A lot of sweet memories were built into this home. She and Emma playing in the front yard while Grandpa mowed the grass. Her grandmother letting her help bake a pie. Molly had learned some of her not awesome but adequate baking skills from her. No one was as good a cook as her grandmother.
She missed her grandparents, but was glad Emma had decided to live here, instead of letting the house go to strangers.
At least one of the Burnett sisters was comfortable calling Hope home. Molly would never feel at home in Hope again. Too many bad memories.
She got out of the car and headed to the door, smiling at the sound of the old familiar doorbell.
She heard barking, and Emma’s voice.
The front door opened and two rather large dogs came running out, one an exuberant pit bull. She knew Annie was still young, but she was huge and nearly knocked her over. Daisy, the lab, was just as excited to see her, though she was a little more reserved.
“Hi, kids.” Molly bent down and was rewarded with wagging tails and licks to her face.
“Oh, you’re here.” Emma came out, looking gorgeous as always, her brown hair in a ponytail. She still wore her scrubs from work as owner of the veterinary clinic in town.
Molly stood as Emma pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s been too long, Molls.”
Molly closed her eyes, loving the feel of her big sister’s strong arms holding her. “It has. I’ve really missed you.”
Emma pulled back, the dogs winding around both their legs. “Come on, girls, give us some space.”
Molly laughed. “They’re both so adorable.”
“Aren’t they?” Emma picked at the top of her scrubs. “And I’m so sorry. I probably smell like medicine and animals. I had a late emergency at the clinic, so I just got home about ten minutes ago. I was afraid you were going to get here before me. Oh, and Luke’s at Taco Bueno, your favorite, picking up dinner.”
Molly grinned, her stomach rumbling at the thought. “You remembered.”
“Of course.” Emma slung an arm around Molly’s shoulders. “Let’s go inside.”
The dogs followed. Emma shut the door. “I’m going to dash and take a quick shower. Why don’t you bring your bags inside?”
“I can stay at Mom and Dad’s, you know. I’m sure you and Luke want to be alone.”
Emma was headed toward the hall. “Luke and I have a lifetime of being alone. You’ll only be here a short while, so I want to see you as much as I can. Besides, you’re my maid of honor, and we have so much to catch up on with the wedding plans.”
“This is true.”
“Plus, Luke and I have a long vacation in Hawaii coming up after the wedding. So we’ll have blissful alone time.”
“Yeah, how did you manage to swing that, being the sole owner of the vet clinic?”
“One of the docs I know who works at a clinic in Tulsa is going to cover for me. He’s a great guy who’s been out of school two years and works with a large group. He’s looking to buy his own practice, so he wants the solo experience.”
“That’ll work out well for both of you.”
“I know, right? I’ll be back in no time. Make yourself at home. There’s iced tea in the fridge.”
Emma disappeared, and Molly exhaled. She loved her sister, loved seeing her. Usually it was Emma who came to visit her, at least once a year, and they talked on the phone quite a bit, although definitely a lot more recently as they planned the wedding together. Molly felt like a horrible sister for not coming home sooner to help with the ceremony and the other celebrations surrounding it, especially being the maid of honor. She’d told Emma she wouldn’t mind if she wanted one of her friends to handle that responsibility, but Emma had insisted, and fortunately Molly was good at organizing, even long-distance.
But she did have to come home for the wedding. That part she couldn’t handle from afar.
So now here she was—back in Hope, after all these years. Despite her best efforts to stay away forever, she knew someday she’d have to return, so she’d just have to suck it up and deal with it.
Deal with him. And all the bitter, painful memories.
Shoving unwanted thoughts of the past aside, she grabbed her bags—plus the box of baked goods—and brought them inside. She put the box on the counter and laid the bags near the door to the hall, then went into the kitchen, found the cupboard where the glasses were located, and pulled the iced tea from the fridge, pouring herself a glass to drink while she waited for Emma. In the meantime, she wandered and took a look around the house.
It had been a long time since she’d been here, but all the details of the place were etched into her memories. The yellow wallpaper in the kitchen had been replaced by bright new paint, and the old linoleum with new tile. The countertop was new as well, as were the cabinets. But the wood floors in the living room were the same. They’d been refinished and restained, and they looked good. The dark wood pillars holding up the archway leading into the hall were still standing as well.
Emma had brightened and renewed their grandparents’ home, but still managed to retain the old charm. Leave it to her sister to manage to retain the memories while bringing the home into the twenty-first century.
The front door opened, and Emma’s fiancé, Luke, stepped in. He gave her a wide smile. “Molls. You made it.”
“I did.” She’d met Luke last year when Emma brought him to Little Rock. Molly had instantly fallen in love with his quiet strength and infinite charm. Emma and Luke were perfectly suited to each other, and it was clear how much he loved her sister. “I hear you were sent on a taco mission.”