by Cora Cade
It was a weak ploy, but Tenn clung to it like a lifeline. She had always been a weak woman when it came to Noah. “Fine. For you, Molly. I’ll be there shortly.” As soon as she could catch her breath.
Noah watched as Molly placed the phone back in the cradle. Anticipation rode him. He’d caught the tail end of the conversation and suddenly realized Tenn had doubted his intentions, she didn’t have feelings for Chris. Her shriek of surprise when Molly asked if it was Chris she’d slept with was all Noah needed to know. Molly was smart and had played the friend card to get her to the pub, and he owed her in a major way. An all-expenses-paid vacation sounded about right.
Molly leveled a glare his way before saying, “Noah.”
She made him smile, even when she was about to give him an earful. “Yes, Molly.”
“I know you have it bad for Tenn, and I know she’s been in love with you for far longer than she’ll admit. If you don’t tell that girl you’ve been in love with her for far longer than you’d like to admit, the minute she walks in the door, I’m very likely to stab you in your overly handsome face. She’s unsure of you and probably more than a little afraid. It means you’ve got to lay it on the line and man-up, brother.”
“Just like that?” It was exactly his plan, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to rib Molly a bit. She was protective, fierce, and very likely to make good on her face-stabbing threat.
“Noah.” She was still scowling at him when Chris walked up behind her and placed a casual hand at her waist as he tried to step by her behind the bar. She immediately grabbed his wrist and in seconds had him face-first on the bar, with his wrist uncomfortably twisted behind his back and a hand planted against the back of his head.
Molly uncoiled from the fighting position and slowly released Chris from the takedown. She eyed them both hesitantly before straightening fully and stepping away from Chris completely. “I’m sorry, Chris. You startled me and it was automatic.” She bit her lip, taking another step away from him.
Chris rubbed his wrist and looked at Molly like he’d never seen her before. “Damn, woman. You’re quick.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Hell no! I’m impressed. Where did you learn moves like that?”
Molly glanced between Noah and Chris, not exactly nervous, but definitely cautious. “It comes from working as a bartender—you know, protecting yourself when things get out of hand.” She bustled off, effectively ending the conversation.
Chris glanced at Noah before saying, “She didn’t learn those kind of defensive moves at any bar.”
“No, she did not. She’s had some serious training somewhere. The question is, why and where?” Noah had spent enough time as a ranger to know top-quality training when he saw it. Even in unexpected packages like Molly, who had a slight frame and an unassuming pixie-like face, with a head of boyishly short, auburn curls. Other than the catlike reflexes and the obvious training, Noah had never suspected her of being anything other than a capable employee and strong-willed woman.
They rarely had any instances of violence at the pub, other than a few drunken tourists who needed to be escorted out, and typically it was him or Chris taking care of any troublemakers. He never doubted Molly could handle herself—she was self-assured and quick-witted—but he’d never thought her capable of taking on a man with at least a hundred pounds on her.
“Well, I think the question’s are going to have to wait. Tenn just walked in the door.”
Noah turned to watch her walk toward their location while she casually offered a wave to a few regulars enjoying a late lunch at the other end of the pub.
“Let me talk to her first. I need to apologize.”
Noah slanted a sharp look at his brother and nodded in quick agreement. “Use my apartment; the door’s unlocked. I suspect she’d like to give you a piece of her mind in private.”
Chris moved forward to meet Tenn halfway through the pub. They shared a few brief words. Tenn’s face was set in obstinate lines, but she followed him to the door leading to Noah’s apartment upstairs.
From his left, Molly approached and he waited for her to make the first move. It didn’t take long, since she wasn’t one to beat around the bush.
“Noah, as my boss I owe you an apology as well. I’m sorry I attacked your brother. It really was unintentional. I’m a little on edge lately, and he caught me by surprise.”
“No need to apologize. We’ve all been there. Some of us have more training than the average guy, or girl, in your case.” He waited for her response and watched closely.
She gave a little start at his statement but quickly covered it over with a genial expression. “I appreciate your understanding. I won’t let it happen again.”
“Molly.” He waited for her to raise her eyes to his. When she held his gaze without glancing away, he finally spoke. “Look, I know your job history and I always do a background check on my staff, but there’s something you’re not telling me. And that’s fine. But if you ever need anything, and I mean anything, you only need to say the word.”
She gave a quick nod and hurried off, but not before a brief expression of relief flashed over her features. There was a story there and Noah’s instincts told him it wasn’t good. Until she came to him he’d keep a closer eye on her. Something had her spooked, enough to react blindly when casually touched, and he’d be sure to enlist some more help. He picked up the phone to make a few calls.
Tenn paced around the apartment while Chris spoke. It was apparent she was only half listening to him, unfortunately. “What?”
“Are you paying attention?” He gave her a mock scowl, relieved she wasn’t clawing his face off at the moment. “Honey, I’m trying hard to apologize here. Can I at least get five minutes of your time before you run off to Noah?”
Tenn whipped around so quickly he didn’t anticipate her hand reaching out to slap him. What was it with the women in his life today? His face hadn’t been this brutalized since he’d picked a fight in college he hadn’t won. “Look, buddy, you’re lucky I’m even giving you the time of day after the way you attacked me this morning. What you said was fucking unforgivable—you get what I give right now. It’s none of your damn business what Noah and I are doing together.”
Well, at least she wasn’t crying any longer. He could take her anger. Her tears were an entirely different story. “I know. I know it was unforgivable. But I am sorry. So sorry.” He took a moment to breathe before he plunged head-first into the shallow end of the pool. She’d probably give him a punch in the face this time.
“I wasn’t ready to lose you, not even to my brother. Tenn, you’ve always been mine. Always. I’ve never had to share you with any serious boyfriend—a few casual yahoos now and again, but never anyone who stuck around. I’m selfish. A part of me always wanted things to stay that way between us. Just you and me.”
She looked up at him now with shiny eyes and gave a small sniffle.
“I think I knew, deep down, it was always Noah. When I saw you with him this morning… Well, it all came crashing down and I thought I’d lost you. I lashed out.” Reaching for her brought her rushing into his arms for a fierce hug. Everything clicked back into place. “Hey now, don’t cry.”
With a watery laugh she said, “I’m not.”
They stood hugging for a few minutes, hanging on to each other, before Chris pulled away.
“I’m going to head down to the pub and help out during the rush tonight. Why don’t you come down and we’ll grab a bite to eat before it gets too busy?”
She nodded, wiping the tears from her face.
“I’m sure Noah needs to make sure I apologized correctly.”
And with those final words, Tenn and Chris headed down to the Drunken Duck.
Chapter Eight
Chris was congratulating himself on a job well done as Tenn followed him downstairs to the pub. He had managed to apologize without doing further damage to their friendship or putting himself in the path of Noah’
s wrath. No mean feat.
The pub noise greeted them as he pushed the thick oak door open with the flat of his palm. A quick glance at the scene before him had him gripping the door and reversing his steps immediately. His sudden move had Tenn bumping full-bodied into his back and uttering a soft curse before he swung around and steadied her with a hand to her waist.
“Hey, why don’t we skip the meal down here and ransack Noah’s kitchen. We can talk without anyone interrupting us.”
Apparently, his overly bright speech wasn’t fooling Tenn. “Are you avoiding Lexie again?” She offered him a bold stare before saying, “Chris, you promised that after last night you’d break it off with her.”
“It’s not Lexie.” She continued with her stare. “I swear, Tenn. It’s not that.”
“Well, what’s going on?”
“Look, before you get upset, I’m sure it’s not what you think.”
“Upset about what?”
Without waiting for an answer, Tenn pushed past him into the bar and he let her go without a fuss. Keeping her from what she was about to see wasn’t going to do her any favors. It might have done Noah some favors, but he couldn’t let Tenn be in the dark about the situation with Amber.
He watched Tenn take in the situation and her entire body snapped rigid. Amber, Noah’s old high-school girlfriend, had him cornered next to the walk-in coolers they used to store beer. It was a little-used space, closed off from normal foot traffic, but directly across from where they stood. She was pressed up against him, wearing little more than a bikini and a pair of worn denim shorts. Typical lake wear for this time of year, but not acceptable at the pub.
“Tenn, wait. Let’s go talk to Noah and sort this out. I know it’s not what it looks like.”
Reaching for her hand was useless, she was already stalking away.
“Tenn! Wait, dammit.”
Turning to face him she said, “Chris, you’d better let me go.” She had always been a woman of few words.
His best friend’s face right at that moment would haunt him. She looked broken. Earlier when he’d said all those awful things to her, she’d looked angry and hurt. In this moment, as she walked away from him for the second time in less than eight hours, he knew Noah had done Tenn more damage in five minutes than Chris could ever accomplish in a lifetime. For such a capable man, his brother could be particularly dense when it came to women.
He watched her leave through the main door of the pub and disappear into the parking lot beyond. Turning, he took in Noah and Amber. She was pressed up against his brother, practically dry humping his leg, with her blonde hair swinging down her back. She was the antithesis of Tenn, and always had been. With long legs and a thin build, she’d spent her high school years tying Noah in knots, until he’d finally wised up to her games and dropped her like a hot potato. Back then, she had moved on to another football player without looking back. But high school had been a long time ago, and when Noah arrived back in town as a local hero she’d all but thrown herself at him.
Anger built in Chris, boiling over as he stalked to the back of the pub. When he reached them, he physically pulled Amber off his brother and set her a few feet away. She staggered for a moment before wrapping her arms around Chris, pressing her small chest into him.
“Hey, baby.” Her words came out slurred and he could smell the alcohol coming off her in waves. “Wanna go somewhere?”
“Not with you.”
He turned to blast Noah with his temper but had to pull up short as Amber copped a feel of his crotch.
“Jesus, woman. Get your hands off me.” Pulling her hand away and stepping out of her reach was harder than he’d anticipated. He experienced a small twinge of sympathy for his brother; the woman had eight drunken-octopus hands.
Watching Chris fight off Amber brought a smile to Noah’s face, before he noticed Tenn wasn’t right behind Chris. Taking in the pub, no Tenn in sight, he caught Molly’s eye. She promptly offered him an evil glare and began making her way over to their threesome.
Chris was still battling Amber’s roving hands when Molly reached them. “Amber, honey, take your hands off of that man before I throw your perky little ass out.”
“You can’t do that.” She glanced at Noah, while still groping Chris, and said, “Tell her, Noah.”
“If Molly doesn’t take care of it, I will. Go on back to your friends and let them know you’re ready to go.” He waved over a group of women and made sure they had a sober driver before letting them pull Amber away.
She didn’t leave without trying to grope both him and Chris one last time.
He stood there and watched both Chris and Molly take a battle stance in front of him. It was a toss-up who was going to blast him first. Molly opened her mouth, but Chris beat her to it.
“You dirty son of a bitch. An hour ago you were telling me you wanted to marry my best friend. And we come downstairs to see Amber wrapped around you? What the hell?”
Instead of answering his brother, he looked to Molly and waited for her tirade.
She shrugged sheepishly. “What he said.”
“If you’d both use your heads for a second, you’d know I wasn’t wrapped around Amber. She was wrapped around me. I was not encouraging her and haven’t encouraged her since we were seventeen.”
“Oh, honey, you know nothing about women if you think that argument is going to hold water with Tenn.” Molly gave him a quick pat on the chest. “All she knows is she found you and her least-favorite person wrapped around each other in plain sight of everyone at this bar. You’re damn lucky she didn’t slash your tires on her way to her car.”
“What? This isn’t my fault. Amber was all over me and drunk.”
“Noah, you are a fully capable ex-Army Ranger. Are you telling me Amber backed you into a corner and you couldn’t escape? I call bullshit.”
Put like that, it did look bad. “She was drunk. Fuck. I was just trying to be nice.”
“You are a goddamn fool, is what you are. I’m out of here for the night. You two can handle closing.”
Noah wanted to be the one to run after Tenn and explain, but arguing with Molly wouldn’t get him anywhere. He had been wrong to not be more insistent with Amber. Gentlemanly manners shouldn’t have played a factor in dealing with a drunken woman, especially when it was this particular woman. Amber had always been grabby and demanding and he should have dealt with it better.
He needed to apologize to Tenn, but it would have to wait for their Sunday breakfast tomorrow. If she showed. She’d never missed a Sunday before, but everything had changed in the course of this one day.
“Wait, Molly, are you going after Tenn?”
“It’s none of your damned business.”
“Tell her I’ll see her tomorrow morning for breakfast.”
“Like hell I will. I’m not your errand girl, Noah. You’ll have to fix this all by yourself. You certainly fucked it all up by yourself.”
The men watched her leave, her tiny frame giving off enough angry energy to clear a path all on its own. The evening crowd was arriving and the pub was filling up, but everyone parted promptly as Molly weaved through the crowd and out the main door.
Molly Ryan was no fool. Noah might be, but it was more than obvious his heart belonged to Tenn, so she pulled out her cell in an effort to track Tenn down as quickly as possible. When there was no answer, Molly put her sporty little car into gear and left the Drunken Duck’s parking lot. It was a small town. She would find Tenn eventually.
Eventually came about fifteen minutes later as she spotted Tenn scooting through town on her mint-green Vespa. Molly gave a brief honk to get Tenn’s attention and waved her over in front of the town’s only coffee shop.
Molly waited, while Tenn pulled into an empty spot and removed her helmet, before opening her passenger-side door. “Get in the car, chick. Let’s go get that bottle of wine.”
“How about dinner instead? I was thinking about heading out of town to pick up some su
shi. There’s this great place in Mumford I want to check out.” Tenn’s words were delivered with forced cheerfulness, but held a note of sadness.
“Sounds good. We can spend the next half hour bashing men.”
“Oh…well… I don’t have any bashing to do. Chris apologized and everything is back to normal.”
Molly watched Tenn fiddle with a long strand of hair, twirling it around a finger until it pulled tight, then releasing it to repeat the process.
“You, darling, are a terrible liar. Anyone ever tell you that? Any bashing you might want to do isn’t about Chris anyway. We are going to talk about Noah and the blonde hooker.”
“Molly, we are not talking about Noah. We had a quick fling and it’s over. Now we can get back to normal. Put this crazy weekend behind us.”
Molly couldn’t help but roll her eyes before saying, “Honey, I’m going to say this one more time. You are a terrible liar. I don’t know what’s worse, you lying to me, or to yourself. Noah asked you to come to the pub for a reason. He got ambushed by Amber while restocking the cooler.”
“Don’t try to convince me I didn’t see him and Amber all over each other in a dark corner. I might be in love with the man, but I’m not an idiot.”
“No, you’re not, but you are not thinking clearly right now. You’re running scared and looking for any excuse to walk away from Noah. You know him better than to think he’d be screwing around with Amber. She’s been chasing after him since he got back into town. You understand him better than that, Tenn. At least be honest with yourself right now.”
Her friend nodded and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “If I’m honest with myself, and you, I don’t know what to do. Everything changed today. And I wanted those changes. But what now? Molly, I’ve loved him for ten years. What comes next?”
