late to be driving all the way back to Raleigh. How ’bout you sleep in your old room tonight? Stay and have some breakfast with the family tomorrow. Talk a few things out.”
“I’d like that,” Molly said. Then father and daughter hugged, and Josh could see that Molly fought to choke back some emotion.
They pulled apart, and Big Jim nodded to both of them before heading off to collect his wife. Molly gave her mom a little wave from afar before turning her full attention on him.
“You moving back?”
“I believe I am,” she said, twisting right and left like a happy little girl.
“I’m glad,” he told her.
She wrapped the fairy princess skirt around her waist and fastened it. But she dangled her shoes from her fingers, along with her purse.
“Walk you to your car?”
“I’d like that,” she said.
The two of them crowded onto one of the last few golf carts, where Josh had the opportunity to meet her sisters Lucy and Lilly along with their dates.
No valets waited, but all cars and keys were accounted for, lined up in the Evans’ circular drive and on out toward the gate. The DuVal clan dispersed quickly, allowing Josh to forgo a trumped-up excuse to get Molly to linger with him. He wanted a few minutes alone.
They slowly walked, hand in hand toward her little truck. As they got close, it was obvious the thing hadn’t been washed in ages. He wondered if she’d mock his spotless Prius, now the lone car waiting off in the distance.
“So,” he said as they reached her door.
“So,” she repeated, turning to face him. Her smile was so big it made him smile right back at her.
He cleared his throat, taking up her other hand and raising both as he entwined their fingers, pressing palm against palm. “Molly, Molly, Molly.” He really did not want to let her go. “Tonight certainly ranks up there as one of the fastest nights of my life. It flew by. I don’t feel like I’ve had enough time with you. So, in case I haven’t made myself perfectly clear, I’d like to see you again.”
“Sounds like you’re declaring the evening over.”
“I think you know I’d like nothing better than to string it out, but seeing as your father is waitin’ on you to come home—”
“My father stopped waiting on me to come home a long time ago. Probably before he should have, poor man.”
There was his opening. And he was a smart man. Smart enough to know that when the woman whose hair you wanted to get all tangled up in gives you an opening, you walk through it—without hesitation.
So he stepped in and closed the distance between them, wrapping his hands in her hair. His face directly over hers, his focus solely on her lips. He didn’t know where the words came from, they just came out, quiet and rough.
“Then here’s how it’s going to work,” he told her. “I’ll hold on to your keys and your car stays here. When we get to my place, I’m in charge. Rumor has it you may be pretty quick at shedding your clothes, but tonight your clothes stay on until I take them off. You and I are taking it slow. I’ll get you to your parents before first light and make sure your car is in their driveway by the time you want to head back to Raleigh.”
“One question.”
“Yeah—no. No questions.” He leaned in and kissed her lips, but like she’d done to him earlier, it was just a quick peck. Their first real kiss was yet to come.
“Anything you need out of your car?”
“There’s a bag. In the back. And my flip-flops.” He took the bag while she dropped her flip-flops to the ground and stepped into them, leaving her heels in the truck.
“Keys.”
She reached in, pulled them from the ignition, and handed them to him.
“Ready?”
She nodded. He took her hand and off they went.
“You’re doing it again,” he heard her mumble.
“Doing what?” he asked, dragging her along.
“Making me nervous.”
He stopped dead. “I? Make you , nervous?”
She shrugged her shoulders together in a
“I’d like that,” Molly said. Then father and daughter hugged, and Josh could see that Molly fought to choke back some emotion.
They pulled apart, and Big Jim nodded to both of them before heading off to collect his wife. Molly gave her mom a little wave from afar before turning her full attention on him.
“You moving back?”
“I believe I am,” she said, twisting right and left like a happy little girl.
“I’m glad,” he told her.
She wrapped the fairy princess skirt around her waist and fastened it. But she dangled her shoes from her fingers, along with her purse.
“Walk you to your car?”
“I’d like that,” she said.
The two of them crowded onto one of the last few golf carts, where Josh had the opportunity to meet her sisters Lucy and Lilly along with their dates.
No valets waited, but all cars and keys were accounted for, lined up in the Evans’ circular drive and on out toward the gate. The DuVal clan dispersed quickly, allowing Josh to forgo a trumped-up excuse to get Molly to linger with him. He wanted a few minutes alone.
They slowly walked, hand in hand toward her little truck. As they got close, it was obvious the thing hadn’t been washed in ages. He wondered if she’d mock his spotless Prius, now the lone car waiting off in the distance.
“So,” he said as they reached her door.
“So,” she repeated, turning to face him. Her smile was so big it made him smile right back at her.
He cleared his throat, taking up her other hand and raising both as he entwined their fingers, pressing palm against palm. “Molly, Molly, Molly.” He really did not want to let her go. “Tonight certainly ranks up there as one of the fastest nights of my life. It flew by. I don’t feel like I’ve had enough time with you. So, in case I haven’t made myself perfectly clear, I’d like to see you again.”
“Sounds like you’re declaring the evening over.”
“I think you know I’d like nothing better than to string it out, but seeing as your father is waitin’ on you to come home—”
“My father stopped waiting on me to come home a long time ago. Probably before he should have, poor man.”
There was his opening. And he was a smart man. Smart enough to know that when the woman whose hair you wanted to get all tangled up in gives you an opening, you walk through it—without hesitation.
So he stepped in and closed the distance between them, wrapping his hands in her hair. His face directly over hers, his focus solely on her lips. He didn’t know where the words came from, they just came out, quiet and rough.
“Then here’s how it’s going to work,” he told her. “I’ll hold on to your keys and your car stays here. When we get to my place, I’m in charge. Rumor has it you may be pretty quick at shedding your clothes, but tonight your clothes stay on until I take them off. You and I are taking it slow. I’ll get you to your parents before first light and make sure your car is in their driveway by the time you want to head back to Raleigh.”
“One question.”
“Yeah—no. No questions.” He leaned in and kissed her lips, but like she’d done to him earlier, it was just a quick peck. Their first real kiss was yet to come.
“Anything you need out of your car?”
“There’s a bag. In the back. And my flip-flops.” He took the bag while she dropped her flip-flops to the ground and stepped into them, leaving her heels in the truck.
“Keys.”
She reached in, pulled them from the ignition, and handed them to him.
“Ready?”
She nodded. He took her hand and off they went.
“You’re doing it again,” he heard her mumble.
“Doing what?” he asked, dragging her along.
“Making me nervous.”
He stopped dead. “I? Make you , nervous?”
She shrugged her shoulders together in a
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