but then she coughed and sputtered, choking on the odors from the trash surrounding her. Hers weren’t the only leftovers in the Dumpster.
“Molly?” The window shuddered as he jammed his shoulders into the opening. To no avail. He couldn’t fit through.
A door opened onto the alley.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, waving him back into the bathroom. Moving slowly she shifted around on the garbage so that she could crouch down and peer over the metal edge.
Brenna and Josh stepped into the alley, each of them carrying a sleeping twin. Molly blinked as her heart warmed at the thought of the beautiful family her friends could have. If they took a chance on love…
A bottle shifted beneath her foot and she knocked against the side of the metal container.
“Whatttt?” one of the twins murmured as he shifted in Brenna’s arms.
“Shh,” she soothed the groggy child. “It was nothing.”
“A rat,” Josh teased.
Her tone haughty, Brenna informed him, “Cloverville doesn’t have rats.”
Molly could have argued that—she felt like a rat for the way she’d treated her friends. Brenna had worked so hard for the wedding, and Josh had to have been humiliated. But if love came out of this, it would be worth it.
Molly wouldn’t have screwed up everyone else’s life, then. Just her own…
She glanced to the bathroom window, looking for Eric. But he was gone, not even a shadow shifting behind the glass. The garbage, however, shifted again beneath Molly’s weight. She sank deeper, mashed potatoes—at least she hoped it was mashed potatoes—oozing between her toes and over the tops of her sandals.
“That’s a rat,” Josh insisted.
“No, it’s probably a raccoon,” Brenna suggested, coming to the defense of her hometown.
A car door opened, and the boys grunted and murmured protests as Josh and Brenna settled them on the backseat. An engine rumbled to life. Molly held her breath against the stench. She only had to wait a couple minutes more….
“I should go inside and let Pop know about the scavenger,” Brenna said.
“The raccoon?”
“Yes, I wouldn’t want Mama or Mrs. George to stumble across it when they’re cleaning up.”
“I can take care of it,” Josh offered.
“Oh, you can?” Brenna challenged him. “You have a lot of experience dealing with raccoons?”
“I’ve always lived in cities. I have experience dealing with rats. Isn’t that all a raccoon is—a big rat with a striped tail?”
The door opened again from the reception hall. Molly braced herself for the maid of honor’s surprise at Eric’s presence, but instead a booming voice vibrated off the brick wall. “You’re still here? The boys are sleeping—they need a soft bed.”
“Pop, there’s something in the Dumpster,” Brenna explained. “If Mama found it…”
“She’d scream the whole town awake,” Pop concluded, “and things are just starting to wind down.”
“Sir—”
“Pop,” Mr. Kelly corrected Josh.
“Pop, I can help you.”
“Nonsense, that’ll be the day I can’t take care of a critter,” Pop said, his big hands gripping the edge of the Dumpster. “But if I needed help, I think I noticed ole Harold’s nephew…”
His eyes widened as he met Molly’s imploring gaze. She lifted a finger to her lips. Please, don’t say anything….
Not that she didn’t deserve more than her share of humiliation.
“What is it, Pop?” Brenna asked.
“Nothing,” the older man murmured before winking at Molly. “You two need to get out of here. Take those boys home. Look at their necks, all crooked like that….”
“Pop’s right,” Brenna admitted.
“Where’s my recorder when I need it?” her father teased. He waved them off. “I’ll see you back at the house before too long. Everyone’s clearing out now. We’ll be cleaned up in no time,” he assured them.
Pop stood beside the Dumpster, waving, until Josh’s Suburban pulled from the alley. Then he reached a hand over the rim to
“Molly?” The window shuddered as he jammed his shoulders into the opening. To no avail. He couldn’t fit through.
A door opened onto the alley.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, waving him back into the bathroom. Moving slowly she shifted around on the garbage so that she could crouch down and peer over the metal edge.
Brenna and Josh stepped into the alley, each of them carrying a sleeping twin. Molly blinked as her heart warmed at the thought of the beautiful family her friends could have. If they took a chance on love…
A bottle shifted beneath her foot and she knocked against the side of the metal container.
“Whatttt?” one of the twins murmured as he shifted in Brenna’s arms.
“Shh,” she soothed the groggy child. “It was nothing.”
“A rat,” Josh teased.
Her tone haughty, Brenna informed him, “Cloverville doesn’t have rats.”
Molly could have argued that—she felt like a rat for the way she’d treated her friends. Brenna had worked so hard for the wedding, and Josh had to have been humiliated. But if love came out of this, it would be worth it.
Molly wouldn’t have screwed up everyone else’s life, then. Just her own…
She glanced to the bathroom window, looking for Eric. But he was gone, not even a shadow shifting behind the glass. The garbage, however, shifted again beneath Molly’s weight. She sank deeper, mashed potatoes—at least she hoped it was mashed potatoes—oozing between her toes and over the tops of her sandals.
“That’s a rat,” Josh insisted.
“No, it’s probably a raccoon,” Brenna suggested, coming to the defense of her hometown.
A car door opened, and the boys grunted and murmured protests as Josh and Brenna settled them on the backseat. An engine rumbled to life. Molly held her breath against the stench. She only had to wait a couple minutes more….
“I should go inside and let Pop know about the scavenger,” Brenna said.
“The raccoon?”
“Yes, I wouldn’t want Mama or Mrs. George to stumble across it when they’re cleaning up.”
“I can take care of it,” Josh offered.
“Oh, you can?” Brenna challenged him. “You have a lot of experience dealing with raccoons?”
“I’ve always lived in cities. I have experience dealing with rats. Isn’t that all a raccoon is—a big rat with a striped tail?”
The door opened again from the reception hall. Molly braced herself for the maid of honor’s surprise at Eric’s presence, but instead a booming voice vibrated off the brick wall. “You’re still here? The boys are sleeping—they need a soft bed.”
“Pop, there’s something in the Dumpster,” Brenna explained. “If Mama found it…”
“She’d scream the whole town awake,” Pop concluded, “and things are just starting to wind down.”
“Sir—”
“Pop,” Mr. Kelly corrected Josh.
“Pop, I can help you.”
“Nonsense, that’ll be the day I can’t take care of a critter,” Pop said, his big hands gripping the edge of the Dumpster. “But if I needed help, I think I noticed ole Harold’s nephew…”
His eyes widened as he met Molly’s imploring gaze. She lifted a finger to her lips. Please, don’t say anything….
Not that she didn’t deserve more than her share of humiliation.
“What is it, Pop?” Brenna asked.
“Nothing,” the older man murmured before winking at Molly. “You two need to get out of here. Take those boys home. Look at their necks, all crooked like that….”
“Pop’s right,” Brenna admitted.
“Where’s my recorder when I need it?” her father teased. He waved them off. “I’ll see you back at the house before too long. Everyone’s clearing out now. We’ll be cleaned up in no time,” he assured them.
Pop stood beside the Dumpster, waving, until Josh’s Suburban pulled from the alley. Then he reached a hand over the rim to
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