How Sweet It Is (14 page)

“Get outta town.” Molly whistled low, which earned them both a disapproving glance from old Mrs. Robinson three tables over.

Jordan kept her voice low as she refocused her attention. “It’s not a ton, but like I said, studio work does have some perks, and the paycheck is most definitely one of them. They took care of my food and lodging whenever I was on location, so my bank account reaped the rewards.”

“You sure you want to give all that up? You could buy a lot of soccer balls with those dollar signs. Wouldn’t have to break into sheds anymore. Think of that.”

“Valid point, but I’m more than sure.” She stared past Molly in surprise. “Oh. I think our niece is constructing the Eiffel Tower out of ballerina books.” She tilted her head. “Who knew they had so many?”

Molly jumped up. “Yikes. On it. We’ll talk later. Oh, and, Jordan?”

She met her gaze. “Yeah?”

“You look good in glasses. Really.” The comment coupled with the weighted look in Molly’s eyes hit her right in the center of the chest like a line drive. And for one second, she let herself enjoy that twisty feeling she had in her stomach as she watched Molly walk away. Yeah, it was hard to breathe, but she’d work that part out later.

After that exchange, her mind dreamily wandered elsewhere and it was nearly impossible to concentrate on the work in front of her. She closed the book in happy defeat. Oh well, the productivity had been nice while it lasted.

As far as odds went, date number three was destined for success. It had to be, right? At least that’s what Molly told herself as she approached the entrance to The Owl Tree. She’d grown smart enough over the course of the past few weeks to insist that her date travel into Applewood this time around. This would make her escape route that much shorter. But then again, with three times being a charm, she wouldn’t exactly need one now, would she? Good thing too, as Eden’s friend was running out of lesbians.

She had to admit she was feeling confident on this particular Friday. Maybe it was the excitement of the upcoming festival or her recent success with nailing down the recipe for MollyDollys. Whatever it was, she planned to use the extra swagger and was actually looking forward to whatever the night had in store. The optimism felt good.

On the sidewalk, she glanced down at her denim capris and black tank top. Sexy enough, without looking like she was trying too hard. Just the kind of message she was looking to send.

Before she could even make it inside the bar, she spotted a woman making her way up the sidewalk. This had to be her would-be date. She smiled as the woman approached and the woman smiled back. Short dark hair, slim cut jeans and a forest green top. Definitely attractive. One wouldn’t call her drop-dead gorgeous, but she had a warm smile that would snag your attention.

“Molly?”

She extended her hand. “That’s me. You must be Annaleigh.”

“I am. Nice to meet you. I was so excited to hear you lived in Applewood. I’ve always loved it here and look for any excuse to visit.” She blushed. “That sounded horrible. Not that you’re just an excuse, but—”

Molly held up a hand, laughing. “Not at all. I get it. Shall we head in? I’ll give you all the insider secrets.”

Annaleigh smiled. “I came to the right place.”

The vibe was already easygoing, and as Molly held the door open for her date, she didn’t even try to hide the smile she felt creeping through. The night had so many good possibilities.

The Owl Tree was hopping as the town came out in droves to celebrate the weekend. Music played from the jukebox in the corner and a group was gathered around the dartboard in the back. As they passed through the crowded space, Molly paused to say hello to, well, everyone, introducing Annaleigh to her friends and neighbors. Finally, they snagged a table to the right of the bar, just underneath Owlfred, the bar’s giant stuffed mascot. Molly gestured up. “Local flavor.”

“He’s quaint. Lots of character.”

“Right?” They smiled at each other for a moment. She could be wrong, but there might just be chemistry here. Time would tell.

Little Bobby brought over a pitcher of Miller Light and a couple of glasses. “Hey there, Molly. Molly’s friend.”

“Hiya, Little Bobby. How’d you know we were drinking beer tonight?”

He shrugged once. “S’my job to know these kinds of things.”

“Impressive,” Annaleigh said, raising her eyebrows.

Little Bobby grunted, which Molly knew was code for thank you, and headed back behind the bar to tend to his waiting customers.

Annaleigh took it upon herself to pour them each a beer. “So what kinds of things does one do for fun in Applewood, USA?”

“Oh, the usual. Swap meets, recreational drugs, and lots of competitive gardening.”

Annaleigh stared back at her wide-eyed.

“Kidding,” Molly assured her.

Annaleigh leaned back in her chair. “Thank God. I guess I’m a little sensitive. You just wouldn’t believe some of the dates I’ve been on lately.”

Molly regarded her. “Trust me, I would. In fact, I might have you beat.”

“Wanna bet?”

They went on to trade stories, and in a shocking turn of events, Annaleigh took the proverbial gold. “Wait, so you actually went to jail?”

She nodded. “That’s what happens when the cops find a trunk full of marijuana plants in the car you just happen to be riding in.”

“Oh, no!”

“Oh, yes.”

Molly reached across the table and covered Annaleigh’s hand with her own. “I’m sincerely sorry that happened to you and even more sorry that I cannot stop laughing about it.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure it’s a story I’ll tell my grandchildren one day, so there’s that.”

“My take on it exactly. Cheers to bad dates, present company excluded.” They clinked glasses, and not long after, Molly poured them a second round.

Things were going well.

Annaleigh leaned forward tentatively. “Is it too soon to tell you that I’m having a really great time?”

Molly set the pitcher down and grinned. “Not too soon. And me too, by the way. This is nice.”

She slid Annaleigh’s glass across the table to her, just as her eyes landed on a cozy scene across the room. Jordan sat at the bar, her head dipped low, grinning at something Summer Siller was whispering in her ear. How had she missed them when she first arrived? She watched a beat longer because like a car accident, she couldn’t seem to look away. Summer’s hand moved from where it rested on the back of Jordan’s barstool up the small of her back. Molly suppressed an eye roll. What was Jordan thinking? But she knew the answer to that question and it was spilling generously from Summer’s overly low cut top. Summer Siller was not only easy, she was manipulative and shallow too. And if that’s what Jordan was after, who was Molly to stop her?

“Friends of yours?” Annaleigh asked, following her gaze.

“One of them.”

“We can invite them over if you want.”

Worst idea ever. “You know what? Let’s not. I’m enjoying hanging out with you.” Annaleigh smiled, and was that a blush? It most definitely was. A cute blush too. “So second grade, huh? Tell me how you got into teaching?”

“I think it’s what I always wanted to do. From the time I was old enough to appreciate school…” Annaleigh was still talking, but Molly’s attention was snagged by the sight of Jordan moving to the jukebox with Summer plastered to her side like a second skin. Classy.

As Jordan turned, their eyes connected, and she seemed to take in the scene. It wasn’t long before she headed over, wisely dropping Summer at the bar first. Thank God for that. Molly refocused her attention on Annaleigh and her story, doing her best to ignore Jordan as she approached. It was juvenile, but it’s what she was going with.

“Hey. Wasn’t expecting to run into you tonight,” Jordan said. She grinned at Molly before shifting her attention to Annaleigh and extending her hand. “We haven’t met. I’m Jordan.”

Annaleigh accepted the handshake. “Annaleigh, a pleasure.”

“So what are you two up to tonight? A little Miller Light action?” Jordan was laid back and friendly, and damn it if something within Molly didn’t react to all that annoying charisma and confidence.

“Actually, we were trying to get to know each other a little better one-on-one.” Molly’s tone was a little less friendly, and Jordan seemed to notice.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Not at all,” Annaleigh said as she glanced uneasily from Molly to Jordan. “I was just telling Molly how much I enjoy Applewood. I remember coming here for the festival when I was a kid.”

Jordan pulled up a chair and shot her a victorious glance. Molly wondered what in the hell she thought she was doing. “One of my favorite events. You’ll have to come back next week for this year’s. I hear it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.”

“Really? In what way?” Annaleigh asked.

Molly sighed as they continued. Her date had been hijacked.

But what made her even angrier was the fact that her eyes kept tracing the open top button of Jordan’s blue Henley and the olive skin that peeked out from beneath. Damn it, why did she have to look good in everything she wore?

As the conversation droned on, and on, and on, her frustration only grew. Instead of listening to Jordan describe how much she loved indie rock, all this new version of Molly could think about was the shiny lip gloss Jordan wore and how her mouth was almost heart shaped and full.
Fuck
. And now she somehow had a new penchant for swearing. Fabulous.

It was time to get herself out of this, and she saw the perfect opening.

Molly inclined her head and smiled sweetly. “Jordan, I don’t want to interrupt, but I think your date is trying to catch your eye.” It was true. Summer was falling all over herself to look alluring enough to attract Jordan back over to the bar. It was annoying and helpful at the same time.

“I guess that’s my cue.” Jordan offered them one last devastating smile and headed back to Summer.

*

The evening had definitely taken a negative turn. Jordan stared into her empty glass and contemplated the wisdom of a second beer. A no-brainer, given the circumstances. “Hit me, Bobby.”

For the better part of an hour, she’d watched Molly and her date du jour, Annaleigh, chatting cozily in the corner of the bar. It was whatever. She’d told herself from the get-go that she wanted Molly to find happiness, so why was it so ridiculously hard to watch it all go down? Summer’s warm breath tickled her ear. She was chewing gum, which was typical for Summer, but for some reason Jordan found it less than endearing in this moment.

“We should dance,” she purred.

Jordan looked around. The bar did have a small dance floor, but no one used it. “It’s not really that kind of bar.”

Summer tilted her head. “Since when do you play by the rules? This can be any kind of bar we want it to be.”

To hell with it. She had a valid point.

Jordan took a long swallow of her beer and allowed Summer to pull her onto the dance floor in the back of the room. The song that played was bluesy, something from way back. They moved together slowly, earning an interested glance from a patron or two, but it felt oddly welcome, dancing close to someone.

Jordan leaned in next to Summer’s ear. “So did you hear about the kidnapping in the park?”

Summer pulled back, wide-eyed. “No, what happened?”

“It’s fine now. They woke him up.”

A beat of silence hung in the air, before Summer’s face relaxed into a grin. She laughed loudly and slapped Jordan playfully across the shoulder. “You had me goin’ there for a second.”

They laughed together as the song wound down.

The dance hadn’t lasted long, but it had been a welcome distraction. Summer was uncomplicated, friendly, and not exactly hard to look at, especially when she went to such lengths to put it all out on display like she had that night. And there was definitely a lot to display. What was even better? There were no highly sensitive, guilt-ridden feelings involved. And she needed a serious break from those.

As they made their way back to their spot at the bar, Jordan lifted her eyes to the arctic freeze of Molly’s stare. As she met her gaze questioningly, Molly looked away. Okay. What the hell was that about? Molly was allowed to go on any number of dates, but she wasn’t allowed to enjoy herself with a friend without blatant judgment?

Unbelievable.

Summer turned to her. “Wanna get outta here?”

“Definitely. What do you have in mind?”

“We could go for a drive, but given the drinks we’ve had, maybe it’s better if we just walk to my place. Talk about old times or something.” The sultry look in her eyes made it clear the “or something” was the operative part of that sentence. And you know what? Summer was exactly what Jordan needed tonight. Summer was easygoing, fun, and more importantly, wouldn’t view kissing her as a colossal mistake.

“Let me settle up.”

“Bobby, make that two of us.” Molly leaned over the side of the bar adjacent to theirs.

“Date over already?” Jordan asked.

“Something like that.” But Molly was refusing to look at her and that made her all the more heated.

“Something on your mind, Mol?”

She shook her head once, staring at the wall as she waited for her check. Still no eye contact. “Nope. You?”

“No, I’m great. Better than.”

“Clearly.”

“How’s the little bakery?” Summer asked.

That did it.

Molly turned fully and regarded Summer as if she were a teacher dealing with a not so bright student. The patrons who sat between them watched the exchange like a tennis match.

“The
little
bakery is fine. You should come in sometime.”

“Yeah, I’m more of a Starbucks kind of girl, but thanks.”

Ouch. Even Jordan cringed.

“Somehow I could have guessed that. Tell you what, Bobby. Keep the change. I have an immediate urge for a shift in scenery.” She dropped two tens on the bar and headed for the door where Annaleigh was waiting. Jordan watched her go. To say she looked devastatingly beautiful when angry was an understatement.