by Amy Gregory
She ran her fingers through her bangs and swept them to the side. “I mean. I. Am. Going. I thought I made myself pretty damn clear. Now, they invited you and Erin too, and Joe. I’d like it if you came with us, but only if you can be civil. I’m done with you embarrassing me. You’re out of control, Brody.”
“I’m calling Dad.”
“What are you…five?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Whatever, Brody. Just decide if you’re going or not. I’m going to go get ready.” She turned, grabbed her clothes, and headed for bathroom in their motorhome.
They normally got along. And she was used to Brody and James being there. She had never even noticed it before; it was just the way life was. Maybe it was her. Instead of feeling protected, all of the sudden she felt suffocated. She really hadn’t ever been interested in a guy before. That or maybe she hadn’t had a chance to, now that she thought about it. Nobody ever got past the guard dogs. If it wasn’t so damn maddening, she might find that humorous.
Leaning against the bathroom sink, Molly took a long look in the mirror then dropped her head. She didn’t even bother to look up when she heard the soft knock on the door. She loved her brother dearly and fighting with him was eating her up, but on the other hand she knew Carter was worth fighting for. What a mess.
“Mol? Honey, you all right?” Erin peeked in when Molly didn’t answer. “Oh babe, it’s okay.”
She never cried, but that didn’t mean her heart wasn’t being torn in two directions. She looked up at Erin. “I don’t like this fighting with him, Erin. I don’t.”
“I know, honey.”
“I understand he’s got to play his role. But can’t he trust me? I’ve never done anything to prove he can’t.”
“It’s not a trust thing, honey. Not with you and not really with Carter. It’s a ‘he’ll never be good enough’ issue.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I know it’s not.”
“We shouldn’t even talk. I know he can hear me. These walls are paper thin.”
“Na, Joey pulled him out the door. He said he needed to show him something on your bike so they went up to the semi.”
“I like Carter. I really, really like him, Erin.”
“I know you do, sweetie.”
“No, I mean I really like him. Like, he might be ‘the one’ kind of like him. I’m falling for him.”
“I know, Mol. I can see it, in you and Carter both. I think he’s a good guy. Just take it slow, okay? I don’t want you to get your heart broken. And don’t worry about your brother, he’ll come around, even if I have drag him kicking and screaming.”
Molly snorted. She could see that visual in her head. She was finally able to take a breath and relax a bit. Erin always had a way of making her feel better. Even though they were about the same age, she’d always looked to her as a big sister. Molly and Brody hadn’t ever butted heads on something major before, and they’d always been extremely close. She was worried this might drive a wedge between them that neither one of them could remove, but it wasn’t fair he wanted her to be alone.
It was that final thought that pushed her over the edge. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. Even in the most loving family in the world, she was alone because she didn’t have that special someone to share it with. She smiled at her renewed sense of self.
Molly hugged Erin tight to her and said, “I know you will. Thank you for always being there for me. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, sweetie.” Erin pulled away to look at Molly. “It will all work out, okay?”
“Yep, starting tonight. You ready to go have some fun?”
“Just waiting on you, honey.” Erin laughed.
Molly winked at her. Erin and she could be quite the handful together, and tonight would be one of those nights. If Brody wanted to make things difficult, then she could play that way. All it took was the right outfit. She didn’t have access to her whole wardrobe, but she had enough with her to do the job.
“Okay then.”
As she began to get dressed, she looked down at her jeans, her favorite, most expensive pair. I don’t have any idea what I was thinking when I brought these, but damn I’m glad I did. Molly slipped them on over her black lace thong. They were just tight enough to be sexy. Over her matching black lace bra, she slid on a black tank top with a rhinestone cross across the chest. She would have chosen heels, but all of her heels were back home in her closet, so she threw on her little black ballet flats. She ran her fingers through her long golden hair and swept her bangs to the side and out of her eyes. She normally wore just mascara and a little bit of eyeliner, but they were going out, so she darkened the eyeliner and used eye shadow to make more of a smoky eye.
Molly looked in the mirror. Yep, that’s what I was going for. The thought made her giggle to herself. She added a touch more lipstick and then threw it into her wristlet, along with some cash, her ID, and phone. She picked up her black leather bomber jacket and walked out of their motorhome. What she was wearing gave her the added confidence she needed to face Brody. He had always teased her that he hated that she was so beautiful, telling her she’d be easier to keep the guys away if she looked mousy. Boy, tonight was going to suck ass for him.
The narrowed eye of her brother proved that he was on to her. She threw him a cocky little smirk and tipped her head, indicating she was in it to win it. She continued to meet him eye-to-eye. There was no way in hell she was going to be the first to back down. She could see the tic in his jaw and his gray eyes darkened. Oh yeah, he was…pissed, big time. Well, it was just too damn bad for him.
Where most everyone else would stand down when he looked at them like that, Molly wasn’t about to. He had obviously forgotten one thing. She was competitive by nature, just as he was.
She’d gone the extra mile to look good for Carter, the fact it pissed Brody off was just the icing on the cake. She didn’t even hide the grin that swept across her face. “You ready?”
He snorted and turned. When Joey let out a chuckle and got the evil death glare from Brody, Molly lost it. Trailing behind the two men, Erin and she giggled the whole way to the bar where they were meeting Carter, Eli, and Jesse at for dinner.
Brody entered the bar around the corner from the stadium ahead of them, holding the heavy wood and glass door open for the girls and Joey. He hadn’t hid his dissatisfaction about the evening. Bummer for him, because Molly was set on having a good time tonight. Molly’s face danced with excitement as her sexy as sin man walked toward her, and she couldn’t help but tingle all over like a high school girl.
Carter motioned for her to sit by Eli in the old wooden booth, and then he scooted in beside her, up close to her side. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks.” She looked up at him with a smile.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and moved to kiss near her ear. She felt the heat from Carter’s touch and she wished she could be giddy over the tingles she felt all the way to her toes. But a fire burned her from her brother’s eyes as he watched. She met his eyes with a stubbornness that she was done keeping under control. If Brody was a smart man, he’d see that the harder he tried to keep them apart, the more he was pushing them together. Her face softened as a wave of goose bumps spread down her bare arms. She was horribly ticklish and Carter’s kiss near her neck did her in. Damn. Now he knew one of her weaknesses.
Eli smacked at him. “Dude, will you please stop kissing my woman? She’s mine tonight.” Eli winked at her. “Remember you said you were dancing with me tonight.”
With her tongue in her cheek, she tried to keep the smile in. “Well, I remember you telling me earlier I was dancing with you tonight. How do you know if I can even dance?”
“I don’t care if you can or not, you’re not some girl hanging on me from the track.”
“So,” she said, crossing her arms, “You’re using me, huh? Okay so, how do you know you can keep up with me?” Molly
gave Eli a cocky smirk.
Erin was directly across from her, in between Brody and Jesse. She grinned at Erin, and then snuck a look at her brother. As he lifted his bottle of beer to his mouth, he gave her a warning look. If he was going to sit and stew all night, so be it. But she’d gotten to know Carter, Eli, and Jesse enough to be comfortable around them. They were good guys and she felt at ease. That was something that almost never happened. Plus, Erin and Joey were there and so far they were having a good time, joining in on the conversation.
Joey shook his head. “That damn attitude.”
“Bite me, Joe.” She snickered and looked back at her brother. He continued his disapproving glances between her and Carter.
She rolled her eyes at Brody and turned to Joey, giving him a kiss through the air.
Their whole table let out a collective breath as Dylan and a couple of his buddies pulled up chairs to their table. Molly was instantly put on edge, but tried to act like he wasn’t even there. She couldn’t figure him out. It didn’t appear that Carter or his friends liked this guy. Why in the hell would he keeping coming around when no one bothered to hide that fact?
Jesse put his beer bottle down hard to get their attention. “Drinking game.”
Grateful for the distraction, Molly smiled across the table at Jesse. Then his words hit her. Oh man. “I need food for this first,” Molly laughed. Her last night with alcohol did not end up so well. Her brother must have not forgotten either; his snickering was way too loud.
“Shit. Food ain’t gonna help you, girl.” Joey wagged a finger at her. “You can’t handle any amount of liquor.”
“Ha…Ha…Ha.”
“Yeah, how much did you have that night you passed out? What was it, three or so months ago?” Brody teased her.
What the hell? The butthead doesn’t speak all night, but now he chimes in? Seriously? She was going to have to just kick his ass and get it over with. Molly was instantly red. “You had to bring that up, again?” She rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t much, I was just tired.”
Carter nudged her. “Really? So how much is too much?”
“Um…well. I don’t remember.”
“I do.” Brody winked at her. “Two. Two freaking beers and she was out cold.”
She would laugh. However, one, it wasn’t funny. And two, it was embarrassing. And three, well, it still wasn’t funny.
She narrowed her eyes across the table and shook her head. “See, you don’t even know what you are talking about. It wasn’t beer at all. And I keep telling you all, I was tired, not drunk.”
“So, honey?” Jesse grinned, “If it wasn’t beer, what was it?”
Ugh, shit. “Um.” She stalled because knew there was way more teasing coming, as if her brother wasn’t enough.
“Yes?” Eli drew out the word as he winked at her.
Molly closed her eyes and barely squeaked out the word, “Tequila,” then put her head down on the table, ashamed.
Carter started laughing and rubbed her back. “Why in the hell were you drinking tequila?”
She looked up at the guys, she had nothing if she didn’t have her pride. “James said I didn’t know how to do a real tequila shot. So,” she said as she shrugged, “I had to prove him wrong.”
“Oh my God.” Eli gasped as he almost spit his beer across the table in shock. “How many did you do?”
Molly snickered and handed Eli another napkin for the drops running down his chin. “Not many and I wasn’t drunk.”
“You’re right, I forgot about that.” Brody shook his head to disagree. “But, it was two shots and you were drunk. I was there, remember? You’re just a lightweight. Admit it.”
Damn man hardly says a word all night. Then he jumps in to embarrass the crap out of her? What did she do to piss off the gods above? She hoped he knew that old saying what goes around, comes around, because Lord have mercy—his ass was hers.
“No, I’m a cheap date.”
Jesse nodded in approval. “Nice spin on it, sweetheart.”
“I thought so.” She smiled proudly at herself. “And I think it was three maybe four, with a beer first.”
Carter squeezed her shoulder. “So, you don’t do well at drinking games?”
She glared up at him, pretend anger in her eyes. “You’re real funny, aren’t you?”
He winked back.
The waitress brought another round and Joey pushed the bowl of pretzels toward Molly. “Here, Mol, I think you’re going to need these.”
“Okay, okay, game on,” Jesse said loudly over the group’s laughter.
Molly lowered her head, afraid of what lay ahead of her, but the scent of the man beside her, his warmth against her, made it all worth it. She snickered to herself, listening to Jesse’s rules for the drinking game and laid her head against Carter’s shoulder. Yeah, it’s damn worth it.
Even with Brody’s attitude, Carter was having a good time. Jesse’s game had gone for a couple rounds when the DJ started playing a song that Eli said he really liked. Eli pushed Molly toward the end of the bench, which made Carter have to get up. “Dude.”
“Get up. Come on, it’s a good song. Let’s go.”
Carter glanced down at him. “Hunter, relax bud.”
“Come on Mol, you’re dancing.” Eli shoved Molly again.
“Here we go again with this telling shit.”
Eli pushed her again and she practically fell out of the booth, and Carter had to help her catch her footing. As he grabbed her waist, her tank top came up, revealing the back of her low cut jeans and the top of what was very obviously a black lace thong.
Jesse whistled. Carter followed at his line of eyesight. “Hey Frost, keep your eyes off my woman’s ass please.” Still, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Damn it, Eli.” Molly barely had time to stand and pull down the tank top, before she was propelled onto the dance floor. She fought the manhandling with little force though, giggling the whole way.
Jesse laughed, watching Molly being drug across the floor. “So, can she dance?”
Brody let out a breath. “Um…Yeah…” he said in what sounded like a deliberately slow, low voice. “She can definitely dance. My dad always comes with us if we go out and he’s pretty cool. But I think she’s why he always wants to go. He has this need to protect her.”
“Damn, Sterling. Your girl can freaking move.” Jesse grinned watching her
“I see that.” Carter’s proud smile spread all over his face.
“You’re not the jealous type, are you?” Brody asked.
“Na, not with him, but maybe with a random stranger.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. She never dances with strangers. Ever. She’s kinda skittish around men she doesn’t know.” They all watched as she and Eli took turns teaching each other moves and laughing. “She just likes to have fun.”
When the song ended, he hugged her to him and they started to walk back to the table, laughing like old friends. Even though he had his arm around her waist, another guy still approached her.
Carter watched her cling tighter to Eli as she shook her head no.
“Told you so—never.”
“Okay, Mol, you’re my official dance partner.” Eli squeezed her waist as they got back to the table. “You can dance damn well for a white girl.”
“You too.”
“Oh no, baby. My momma may be white, but the woman can’t dance. I got my style from my dad’s side.”
“Was that…style?” Molly motioned to the dance floor. “Out there? Really?”
Eli snickered at her teasing. “Oh, it’s a good thing you’re Sterling’s girl. I’d have to beat your ass if you were mine.” He swatted her butt playfully and kissed her cheek.
Carter stood up to let them in the booth, taking the opportunity to hug her close before sliding back in the booth. “I ordered you a salad,” Carter said, still laughing. Molly’s cheeks were flushed from her banter with Eli as she laid her had against his shoulde
r.
The waitress set another beer in front of her. “What are you all trying to do, get me drunk? I haven’t even finished the first one yet.”
Dylan started in again. “We gotta make it easier for our boy Sterling here.”
Without missing a beat, she looked flatly at him. “Has liquoring a girl up ever worked for you Martins, or do you have to resort to drugging her?”
Jesse gave Molly a high five. “Ouch, dude, she got ya. Nice one, Molly.”
“Martins. Don’t even start tonight,” Carter warned.
Molly did her best to steer the conversation a different direction, but her nerves were starting to fray. At least Carter didn’t act like a jealous fool; he hadn’t minded her dancing with his friends. And though he was showing restraint when it came to Dylan, he was stepping into the protective boyfriend roll seamlessly. She grinned to herself as she bit off a chunk of bread. The conversation and laughter danced around her, but all she could concentrate on was the man sitting beside her. His palm on her thigh, gently stroking her and leaving bites of electricity everywhere he touched. Molly looked up at him, catching his attention. Carter leaned in, kissing her forehead. A sweet gesture, but one that she felt down to her toes. She tried to take a deep breath and another bite, but it was so hard to eat when her heart was racing ninety-to-nothing.
They were all finishing their dinners as the waitress came back and set a tray of tequila shots and a bowl of limes on the table. Molly started laughing. “Who in the hell did that? Joey, that’s not funny.” She looked up at him, grinning. But he shook his head no and had his eyebrow raised with absolutely no smile on his face.
“Like I said, we gotta make it easier for our boy.” Dylan smirked at her, throwing down his challenge.
She could see Brody and Joey were about to pounce on him. She gave Brody a nod, telling him to wait.
“Damn it. You…ass!” was all Carter got out before her arm went across him to hold him back.
