“Those are for our guests, so hands off!” she said, referring to the two dozen or so friends invited to a barbecue that afternoon.
“I think I should try one out first, you know, just to make sure they’re okay.”
“Because when have my cinnamon rolls not been more than okay?” she challenged with a glance over her shoulder. For Margaret, the process of baking was a fascinating mix of math and science, and Zeke was more than willing to reap the benefits of her delicious experiments. “Besides, you don’t want to ruin your appetite.”
“Not possible.”
“Something smells wonderful!” John Harper complimented his wife as he stepped into the kitchen. An older version of Zeke with the same lean build, brown hair and hazel eyes, his father looked very much like the history professor he was—tall and distinguished—even when casually dressed in khaki pants and a red polo shirt.
“Cinnamon buns for our guests.” Margaret stressed the words when—like father, like son—John headed toward the dessert. “And I also have some baked beans warming on the stove. Now, if we just had something more to go with them.”
John grumbled good-naturedly beneath his breath as he opened the refrigerator door and start pulling out the packages of hot dogs and burgers. More familiar with his parents’ kitchen than with his own, Zeke stepped into the walk-in pantry and grabbed the superstore-sized packages of paper plates, napkins and red plastic cups off the shelves.
“How was your week?” his mother called from her spot at the stove.
“It was...good.”
Margaret glanced over her shoulder as he backed out of the pantry and set the supplies on the kitchen table. “Well, that sounds about as convincing as the night I decided to try my hand at Thai food.”
His father shook his head as he grabbed the ketchup and mustard from the fridge door. “I swear I had heartburn for weeks.”
Heartburn... That wasn’t exactly the way Zeke would describe how he was feeling, but then again, it wasn’t that far off. Not that he was about talk to his parents about the kiss he and Mollie had shared.
A mistake, he told himself for the hundredth time as he grabbed a soda from the open fridge and popped the top. The most inappropriate, unacceptable, unforgettable, irresistible mistake he’d made in his life.
Buying himself some time, he took a long drink from the cold can. The carbonated fizz did little to wash away the sour taste of guilt lingering in the back of his throat. “It was fine, really.”
When it became clear he wasn’t going to elaborate, his mother gave the beans a final stir and replaced the lid. “I went to get my hair done on Monday.”
Assuming that was some kind of hint, his father nodded. “Looks real nice,” he said, waving a pair of tongs as he headed out to fire up the grill.
Margaret rolled her eyes even as she called after him, “Thank you, dear.”
Zeke, however, had the feeling his mother was going somewhere else with that segue. The door had barely closed behind his father before she said, “While I was there, I ran into Joann Anderson and she said she and Herb tried that new seafood restaurant... You know, the one over in Raleigh?”
Zeke nodded. He and Mollie had talked about going there. It was something of a tradition between the two of them—to wait and experience a trendy restaurant or blockbuster movie or buzz-worthy museum exhibit together. A few months ago, they’d gone to a pizza joint that had just opened up in Hendrix. The old-fashioned parlor had an arcade filled with retro games—everything from back-in-the-day video games to air hockey and Skee-Ball.
Bells and whistles and the sound of explosions had reverberated throughout the place, and the two of them had raced from game to game, laughing and trying to beat each other like they were still a couple of kids.
But now, as he thought of taking Mollie out, reclaiming some nostalgic piece of childhood didn’t come to mind. Instead, his thoughts went to candlelit tables, soft music and an air of romance as he imagined sitting across a linen-draped table with Mollie looking like she did when—
“Mollie was there with that handsome Josh Sylvester.”
Zeke coughed as he half swallowed, half choked on the soda. “Mollie and—”
“And Josh,” his mother repeated as if Zeke hadn’t heard her well enough the first time. “I think he was in your class in high school, wasn’t he?”
He had been. Along with being that handsome, Josh Sylvester had also been smart and popular, homecoming king and star of the basketball team. Meanwhile, Zeke had been the typical nerd, the overachieving geek hiding behind thick glasses and thicker stacks of books.
Sure, the hard work and brains had paid off as he’d gone on to college and a career he loved, and LASIK surgery in his early twenties had taken care of the glasses, but still...
He found himself asking, “So, is Mollie coming today?”
His mother shot him a puzzled look. “As far as I know. Wouldn’t she have said something to you yesterday if she wasn’t?”
“The subject didn’t come up.” Probably because they’d been too busy with...other things.
“Hmm, well, I suppose she could have plans. Maybe seeing Josh again. Of course, there’s no reason why Mollie couldn’t bring him along today.”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” Zeke said, rubbing at the sudden ache in his chest.
Just about as great as his mother’s attempt at Thai food.
Remembering that he, too, had invited other guests, Zeke said, “I did ask Matt Fielding and Claire Asher.” He had also extended an invitation to Bobby Doyle and his family, but the former army sergeant had refused, saying he had other plans.
Zeke hoped that truly was the case.
“Oh, good. I ran into the two of them at The Granary the other day,” his mother said, referring to the grain factory that had been converted to a popular shopping area. “They looked so happy together.” Margaret paused for a moment, the wooden spoon in her hand slowing to a stop as she gazed out the window to the Fairchild house next door. “It’s so romantic, isn’t it, the way they’ve reunited after so many years apart...?”
His mother fell silent for a moment, and Zeke’s stomach started to churn.
“Claire and Matt are so fortunate to have this second chance.”
“Yep.” He agreed entirely when it came to his friend’s romance. But Zeke had no interest in rekindling any kind of flame with Lilah Fairchild now that he’d heard she was back in town.
Not after getting burned big-time.
Still, he hated seeing the far-off look in his mother’s eyes. Two years ago, the Fairchilds wouldn’t have missed a Harper barbecue. But Lilah’s parents and his parents had hardly talked since the breakup, a decade of friendship ruined.
He didn’t blame Lilah’s parents for taking her side, but he wasn’t sure how he’d ended up the bad guy. During those last few weeks in March, less than three months from their planned wedding date, he’d sensed something was off. Lilah had seemed distant, uncommunicative, until she finally told him she needed some space... Which turned out to be around four thousand miles of ocean as the next thing he knew, she’d moved to France and returned his engagement ring in the mail.
For the longest time, he had tried to figure out what had gone wrong. What he’d done wrong. Had he tried too hard? Not hard enough? What signs had he missed that could have prevented him from making such a big mistake in the first place? For all his questions, he found few answers, so he took from the experience the only thing he could.
Ever since Lilah, he’d kept his dating life separate from his friends and family. It was much simpler that way, and when it came to women, Zeke didn’t want any added complications.
Like the complication of crossing the line and kissing his best friend.
With a glance at the clock on the microwave, his mother sighed. “Can you see what is taking your father so long
? If he doesn’t have that grill going soon, we’ll be feeding our guests uncooked hot dogs.”
Jerking his mind from the memory of Mollie in his arms, he said, “Technically, hot dogs are already cooked.” Catching his mother’s look, he quickly added, “But I’ll go check.”
As he stepped out into his parents’ backyard, memories of the hours he’d spent there with Patrick assailed him, as bright and blinding as the sun overhead. Splashing and laughter in the cool, clear water of the pool. The bounce and thud of the basketball against the backboard, peppered with seriously foul trash-talking during their ultra-competitive pick-up games. Hanging out in the shade of the redwood pergola, eating their way through endless bags of greasy burgers and fries as they talked about sport and girls and what they were going to do with the rest of their lives...
Look out for my little sis, would ya, Z?
And Zeke knew there was no way around the truth.
He hadn’t just crossed a line of friendship when he’d pulled Mollie into his arms.
He’d overshot the boundaries by a country mile.
* * *
Mollie had her doubts about going to the Harpers’ barbecue. Several times during the drive over, she’d been tempted to turn the SUV around, go home and eat the entire pan of double-dark-chocolate brownies herself. In one sitting. With a vanilla ice cream chaser.
She didn’t know how she was supposed to act, seeing Zeke for the first time since their kiss in the woods. As much as she’d like to play everything cool, as if she went around kissing guys all the time, Mollie doubted she had what it took to pull off such a blasé attitude.
She’d dreamed for years of kissing Zeke, from her preteen days when she barely knew what kissing was about, right up to the moment a few days ago when, as a grown woman, she’d thought she knew what it was about. But kissing Zeke was better than any dream, better than any reality of the kisses she’d had in the past...until she’d seen the look of near horror on Zeke’s face and the whole thing turned into a nightmare.
But she still managed a smile as she stepped into his parents’ kitchen and his mother greeted her with a hug. “Mollie!” As she accepted the plate of brownies, Margaret scolded, “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
Mollie had always liked Margaret Harper. Though she had a no-nonsense reputation with her high school math students, at home she was warm and welcoming. Far more so than Mollie’s own mother. “I don’t mind. I like baking and—”
“Zeke likes eating.”
Her heart cramped a little as Zeke’s mother finished the age-old line Mollie always gave for why she liked to cook so much. “That’s right.”
“And don’t you look lovely! Is that dress new?”
Brushing her suddenly sweating palms over the flowered skirt, as if she could somehow turn the dress into her typical jeans and T-shirt, Mollie’s face heated. “Um, yeah, it is.”
Oh, God, was it totally obvious that she was trying too hard when—where it came to Zeke—she wasn’t supposed to be trying at all?
“You know, Zeke seemed worried that you weren’t coming today. I couldn’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t...” Margaret’s smile turned a little teasing as she set the brownies aside. “Although I thought you might bring Josh Sylvester with you.”
“You—you did?” Mollie asked, surprised Zeke had told his mother about her date.
“Sure. The more the merrier, right?”
“Right,” Mollie said hollowly. After all, Zeke had already suggested a double date. Why would he have a problem with her bringing Josh to a Harper friends and family barbecue? And it wasn’t like he’d kissed her, completely ruining her for Josh or any man, just the day before!
His mother frowned as she caught sight of Mollie’s expression. “Is everything all right?”
Trying to keep the steam from blowing out her ears, Mollie forced a smile. “Just fine.”
Margaret lifted a brow in question. “Funny, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you and Zeke both were suffering from a serious case of Thai food.”
* * *
Standing with his father at the smoking, sizzling grill, Zeke didn’t realize how closely he’d been watching the back door until Mollie stepped outside. His heart did a slow roll in his chest as he caught sight of her. She looked lovely—as fresh and sunny as the summer day in a white, halter-style dress. The bodice hugged the curves of her breasts while leaving her arms bare, and the pink-and-purple flowers embroidered along the skirt instantly drew his eyes to her toned calves.
His hand clenched around the metal tongs he held as he waited... The wave of relief rushing through him when he saw she was alone left him weak-kneed. Bad enough to hear from Mollie—and oh, yeah, his mom—about her date with Josh Sylvester. The last thing he wanted was to see the two of them together.
Except...hadn’t he been the one to encourage Mollie to go out more? Like she’d told him the night of her date, the idea had been his to begin with. So why did the whole thing bother him so much?
Shoving the thought aside, he turned to his father. “You okay here?”
His dad nodded. “Your mother can rest assured that we will not be serving uncooked hot dogs.”
Wincing at the flash of heat from a sudden flare-up, Zeke hung the tongs on the side of the grill. “Yeah.” He eyed the charred and blistered dogs. “I think we’re safe there.”
Wondering if it was too late to order pizza for the crowd gathered in the backyard, Zeke left the shaded outdoor kitchen and jogged across the lush lawn. He greeted some of their friends and neighbors along the way as they called out his name, stopping only long enough to shake a hand or to let them know about the drinks and snacks lining the tables set up in the shade of the giant oaks. The instant Mollie spotted him, her own steps slowed and the wariness in her blue-green eyes hit him straight in the chest.
She’d never, not in the almost twenty years that he’d known her, looked anything but happy to see him. “Mollie...” he began, only to find himself at a complete loss as to where to go from there.
She tilted her head, nodding in the direction of the inferno of a grill. “Your dad need a fire extinguisher yet?”
“It’s getting close. I have both the fire department and the pizza place on speed dial, just in case.”
She nodded in response, but the pressure in his chest failed to ease. The familiar jokes were hitting all the right notes, but like an out of tune piano, none of the words rang true. As she turned to walk away, Zeke caught her arm. “Mollie, I want—”
His words cut off as she turned back to him, her eyes huge in her lovely face, her skin soft and warm beneath his touch. She’d left her hair down, the reddish curls tumbling against her freckled shoulders, and his fingers itched to sift through the silken strands.
You, his subconscious urged. I want you.
As he floundered for something to say, her chin lifted. Aware of the people gathered in laughing, chatting groups nearby, she leaned close enough for him to see the anger striking sparks in her eyes. “If you apologize for kissing me again, I will put some of those self-defense moves you and Patrick taught me back in junior high to good use, and then, Zeke Harper, you really will have something to be sorry about!”
Zeke couldn’t help but smile at what was such a Mollie response. Smiling was probably not his best move, though, considering the way her gaze narrowed even more and how she seemed to be eyeing up his package for a quick delivery from her knee. “No apologies,” he promised as he held his ground, resisting the urge to take a sudden backward step out of range. “But I want to explain.”
Mollie crossed her arms. “Turn that big brain of yours off for a minute, would you? I don’t need a kiss explained to me. I’m well aware of what happens between two consenting adults.”
Zeke might have been all about consenting, but he wasn’t feeling very adult at the moment. Not when he
wanted to clap his hands over his ears to keep from hearing what else Mollie might have to say about her own experience on the subject. He was still having a difficult time, as it was, thinking of Mollie that way. Sex was the last thing they should be talking about—thinking about—in front of friends and family!
“I want to explain,” he practically shouted, loud enough that a few of those friends and family members glanced his way. Looking around at the people gathered in his parents’ backyard, he couldn’t help thinking of the couple conspicuously absent. “Two years ago, the Fairchilds wouldn’t have dreamed of missing this barbecue.”
For ten years, his parents and Lilah’s did everything together. Their dads had been golf buddies; their mothers co-chairs of just about every charity and event in the small town. “But all that changed after my broken engagement.”
Not only were the Fairchilds no longer friends with his parents, but they could almost be considered enemies. Instead of working together on the various boards, now Mrs. Fairchild ran against his mother at every opportunity. Lilah’s father, a powerful lawyer in Raleigh, had actually threatened to sue for monetary and emotional damages thanks to all the money the Fairchilds had doled out in advance payments on an over-the-top expensive wedding that had never taken place.
In the end, Zeke had forked over half the costs for the nonrefundable deposits. All in all, a small price to pay. He’d been such a fool, and one of his main beliefs in life was that anyone who didn’t learn from their mistakes was bound to repeat them.
He’d learned from Lilah. Big time.
“Look around, Zeke. Your parents have plenty of friends. I don’t think they miss the Fairchilds nearly as much as you miss Lilah.”
Not Just the Girl Next Door Page 9
