“I know.” He handed her the flowers. “I remember seeing them in a beveled glass vase on your desk the few times I came to your dorm room with Ryan.”
The vase. Molly’s mother had given it to her when she graduated from high school. It had belonged to her mother, Molly’s grandmother. How on earth had he remembered the only heirloom that meant the world to her? “Thank you. They are beautiful. Let me put these in some water, and we can get to work.”
Derek looked around. “I brought my laptop. Where would you like to set up?”
Molly eyed the black leather bag strapped over Derek’s broad shoulder. “We can work in the kitchen. Follow me.”
Several videos later, and after a great deal of time and effort on Derek’s part while she watched, Bound to Please Reads had a presence out in cyberspace. He’d registered her domain name as he explained webhosting and search engines along with other technological terms she’d never heard of. In addition, he’d set up several social media accounts.
“The website looks great, Derek. I could never have done this without your help. Thank you so much.” She meant it. This would have taken her days or even weeks. Who was she kidding? She’d never have been able to figure it out.
“You’re welcome. I enjoy this. It’s fun for me. If you’d like, we can play around with your branding and add the newsletter sign-up after we get dinner started.”
“Yeah, the newsletter. I thought about it after you mentioned it earlier. How often would you recommend I send one?” She had a hard time imagining who would read such a thing.
“I can tell you’re not quite on board with this whole letter thing, are you?”
Over the years, Molly had signed up for hundreds of newsletters, but most went to her junk folder and were deleted. Who had the time to read them?
“I can’t help but wonder, if I invest the time and send one out a month, would anyone bother to read it?”
“Email marketing has been proven to be the most powerful tool a business owner can use. Trust me. You just have to give the recipient a good reason to open up the email. I’ll show you later. I’m getting hungry.” Derek closed his laptop and pushed away from the table. “You’ve got your website, so it’s your turn to teach me how to make that amazing lasagna you raved about.” He extended his hand to help her from the chair.
Molly flinched at the tingling sensation when their skin touched. Why did he have to be so charming? You’d better keep far away from this man while cooking. Whatever this feeling was, she couldn’t get it again. She’d have to do her best to stay on her side of the granite countertop island. Her store and Grace were most important.
“Oh, I see this is the healthy lasagna.” He nudged his shoulder against hers.
Molly moved away and placed the large cast iron skillet on the stove top. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve got ground beef and ground sausage here.” He pointed to the two meats Molly had laid out to defrost.
“I never mentioned the word healthy. But trust me, once you try it, you’ll realize it’s worth logging a few extra miles on the treadmill.” After placing the meat into the pan, she pulled an oversized spoon from the utensil drawer and began to separate the beef into small pieces. She repeated with the sausage.
Derek stood watching. “I thought we were going to do this together. I need an assignment.”
Molly laughed. “You’re right.” She placed the spoon on the ceramic holder, opened the drawer again and pulled out a knife. Then she grabbed the large white onion from the counter and passed both to Derek. “Here, you can dice this onion on the cutting board over there. While you’re at it, go ahead and mince those five garlic cloves. Watch your fingers.”
Derek reached for the board, moving it and himself closer toward her. His brow crinkled. “Okay, you got me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mince and dice. Isn’t it the same thing? Chopping.”
“You are a novice in the kitchen.” She reduced the heat under the skillet. “First, this is an onion. It’s a vegetable.”
“What? It’s not a fruit?” Derek rolled his eyes. “So you want me to dice it. Like this?”
Molly shook her head. Without thinking, she reached for his hand. “That’s too big. It should be cut into smaller, equal-sized cubes. Dicing should be half the size of chopped chunks.” With their close proximity, his warm breath tickled the side of her neck. He smelled like a wintergreen mint. What happened to keeping him out of her personal space?
“This is more confusing than my geometry class in high school.” He turned, and their eyes met for a split second before he looked back to his assigned task.
Once the onion was diced, Molly reached for the clove. “This is garlic. It’s a close relative to the onion you chopped.”
“Wait. Didn’t I dice it? This is way too confusing.”
“Funny. Next, you’ll want to mince this guy.” Once again, she placed her hand over his. “I think you can handle this. It’s the easiest. Chop it as fine as you can, almost into a paste.” She inched away from him and turned her attention back to the meat. Why was she breaking her own rules? You could have told him how to do it. No more touching. Molly steadied herself against the stove. She felt light-headed, and it wasn’t due to hunger.
Less than two hours after their cooking lesson, Molly placed the overloaded plate in front of Derek.
“Wow! Is this for us to share?” His eyes widened at the large slice of lasagna oozing with cheese. “I shouldn’t have eaten your delicious side salad first. It’s filling critical space.”
She’d neglected to tell him the recipe had called for a pound of mozzarella cheese and a cup of grated Parmesan cheese. She’d slipped it in while he was opening the cans of tomato paste. “Nope. It’s all yours. The garlic bread is ready, too.” Molly grabbed the potholder and strolled toward the oven.
“Oh man. You should have told me to wear my workout pants. They’re elastic. I’m not sure the button on these jeans will hold.”
“Well, make sure you leave room for dessert. I bought a chocolate cheesecake at the grocery store.” She ferried the garlic bread to the table.
“It’s a good thing we’re not married. I wouldn’t be able to fit in any of my clothes.” He plunged his fork into the pasta.
His words stung. Married? To him? No way. Molly settled into her chair. It was best to let his comment go. “So, how does it taste?”
“You were right. I’ve never tasted lasagna as good as this in my life. You should forget the bookstore and open a restaurant.” He dug in for another bite. “This stuff is amazing.”
“I could never forget my store.” She poked her fork at the cheese.
“I know you couldn’t. I’m sorry.”
Lately, Molly was questioning everything, including whether she was capable of running a business. But she couldn’t give up. “I know you were joking.” She glanced at his plate and was surprised to see half of his lasagna gone. “I’m glad you like it, because we’ll have plenty left over for you to take home.”
“Maybe not. I’m ready for another piece.” His chair scraped across the hardwood as he stood. “Stay put. I can help myself.”
Molly considered Derek’s comment. It would be nice to one day cook a special meal for her husband. But Ryan, with Derek’s help, had filled her head and heart with so much doubt when it came to relationships. She couldn’t picture herself ever walking down the aisle again.
Following a major cleanup in the kitchen, Derek retrieved his laptop while Molly grabbed them each a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “Thanks again for helping with the dishes. It goes a lot faster with two people tackling the job.” Was marriage like this? Working as a team, not only with big issues, but the everyday tasks? Earlier, Molly had found comfort standing side by side with Derek. Joking around while he rinsed the dishes and passed them along to h
er to load into the dishwasher was nice. She forced the thoughts away. She wouldn’t allow herself to get close to Derek or any man.
Derek placed his computer on the kitchen table. “No problem. It’s the least I can do after such a fantastic meal. I never knew you were such a great cook. It makes me wonder what other secrets you’re keeping.”
“Being a private person doesn’t have to mean you’re secretive.” She passed the bottle of water to him.
He shrugged and unscrewed the cap. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Molly opened her drink and took three sips before taking her seat at the table. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say I have firsthand experience when it comes to secrets destroying lives.” He powered up the laptop and tapped on the keys.
Did Derek think she’d kept secrets from Ryan? Had he convinced her fiancé there were things he didn’t know about her? Why would he do something like that? She’d been honest with Ryan about her upbringing in foster care, but should she have told him about the abuse she’d endured?
During their relationship, she hadn’t thought so, but now, speaking with Derek, she wasn’t so sure. How could you enter into a marriage without being one hundred percent straightforward about the past? Those past experiences shaped who she was today. As she considered Derek’s comment, it became obvious to Molly that he had some secrets of his own.
* * *
After Derek had made his proclamation about secrets, he kept quiet and worked on Molly’s newsletter. He wasn’t sure why he’d made the statement about secrets, but it was too late to take it back now. It was out there. Most likely, Molly had all sorts of questions. Thankfully, she remained silent and took notes as he went over how to design her email campaigns for the newsletter.
“Okay, I have your template ready. All you’ll need to do is fill in the content each time you’d like to make an announcement.”
“What would you suggest I include in my first letter?”
As she leaned in closer, a coconut aroma reminded him of family trips to the beach when he was a kid. Back when he’d believed he had a real family. He’d even dreamed of having his own one day. But thanks to his father’s actions, he no longer had that dream. “You could announce your new website. It’s all part of the goal to drive people to your webpage. Also, once we finish with upgrading the store, we can share some photographs. You could spotlight the children’s area to promote your Wednesday night Book Buddies.”
“Those are great ideas. But you’ll help me with the first letter, right?”
Derek gazed at Molly. She pouted with her lower lip out like a child begging to stay awake past her bedtime.
“Of course I will.”
Molly jumped at the sound of three loud knocks at the front door. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
Derek turned to the kitchen window. Nightfall had long settled in. “It’s not a good idea to open your door after dark. I’ll go with you.”
“You’re not in the big city.” Moving toward the front of the house, Molly flipped on the dining room light located right off the foyer. A cherry table with four chairs filled the room. Derek noticed the jigsaw puzzle pieces spread across the top. Puzzling was one of his favorite things to do when he needed to settle his mind.
Once at the front door, Derek placed his arm in front of Molly. “Let me take a look.” He turned on the porch light and spotted an elderly gray-haired woman pacing back and forth. “I think it’s safe.” He opened the door.
“Mrs. Whiteside. What are you doing out and about after dark?” Molly stepped outside.
“Jerry got loose. Have you seen him?”
“No, I’m sorry. I haven’t. Do you want us to help you look for him?” Molly turned to Derek. “Jerry is Mrs. Whiteside’s cat.”
“We can grab a flashlight and look around if you’d like.” Derek felt sorry for the woman. She reminded him of his grandmother. She also loved cats.
“Oh no. That’s not necessary. It’s close to his dinnertime, so he’ll come back when he’s hungry. Just let me know if he shows up here. I’m sorry to bother you two young people.” The woman stepped off the porch. “Good night.” Mrs. Whiteside stopped and turned. “The two of you make a nice couple.” She smiled broadly and headed toward her home.
Derek was a little uncomfortable with the woman’s comment. He had no intention of becoming a couple with Molly or anyone. His work was the only relationship he was interested in. He followed Molly back inside. “I sure hope she finds Jerry.”
“He’ll come home. This is pretty much a weekly occurrence.” Molly laughed and closed the door.
“Hey, I noticed the puzzle over there.” Derek pointed and moved in closer for a better look.
Molly followed. “Yeah, I used to work on them a lot when I was a little girl. Along with books, puzzles were my escape. I bought one last year when we had a big snowstorm forecast. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed them. I always have one going on this table.”
How sad to think Molly needed to escape from something as a child. Or was it someone? Derek pulled out a chair. “You’re not going to believe this, but I use my dining room table for jigsaw puzzles, too. I could spend hours connecting the pieces. This one looks pretty tough, but I can see why you would want to work it. It’s a beautiful photograph.”
Molly slid into the chair next to Derek. “I love hummingbirds. When I saw this puzzle online, I had to order it.”
Derek raised the box that was lying facedown. “Two thousand pieces? I’m impressed. I typically don’t do more than one thousand.”
“Like I said, I couldn’t resist. During the summer months, I have at least four hummingbird feeders in my backyard garden.”
The moment he placed the box down, Molly turned it facedown again. “I don’t look at the photo while I’m working the puzzle.”
“What? Don’t you think that makes it more difficult?” Derek was impressed. If he didn’t study the box, he’d never finish.
Molly shrugged. “It’s the way I do it.” She chose a piece and found a connection. “Sometimes when I’m writing and get stuck in my story, puzzling helps me work through things. I think a lot about my characters while connecting the pieces.”
“I feel the same. Not about writing, of course, but my business. I’ve brainstormed a lot of ideas while working a puzzle.” When Derek bought his first house, his parents had purchased a gorgeous mahogany table as a housewarming gift. Growing up, his mother had always insisted they eat together as a family. Knowing her, buying the table was a subtle way to encourage him to settle down and start a family. That would never happen. Of course, he hadn’t found a way to break the news to his mother. She’d always wanted grandchildren, and since Derek was an only child, she was counting on him to make that dream come true. He turned to Molly. “It’s funny we don’t use our tables for dining.”
A quiet space hung between them.
Guilt gnawed at Derek. Molly shouldn’t be using her dining room table for jigsaw puzzles. She should be sharing meals with a family of her own. A family she could’ve had by now if he hadn’t brought her into the middle of his personal problems. He had to tell Molly what had transpired that day at the church between him and Ryan. But telling her now would push her further away from him and ruin his chance to help her turn her business around. And that could ruin her chance of welcoming Grace to her table permanently.
Chapter Nine
“Should I put the snickerdoodles on the counter, or would you like them in the children’s area?” Early Wednesday afternoon, Caitlin hurried in through the front door of Bound to Please Reads carrying an oversized platter loaded with cookies.
“Oh my, those smell delicious.” Molly’s weakness for sweets always increased when she was anxious.
“I know, right? My car smells like buttery cinnamon. I couldn’t keep my focus on the road.”
&nb
sp; “How much do I owe you?” Molly turned to get her wallet from the office.
Caitlin positioned herself at the counter. “Oh no. You don’t have to pay me anything. I dropped by The Trout Run Bed-and-Breakfast. Meg said they were on the house.” Caitlin placed the cookies down and took off her running jacket. “She wanted me to let you know that she’d hoped to bring the triplets by today, but she has some new guests checking in later this afternoon.”
“How thoughtful of her.” Molly’s friend Meg Brennan, a trained physical therapist, had her hands full. Not only did she run the quaint bed-and-breakfast on her own, but her sister and brother-in-law had left town in the middle of the night and abandoned their three children. Triplets. Meg had taken them in and was raising them as her own. Molly opened her leather journal and scribbled a reminder to text Meg a thank-you and see if they could get together for lunch. “It might be best to take the cookies back to the children’s area since some of the kids are too short to reach the counter.”
“You got it. I’ll move the jigsaw puzzle off the larger round table,” Caitlin suggested. “By the way, I love the new paint. And this children’s area looks fantastic. The tiny rocking chairs are adorable. What a great idea.”
Molly stood from the high office chair behind the cash register and approached Caitlin. She had to agree. The remodeled area had been well worth the extra effort. “I can’t take credit for the chairs. It was Derek’s idea.” Another one of his suggestions that had turned out to be a big hit. Since Molly had reopened the store, there had been a constant flow of customers purchasing books. Most of the business was thanks to the discount he was offering to anyone who brought in a receipt from her store. Another blessing of living in a small town...word travels fast.
The front bell sounded as two women entered the store.
“Welcome to Bound to Please Reads, ladies. Is there anything I can help you with today?” Molly moved toward the front of the store.
The younger of the two women turned and smiled. She was dressed in tan slacks and a cream-colored cardigan. “My mother and I are on our way to Washington, DC. We’re looking for a travel guide. Is that something you stock?”
A Dream of Family Page 9
