Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Two days later

"Nervous?"

"Very," Molly confirmed.

Rufus could tell that by the tight grip she had on his hand. "What you have to remember is that the woman who lives in this cottage by the sea in Devon already loves you. That she has always loved you. That whether the two of you ever met again, she will always love you."

"She hasn't seen me since I was a baby," Molly fretted.

"I hadn't seen Emily for twenty years until two years ago. But the moment I saw her again, all the love and memories came flooding back. Your mother is going to feel exactly the same way about you," he said without a doubt.

Rufus had contacted Barbara Sinclair and explained he was calling because he believed they had new information concerning the disappearance of her daughter. She had asked to know more, but Molly had requested they didn't tell the other woman what that information was.

Rufus could understand Molly's caution. He instinctively knew it was mainly caused by her being afraid her real mother would reject her too.

At the same time, he knew exactly what a shock it was going to be to Barbara Sinclair to suddenly find herself face-to-face with the daughter she had believed was lost to her.

But Molly's feelings took precedence over anything else, and if this was what she needed to get through this, then that was what was going to happen.

The last two days had been busy ones.

Rufus had learned the name of the traitor in his company who was being paid by Serena Jenkins for information, and he had immediately severed the woman's employment with Wynter Security. Along with issuing the threat that he would ensure she never worked in security, business or personal, ever again. Abusing a client's trust was the worst sin as far as his business was concerned.

Rufus and Molly, and especially Linus, had also continued to help the police with their inquiries. His cousin had already been able to give them the names of a dozen other children and the dates they'd been abducted by Sarah Harper/Serena Jenkins. He had also found the organization being run by several businessmen in Germany that dealt in the abduction of children so they could be sold for profit. Serena Jenkins wasn't the only person they had working for them. Thankfully, the authorities were now dismantling the whole enterprise.

Molly had remained strong throughout each new discovery.

She'd been especially so after Ronan had been informed of the circumstances of his adoption and he had subsequently decided that he was happy with the parents and life he had. Because of that, Molly had decided she didn't need to see him and cause any further turmoil in his life. She felt sad for his Irish mother, but respected his decision.

No doubt it was because of that Molly now felt the nervousness she did about being reunited with her own birth mother.

But Rufus had liked the other woman when the two of them spoke on the telephone yesterday. She had sounded hesitantly warm, if slightly surprised, to receive a call completely out of the blue from a man she didn't know, claiming to have new information about her missing daughter.

Linus had done a check on Barbara Sinclair before Rufus made that call. The last thing he wanted was for Molly to learn her birth mother was anything like the woman who had abducted and then kept her as her own daughter for so many years.

Barbara was forty-eight years old, still worked as a chemist. In her spare time she was involved in a lot of charity work that helped children.

The slender woman who opened the door to their knock was possibly five and a half feet tall, with straight, prematurely gray hair she kept styled in a shoulder-length bob.

But it was her eyes that held Rufus captive. Sky-blue eyes that were the exact same shade as her daughter's.

She looked at him questioningly. "Mr. Wynter?"

* * *

Molly felt a tightness in her chest that prevented her from breathing as she stared at the woman she'd been told was her birth mother. The older woman was pretty, with a perfectly oval face and politely smiling lips as she waited for Rufus to confirm his identity.

Then those blue eyes—eyes the exact shape and color of Molly's own—turned inquiringly in her direction.

Barbara tensed, her brow furrowing in puzzlement.

Then her eyes widened.

Followed by her cheeks going deathly white.

Molly released the death grip she had on Rufus's hand to step forward. "Hello, Mama," she greeted huskily.

Tears instantly welled up and then fell in a flood down Barbara Sinclair's white cheeks. "You— I— Is it really you? Are you my Lily?" she choked.

"I am," she confirmed gently.

"Oh!" Barbara looked on the point of collapse. "You really are?"

"I really am."

"I can't believe it! It's— I never thought I would see this day. That I would ever see you again." She began to sob.

Molly took the other woman in her arms, and they cried together.

Not for the loss of so many years, but with pure happiness over finding each other again now.

That happiness was increased tenfold when Molly felt Rufus's strong arms move protectively about both women.

For the first time in her life, Molly felt completely loved and seen.

* * *

Two months later

"Nervous?" Rufus prompted as the two of them stood outside the church.

"A little," Molly confirmed.

"Being a godparent is the easy part because you can give the baby back," Rufus assured. "It's being a parent that's the hard part."

Molly had decided to keep the name that had been hers for most of her life, although her mama always called her Lily. Which she loved, because it was special to the two of them.

Mother and daughter had spent a lot of time together getting to know each other the past two months, and Molly now knew exactly how selfless and constant a real mother's love could be.

Barbara had even contacted William in China and explained what had really happened to their daughter and apologized for ever believing he had been involved in her disappearance. He and his family were due to visit the following month.

Molly and Rufus had spent a lot of time together too, so much so that Molly rarely went back to the apartment over the animal shelter, but instead spent all her nights at Rufus's house, in Rufus's bed.

Angus had moved in too.

Molly had been thrilled when Mia and Darius asked her to be godmother to Lilybeth. She was a little in awe of the other two godparents. Not so much Daisy Volkov, but Mia had told her that Daisy's husband, Nikolai Volkov, was second only to the pakhan of the Russian bratva that controlled London's underworld.

He had seemed a strange choice to be a baby's godparent until Mia explained the part the Russian had played in bringing Mia and Rufus together two years ago.

Molly was still in awe of the man, but also grateful to him for his help in reuniting Rufus with his daughter. She also knew, after only one meeting, that Nikolai Volkov would protect Lilybeth with his life.

Molly had also met and liked her father, his wife, and her half brother when they visited London.

There was still Serena Jenkins's trial to get through, but the evidence against her was so overwhelming that a jury couldn't fail to find her guilty and then throw away the key to the door of whichever prison cell she was incarcerated in for the rest of her life. Molly doubted she would be wearing red-soled shoes in there!

All in all, Molly didn't think her life could be any more perfect.

"There's something I want to ask you before we go in…"

Molly turned to see Rufus lowering himself to one knee beside her. He took her left hand in his as he removed a ring box from the pocket of his jacket.

"I've already asked your mother's and Mia's permission," Rufus assured.

Molly's other hand had moved instinctively to cover her gasp as she stared down at him with tears of happiness in her eyes.

"I love you, Molly," Rufus told her gruffly. "I love you so very much. More than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my life before," he told her in earnest. "I know you're my soul mate as well as my love."

"I love you too. With everything I am or ever could be." Molly knew all about his first marriage now, of the liking and affection he and Beth had felt for each other rather than the soul mate's love she was now confident she and Rufus felt for each other. "You're my soul mate too."

He nodded. "I would deem it the greatest honor of my life if you would agree to become my wife." He released her hand to open the small box and reveal the thin white-gold band with a large diamond surrounded by smaller ones.

"Yes, please." She thrust her hand out for him to slip the ring onto her finger. A ring that was a perfect fit as it glittered and gleamed on her finger.

In the same way she and Rufus were a perfect fit for each other.

* * *

One year later

"Nervous?"

"Very." Rufus's gruff admission was confirmed by how white and strained his face was.

Molly grinned "Me too."

"You don't look it."

"That's because, although the labor is painful"—very much so, she had discovered the past ten hours—"I know that in a very short time, we're going to meet our son, and I couldn't be happier." She bit her bottom lip. "Do you think Angus is going to be okay staying with Fergus for a few days?"

"That dog has everyone who meets him wrapped about his paw," Rufus drawled.

"Yes, but remember what happened to Magnus when he looked after Angus while we were away on our honeymoon."

"He met the love of his life and now has a family he adores."

She winced. "I don't think Fergus wants to meet the love of his life."

"He won't have a choice if she comes along," Rufus dismissed callously. "Have I told you recently how much I love you and how wonderful you are?"

"This morning, when you made love to me, which is probably why I went into labor just hours afterward." She smiled at the memory of how obsessed Rufus had become with making love to her and her pregnant body for all these months. "But you can tell me again."

"I love you, Molly Lily Wynter."

"I love you too, Rufus Wynter." She drew in a sharp breath at feeling a particularly painful contraction. "I think this little man has decided it's time for him to be born."

Marcus Rufus Wynter, dark-haired and blue-eyed, made his entrance into the world four minutes later, much to the excitement and happiness of his quickly besotted parents.

A mother and a father who would always love, cherish, and protect him. As they would any siblings they gave him in the happy years to come.