Good Wood (29 page)

He nodded. “He seems to be healing, don’t you think?”

“I hope so. You think you ever really get over something like that?” I glanced at him, afraid I might be overstepping.

“With enough time and honesty…yes.” He watched my expression intently.

“It kills me to watch him struggle.” I admitted, unsure what it was about the stranger that made him so easy to talk to.

“He has good people around him.” He gave me a resigned nod. “With love and support he should be able to move on with his life.”

I felt my eyes misting and I laughed a little in embarrassment. “Sorry…when it comes to Joe, I’m a total sap. Always have been, always will be.”

His smile was kind as he looked at me for a long moment.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Molly. I wish you all the best.” He nodded to me and headed over to a sharp black BMW parked nearby. I watched him drive away but then Stacy called from the window and I hurried back inside to help with a new rush of orders. It was only later that I wondered where Joe would have hung out with a guy driving a beamer.

I SHOULD HAVE realized something was up when I pulled up to the site. But in my defense I had spent a magnificent night with Molly and my mind was more on the return home to her than my impending work. After taking her to the movies, we stayed the night at her place. We didn’t get a whole lot of sleep, but rest is so over rated.

When my phone alarm finally woke me, I found her in the kitchen. My stomach growled at the aroma of whatever she was concocting, but watching her flit to and fro in her tiny black panties and my shirt from the night before made me salivate. She turned to see me standing at the entry way and her sunny smile made my morning.

“Hey. You hungry?” She sat a plate on the table that was the size of a platter. On it was a large, colorful omelet and toast with butter and jam. I pulled out a chair and eagerly dug into it.

“It’s so good. Did you actually put vegetables in this?” We discussed her loathing for most vegetables earlier in the week.

“I’m trying to be good.” I noted very few vegies remained to go into her omelet.

“You keep cooking for me like this and my gut’s gonna be the size of the state of Texas.” As if I’d just thrown down the gauntlet I took another heaping forkful and shoved it into my mouth. She placed a mug of black coffee within my reach.

“Well, I kinda need you to keep your strength up. A girl has needs, ya know? Besides, I always help you burn it off.” Her eyebrows twitched suggestively, I pulled her towards me and she straddled me. She pressed herself against me as our tongues tangoed, and I could feel the heat of her through the thin material of my boxers.

I groaned. “You’re gonna make me late.

Be that as it may, I was disappointed when she slipped off my lap with a playful giggle.

“So are you coming over tonight?” I tried not to seem as desperate for a yes as I felt.

“Is that an invitation, Joe?” Her smile melted a bit. Her hesitation surprised me, and I studied her features for clues to the source of it.

“Yes.”

“Well, I suppose I could… if you like.” She sipped her coffee carefully studying me.

“I have something I want to give you.” I announced.

“I bet you do.” She said in her naughty voice. With Molly everything was a double entendre.

“Molly. I’m being serious.” I fixed her with a halfhearted look of reproach.

“My apologies,” she touched her hand to her chest, “what is it?”

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a key. I slid it across the table top in her direction. Molly surveyed it suspiciously, her hands never leaving her coffee mug. Finally her sky blue eyes met mine.

“It’s a key, baby girl, not a diamond.”

She huffed an unconvincing laugh and her lips turned up just slightly. Her eyes blinked rapidly, as if she were trying to hide her surprise. “Alright.”

“I thought it’d make things easier. I want you to be able to get in whenever you need to. In case I’m running late or…”

“In case you need me to water your plants.” I blinked in surprise and the acerbic bite in her voice. She seemed to notice my reaction and sat down her coffee cup with an unhappy sigh. “Sorry. That bitchiness wasn’t meant for
you
.”

“Draven still calling you?” Even saying his name pissed me off. Her ex had been texting and calling Molly about their last remaining tie, the house. It seemed like he was using it to jerk her chain, but Molly was pretty eager to cut the final cord, so she was taking his calls instead of making him go through her attorney.

“Yeah.” She looked gloomy as she sat down her coffee.

I came out of my chair and knelt in front of her. Her physical reaction was priceless.

“You
know
that’s the worst possible position you could be in at the moment, right?”

“It was totally worth it to see that look on your face.” I smirked wryly, but it was far from entertaining to see how gun-shy she actually was.

“He’s texting me. A lot. It sounds insane, but I feel sort of sorry for Elaine.”

“That does sound insane.” I deadpanned. She sighed and looked out the window. Feeling like a dick, I brushed her hair off of her cheek but pressed on. “She doesn’t deserve your sympathy.”

“That’s irrelevant. She doesn’t know what she got herself into. Having a baby is not going to change Draven.” A crease of worry appeared between her eyes. “Thank God we didn’t have kids.”

Visions of imaginary Jack danced in my head and I shoved them aside as I looked at the clock.

“Damn. I’m gonna be late.”

“In that case, I suppose you’d better join me in the shower.” Her face transformed and her flirty lilt returned as she stood and brushed past me toward her bedroom.

“Molly…” I drew her name out in a warming tone, knowing what she was up to and that I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. “I need my shirt.”

I rounded the corner to see she’d already unbuttoned it. She shrugged it off of her beautiful shoulders.

“Come and get it, Joe.”

So I was over an hour late and in my own little world as I stumbled onto the job site. In retrospect, the odd looks and distance everyone was keeping from me should have been a five alarm warning, in bright red letters with an ear splitting klaxon. But I was in my own little happy place. Mollywood.

Graham shook his head when he saw me, and then without a word about my tardiness he gave me a to-do list that took me all over the hotel. Woodwork needed repairs from accidental damage during the construction. I took a pail full of wood supplies and spent the day up and down ladders. Since Molly’s crew was on SoCo today, I went thru a drive thru for lunch and brought back an extra sandwich for Francis. When I found him, he smiled in surprise.

“Good to see you’re still in one piece, Joe.” He took the sandwich eagerly. “Thanks.”

Figuring Francis was hitting the bottle again, I blew him off and got back to work. Molly messaged me that she was coming over and bringing food for my bare cupboards. My attitude improved immediately, though my throat started feeling scratchy and I wondered if I was coming down with Tamryn’s cold. By the time I was done for the day, most of the people were leaving the site and Graham came by to walk me out. We parted ways at the street and I headed up to my truck.

Mac and Mason were standing under a tree near where I parked and Mac stepped out into my path as I drew near. Mason looked agitated and wouldn’t make eye contact. He paced around behind Mac who was glaring daggers at me. I expected him to start yelling, but when Mac spoke his voice was barely audible.

“We need to have a conversation.”

I dropped my tool belt and nodded. “Okay Mac. What‘s up?”

He looked at me with a vacant expression that bordered on creepy. Behind him Mason’s pacing sped up a bit.

“I need you to clear a few things up for me, buddy. Someone told me that they saw you around town with our little sister. Is that true?”

I took in a deep breath and let it out. “Yes.”

Mason whipped his head to glare at me and I took a step back at the rage and betrayal I saw reflected there. The Hildebrandt twins had been my closest friends since we were juniors, but Mason was my
best
friend. He and I could actually have serious conversations and he was the first person I talked to about my plans to go to trade school instead of college. He’d been the best man at my wedding. He was the first person after Tamryn I called from the hospital.

He took a step forward and Mac put an arm up to hold him back.

“Molly and I have been going out.” I said it directly to Mason, and when his expression darkened further, I glanced at Mac.

Mac stood frozen, sadness growing in his eyes. “Dude, we’ve stood by and watched you do a lot of stupid shit in the past couple of years…but our sister? You could be banging any tourist in town and you prey on our kid sister?” The words were flat, devoid of even anger. Mac was far scarier at that moment than he had ever been in his entire life. My hands had started to come up in a defensive posture and I let them drop to my sides.

“It’s not like that, bro.”

“He’s not your bro. Don’t call him bro!” Mason snarled from behind Mac looking crazier than his brother ever had. Mac turned and said something to Mason I couldn’t hear and Mason whirled away in anger.

“So why don’t you tell us what it is like, Joe.” Mac turned back to face me. His vacant expression had transformed into something different. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes blazed.

“Look, we didn’t plan this, guys. Neither one of us was looking for anything serious. We tried to call it quits more than once. But staying away from each other wasn’t what either one of us wanted.”

“So what? Molly, who’s been hanging off your every word since she was in braces, is less effort than skeeving after fresh meat?” Mason was still pissed but he was looking a little less sure of himself.

“There hasn’t been anyone else since Molly. I’m sorry you’re upset but I wasn’t trying to hide anything we were doing. I understand why y’all would be worried about it. But it isn’t what you think. “

“So explain it to us.” Mac looked at me as if I’d turned his world on its side.