Page 29 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
They said their goodbyes, and Josiah ended the call.
“He has no idea you have money, does he?” Molly asked. Yep, he’d called it.
“It’s not something that comes up. I was being honest when I said I don’t feel any different. I’m just me with a lot more zeros.” He laughed and then looked down at Ellie. “I love her. I don’t doubt your mom wants what’s best for her, but she should have offered to help you, not take her.”
Sighing, Molly stood. “I think she wants a do-over since she didn’t do so well with us. After my dad left my mom, she dated a lot of guys. A lot. Or it felt that way. I wonder if she’s always thought the same thing. That she could have done things differently, and maybe my brother wouldn’t have been in and out of jail so much.”
“But you turned out awesome.”
Molly’s cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “Thanks. I just wonder if my mom wants Ellie so she can try again and also as a way to make it up to Derek.”
Josiah could understand that. “Did Derek not like your stepdad or something?”
She shook her head. “No, we both love him and refer to him as our dad because he’s a good man and always treated us like we belonged to him.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “After he and my mom were dating for a while, he took my brother and me to dinner. It was a super expensive place where the portions were tiny and the dishes were named things we couldn’t pronounce. He asked us if he could marry our mom. No guy had ever done that before. He always included us in everything.”
“Sounds like a good guy.” Josiah could admire that.
“He picked me up after school one day, and I asked him about it. All the other men my mom dated looked at us like we were just included in the package. But not him. Yes, we came with my mom, but he loved that we were a part of the deal. He said that if he was going to love my mom, he was going to love us too. After that, he was just Dad. He loved us, wholly and unconditionally. Sometimes, it even felt like he loved us more than our mom did.”
“Wow. Great guy.” Josiah shifted Ellie to his shoulder and patted her rear. “I think he had the right attitude. I know that’s how I’d be.” He paused a beat, the statement ringing true because Josiah sure felt like Ellie’s dad. If given the opportunity, he’d happily step up to the plate. “You think he’s wanting this too?”
“No, I think he’s hoping my mom changes her mind once she realizes that it’ll hurt me.” She hugged herself. “I just feel so blindsided. Derek and Brenda lived with me for four months before she had the baby. Brenda and I talked a lot. The reason she picked me is because she wanted Ellie to have a good life, and money doesn’t always equate to good.”
Boy, was that true. “No, it doesn’t.”
“But you and your family are amazing. I kinda think you were the lucky winners of the lottery for a reason.” She smiled.
Warmth ran from his stomach to his ears. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
She walked to him and put her arm around his shoulders, rubbing Ellie’s back. “She really likes you.”
In an instant, Josiah was seeing his family. Molly, Ellie, and him. A neat little package wrapped in a baby-scented bow. But she already had enough stress on her plate with not justsomeonetrying to take her child, but her mom. He’d just met Ellie, and he felt fiercely protective of her, so he could only imagine how Molly felt.
“She’s got good taste.” He chuckled.
“Josiah, I don’t know what I’d do if it weren’t for you. I’d have no way to fight this, and I don’t know how to repay you.”
He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him, kissing the top of her head. “We’re a team, so you don’t have to worry about that.” He paused. “Besides, you said you’d fight off a sugar-free gummy bear for me. I’m just saying that’s A-game material right there. At this point, it’s go big or go home.”
Laughing, Molly looked up at him, and in an instant, the air in the room was gone. She touched her lips to his, and the world faded away. If this was another quality control check, it would get a sticker with two thumbs up.
Deepening the kiss, he pulled her closer, loving the feel of her against him. More than anything, he loved the fact that he was holding Ellie and her mom in his arms, knowing they meant the world to him. It felt right to have them there. Like they’d belonged to him before he even knew it.
Slowly, the kiss came to an end, and he touched his forehead to hers.
He’d passed from falling to fallen. These two people were at the center of his sphere. He wanted them both. Maybe with time, Molly would see he wasn’t some fair-weather man or part-time wanna-be dad. He wanted this life, and he was willing to be patient and earn it. Molly and Ellie were worth it.
Chapter 13
It had taken a couple of days to set up a time to speak to the lawyer Case had referred Molly and Josiah to, Diane Salinas. Apparently, she was in serious demand, and it was for a reason.
Josiah’s friend had called her tough, and he wasn’t joking. Molly had painstakingly gone over every detail with Diane, starting from the second Derek and Brenda showed up on Molly’s doorstep. It was like an interrogation, but Molly understood why.
Then they’d discussed her childhood as well. The lawyer also wanted all the paperwork Molly had filled out and the names of any courthouse employee she’d come in contact with. They’d ended the long, emotionally draining few hours with Diane saying she’d be in touch when she had a chance to review everything.
