pleasure? Maybe that was what she needed to figure out—what would make her happy? Eric’s guts twisted as he acknowledged that, from everything he’d heard about him, Towers would have made Molly happy, if she had given him the chance.
“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” Molly said with a smile. “Poor Colleen, though. Sounds like Mom’s trying to play matchmaker with her and the best man.”
“The way they were dancing last night, your mother might not have to work too hard on that,” Eric reminded her.
“I hope Mom’s right, and I don’t need to worry about my little sister,” Molly said, gnawing at her bottom lip again.
“You’re infringing on Clayton’s territory,” he admonished her.
“How’s that?”
“He’s the McClintock who worries about everyone else.”
“He needs to worry about himself,” Molly said. “I’m sure our matchmaking mother has been giving him hell since Abby’s home.”
“Especially if she saw that kiss last night.” Eric couldn’t help but smirk, remembering all the times Abby Hamilton had insisted she hated Clayton for being humorless and bossy. “I can’t wait to give Abby hell myself.” He owed it to her for all the times she’d teased him about Molly.
Molly bumped her shoulder against his arm, right where the barbed-wire tattoo encircled his bicep. “You can’t. Remember we promised not to bring it up.”
That wasn’t the only thing they’d promised not to bring up again. Eric’s muscles tensed as he remembered the night eight years ago when they’d made that promise. Because he couldn’t indulge in memories, not now, not with her living with him, he pushed the past aside and pretended to gripe, “You’re no fun, Molly McClintock.”
“You’re right.” She sighed. “I stopped being fun a long time ago.”
“You stopped having fun,” he qualified. “Until last night. Didn’t you enjoy dressing up in a disguise and crashing your own wedding reception?”
“Sure,” she said with heavy sarcasm. “The Dumpster diving was my favorite part.”
“Mine, too,” he admitted, grinning. “You looked so cute with mashed potatoes in your hair.”
“You weren’t laughing when I went out the window,” she reminded him.
Eric’s scar twitched as his grin faded. “I’m probably not the only one not to laugh when you went out a window yesterday.”
Molly sucked in a breath as if he’d sucker punched her. And in a way he had. But he had to remind himself about Towers, that even though she hadn’t married him, she must still have some feelings for her fiancé. Or she wouldn’t have accepted his proposal in the first place.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” he admitted as shame gripped him. She was his friend. She had come to him for support, not derision.
“Why not?” She shrugged. “It’s the truth. I trust you to always tell me the truth.”
He wouldn’t lie to her, but over the years he had learned to keep some things to himself—such as hope. “I know Mrs. Mick wants me to keep an eye on you—”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she insisted. “You don’t have to watch me.”
The problem was that he couldn’t stop himself from watching her. He needed some space. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“There’s something I do every Sunday….”
“Then do it,” she urged him. “Don’t let me disrupt your life any more than I already have.”
“Molly…” He couldn’t lie. She had disrupted his life. “I’m going to take a shower now. Don’t eat all the cinnamon rolls.”
“Eric…”
He turned back, and his heart clenched at the forlorn expression on her beautiful face.
“If I’m in your way, I can leave,” she offered.
“Are you ready to leave yet?” he asked.
Her dark brows furrowed with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Have you figured out what you want to do?”
She shook her head.
He swallowed a sigh. “Then you better stay until you figure it out.”
Years ago he had hoped
“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” Molly said with a smile. “Poor Colleen, though. Sounds like Mom’s trying to play matchmaker with her and the best man.”
“The way they were dancing last night, your mother might not have to work too hard on that,” Eric reminded her.
“I hope Mom’s right, and I don’t need to worry about my little sister,” Molly said, gnawing at her bottom lip again.
“You’re infringing on Clayton’s territory,” he admonished her.
“How’s that?”
“He’s the McClintock who worries about everyone else.”
“He needs to worry about himself,” Molly said. “I’m sure our matchmaking mother has been giving him hell since Abby’s home.”
“Especially if she saw that kiss last night.” Eric couldn’t help but smirk, remembering all the times Abby Hamilton had insisted she hated Clayton for being humorless and bossy. “I can’t wait to give Abby hell myself.” He owed it to her for all the times she’d teased him about Molly.
Molly bumped her shoulder against his arm, right where the barbed-wire tattoo encircled his bicep. “You can’t. Remember we promised not to bring it up.”
That wasn’t the only thing they’d promised not to bring up again. Eric’s muscles tensed as he remembered the night eight years ago when they’d made that promise. Because he couldn’t indulge in memories, not now, not with her living with him, he pushed the past aside and pretended to gripe, “You’re no fun, Molly McClintock.”
“You’re right.” She sighed. “I stopped being fun a long time ago.”
“You stopped having fun,” he qualified. “Until last night. Didn’t you enjoy dressing up in a disguise and crashing your own wedding reception?”
“Sure,” she said with heavy sarcasm. “The Dumpster diving was my favorite part.”
“Mine, too,” he admitted, grinning. “You looked so cute with mashed potatoes in your hair.”
“You weren’t laughing when I went out the window,” she reminded him.
Eric’s scar twitched as his grin faded. “I’m probably not the only one not to laugh when you went out a window yesterday.”
Molly sucked in a breath as if he’d sucker punched her. And in a way he had. But he had to remind himself about Towers, that even though she hadn’t married him, she must still have some feelings for her fiancé. Or she wouldn’t have accepted his proposal in the first place.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” he admitted as shame gripped him. She was his friend. She had come to him for support, not derision.
“Why not?” She shrugged. “It’s the truth. I trust you to always tell me the truth.”
He wouldn’t lie to her, but over the years he had learned to keep some things to himself—such as hope. “I know Mrs. Mick wants me to keep an eye on you—”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she insisted. “You don’t have to watch me.”
The problem was that he couldn’t stop himself from watching her. He needed some space. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“There’s something I do every Sunday….”
“Then do it,” she urged him. “Don’t let me disrupt your life any more than I already have.”
“Molly…” He couldn’t lie. She had disrupted his life. “I’m going to take a shower now. Don’t eat all the cinnamon rolls.”
“Eric…”
He turned back, and his heart clenched at the forlorn expression on her beautiful face.
“If I’m in your way, I can leave,” she offered.
“Are you ready to leave yet?” he asked.
Her dark brows furrowed with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Have you figured out what you want to do?”
She shook her head.
He swallowed a sigh. “Then you better stay until you figure it out.”
Years ago he had hoped
Similar Books
