’ve called my adoptive mom that my whole life. It feels strange sometimes. I’ve noticed you don’t always call her mom, either.”

“You’re right; I don’t, for the same reasons as you. It’s all still new, and I think it’ll just take time.” Thinking back on everything, Molly added, “I remember sitting in my apartment in Texas before we left, wishing I could fast-forward a year just to see how things turned out. And now, here we are… I’m moving in with Gus, and your business has grown so much that you can afford this place on your own. I wonder what the next six months will bring?”

Stacey tossed her head back and laughed. “I don’t think anything can top the last six months. We found our mom, discovered we were sisters, and gained a half-sister, Emma. You saved the bookstore and, in the process, gained Roxie the cat. You had the best-selling author in the nation, Patti Levenick, come to the bookstore in our little town of Riverbanks, and you met an amazing guy who you’re about to move in with.”  She glanced around the room, peeking over the many boxes. “Speaking of Roxie, where is she, anyway?”

“She’s in my bedroom, sleeping on the bed. All these boxes are probably freaking her out. To her, home is the bookstore; she practically owns the place,” Molly said with a laugh. “But I can’t leave her there on Sundays; I’d worry too much.”

“I love that you bring her home. She and Henry get along great, but she definitely keeps him in line.”

Molly smiled, taking in the room. “We really have come a long way.”

Stacey nodded. “More than I expected.”

Molly grinned. “Let’s have this conversation again in six months and see what we’ve added to the list.”

“Deal,” Stacey said, smiling back.