Page 100 of Noble Neighbor
She lifted her lids, looking into eyes identical to hers.
“You were right about him. He’s a good man. But you two need to talk. Where’re the girls?”
“Upstairs. Watching a video.”
“I’m going to use your car and take them out for a while. Join Frank and Clement in town. Give you and Oliver some time alone.”
She nodded, and after another brief questioning glance at Oliver, she reentered the house, her brother right behind as she climbed the staircase.
Overjoyed to see Aleck, Molly rushed into his embrace.
Kenzie was another story. “I’m not going,” she declared, belligerent, crossing her arms. “Every timehecomes to visit, we have to move. I amnotmoving again.”
“Me neither,” Molly called out. She wriggled from Aleck’s arms and ran to her sister, grasping Kenzie’s arm. “I wanna stay here. In our ever home. Oliver!”
At her cry, Sunny swung around.
Oliver had followed them up.
Molly rushed across the room and flung her arms around his legs, the force making him stagger. “Don’t make us go, Oliver. Don’t make us go,” she sobbed. “I love you. And Clemmie and Grandpa Frank. And Nala and Harvey. Please, please. We wanna stay. Don’t make us go.”
He crouched to her level, nothing emotionless about his features now. Sympathy,love, shone from Oliver’s eyes as he lifted the little girl into his arms, hugging her close. “I’m not going to make you go anywhere, Miss Molly,” he reassured. “I love you too much.”
Sunny blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes.
“Promise?” Molly’s voice was muffled as she pressed her face into his neck.
“Promise,” he said, his voice ragged with emotion,shifting Molly to his hip, opening his free arm. “Princess?”Kenzie didn’t waste a moment and ran into his embrace.
Sunny couldn’t stop the tears as they trickled down her face. No matter what happened between her and Oliver, he didn’t hate the girls. She was so grateful for that. She happened a glance at Aleck and smiled weakly as he met her gaze.
“Good man,” he mouthed, knocking a fist to his heart.
Yes. An incredibly good man. But even a man as noble as Oliver had limits. Boundaries he couldn’t cross.
“Okay, girls.” Aleck stepped closer, clapping his hands. “As we’ve now worked out that I’m not going to kidnap you, how about you two show me where the best hot chocolate in town is.”
Molly whipped her head around and speared Aleck with a narrow-eyed stare. “You promise to bring us back, Uncle Aleck?”
“I promise, Molly.”
Her gaze swung back to the man holding her. “Is that okay, Oliver? Can we go with Uncle Aleck?”
“You can,” Oliver whispered.
Molly smacked a kiss to his cheek. “We’re coming back. Promise,” she added and slid to the floor.
Kenzie was more reluctant to let go. “It’s okay, honey,” Oliver said, bending to her level. “Go with your Uncle Aleck for a bit. Clem and Grandpa Frank are at Books ’n Bakes waiting for you. Your mom and I need to talk.”
“Mommy’s not a bad person, Oliver,” Kenzie mumbled as he brushed hair from her face.
Sunny gasped. Oliver shot her a look.
“I know she’s not, Kenzie. I know.”
“You won’t yell at her?”
“I won’t yell at her.”
