by Maren Lee
“Wesson?!” she shouted after him.
He hurried back in. “Yeah?”
“Can you please keep this between us? No one knows. Please. I can’t tell people.”
“Wouldn’t dream of telling anyone. My lips are sealed. Just me and you.”
Well, that could not have been more embarrassing or weird or sweet.
“Thanks,” she sighed.
Molly was so embarassed. But also strangely excited. Although...she knew this conversation would lead to him asking her why. She was thirty-three years old, not religious, not asexual, and not living in her parents’ basement. This was not a normal situation. She steeled herself for the upcoming conversation, put on her cat jammies, and made her way to the living room to flop on the couch and wait for her hangover cure.
➰
Wesson was at the diner waiting on their food to be packaged up. Fuck me, he thought to himself. He wasn’t good enough to get involved with Molly Mooney. But she sure seemed to think he was last night. Maybe he should give himself the benefit of the doubt this time.
It was well before noon, but the diner served burgers all day and it honestly sounded better to him than breakfast, so Wesson ordered one too. He’d run home and changed and then rushed to pick up the food. It wasn’t quite ready yet, so he waited at the register. His phone rang. It was his mom. He never rejected a call from her. Not since about five years ago.
“Hey, Mama.”
“Hey, Wess. You coming over tomorrow? I have a hair appointment, so I need your help.”
“I’m off all day, so I’m all yours to help you with whatever you need. But you know you’re beautiful even without a hair appointment.”
“Oh psshhhh. Stop sucking up to me, boy. I have something to tell you.”
Wesson didn’t respond.
“I heard from the parole board this morning.”
Wesson knew there was some news coming regarding his father. Again, he said nothing.
“Your dad’s getting out.”
“You are fuckin’ shitting me?” he asked as a question, not quite believing what his mom had just told him.
“Not fucking shitting you one bit, Wess.” His mama could curse with the best of them. Shit, he’d probably learned it all from her in the womb.
“Fuck. Seriously? He’s getting out?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “This coming Friday.”
Fuck.
Wesson’s dad was a piece of shit. Wesson’s dad was the reason his mom was in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. The reason why he decided to finally stop working construction and become a cop. The reason why he rarely ever raised his voice. The reason why he tried not to use his hands in violence. The reason why he hadn’t settled down yet. The reason why he was over at his mom’s house at least twice a week to help her. The reason why he had to completely retrofit his mom’s house to make it wheelchair accessible. The reason why he saved his money and lived with fucking roommates despite having enough to buy his own home. Yeah, his dad was a piece of shit. He expected the guy to be in prison for a lot longer than five years.
Wesson took a deep breath.
“We’ll deal with it. I’ll move back in with you if I have to, Mom.”
“Stop. You do not need to move back in with me. Hopefully he’s learned his lesson and will just move on to another town.”
“You really think he’s not just going to come back for revenge?”
“I like to believe there is a good person inside him. He wasn’t a bad man when I married him and he wasn’t a bad man for a few years after we had you, Wess.”
Wesson didn’t remember a time when his dad wasn’t a bad man. He was always rotten. Thankfully, he’d been mostly gone.
“If I’m not moving in, I’m at least upgrading your security system.”
He heard his mom sigh on the other end. “That might be a good idea. I have some money set aside…” her voice trailed off.
“No. Absolutely not. I’ll get the shit from Jack for cost and install it myself. Save your money for when you really need it.”
She laughed. “You don’t think this is considered a time when I might ‘really need it’?”
“Whatever. I’ve gotcha this time.”
Wesson worried about his mom constantly. He had a bit of cash stashed from his construction days. Wesson had traveled to North Dakota during the oil boom along with the rest of the roughnecks looking to make a quick buck when he quickly realized that the area was in dire need of new home and new school construction. He’d called up his friend Jack, a developer in Billings, and the two quickly made connections in Williston, North Dakota. They’d made a mint in a short period of time. And when the oil boom looked like it was about to go bust, as they all seem to eventually, Wesson came home with money in his pockets. Then his dad tried to kill his mom, turning his whole world upside down and inside out.
“You work for the county now, Wess. I don’t need you spending your hard earned money on me. I can cover the system at cost.”
“Fine,” he wasn’t going to argue now. If she ever ran out of money, he knew he had enough to cover them both for a while. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mom. Love you.”
“Bye, bug. See you tomorrow.”
He hung up the phone just as the waitress delivered his order in two styrofoam containers. He paid, practically bolted out of the diner, and hopped in his truck. He had a hungover hottie and an awkward conversation waiting for him.
➰
Wesson had locked her door behind him on the way out, so he rang the bell and nervously fidgeted while he waited for Molly to answer. And waited. Finally he heard footsteps. The deadbolt. The door handle.
The most beautiful woman in the world with messy hair, black rimmed glasses, and cat pajamas answered the door.
“Oh good. You’re back. My stomach is still protesting.” She leaned against the door jamb and sighed.
“I am. Can I come in again?”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” She moved out of his way and he came in with the burgers from the diner and all the fixings for bloody marys that he’d grabbed at the store next door.
“Got you a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a bloody mary. Wesson’s secret hangover formula. Don’t worry. I got you a two-liter of Coke too, in case you don’t believe in hair of dog. Trust me, though. It works.”
Molly laughed and shuffled into the kitchen behind him. “I’ll try anything. I feel like total crap. Thanks for looking out for me, Wesson.”
Damn, she’s sweet. Like teriyaki.
He looked back at her and gave her a soft smile. “No one I’d rather spend the day with. Well, maybe except for Chuck Norris.” He tilted his head. “Do you have to work today?”
She smiled. “Chuck Norris? Totally makes sense,” she nodded. Damn right it makes sense. “No. No appointments on Sundays, but today is the day I usually review my progress notes and prepare for the appointments I have tomorrow. Though, I cannot imagine doing that right now. I’ll just go into work early tomorrow. What about you?”
“Nah, I’m off the next couple of days. Gotta go help my ma out tomorrow, though.” Wesson was still a little itchy from his phone call with his mom thirty minutes earlier.
“I’m sure she appreciates that. I wasn’t living here when it happened, but I’ve heard about it. She’s a great lady, Wesson. I’m sorry that happened to her and to you, too.”
Her sympathy was comforting. Wesson had long since come to terms with the incident, but there was a small part of him that thought if his dad was capable of something like that, maybe he was too. His dad’s DNA was coursing through his body after all. He didn’t think it was in his nature, but he was afraid it might be.
“Thanks,” he replied as he cleared his throat. “Just found out at the diner that my dad is getting out this week. So I’m gonna be installing a new security system at my mom’s house. May need to stay with her a few nights. Such dog shit.” He shook his head, bu
t he wasn’t laughing.
“Oh my god, Wesson. He almost killed your mom and he’s getting out already?”
“Fucked up, huh?”
Molly didn’t respond. She just looked flabbergasted.
Wesson sighed. “Didn’t mean to bring down the whole conversation. Let’s eat and bring you back to full speed and then we can chat about your preposition last night.”
Molly groaned and then face-palmed herself. “I’m still seriously so embarrassed, Wesson. We do not need to have that conversation. In fact, if you could just erase your mind of any detail from last night right now, that would be great for me.”
Yeah, right. Wesson laughed. “No fucking chance in China am I forgetting last night, Molly. That’s gonna go in my spank box for-fucking-ever.” Literally forever. Yeah, she’s crazy if she thinks she’s remotely forgettable.
“Spank box? You mean spank bank?” Molly tilted her head to the right.
Wesson nodded. “My mental picture jerk off box of beautiful asses, tits, and pussies.”
Molly gasped. “Well. That’s,” she paused and coughed. “...very naughty, Officer Campbell.”
“Sugar-tits, you ain't seen naughty yet. Eat,” he ordered, pointing to her food as he mixed her bloody mary.
Did you just call her sugar-tits? Good god, man. What is your problem? Thankfully the term of endearment didn’t seem to have a negative effect on her.
“Fudge! Fine.” She dug in with gusto and then moaned in pleasure after taking a bite. Whoa. If food had that effect on her, he couldn’t wait to hear what sounds came out of her when he went down on her.
Listen to you, man. ‘When’ you go down on her? What makes you think she even wants you sober?
Wessons shrugged off his inner voice as he delivered his tomato juice concoction to Molly. He wasn’t going to let anyone talk him out of this. Sierra had emboldened him. He was going to give this his best shot and see what happened. He wanted to prove to himself that he wasn’t his father. And truthfully, he wanted to share his life with someone. Someone nice and beautiful and smart and funny. Someone who didn’t care that he said stupid shit from time-to-time. All the time-to-time. Whatever. And if she was completely out of his league, then fine. But at least he could say he tried.
He finished stuffing his face well before Molly finished and got up to make himself a drink.
Molly’s voice cut through the silence. “So, do you like being a cop, Wesson?”
He didn’t even have to think twice. “Love it. Decided to get into it after I came back from North Dakota and that shit happened to my mom. Wanted to do something positive and helpful to the community. Prove to myself that I’m not my dad--”
Molly jumped right in, “You can’t possibly think you’re anything like your dad, Wesson.”
“I hope I’m not.”
“I’m here to tell you that you’re not. You’re kind and gentle and wonderful and fun and everyone who knows you is lucky.”
Fuck me. You’re not good enough for her.
She pushed her plate away from her. “I won’t let you believe that you’re like him. You’re not. Got it?”
“Bossy,” he winked. “You done?” He nodded at her plate. Let’s change the subject.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Go get comfy in the living room. I’ll refresh our drinks and be in right after you.”
“You are seriously too nice to me right now, Wesson. After what I put you through last night--”
“Like I told you before, Molly. Seeing you naked was…” Wesson exhaled. “Whew. Well, it’s not on my list of ‘things I wish never happened,’ let’s just leave it at that. Now get your sweet ass in the living room.”
Molly blushed and then followed his order.
Wesson smiled. He hoped he’d be able to convince her to take a chance on him.
Chapter 4
Shoot. Shit. Shit shit shit. Molly was about to have a full-fledged panic attack. Wesson wanted her to sit on the couch for this talk. The talk wherein he would ask her why she was a virgin. Why she was throwing herself at him last night. What on Earth was she going to tell him?
The truth, Molly. Straight up, tell him the truth.
He came in with two refreshed bloody marys. Dang, he’s handsome. His sweatpants hung off his hips. She could almost make out the outline of his dick through the black fabric. If only the pants were gray. Molly shook her head and smiled.
“What are you smiling at?”
Oh no, he caught you!
“Nothing. I just really appreciate you, Wesson. And after last night, I do not deserve this princess treatment.”
Wesson chuckled. “I beg to differentiate.”
Molly smiled. She loved his ‘Wesson-isms.’
“Okay,” he continued. “Let’s get down to brass taxes.”
Molly pursed her lips to keep herself from snorting with laughter. Dang, he’s cute.
“Okay.”
“You’re a virgin.”
“Yes.” So darned embarrassing.
“How in the fuck is that humanly possible?”
Hey!
“Please don’t curse, Wesson,” she whispered.
“Are you serious? You hang with Sierra and Lane and Chloe. You’ve heard worser, Molly.”
“I know. I scold them too.” She really did. Those three were the most foul-mouthed women she’d ever laid eyes (or ears, as it were) on. She tried very hard not to fall in line with them and kept her mouth (mostly) clean. Her daddy would wash her mouth out with soap at age thirty-three if he heard anything come out of her mouth that was remotely close to the words her friends used forty thousand times a day.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to change the subject, Moll?” Wesson asked, a twinkle in his eye.
“Sorry, Wesson. It’s just. It’s embarrassing. And it’s painful. I haven’t told anyone. Like literally no one knows but a couple of people from college. Ugh.” Molly clenched her hands into fists, digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands.
“If it helps, we can skip the ‘why’ for now and move on to the part where you ask me to help you out.”
Molly swatted at Wesson’s arm playfully. “Stop. You can’t seriously want to help me. I’m probably a hot mess. I have very little experience.”
“Sounds like you have zero experience, Molly.”
“I’ve given blow jobs before, Wesson. Never had any complaints.”
He blushed. Holy Moses, you made him blush.
“Did I really ask you to have sex with me last night?” she asked. She still couldn't quite believe it.
“Um, yeah. Multiple times. With much cruder language. Told me you watched porn and wanted your vagina to explode.”
“Oh my god. How much more awful can this get?” she asked out loud, but didn’t seem to be asking anyone in particular. “Wesson, I’m seriously so sorry.”
“I’m not. Do you, in the sober light of day, want to have sex with me? Do you want to be a virgin anymore, Molly?”
She paused. Could she do this with Wesson? Rip off the Bandaid and just get it done? Done and over and no longer a huge and embarrassing weight on her shoulders.
“No,” she answered. She was sure.
Wesson visibly deflated. “Oh. Okay, then. No worries. I’ll just go then.” He started to get up from the couch. Molly reached for him and pulled him back down.
“What?! No, no, no, Wesson. I was answering your second question. No, I don’t want to be a virgin anymore.”
A slow smile crossed his face.
“Do you still want to have sex with me?”
Molly cleared her throat. “Um. Yeah. Yes. Yes, I do. Do you want to have sex with...um...with me?” Please don’t turn me down or this will be the new most embarrassing moment of my life and I will actually remember every second of this one.
“Does a bear shit in the park?”
“What? In the park? Gross. But yes, if it
was there I think it would.”
“There’s your answer.”
“That really set the mood, Wesson.”
“I agree.” He took a swig of his drink.
Molly rolled her eyes.
“Okay, so what do you want in exchange?”
“What now?”
