Bidding Wars (Love Strikes) Read online

  “I wanted to see how Sammy was.”

  “He’s good; back at school and no call from the nurse yet. Are you on break?”

  “No, they gave me today and the weekend off.”

  “And you’re just telling me?”

  She giggled. “I’ve been cleaning all morning.”

  “Why don’t you join Sammy and me for dinner tonight?”

  “Oh, I don’t know if—”

  “You know where we are, and dinner will be at seven. You can come if you want. No pressure.”

  She smiled. He didn’t push, ever. She really liked that. “What did you have in mind?”

  “To be honest, most likely I’ll order pizza and we’ll watch a kid’s movie.”

  That sounded like a perfect Friday evening. “Sounds fun. Though isn’t that a typical Friday evening for you?”

  “Yeah, well, this is my life. It’s not the most fascinating, but I love it. And I’d like it if you joined us. Sammy would too.”

  “Will you let me think about it?”

  “No problem. Text me in a bit and let me know.”

  “I can do that.”

  They talked a few more minutes before he had to go. He had to ride with another officer to serve a warrant. She told him to be safe and then hung up.

  Spending her Friday night curled up on the couch with Sammy and Luke was exactly what she wanted to do. She decided to shower in her now sparkling bathroom before texting him to let him know she’d be there. She was glad things were moving forward for them.

  An hour later, her hair was dry and her makeup was done. Seven was still a few hours away, but at least she was ready. Until then, she would find something of the lazy nature to do. Being a bum wasn’t something she got to do often in her line of work.

  But first, she had to send Luke a message as promised. She found her phone on the kitchen counter, where she’d left it. Unlocking the screen, she froze. Diane had called—finally. Did she have news? There was no voicemail, so whatever she had to tell her, she didn’t want to do it over a message.

  She dialed Diane back and waited.

  “This is Diane.”

  “Hey, it’s Molly.”

  “Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I figured when you had a break you’d call.”

  “Do you have news?” There was no room for small chitchat. She’d been waiting on this moment. Was the bidding going to open back up? Her heart raced as she waited for Diane’s answer.

  “I do. I have talked with the seller’s agent several times this week. The seller has been back and forth about what you asked.” Diane paused, and Molly wasn’t sure she was breathing as she waited for her to continue. “The seller has declined your request. He already has a contract on another home and doesn’t want to prolong this. As soon as you close on the home, he is able to close on the new one.”

  Sadness swept through her. She didn’t expect this. Molly really thought the seller would agree to it and want to open up the bidding. After all, there was a possibility he’d make even more money on the sale. “I understand.”

  “I have to ask now, are you going to see this agreement through, because I think it’s in your best interest that you do. The seller was annoyed by this charade. Often times if the buyer walks away, sellers do have a heart and will give back the earnest money. With that being said, I think the seller will pocket your eight thousand, as he has every right to.”

  Molly glanced up at her speckled ceiling. She thought about Luke. He didn’t seem to be all that interested in the house, but was that because he knew if the seller agreed, he’d win? If she walked away, neither she nor Luke would get it—the house would no longer be an issue. But could she walk away?

  “I don’t want to withdraw. Let’s move forward.” She could and she would. It was her new beginning.

  “Great. Let me shoot an e-mail to Gail. I can sleep a little better tonight. Thank you.” Diane hung up.

  Molly took a seat on one of her barstools. The house on Maple Street was hers. The fight was over. Technically, it had been over for quite some time, but now it was for good. Her new life was about to start in only a few weeks.

  Her phone dinged. It was Luke. Pizza?

  She stared at the message. Could she go? Was she overthinking this again? In her mind, for some reason, she felt as though she had to choose between Luke and the house. And after talking to Diane, she was pretty sure that because things were moving forward, she had chosen the house.

  I can’t tonight, sorry. Molly laid her phone down on the counter and then headed to her room to lay down for a bit. If Luke responded, she couldn’t see it, or she knew she’d rush over to him. She hated that she was having to choose, and she knew Luke would tell her she could have both; however she didn’t feel like that was true.

  * * *

  Luke looked at the message as it came in from Molly. Something in his gut told him there was more to the message, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. His screen lit up, showing a call from his agent. Letting out a sigh, he had a feeling he was about to get his answer.

  “Hey, Dale.”

  “Hey, I wanted to call and let you know I just got off the phone with Diane, Molly’s agent.”

  “And.”

  “It’s a no-go. Seller declined Ms. Harper’s request.”

  “Did Diane say if Molly was going to go ahead with the purchase of the home?” He hoped his agent would say yes.

  “She did. The appraisal has been ordered, so I suspect with the way things are moving right now, Ms. Harper should be moving into her home in a few weeks.”

  “Thanks for calling and letting me know.”

  “Yeah, no problem. Did you want to set up a time to go look at more places?”

  Buying a home right now didn’t seem like something he wanted to do. As crazy as it sounded, he wanted to see how things played out with Molly. “Not at the moment. I have a lot going on with my son and a custody battle, unfortunately. I’ll get back to you when I’m ready.”

  “No problem, man. Pass my number on to anyone you know looking to buy or sell.”

  “I certainly will. See ya, man.”

  Leaning back in his chair, he wondered why she didn’t want to come over. Was she worried he’d be upset? Hadn’t he proven to her yet that he wanted her, not the stupid house? It was just a house. He wanted her to have it—that’s why he backed out. He saw the joy it would bring her, and he wanted that for her.

  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?

  As the water heated up, Molly stripped down. Once the warm water engulfed her body, she realized her friend was right. It was time to pop the pity bubble and stop blaming herself. She wasn’t responsible for her inability to conceive. She didn’t hold a gun to Luke’s head and tell him to give her the house, or else she’d shoot. She’d somehow turned everything in her life around to make it about poor, poor her. Not any longer.

  The house on Maple Street was her new beginning. She had to let everything from her past go—and that included Luke. It was time to move forward.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Are you sure about watching him?” It was Thursday evening. Luke glanced at Annie as he shut his computer down.

  “Abso
lutely. You need to go and take care of the talk with you-know-who. Sammy and Erica will have fun together. She’s always complaining that I never gave her a younger sibling.”

  “Thank you.” Luke never liked to mix work with pleasure, but with his current situation, he didn’t have much choice. “Let me tell him bye.”

  In one of the conference rooms, he found Annie’s preteen daughter coloring at the table with Sammy. “Hey, bud, I’ll be by to get you from Annie’s house soon. Don’t forget to buckle up and use your manners.”

  “All right, Daddy. Where are you going again?”

  “I need to check on your mom.”

  “Tell her I miss her and I hope she feels better soon.”

  “I will.” He kissed his son on the forehead, winked at Erica, and left the room. He mouthed thank you to Annie once again and went to his truck.

  After he was inside and buckled, he pulled out of the parking lot and began the short drive to Leslie’s. She’d gotten out of jail after posting bail. Because this was her first offense, they went easy on her. But the judge made sure she knew that if he saw her in his court again for the same thing, she wouldn’t be getting off so lightly.

  He personally thought the judge was too lenient on her. She drove a car drunk. Although she might not have hit another person, she still ran into an electric pole. She should be thankful that pole wasn’t a pedestrian or vehicle.

  He wondered what he’d done lately to cause so much bad karma. First, Molly was ignoring him, and now he had to deal with his loser of an ex. One good thing had happened, though; he had been granted temporary full custody of Sammy. His lawyer thought they now had a good chance of him becoming Sammy’s main parent and she would get him every other weekend. But he wasn’t letting her anywhere near his son until he knew she was going to straighten her life out.

  In some ways, he blamed himself. Maybe he didn’t want to see how bad she had gotten. Perhaps she’d been crying out for help all along and he didn’t see it. But then, he had to remember she wasn’t his responsibility any longer. They were divorced—thank God. It was embarrassing enough that his ex got dragged into the station; it would have been ten times worse if she’d still been his wife.