Molly (Perfect Match Book 3)

by Julie Jarnagin

  Her phone rang. It was Whitney, the entertainment editor at the magazine. For the first time in a long time, Molly wished she could bury the stupid cell in the sand. She’d been addicted to her phone, particularly her work email, for the four years she’d been working at the magazine. Molly had always been the employee everyone could count on to answer her phone or respond to a late-night email. It was one of the things that had helped her get ahead, but right now, it felt exhausting, and all she wanted to do was enjoy her date with Sean.

  She declined the call and, before she could take ten more steps, she received a text.

  Molly, I just heard the news. I am so sorry. You were too good for him anyway.

  She stopped. What was Whitney talking about? Too good for who? Sean? No, it couldn’t be. Whitney didn’t even know about Sean.

  She typed out a message. What news?

  You haven’t heard about Cody?

  No. She hadn’t heard anything about her good-for-nothing ex. Before their relationship fell apart, her best friend, Blair, would have been the first person to tell her any news about Cody. Maybe that should have been Molly’s first clue. When Cody had been traded to play baseball in Dallas, her best friend had been more than happy to drive down from their hometown and watch him play. Molly had rarely been able take time off work to fly there. If there was a story online or an article about him, it was always Blair who sent it to Molly. Looking back, her interest in Cody should have been a red flag. Instead, Molly had thought Blair had been such a good friend. How naive. The very thought of her had heat climbing up her neck.

  Molly stared at the blinking dots as Whitney typed a response.

  What she got back was a link to an entertainment news site. When Molly clicked on it, it was as if her thoughts of Blair and Cody had made them appear on the screen. The headline read MLB Pitcher Cody Pickard Off the Market.

  Her stomach tightened, and her attention moved to the photo of their beaming smiles and the giant diamond on Blair’s left hand. Only four months ago, he’d dumped Molly. A few weeks later, Molly found out they were dating. When she approached them about it, they’d sworn that they hadn’t begun seeing each other until after the breakup. Blair had cried and promised that she didn’t want to hurt Molly. Now that they were engaged so soon, did they really expect her to believe their relationship hadn’t started before that?

  It was painful and completely humiliating. So now, her ex-best friend and her ex-boyfriend were engaged…to each other, no less. And what was Molly doing? Writing a story about using a dating site, as if she couldn’t get a date any other way.

  She hit the button on her phone to make the screen go black. When she looked up, Sean was standing on the deck in front of the Surf Hut, watching her. Cody had hated the way Molly was always on her phone. Is that why he’d left her? No, she couldn’t think about any of that right now. She needed to focus on her date with Sean and figure out how to make her editor happy.

  His smile was broad and handsome, his naturally tan skin making his white teeth and his blue eyes stand out.

  Today, he wore board shorts again, this time in a deep burgundy with a gray T-shirt. “Are you ready for some surf lessons?”

  She smiled back at him, but it was half-hearted. She couldn’t get the news of Blair and Cody’s engagement out of her head. “I hope I don’t embarrass myself.” Because she wanted to impress Sean.

  “I’m sure you’ll be a natural. You’ve never tried before?”

  “I grew up in Oklahoma, went to school in Illinois, and took a job in New York City. Not a lot of opportunities for surfing, but I’m excited to try it.”

  Her phone dinged again. She hadn’t replied to her coworker, and Whitney was probably dying to find out how Molly was taking the news. As the entertainment editor, she naturally loved gossip. “Sorry,” she said to Sean. I need to turn this off.”

  “It’s okay. I—”

  The phone dinged again, and she quickly silenced it. “I’m so sorry.” This date wasn’t getting off to a great start, and it was her fault.

  The device started buzzing in her hand. She glanced down at her phone to see multiple new calls and messages from different people. The news must be making a bigger impact than she’d expected. She groaned. Great. Everyone now knew how pathetic she was.

  He stepped closer. “Everything okay?”

  Molly wanted to ignore her problems and enjoy the fact that he smelled like sandalwood and coconut. “It’s nothing.”

  He was silent, but his eyebrows rose. She really didn’t want to talk about it, especially with Sean. She’d like him to think she had some kind of control over her life. “I found out that my ex-boyfriend is engaged,” she said, leaving out the worst parts of the story.

  He shook his head, his brow slightly wrinkled. “I’m so sorry. Were you hoping you two…”

  Realization hit her. “Oh. No. Would get back together? Not at all. I don’t have feelings for him anymore. It’s the opposite. I…” She searched for the right word. “I loathe him.”

  “Loathe?” He clenched his teeth. “Wow. I haven’t heard that term in a while.”

  She did sound kind of crazy. “It’s just that he’s engaged to my former best friend. They won’t admit their relationship started before we broke up, but it’s been less than four months since he and I were still a couple.”

  He straightened. “That’s awful,” he said, his hand clenching. “How could they do that to you?” His voice rose with every word.

  His reaction was really sweet. “Thank you.”

  “And you just found out today that they’re getting married?”

  She glanced behind her and back to him. “I found out as I was walking down the beach.”

  His mouth fell open. “What?” Then, he grabbed her and wrapped her in a big hug.

  The surprise of it quickly gave way to the comfort she felt being in his arms. For years, she’d prided herself on being independent and strong, but Sean’s arms around her felt so right. Maybe being independent wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

  Chapter Six

  Sean loved the way Molly let him hold her. Before this date, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t get too close, but five minutes in, he’d already broken his own rule. When she’d first mentioned that she was upset about her ex-boyfriend being engaged, he’d worried she was still hung up on him. After he heard the story, he couldn’t help but feel for her.

  Molly took a deep breath and stepped back. “Thank you, but I’m okay, really.”

  He’d been betrayed before. When he’d decided to stop acting after his mom got sick, the director, a man who’d been a personal friend of the family, sued Sean for backing out of a movie. He knew betrayal, but this moment wasn’t about how he’d been betrayed.

  Right now, he wanted to focus on Molly. “Then, let’s get started with the lessons because surfing is the best remedy for any problem.” At least that had been his experience. Once he was on the water, his mind always cleared. The power of the water washed all the stress and tension of life away.

  “I think that’s probably only if you know how to do it. I hope I don’t make a fool of myself.”

  Impossible. “Don’t worry. I’m a great teacher.”

  He went to the deck and got the black surf shirt for her to wear over her swimming suit. When she’d slipped it on and was ready, she followed him to the two boards he’d left side by side on the sand, and he guided her through the basics—how to position her body on the board and how to slide her body up to standing.

  She got to her feet and held her arms out to the side. “You’re doing great.”

  She glanced at him and smiled. “I have a feeling it will be a little more challenging on the water.”

  “Let’s try it again.”

  She lay back down with her stomach on the board. “So how long have you been surfing.”

  “As long as I can remember. I grew up in California, and my dad surfed, so it was always part of my life.”

&
nbsp; She put her hands flat, slid her foot up, and stood. “Does your brother surf?”

  “Yes. He’s more into skateboards and basketball right now, but he gets to do more surfing than I did at that age.”

  “Because of your acting?”

  He tensed. He’d almost forgotten that Molly knew his story. He wasn’t used to talking to anyone about his acting days. He’d put that part of his life behind him. “Acting, and that was around the time my father died.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”

  And now talking about his father. This was too much. “Are you ready to get out on the water?” He was ready to change the subject.

  Her eyes widened. “Now?”

  “Sure. You’ve got this.”

  “Okay.” She gasped, her hands lifting to her face. “Oh no, I almost forgot.”

  “What is it?”

  She wiped her hands together to remove the sand as she walked over to her bag. “I haven’t taken any photos. I was having so much fun that I forgot I’m supposed to be working.”

  She dug her phone out of her bag. “How are we going to do this?” She looked at a family on the beach. “I’ll be right back.”

  Tension ran through his shoulders. He didn’t feel good about this.

  She came back with a middle-aged man, and she was pointing at her phone, explaining how to take a photo.

  She jogged back to him.

  He leaned in close. “I thought we weren’t going to take photos of my face,” he whispered.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “You stand over here like you were earlier when you were instructing me. If he takes any that show too much, I’ll delete them.”

  He didn’t move. It felt like they were blocking for a television show, all smoke and mirrors.

  She looked at him. “Please. It’ll be fine. I promise.”

  With a knot in the pit of his stomach, he nodded. “All right.”

  He watched Molly as she stepped up on the board. She looked at him with that smile that made his heart pound in his chest. But he reminded himself that this wouldn’t last long. Molly would go home to New York, and he’d go back to the way things had been.

  ****

  After a warm shower, Molly went to the courtyard where Sean had asked her to meet him. The sun was still out, but a light breeze rustled the palm leaves above her. She was just glad Sean was still going through with their week together because during the lesson something had shifted. In the beginning, she’d felt close to him, but he’d gone from being open and relaxed around her to quiet and closed off during their surfing lesson.

  He was still a perfect gentleman, but she’d felt the shift, and she couldn’t be sure what had caused the change.

  Maybe it was the photos they’d taken. He’d agreed to help her the day before, but maybe now he was having doubts. Or maybe he was regretting comforting her when she’d confided in him about Cody.

  What had she been thinking even talking about her ex-boyfriend on a first date? If she were answering a reader question about what not to do on a first date, that would have been rule number one.

  Maybe Sean didn’t trust that she would keep his secret. They’d only known each other a few days, and she knew it was a sensitive topic for him. She should have never mentioned the acting thing.

  Sean approached looking sexy in a short-sleeved button up and long khaki shorts, his hair still slightly damp from a shower. Elaine had already sent her a message praising her for the photos she’d posted of the surfing lessons. Everyone was commenting about the hot surfer she’d been set up with, and they couldn’t even see those blue eyes or his chiseled face.

  There was no denying that Sean was good-looking, but that wasn’t Molly’s favorite thing about him. She was still in awe that he’d given up his career and his life in California for his brother.

  He leaned in and hugged her, and she noticed a black backpack on his back. “What’s that?”

  “You’ll see.” He took her hand. “Come on.” He led her out of the courtyard to the sidewalk by the street.

  “Where are we going? Are we walking?”

  “You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?”

  She couldn’t help it. She didn’t like not being in control of things. He stopped in front of a red scooter, took a helmet from the handlebar, and handed it to her. “Here you go.”

  She rubbed her hand across her arm, thinking about ways to get out of this. “Is this yours?”

  “You don’t like my scooter?” he asked, sounding hurt. “It’ll be fun.”

  Fun? She wasn’t so sure. She’d seen how people drove on the island. The taxi ride from the airport had been terrifying. “I don’t want to die today.”

  “It’s a great way to see the island.” He leaned in close. “Trust me.” He lowered his voice, and the words sent a shiver down her spine.

  How could she say no to that? And he’d planned this for her. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach. “How do I get on this thing?”

  He smiled. “I’ll help you.”

  After she’d put her helmet on and he’d helped her climb on behind him, he looked back at her. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Probably not.”

  With that, they were off. The road that led them past the hotels was crowded. The motor buzzed, and she clung to Sean, his backpack between them. A taxi cut them off, and she ducked her head and squeezed her eyes closed.

  Once the noise of the traffic was gone, she looked up to find Sean had turned onto a less crowded street with views of the ocean. She took a deep breath. Soon the ocean views gave way to thicker vegetation and cooler temperatures under the shade of the trees.

  Sean turned down a small road that she wouldn’t have noticed if she’d been in a car. The road looked as if it used to be paved but was now a mix of dirt and broken pavement. The scooter bumped underneath them, and she held onto Sean more tightly.

  The denser trees and plants got, the creepier the road became. If she’d been with anyone else, she’d have been terrified of where he was taking her. Foolish or not, she trusted Sean would keep her safe. Just when she thought the trees couldn’t get any thicker, there was an opening, and she saw the ocean with waves crashing on a beach of white sand and smelled the distinct, briny saltwater in the air.

  Not a single other car or person was around. The beach at the hotel was nice but nothing like this. This looked like a postcard brought to life.

  Sean pulled over beside a boulder and cut the engine. “You okay?”

  She loved how he was always checking on her. “What an amazing place. How did you find out about it?”

  “When you’ve lived here long enough, you start hearing about beaches only the locals know. This is a great place to surf. If the waves were bigger today, there’d probably be a few regulars here.”

  “Those waves aren’t big?” Compared to the tiny waves that had knocked her down during her lesson, these looked huge.

  He climbed off the scooter, helped Molly off, and took her helmet.

  She did her best to smooth her hair down. “Thank you. You’re always helping me.”

  “I hope that doesn’t bother you. I know you could do it on your own, I’m just trying to make it easier.”

  “No. I like it.” Sean was so different from men in Manhattan, who seemed to have forgotten their manners, if they’d ever had any at all. She’d always thought she liked being treated like an equal, but this attentiveness was nice. It didn’t make her feel inferior. It made her feel cared for. “I’m just not used to it.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “The ex wasn’t the best boyfriend?”

  She shook her head. She’d thought she liked how much Cody had been focused on his baseball career. After all, she’d been focused on her job too. She’d told herself it was a relationship based on respect. She respected his work ethic. She admired what he had accomplished, and she’d learned by watching his commitment to his sport. They enjoyed being around each other. They didn’t
argue. She’d thought that would be a strong enough foundation for a relationship. She’d been wrong. Dead wrong. “Let’s not talk about that.”

  “You’re right.” He reached around and patted the side of his backpack. “Wait until you see what I have in here.”

  “I’m intrigued.”

  They made their way across the white sand. He stopped, pulled a red blanket from his backpack, and spread it out on the sand.

  “So far so good,” she said.

  He held out a hand to help her sit.

  Then, he pulled out a clear container of strawberries.

  “Those look amazing.”

  “Just wait.” He took out containers of cheese, bread, more fruit, and nuts.

  She smiled. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

  “Dawson had us scheduled to go to some stuffy restaurant across town. I thought this might be better. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Mind? The sound of the waves crashing into the shore, the view, the company…it was all perfect. “This is incredible.”

  The problem was that she really liked Sean, but what happened when this week was over? She’d go back to New York, and he’d continue teaching surfing lessons an ocean away. Where would it lead? After everything that had happened in her life, she was emotionally exhausted, and she didn’t know if she could suffer another disappointment right now.

  She needed to tell him that she liked him, but she had to keep this about work. Nothing more, but every time she was with him, she couldn’t keep her feelings for him from growing. “You okay?” he asked. “We can go to the nice restaurant tomorrow.”

  She should be taking photos. She should be thinking about her article and the promotion, but right now, she didn’t care about any of that. She touched his arm. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. I just want to enjoy this moment. Right here.”

  He nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. She worried he thought she was ungrateful, which was the opposite of the truth. No one had done anything like this for her…ever. “Thank you.” Before she could think twice about it, she reached up and touched his face. “I love it.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, really.”