She was headed toward the town square, so he picked up his pace and crossed the street to catch up to her.

“Excuse me, miss, but you look familiar.”

She stopped, then smiled at him. “Wasn’t it a great parade?”

“It was. And did you vote for the mayor’s favorite float?”

She laughed. “Well, I gave it a score. I don’t think it was the score Mavis wanted me to give it.”

“I’m shocked, Molly. No more judging the parade for you.”

She slipped her arm in his. “And to think it’s now become my favorite holiday tradition. I’m heartbroken.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you are.”

She saw her parents near the square. “There’s my mom and dad. Are your parents here?”

“Yeah. They’re supposed to be somewhere near the square, too.”

They greeted her parents. Her mom looked plenty warm in her thick coat, hat, and gloves, and Dad had even thought to put a fleece blanket on her lap.

“Did you enjoy the parade?” Carter asked.

“It was great,” Emmett said.

Molly sat on the bench next to her mother, who had parked her wheelchair facing the fountain.

“What do you think, Mom?”

Her mom grasped her hand and squeezed it. “Oh, Molly, it turned out even better than I envisioned. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. This was your doing.”

“But you stayed and jumped on the committee. You and Carter made sure it got finished. And the playground—a brilliant idea.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Carter took a seat next to Molly.

“Thank you, Carter.”

“We did it, didn’t we Georgia?”

“We sure as hell did. Isn’t it fantastic?”

Carter leaned back and surveyed the finished product. “It’s amazing. I’m so glad you came up with the idea, Georgia. It’s a hell of a beautiful thing.”

Carter liked seeing Molly’s mom so happy. The two of them had worked hard on this project, and he’d hated that she hadn’t been able to finish it. He was glad Molly had taken on the responsibility. He was sure it had given Georgia some comfort knowing her daughter had been involved.

“We couldn’t have done this without Molly’s help. She’s an ass kicker,” Carter said.

Georgia beamed a smile. “Well, she is my daughter.”

Carter laughed. “That she is.”

“I honestly didn’t do much, other than back up Carter and keep the meetings on track.”

“That’s bull. The playground was your idea.”

“And it looks wonderful,” Georgia said.

“Oh, Carter, this looks amazing.”

Molly stood as Carter’s parents, Amanda and Robert, came over. It had been so long since she’d seen them.

Amanda was as pretty as she’d always been, with her dark hair cut shorter than she remembered. Robert’s hair was a lot grayer now, but he was still a strikingly handsome man—just like his son.

“Thanks, Mom.” Carter hugged his mom.

“And Georgia, how are you?”

Amanda sat next to her on the bench.

“I’m doing so much better, Amanda. So nice to see you again. How are you?”

“Good, thank you. I’m so sorry to hear about your accident. But you look amazing. Leave it to you to have a terrible injury and still look gorgeous as always.”

Her mom blushed. “Oh, well, Molly’s been taking good care of me.”

Molly smiled. “I did nothing. My mother has tons of energy and hates being cooped up in the house.”

“I know this about her. And what about you, Molly? It’s so wonderful seeing you back here in Hope. Will you be staying permanently?”

Molly shifted on the balls of her feet. “Oh, I don’t know . . .”

“Mom,” Carter said, directing his mother by the elbow, “what do you think of the Christmas tree? Do you think it’s big enough? Are you going to stay for the lighting ceremony tonight?”

Carter moved his parents ever so subtly to the tree, and then over to the playground, giving Molly an out from that question.

“People are going to start asking now that I’m recovering,” her mother said. “Eventually you’re going to have to give them an answer.”

She was surprised her mother hadn’t asked. But her mom knew her better than most people.

“I don’t have an answer, Mom. I don’t know. You know what my life has been like all these years. I’ve gotten sort of used to it.”

“Which doesn’t mean you can’t stay.” Her mother grasped her hand and squeezed it. “I’ve gotten used to seeing your face all the time. And you have a job here. You could get a nice apartment and give it a try for a while.”

“Maybe. We’ll see.”

Even as she said the words, she felt walls closing in on her, and that familiar sense of needing to flee.

But that was the norm, what typically happened whenever one of her bosses offered her a raise or a promotion. It meant permanence.

And Molly just didn’t do permanent.

Chapter 30

“OKAY, WE’RE ON a quest tonight,” Chelsea said, a fierce gleam in her eyes. She dug into her purse and pulled out her phone. “In here, I have my list. How about the rest of you?”

They stood just inside the entrance to the mall in Tulsa. Molly, Chelsea, Emma, Jane, Samantha, and Megan. A small band of weary but determined women, armed and ready to shop.