Free BAYOU NOËL by Laura Wright Page A

she’d come
to this home. But Garrick was the reason she’d stayed.
    With a low hiss she slammed the door on her
traitorous thoughts.
    She was done thinking about the male who’d
stolen her heart. After five years, only an idiot would continue to
hope that her feelings would be returned.
    And while Molly was many things, she wasn’t
an idiot.
    Time to pack it up and call it a day.
    Closing the lid on the last suitcase, Molly
shoved her fingers through her unruly mop of golden curls that
contrasted with the dark, velvet beauty of her eyes. She’d often
regretted her resemblance to a china doll.
    Who wanted to be cute and cuddly? Even if she
was a Nurturer. She wanted to be a tall, super-slinky brunette who
screamed SEX APPEAL. Ha. She’d bet her favorite pair of Jimmy Choos
that Garrick wouldn’t have ignored her then. Hell, she would’ve had
to lock the door to keep him out of her bed.
    Dammit.
    She was doing it again.
    On the point of grabbing her bags, she
hesitated as she heard the unmistakable sound of Virginia’s cane
hitting her door and shoving it open.
    The older female might be frail, but she
still commanded the entire house with the precision of a military
general.
    She even had the look of a general.
    Entering the room, Virginia stood with a
rigid posture, her body tall and thin and her face angular. As
always, her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of
her neck.
    “You sure you have to leave?” the older
female demanded.
    Molly swallowed a wistful sigh.
    She didn’t know when or how it’d happened,
but at some point she’d started to think of this place as her
home.
    Perhaps not so surprising.
    She’d lost her parents in an accident years
ago, and while she’d been taken in by other Nurturers, she’d never
truly had a place to call her own. It was understandable she would
ache to build a sense of home and family.
    A pity that the male she loved didn’t feel
the same way.
    The painful reminder was all she needed to
stiffen her spine.
    “It’s time.”
    Virginia arched a dark brow, a mysterious
smile tugging at her lips. “You know Garrick won’t be pleased about
this.”
    “ I can’t
worry about him anymore.” Molly shrugged, though just the mention
of his name sent curls of awareness through her. “I have to get on
with my life.” Before it’s too late , she silently added.
    “You know you always have a home here with
me,” the female affirmed.
    Molly did know.
    Virginia could be cool, even aloof, but over
the years, Molly had slowly discovered the caring female beneath
the proper façade.
    “I appreciate that,” she said, her gaze
skimming over the room that looked starkly bare now that she’d
packed away the small touches that had, only a few days ago, made
it seem like home. “But I don’t truly belong.”
    The older female looked as if she might
argue, before she gave a small shake of her head. “Maybe this is
for the best,” she said beneath her breath. “Garrick needs a little
wake-up call.”
    Molly frowned in confusion. “What do you
mean?”
    “Ms. Loriot,” Sylvia called, poking her head
in the doorway. The Nurturer who had been sent to take Molly’s
place was a young, fresh-faced, innocent, with dark hair and kind
blue eyes. Molly didn’t doubt for a second that she would be a more
than adequate replacement for her. “Time for your medicine.”
    “You go with Sylvia,” Molly urged. “I’m going
to take my suitcases downstairs.”
    The female cast her a warning look. “Don’t
forget to say goodbye before you leave.”
    “Course not,” Molly assured her.
    She felt a pang of loss as Virginia left the
room. She would miss the older female. Despite her sharp-edged
tongue, Virginia had become a true friend. And the closest thing
Molly had to family.
    With one last look around the room, she
grabbed her bags and easily carried them downstairs.
    Virginia had offered the assistance of her
household staff to haul Molly’s belongings back to the