suggested.
Molly’s head shifted on his shoulder as she burrowed closer. Her lips brushed his throat as she agreed, “It is late.”
“You’re half-asleep.”
“No. I’m wide awake. I think I’ll stay out here and watch the sun come up over the lake.” She draped an arm around his waist. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine alone.”
God, he wished he could leave her alone….
Chapter Five
Awakened by the first peal of the doorbell, Molly hovered in the shadows of the living room as Eric stumbled toward the front door. A fist hammered at it now, the visitor impatient. Molly shouldn’t have expected them to give her any peace. This was Cloverville after all. And apparently Mrs. Hild couldn’t keep a secret. Or had Pop given her up—or worse yet, Mom?
The only person she could really trust was Eric. He wore drawstring shorts, his heavily muscled chest and legs bare but for a patchwork of thin scars. Her heart clenched at the pain he’d clearly felt—the pain she remembered feeling herself over him.
No, Eric was the last person she could trust. He had already hurt her; she couldn’t trust him not to hurt her again, even more.
“You want to hide?” he asked, without even turning toward her. How had he noticed her? Because Eric never missed a thing….
Had he missed her when he’d been in the Marines for six years?
She shook her head but shifted closer to the wall. Eric drew open the door, planting his foot behind it as if to discourage a salesman.
The door pushed against his arch. “Good morning, Eric,” Molly’s mother greeted him with a pat on his unscarred cheek. “You look tired, honey,” she observed with concern. “My daughter keep you up late?”
They had stayed awake all night—until the rising sun had streaked the sky with pink and orange, which had reflected on the dark water of the lake.
“Hello, Mrs. McClintock,” Eric said, stepping back from the door as she pushed her way inside the small living room.
“Is my daughter still sleeping?” she asked, then turned and spotted Molly. “There you are.”
“I’ll just go put on some coffee,” Eric murmured, backing away from the women as if wanting to avoid a messy confrontation.
Molly had brought entirely too much drama to his quiet life at the cabin. With a stressful job such as his, as an EMT, he probably needed peace in his downtime. She had disrupted that.
Her mother’s head turned, following Eric’s retreat to the kitchen. Then her attention refocused on Molly, her big brown eyes widening as she took in her daughter’s attire. “Did I interrupt anything?” she asked.
When the air had chilled the night before, Eric had given Molly his shirt, which she wore over her cami and boxer shorts. “No, Mom, this isn’t what it looks like….”
Mary McClintock sighed and shook her head. “That’s too bad, honey.”
“Mom!” Molly shot a glance to the kitchen, to see if Eric had overheard the comment. She only caught a glimpse of his bare back, muscles rippling as he reached for a tin in the cupboard. Maybe her mother was right. Too bad…
Her mother’s fingers closed around her chin, pulling Molly’s attention back. “Mmm, hmm…” Her eyes glittered with a matchmaker’s delight.
“No,” Molly insisted. “It’s not like that….”
When he’d left for the Marines Eric had proved that he considered her nothing more than a friend—no matter what everyone else had always believed.
“Why are you here?” she asked. Then she peered out the window to where her mother had parked her minivan on the driveway. “Are you alone?”
Mom nodded. “Abby’s off on a run through town. Colleen’s hanging out at the park—hopefully with that handsome best man who came calling for her early this morning. And Rory and Lara are home watching cartoons.”
“Best man? Nick Jameson came calling for Colleen?” Concern for her younger sister stiffened Molly’s spine. “And you told him where she
Molly’s head shifted on his shoulder as she burrowed closer. Her lips brushed his throat as she agreed, “It is late.”
“You’re half-asleep.”
“No. I’m wide awake. I think I’ll stay out here and watch the sun come up over the lake.” She draped an arm around his waist. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine alone.”
God, he wished he could leave her alone….
Chapter Five
Awakened by the first peal of the doorbell, Molly hovered in the shadows of the living room as Eric stumbled toward the front door. A fist hammered at it now, the visitor impatient. Molly shouldn’t have expected them to give her any peace. This was Cloverville after all. And apparently Mrs. Hild couldn’t keep a secret. Or had Pop given her up—or worse yet, Mom?
The only person she could really trust was Eric. He wore drawstring shorts, his heavily muscled chest and legs bare but for a patchwork of thin scars. Her heart clenched at the pain he’d clearly felt—the pain she remembered feeling herself over him.
No, Eric was the last person she could trust. He had already hurt her; she couldn’t trust him not to hurt her again, even more.
“You want to hide?” he asked, without even turning toward her. How had he noticed her? Because Eric never missed a thing….
Had he missed her when he’d been in the Marines for six years?
She shook her head but shifted closer to the wall. Eric drew open the door, planting his foot behind it as if to discourage a salesman.
The door pushed against his arch. “Good morning, Eric,” Molly’s mother greeted him with a pat on his unscarred cheek. “You look tired, honey,” she observed with concern. “My daughter keep you up late?”
They had stayed awake all night—until the rising sun had streaked the sky with pink and orange, which had reflected on the dark water of the lake.
“Hello, Mrs. McClintock,” Eric said, stepping back from the door as she pushed her way inside the small living room.
“Is my daughter still sleeping?” she asked, then turned and spotted Molly. “There you are.”
“I’ll just go put on some coffee,” Eric murmured, backing away from the women as if wanting to avoid a messy confrontation.
Molly had brought entirely too much drama to his quiet life at the cabin. With a stressful job such as his, as an EMT, he probably needed peace in his downtime. She had disrupted that.
Her mother’s head turned, following Eric’s retreat to the kitchen. Then her attention refocused on Molly, her big brown eyes widening as she took in her daughter’s attire. “Did I interrupt anything?” she asked.
When the air had chilled the night before, Eric had given Molly his shirt, which she wore over her cami and boxer shorts. “No, Mom, this isn’t what it looks like….”
Mary McClintock sighed and shook her head. “That’s too bad, honey.”
“Mom!” Molly shot a glance to the kitchen, to see if Eric had overheard the comment. She only caught a glimpse of his bare back, muscles rippling as he reached for a tin in the cupboard. Maybe her mother was right. Too bad…
Her mother’s fingers closed around her chin, pulling Molly’s attention back. “Mmm, hmm…” Her eyes glittered with a matchmaker’s delight.
“No,” Molly insisted. “It’s not like that….”
When he’d left for the Marines Eric had proved that he considered her nothing more than a friend—no matter what everyone else had always believed.
“Why are you here?” she asked. Then she peered out the window to where her mother had parked her minivan on the driveway. “Are you alone?”
Mom nodded. “Abby’s off on a run through town. Colleen’s hanging out at the park—hopefully with that handsome best man who came calling for her early this morning. And Rory and Lara are home watching cartoons.”
“Best man? Nick Jameson came calling for Colleen?” Concern for her younger sister stiffened Molly’s spine. “And you told him where she
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