He was not the type to leave anything unfinished, and his broken engagement was like a big ugly question mark hanging over their heads. For once, Mollie was the one with the answers.
Not answers, her conscience taunted her. Secrets. Lies.
Her stomach turned as the accusations echoed in her mind. For so many years, she had dreamed of something more than friendship with Zeke. But that relationship would be over before it started if she told Zeke the real reason his engagement with Lilah ended.
* * *
A few hours later, Zeke and Mollie had the shutters primed and painted and lying on sawhorses in Mollie’s lush backyard to dry in the late afternoon sun. They’d have to hang them another day, but Zeke was happy with what they’d accomplished. Kneeling in the damp grass, he used the hose to clean the paint trays and rollers. Mollie laughed at him as the dogs made nuisances of themselves, excitedly dancing around, trying to chomp at the cool stream of water, and Zeke couldn’t resist turning the hose on her.
Squealing, she dropped the brush she’d been cleaning and threw up her hands to block the spray. She shook the water from her hands before wiping the moisture from her face. Droplets darkened her hair to burgundy and dripped off the curled ends. He was half surprised the liquid didn’t turn to steam as she glared at him, arms akimbo. “I can’t believe you just did that!”
Her emerald T-shirt was too dark to turn transparent, but the wet material clung so faithfully to the curves of her breasts that it may as well have been invisible. Grinning, he hit her once more for good measure. “What about that?”
Mollie shrieked again, but this time dove for the nozzle, creating a mini fountain raining down over the both of them. The instant dousing did little to cool Zeke’s blood as he caught her body to his. Mollie’s gaze locked on his before dropping to his mouth, a whisper of invitation in her breathless gasp. Somewhere along the way, the hose fell to the ground, soaking their feet, but he barely noticed. Her lips were cool and refreshing beneath his, her tongue warm and wet, and a shudder racked the length of his spine.
Her fingers dug into his damp hair, and he forgot all about going slow. Forgot...everything but the sweet rush of desire and the arousing sounds Mollie made as he deepened the kiss.
She’d been quiet since they got back from the home improvement store. At first he hadn’t noticed, too caught up in his own thoughts. Seeing Lilah had sent him into a bit of a funk. He’d avoided any serious relationships since his broken engagement, keeping his love life separate from Spring Forest and his encounters strictly casual.
Mollie was as big a part of Spring Forest as he was, and she deserved so much more than casual. Was that why she’d withdrawn as the afternoon went on? Was she having second thoughts about how far she wanted to go with a man who wasn’t able to commit?
But now all he tasted was the eagerness in her kiss, the urgency of her touch as her hands raced from his shoulder blades down his spine to anchor at his hips. The soaked clothing between them was as inconsequential as the reasons he’d ever thought of taking things slow.
While they forgot about the running water and the hose, the dogs did not. With an almost violent jangle of dog tags, Chief gave a full body shake, flinging water and mud from the convenient bog he’d been rolling in all over Mollie and Zeke.
* * *
Mollie gasped as she was hit by the cold, wet splatter. The two of them sprang apart at the sudden shock. Her body trembling from the raw possessiveness of Zeke’s kiss, she didn’t know how she kept from collapsing into the oozing puddle right alongside her troublemaking dogs.
Lifting a hand, Zeke wiped a mud clot from beneath one eye. “Not exactly a cold shower—”
Shower... “Oh, good grief!” she gasped. “What time is it?”
“Um, I’m guessing half past mud bath.” Zeke wasn’t wearing a watch, and both of them had, wisely, left their cell phones inside. “Why?”
Mollie glanced down in horror. Her clothes had been nothing special to begin with, but now the green T-shirt and cutoff shorts were splattered and streaked with North Carolina soil. “I should already be getting ready.”
Zeke frowned. “Ready for what?”
She pulled the wet T-shirt away from her chest, trying to ignore how clearly her breasts were revealed by the thin material. “Ready for my date with Josh.”
Zeke’s mud-spattered jaw dropped. “You are not serious.”
“Well, I certainly can’t go like this!” Throwing her arms out, she slogged across the saturated ground to turn the hose off at the spigot with a squeak of the pipes.
She couldn’t believe she’d completely forgotten about her date! Between spotting the little stray terrier, Zeke showing up and the trip to the home improvement store, she’d had a lot going on. Not to mention it was hard to think of plans she’d made with another man when Zeke kept randomly showing up and kissing her!
But focusing on all of that only made it easier to ignore the real reason for her distraction.
Not knowing why Lilah left ate me up inside.
At the time of their breakup, Mollie had told him that Lilah must have realized she wasn’t good enough for him. His ex didn’t deserve him. Zeke deserved someone so much better... The truth, but not the whole truth, as to why Lilah had left.
And then, after Patrick died, Mollie and Zeke had grown even closer, and it was easy for her to pretend his engagement had never happened. That Zeke had gotten over Lilah and moved on. But she’d known it was a lie. The women he’d moved on to—nameless, faceless dates he never brought home to Spring Forest—proved he hadn’t left the past behind or taken a step forward toward a lasting commitment.
Except he’d kissed her. She was about as far from his recent flings as a girl could get. And hadn’t his suggestion that they take things slow intimated he was looking for a more serious relationship? So maybe he was over the breakup, after all. Or maybe she was just making excuses...
“Mollie. You can’t—” He ran a hand through his hair only to pull back in disgust as his fingers came away covered in muck. With the chestnut strands sticking out in all directions and a predatory gleam in his eye as he cornered her against the shaded side of the house, he looked a little wild. So different from the cool, calm and collected Zeke she knew so well. “Cancel the date, Mollie.”
Mollie swallowed, her throat bone-dry despite the rest of her being sopping wet. “Cancel at the last minute? That’s totally rude.”
“Not nearly as rude as me having to punch Josh Sylvester in the face when he shows up here tonight.”
“You would never do that,” she insisted, though something about the expression on Zeke’s face seemed to say, Try me.
“Cancel the date, Mollie.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you going out with Josh Sylvester.”
Remembering what Matt Fielding had said about how the two of them hadn’t been able to come up with a single guy to fix her up with, she demanded, “Have someone else in mind?”
“As a matter of fact,” he vowed, the glint of gold in his hazel eyes burning bright as his gaze swept over her from head to toe and every aching, trembling space between, “I do.”
Chapter Twelve
It’s not a date.
Like the lyrics of an annoying pop song she couldn’t get out of her head, Mollie kept repeating the words over and over again as she got ready that evening.
For what wasn’t a date with Zeke Harper.
After canceling with Josh, she and Zeke had spent the next hour burning off the lingering sexual tension by chasing Arti and Chief around the huge yard. The dogs, who had gone crazy trying to catch water from the hose and who had rolled in canine bliss in the mud puddle, turned suddenly aquaphobic at the mention of a b-a-t-h.
By the time they’d finished, Mollie and Zeke were as wet—if not as clean—as the two dogs. After using s
ome old towels to vigorously rub and dry the dogs into looking more like fluffy puppies than drowned rats, Mollie had innocently offered to throw Zeke’s clothes into the washer.
He’d given her a long look, and just like that, the desire she thought they’d doused out in the backyard flickered to life once more. Nerves had shot off in her belly like skyrockets. Though Zeke hadn’t said so, Mollie had the feeling that if either one of them took their clothes off, it wouldn’t be for anything as mundane as doing the laundry.
Instead, he’d borrowed one of her towels to cover the seat of his car so he could drive home, and then he’d kissed her. The quick yet heated embrace had left her breathless and panting for more, but Zeke had only given her a slightly smug grin before asking, “Come to my place tonight? Around seven?”
Mollie was pretty sure she’d nodded as she watched him walk away, his damp white T-shirt clinging to wide shoulders and the muscles of his back. Any capability of speech or thought had been beyond her at that moment.
But in the hours since, she’d had more than enough time to question what the invitation really meant.
For all she knew, he just wanted to celebrate their combined triumph after everything had gone so well with Bobby and Charlie. Nothing more. Even so, as Mollie stared into the mirror above the bathroom sink at the crazy curls she’d pulled back into a ponytail, at the freckles shining out from a makeup-free face, at the lips highlighted only by a slight shine from the balm she favored, she was tempted to reach for the small beauty bag Amanda had left behind for her.
It’s not a date.
And even if it was, she was going to take her own advice and be herself.
Flicking off the light, she went into the kitchen to check on the dogs. Kneeling down, she rubbed Arti’s silky ears before giving Chief a scratch on the soft fur beneath his chin. The dog tipped his head back, his eyes closing in sheer canine bliss. “Be good puppies, okay? I’ll be home soon.”
She gave each dog a treat before she grabbed her purse and headed out.
Though Zeke’s invitation might not have been a date, Mollie’s mother had always taught her not to arrive anywhere empty-handed, and even friends could share a celebratory bottle of wine. With that in mind, she stopped by the grocery store.
She didn’t know much about wine, and row after row of bottles gleaming beneath the fluorescent lights was somewhat overwhelming. But when she spotted one with the outline of a dog jumping through a hoop on the label, she quickly made her choice.
With the bottle tucked under her arm, she headed for the express checkout. The woman in line in front of her glanced back with a smile that turned into a double take. “Mollie McFadden?”
“Um, yes...” Racking her brain trying to figure out if she knew the pretty, dark-haired woman, Mollie drew a blank. Definitely not one of her pet parents or anyone she could recall running into at Furever Paws.
When the other woman’s eyes filled with tears, curiosity turned to a bit of panic. “Oh, my goodness!” the woman exclaimed. “Thank you.”
Mollie didn’t have a chance to respond before the woman wrapped her in a somewhat awkward hug with the wine bottle caught between them. “Um, you’re welcome?”
“I’m so sorry.” The woman pulled back with a slightly embarrassed laugh. “You don’t even know who I am, do you? My name’s Amy Doyle.”
“Bobby’s wife.”
Amy nodded as she wiped at the tears in her eyes. “Yes, and I assure you I don’t typically go around hugging perfect strangers. I should have reached out to you already to tell you how amazing you are.”
More than a little uncomfortable with the other woman’s praise, along with the attention they were garnering from the nearby shoppers, Mollie shook her head. “I should be thanking you. Everyone at Furever Paws is always so grateful when families look to adopt a pet.”
Amy gave a soft laugh. “Charlie isn’t just a pet. Not to us. I’ve seen those bumper stickers before. You know the ones that say My Dog Rescued Me? But I never truly understood until I saw Bobby with Charlie.”
“So, everything is going well?” Mollie knew both Zeke and Matt had been checking in with the vet since he took Charlie home. She planned to continue to work with Charlie and to include Bobby in the dog’s training, but she’d wanted to give them a chance to bond first. She wanted the Lab to see Bobby—and not her—as the human Charlie needed to follow.
“It’s been amazing. I haven’t seen Bobby so happy since...” The woman’s voice trailed off, leaving behind the unspoken horrors no one but the veterans who’d experienced them could truly understand.
“And it’s all thanks to you,” Amy finished.
Mollie shook her head. “You’re giving me far too much credit. Matt and Zeke were the ones with the idea of finding a dog for Bobby. And Charlie, I mean, she’s the perfect dog. I really didn’t have to do much of anything.”
“You have to see them together.” Amy’s eyes lit. “In fact, we’re having a get-together this weekend. I wanted to throw a party a long time ago, but Bobby wasn’t up for the idea of hanging out in a big crowd. Now, though, he can’t wait to show off how smart Charlie is. You and Zeke have to come!”
Mollie wasn’t sure what to think of the other woman linking her name with Zeke’s, but Mollie reassured Amy that she would talk to him about the party. “I hope to see the two of you there. And have fun on your date tonight,” Amy said with the glance at the wine before she wheeled her cart toward the exit.
It’s not a date...and we’re not a couple.
Despite the reminder, Mollie couldn’t quell the excitement and anticipation building inside her as she thanked the cashier and headed for the exit. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe tonight would change things between them—
Mollie stopped short as she caught sight of Lilah Fairchild standing in front of the automatic doors. “Little Miss Mollie,” she said, her bright red lips curled into a sardonic grin. “Everyone thinks you’re so perfect.”
Mollie clutched the bottle of wine to her chest as her jaw dropped. “Me?” she asked incredulously. “No one thinks—”
“But that would change, wouldn’t it,” the other woman continued, “if they knew the truth.” She stepped closer, towering over Mollie with her height and heels. “If Zeke knew how you blackmailed me into breaking up with him.”
Mollie’s gut twisted at the thought. “It wasn’t blackmail,” she whispered.
“‘Tell him the truth or I will,’” Lilah quoted word for word from that night just over two years ago.
“But you didn’t tell him,” Mollie argued.
“And neither did you,” Lilah said, her beautiful features twisted into a smug expression.
“What would have been the point?” Mollie asked. “The two of you had already broken up, and you’d moved a continent away. Why would I hurt Zeke by telling him then?”
What would have been the point of telling Zeke the woman he loved, the woman he’d been engaged to, had cheated on him? Even after all this time, Mollie could still remember the icy shock and the red-hot fury at discovering how Lilah, who had everything Mollie had ever wanted, could be unfaithful.
Lilah scoffed. “Oh, please! You weren’t protecting Zeke. You were protecting yourself...and your brother.”
Mollie’s stomach churned at the accusation.
“That’s not true,” she whispered hollowly. “Patrick was...”
For a brief second, Mollie saw some emotion flash in the other woman’s gaze. But it was gone as quickly as it had come, and when Lilah leaned forward, her dark eyes were flat and cold. “All this time, you kept silent. And you finally have Zeke Harper exactly where you’ve always wanted him. So now it’s my turn. Tell him the truth...or I will.”
* * *
Tell him or I will...
Mollie had never had her own words come back to hit her with such a vengeance. And whil
e she wasn’t sure she would have ever acted on her own threat, she had no doubt Lilah would see her vow through to the bitter end. And while Lilah should have been the one to shoulder the blame for her actions back then, to carry the weight of her own betrayal, Mollie couldn’t let Zeke hear about the affair—or about Mollie’s role in keeping it hidden—from his ex.
As bad as the truth was, Lilah would undoubtedly make the telling of it that much worse. Not to mention what she might say about Patrick. Her brother might have looked out for her while he was alive, but now that he was gone, Mollie was the one to honor his memory as best she could.
Which meant, like it or not, Lilah was right. She needed to tell Zeke the truth.
Her earlier excitement and anticipation deflated as quickly as a hapless beach ball left in Arti’s clutches. An evening intended for celebration was going to turn out very differently than either of them planned.
The familiar drive to Zeke’s apartment went by all too fast, and before she knew it, she was knocking on his door. He answered almost instantly, as if he’d been waiting on the other side. His huge grin hit Mollie hard, knowing she’d soon be wiping the happy expression from his face.
“Hey, Mollie.”
Her greeting stalled in her throat when he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. An innocent enough brush of his lips against her skin, and yet her reaction was anything but innocent. Desire pooled inside her belly at his clean, masculine scent.
Not knowing what else to do, she shoved the bottle at his chest. “I brought wine.”
“Just what we need to celebrate.” Only she didn’t need alcohol. She didn’t need anything more than Zeke looking at her as he was in that moment to make her head spin. “Come on in.”
With the wine in one hand, he took her arm as if he was escorting her on a red carpet walkway rather than across the warm hardwood of his living room. “Zeke, there’s something I have to tell you,” she began.
Not Just the Girl Next Door Page 14
