Taking the Fall (13 page)

“Uh, yeah, thanks. I’ll just head over there.” He took the first step to head in that direction then turned back and asked politely, “If Greg’s got any of that cherry pie he holds for ransom, I’ll take an extra-large piece with a cup of coffee, please.”

Suddenly, the night didn’t seem so daunting, after all.

“I think we can come up with that combination. Whip cream?”

Flashing bright was that sexy dimple. “Always whip cream. It makes everything better.”

Visions of Hunter Dennison, alone in a secluded place with just a can of whip cream, had Molly wanting to cross her legs.

God, the feelings this man could provoke in her with just a look or a word. Too bad she didn’t have the backbone to do anything about it.

A few minutes later, Molly delivered the pie and cup of java. When she placed them down in front of Hunter, who was sitting next to his mother, her hand accidently brushed up against his, sending a jolt of awareness shooting straight through her bloodstream.

Easy girl, remember your last run-in with him had you reeling for hours and chiding an all too familiar mantra to yourself for even longer.

“Thank you, Molly,” Hunter said, catching her eye and holding the gaze a few moments longer than politeness called for.

“You are very welcome.”

Break the connection. Break the connection.

Easier said than done.

With a forced changed in eye direction, Molly looked at Grady as she inquired if he and Bianca were all set. Molly excused herself with instructions that if they needed anything, Kayla would be finishing up with them.

She began to step away and got a few feet further when Hunter called to her.

“Any chance you are up for some company tomorrow on your morning walk?”

Molly turned around quickly, stumbling in fact before righting herself and looking at him to confirm if she heard him correctly

“Uh, come again?”

Now with what she was sure was a complete look of confusion, she faced a table whose entire attention lay on her.

Hunter smiled once more, causing that all too familiar tingle to take place before he said louder and clearer, “Mind if I tag along on your walk?”

Her bumbling and then inability to form words sure as heck proved just how off balance his question set her.

“Uh, yeah, that would be fine . . . I guess.”

His blue eyes twinkled with mirth. “Well, if that isn’t a decisive acceptance, I don’t know what is.”

For some miracle, she could form a somewhat realistic laugh because she knew the moment called for one, but it didn’t stop the puzzlement from which she was feeling. As attuned as he always was, Hunter added with a shrug of his shoulder, “It’s okay if you’d rather not. My feelings won’t be hurt. I just thought a nice walk with a friend would do me some good.”

A friend. Maybe that was exactly what she needed, too.

“That sounds nice.”

Hunter, obviously thrilled with her answer, forked a large gooey piece of pie and met her gaze once more. “Nice is a great place to start.”

Like her mornings weren’t busy enough. Now, she stood in front of her less than spectacular closet mentally putting different pieces of her wardrobe together for the perfect walking outfit.

Molly fell back on her bed and threw her arm over her eyes. Suddenly feeling every bit of the almost thirty-seven years she was.

It is a walk, Molly! Not a marriage proposal!

She actually grunted at the appeal of her own sarcastic thought.

Just because Hunter Dennison asks you to take a walk, and just because he makes a point to say he is looking to do it with a friend, and just because he says that idea struck him as nice, is no reason to not enjoy it for its face value. It is a NICE WALK with a FRIEND.

If you could follow that logic, girlfriend, you are one up on the rest of the population.

“It is so amazing that I can actually dress myself with all this other crap that goes on in my head,” she muttered to herself dryly.

Get up! Just get up, get dressed in something you would wear any other day, and stay out of the bathroom.

“The bathroom?” Molly questioned herself aloud, wondering why her subconscious would say such a thing then she answered herself.

If you enter the bathroom, it will just result in your primping for another twenty minutes.

“It is just a walk,” Molly said, thinking if she said it aloud, it would drill it further into her brain.

“What’s just a walk?” Sammy asked curiously, as she hopped on her mother’s bed.

Definitely not going to try to explain it to an eight-year-old when I myself can’t figure out why I’m so crazy over such a simple task.

“Oh nothing, baby. Mommy’s just talking to herself.”

This diversion was apparently good enough for the smallest Jenson female. Because she accepted, moved on, and began asking her mother all about the town’s Memorial Day Festival events for this year.

Molly answered each question as best she could while she finished dressing in her usual black yoga pants with a white
Molly’s
t-shirt and her hair up in a high ponytail.

“Can I sit in the dunk tank this year?” Sammy asked jumping up and down excited about the idea of such a fun thing to do for an eight-year-old.

Never stop being so free spirited, my love.

With a smile etched on her face and placing her hands over each of her daughter’s ears before gently shaking her head, Molly remarked playfully, “Sweetie, we don’t need to wait until the festival for you to be dunked. I can dunk you right here in the tub over and over again.”

The mother-daughter duo giggled and embraced as Molly rolled her eyes when Sammy thought that was an excellent idea.

“Don’t mean to interrupt happy mommy-daughter time but can we leave so I’m not late for school . . . again?” Jessica inquired as she stood with her arms crossed in the doorway.

Molly gave Sammy one last hug before lightly pushing her forward through the door before taking a long look at her oldest.

Jess was still so angry. Molly tried to clear the air a little bit when she came up last night, but Jess was in bed, turned away from her, and refused to acknowledge her presence. It was hard, but Molly respected it, and turned and left the room. She even went as far as to invite Sammy to sleep in her bed to provide Jess with all the space she needed.

To see the pain and anger so obvious on Jess’ face slashed straight through Molly’s heart.

Plastering what she hoped would be a sincere and normalized smile, she replied, “Yes, of course. Are you ready to go?”

With her hip jutted out and her bright green painted index finger tapping a beat against her crossed forearm, Jess rolled her eyes and said, “Am I ready to get out of here? Absolutely!” Then she walked away heading for the door.

The car ride to school was eerily quiet, even a usual overexcited Sammy was quiet as she looked out the back window. Molly first pulled into Jess’ school where Jess got out without even a word or goodbye. As she walked away from the car, Molly rolled down the window and spoke to her back.

“I’ll be here at two, Jess. I love you.”

Molly didn’t expect a reply or acknowledgment, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt all the same.

When she drove over to Sammy’s school, Sammy got out and happily kissed her mother. She began to head into school before turning back and saying something that would stay with Molly for the rest of her life. “She doesn’t really hate you, Mom. I think she’s just being mean to make herself feel better.” Sammy then blew a kiss and with an energetic wave, Molly watched as she skipped into school. All remnants of her injury and tension filled morning gone.

Bright beyond her years.

Molly got back in her SUV and headed over to the park. With each mile closer, her anxiety increased by monumental levels.

Shit, did it ever dawn on you to even ask him where or what time he wanted to meet?

But when she entered the parking lot, he and his Jeep were waiting for her. She pulled into the open spot next to him and tried not to stare at how good he looked. He stood against the back of his Jeep in black track pants with a red stripe down the side and a red athletic shirt. He had black sunglasses on and two water bottles waiting for him on the back spare wheel.

You can do this; it is just a walk with a friend.

Molly got out and took the few steps to where he stood. He waited with a smile; a sexy as sin smile.

“Morning! Ready to get started?”

You could probably talk me into starting anything.

“Molly?”

“Uh, yeah, absolutely.”

They fell into step with each other as they made their way to where the path began. “I brought you a bottle of water,” he stated, passing along one of the bottles.

“Thanks. I’m always forgetting one.”

They walked for a bit in silence and with each step they took, surprisingly, the awkwardness began to dissipate. She inwardly tried to calm herself by focusing on their surroundings rather than the noticeably attractive body next to her.

Warm sun rays and fluffy white clouds in a clear blue sky filled the morning. Color of the heavens was very similar to the eyes that hid behind his Oakley’s.
You know the eyes that you are trying so hard not to think of.
A light breeze danced through the trees that lined the path, as well as creating a wave that swept along the open fields of grass. In other words, it was a perfect day to be outside.

Too bad her stomach hadn’t loosened any of the knots it insisted on being in.

Finally, enough was enough. Molly needed to put an end to the awkwardness of whatever they were trying to do or prove here.

Stopping, she turned toward him and placed her hands on her hips. “Okay, I’m just going to wind up driving myself insane if I don’t ask. Why did you want to join me this morning? I mean it seemed yesterday after we spoke here that you kind of seemed upset by something I said. Then you surprised me by wanting to join me. Is something going on?” She was so proud of the fact that she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.

Hunter smiled, looking out at the path ahead of them, just beaming with some sort of humor.

For some reason that annoyed Molly.

When she didn’t think he would answer, he finally look down toward her and replied, “Honestly, because I didn’t want to walk alone, and when I thought of who I’d want to keep me company, you were who popped into my head.”

Molly’s reaction proved just how unexpected his statement was to her. “Uh, well, okay.

They walked for a ways in silence, and Molly tried hard to enjoy the scenery but failed miserably.

“So . . . how is the restaurant business?” Hunter asked as they passed a couple of younger women who didn’t even bother to hide the fact that they looked her walking partner over like he was part of a meat market.

Molly couldn’t help but have her head follow the unabashed group, wondering if this really was what the world was coming to. She looked back at Hunter who still had his eyes trained on her

With her finger pointed in the direction of the women, she looked at him in confusion when he made no movement to look to where she was pointing. “Uh, oh, the same. Never going to be rich, but can honestly say there isn’t anything I’d rather do.”

So, we are going to do this uncomfortable small talk thing . . . great.

Hunter smiled at her answer, and even though she told herself she wouldn’t, she allowed her soul to smile at the sight.

You need a padded room, Molly.

The more she tried to focus on the path in front of them, the more aware she became of him next to her.

Having a man look like this should be against cosmic rule. She was sure you would see his kind of beauty at least fifteen times walking down the streets of New York or Paris, but here in Small Town, USA, he didn’t fit in. He should be on the cover of a magazine, not walking down the same sidewalk as common folk.

Can’t get much more common than you now, can we, dearie?

“How’s Leah?” Molly asked feeling happy that she could find a nice easy topic.

At the mention of his daughter’s name, Hunter’s already content face metamorphosed into complete adoration.

“She is great. I spoke with her last night, and she loves her school program. She is excited about the horseback riding lessons that she started a few months back and is looking very much forward to the art class she will be taking. In fact, she asked me to send her three hundred dollars’ worth of oil paints and new brushes so she could go to class prepared.” He ended with a smile to end all smiles.

His obvious happiness at thoughts of his daughter had Molly smiling. She was sure he was a good dad, but something about the way he spoke of her proved to her that he loved his child more than life itself.

“You must be overdue for a visit. I can’t even remember the last time she was here in town.”

“Funny you mention that, I was just saying that it has been too long. God, how I miss that kid. It is tougher as she gets older. When vacation time comes, she tends to want to stay home where her friends are, but I can’t help but be selfish and want to have her attention. I’ve even tried going to Vermont that last week I had her so she could be with her friends, but it wasn’t the same. Being there, she didn’t want to be with me, so I had seven days of a hotel room that I spent most of my time alone in while my daughter was off hanging with her friends.”