Sneaking Around

by St. Klaire, Stephanie

  Not playing into his hand, Seth replied full of cool and calm. “Sure, went for a drive with Molly. Had a bite to eat.” Two could play at this game. “Spent some quality time together — just the two of us.”

  “Didn’t happen to see any vandals out, did ya?” Jasper prodded. “Maybe some obnoxious kids? You know, while out on your drive.”

  “Can’t say I did, but then, I wasn’t really lookin’. I was distracted by my date.” Poker face intact, Seth continued. “Is there a problem, Sheriff? Am I missing something here?”

  “Nope, just Evelyn Shirley seemed to have been nailed with a shit load of toilet paper last night, pun intended,” Jasper retorted.

  “Oh…um, wow, didn’t know kids were still doing that,” Seth replied nonchalantly with a relaxed shrug.

  Jasper stood to leave, giving Seth a hard-laced stare before walking out of the office. “Hmmm, neither did I. Have a good one, gentlemen.”

  Seth let out a deep sigh of relief when Jasper left the room and cleared the building. Seth wasn’t sure what the recourse was for toilet papering a crusty old lady’s house, but he knew it wouldn’t be as bad as Evelyn’s revenge. At the very least, Evelyn would have his name next to “criminal” and “vandal” on her Facebook page in a hot second for the whole town to see.

  “I figured it was you,” Hunter dropped on Seth.

  “Wha—what are you talking about?” Seth resumed his poker face with little success. The jig was up. “She probably pissed off the football team with a salty post about losing the championship.”

  “Please, if it wasn’t already obvious, the fact that you started breathing again the minute my brother left gave it away.” Hunter laughed.

  “Hunter, I don’t know what you’re—”

  Hunter cut Seth off, showing all his cards. “All the extra toilet paper in the supply closet gave you away too.”

  “Why would you think I had anything to do with that?” Seth defended, pulling off a pretty decent offended presence. “It could’ve been anyone here — Evelyn’s taken shots at everyone.”

  “Because I watched you unload all of it.” Boom, Hunter had him.

  “Oh…”

  “Yeah, oh. Grab the crew and load up, we’re doing community service today.”

  Seth was halfway out of Hunter’s office when he stopped in his tracks. He suddenly felt the all too familiar sensation of defeat building. Reading Seth like a book, Hunter patted him on the back and grew an ornery smile.

  “We’re helping an old crank clean up some toilet paper in her yard today. I hear whoever did it did a kickass job…TP everywhere!” Hunter said. “Make sure you load the right truck. We need the hook and ladder. Ass wipe a mile high, I hear.”

  Evelyn — one.

  Seth and Molly — another fucking zero.

  Seth stood in the street staring at Evelyn’s house, watching the guys hoist the hook and ladder to the highest point of the large tree centered in her yard. They used push brooms to undo the tangled handy work of Seth and Molly. Seth and Molly did a damn good job — that white shit was everywhere. It looked like it snowed — blizzard style…with toilet paper.

  He was not only angry Evelyn prevailed once again, but now Seth felt guilty because his crew was out here pissing and moaning while undoing his handy work. Seth hadn’t missed the amusement that seemed to hover over Hunter while leaning against the fire engine, arms crossed, cracking jokes with his brother. Nice of Jasper to stop by. Assholes.

  Seth tied off his full garbage bag and walked to the end of the truck to deposit it and grab a new bag when Jasper chimed in, “Hope she’s worth it, man.”

  Seth drew his fist and launched his middle finger in a one-man salute as his response. That earned another round of laughs from Hunter and Jasper at Seth’s expense. As if the day couldn’t get any worse, Seth turned just in time to catch Evelyn snapping a picture as he flipped the bird because of course she did. That shot would make its way to Facebook in mere minutes. It’d probably go viral too. Evelyn scored again — and then…it began to rain.

  Molly and a few of her book group of friends surrounded a table at Reading Grounds preparing for their weekly gathering.

  “Oh no!” Libby blurted out, eyes fixed on her iPad.

  Brady quickly replied with concern, trying to look over her friend’s shoulder to catch up. “What is it this time? What happened? Evelyn again?”

  “Oh no — no, no, no, no! This is awful!” Molly panicked, a certain rage flowing through her. She didn’t have to look over Libby’s shoulder to know the oh no was a Facebook post anymore. “That nasty old woman! Rrrgh!”

  “Looks like someone got Evelyn good!” Shayna snickered. “Awesome!”

  Molly looked across the table to Cady and her bitty brigade, tears welling and ready to fall.

  “Are you going to fucking cry?” Brady questioned with a disgusted look on her face.

  Molly’s sharp, angry eyes fired a heated glare back at Brady. “Maybe! You got a problem with that?”

  “Whoa! Did I miss something?” Libby asked. “What’s going on, Molly?”

  “Seth. He has to clean up the mess! That old Facebook happy battle axe should be cleaning it herself!” Molly proclaimed, as if everyone should just know what happened and why she was upset.

  Cady patted Molly’s hand in silent apology as the rest of the gray-haired mafia offered deep sighs and sympathetic looks in support.

  “Wait a minute,” Brady said, scanning the ladies. She looked between Molly and the picture, searching for the final piece to the puzzle. “You did this. You and your fire boy there! Oh my God!”

  Laughter wasn’t the word to describe the fit and sounds coming from Brady when the realization finally hit. She pointed her finger and directed it in a scanning motion to the elder ladies as more laughter unleashed. “And you! You all had something to do with it! You helped them!”

  Shayna’s mouth fell open as the shocking allegation flew through them. “You have got to be kidding me! You guys did this?” Her laughter crept through her words before finally falling on everyone’s ears in the form of hysterics.

  “We did no such thing!” an offended Pricilla chided. “I’m shocked you would think such a thing! The likes of us, tossing toilet paper around someone’s yard…in the middle of the night!”

  Hand to chest, equally offended at the accusation, Ginger said, “We were merely their supplier. Hardly the same thing! Hmmff!”

  “We gave them supplies and a plan, nothing less, nothing more.” The nonchalant demeanor Cady maintained while delivering her defense set the group into more fits. Cady shrugged with a subtle head shake and went to inspecting her manicured nails.

  “No…it was all Seth and me!” Molly said, taking full responsibility, smiling before she finished. “We did do a really good job too!”

  Brady shook her head at the shenanigans and each of their roles in the event. “Why are you so bent on trying to win a round with her? Evelyn never loses!”

  “I don’t know!” Molly admitted, hands tossed in the air while searching for a reason, any reason. “She just…irritates me! She’s mean and awful and needs to have a taste of her own medicine! We’re going to catch her! She goes somewhere almost every night. Late. We just can’t quite catch her and figure it out! In fact, she usually catches us at something instead. It always backfires!”

  Cady looked at Molly and gave her the clue she would have loved to have had ages ago. “She’s at Ben’s.”

  “Ben’s?” Molly questioned.

  “That’s what I said, dear. Maybe start there,” she said with a wink before sipping on her coffee.

  “If you want to spend time with hose boy, why don’t you just, I don’t know, date him?” Brady voiced what everyone was thinking it.

  “Oh, it isn’t like that. We’re…” Molly paused to think about what it was they were.

  “Isn’t it, though? Like that? C’mon, we all see it. You two are…” Libby waved her arms in an odd gesture of flaili
ng arms and awkward kissy faces, “all over each other.”

  Molly took a moment and thought about the conversation being exchanged and considered what the other ladies were saying. Was it really that obvious? Sure, she liked him, a lot, but was it more than that? Realization stung her like an angry hornet. She did like him. She more than liked him. Molly liked him, liked him.

  Seth was her first and last thought of every day. He consumed Molly’s days as much as he did her dreams at night. Good Lord Almighty, she was head over heels for her hunky firefighter. The upset Evelyn caused Molly with her current picture post was starting to make sense. Evelyn was messing with Molly’s man.

  “I guess it is…like that,” Molly admitted

  CHAPTER 10

  The door to Reading Grounds flew open in what could have been described as slow motion while a wind machine blew everyone’s hair in that perfect dramatic wave. A change in the air could be felt through the place as Molly’s six-foot, day-old-scruff, long-haired, leather-clad past of rolling muscles blew in.

  Dane Sharp.

  Dane was a first-class loser dead beat and one hundred percent bad boy. Once upon a time, she thought he was the one, but time revealed he was just the one who liked living in her trailer for free where he entertained anything with tits while Molly worked three jobs. He was an asshole.

  Molly thought she loved Dane, but she really just loved the idea of him. Loved the idea of having someone. Someone like Seth was proving to be, she thought. Seth was the kind of guy who gave as much or more than he received. He was kind, compassionate, genuine…someone you could love and love easily.

  Dane had her attention when he pulled her into a tight, awkward embrace, planting a kiss right on her lips.

  “Missed you, Kitten…” he said in that all too familiar timbre.

  “Missed me? You mean you missed my free food, free phone, the free roof over your head. Did Candy kick you out? Is that why you’re here?” she fired back.

  He tossed his head back, amused by her obvious crossness. “C’mon, you’re not still mad about that little bump in the road, are ya? I already told ya, I just missed you so much, you were always working…”

  “Ha! You missed me?” She pushed his hands from her shoulders and took a step back. “Missed the free ride is more like it. What about that box of trophy panties I found when I put your crap on the lawn. You must’ve missed me a lot!”

  An annoyed sigh fell from his lips. He took a step closer, returning to the suave he was trying to charm her with. “C’mon, Kitten. You were always gone, and I was in that trailer…alone.”

  “Stop calling me that! I’ve always hated it, and you know it!” Molly said. “And you’re right, it’s my fault you cheated!”

  “I heard you were doing real well up here.” He took a slow look around, letting out a dragging, high-pitched whistle, taking in all there was to see in her thriving business. “Looks like I heard right. This is a nice set up you have here, honey.”

  Molly glared. “Don’t call me that either.”

  “Don’t play so hard to get, Kitten!” he said in a smug tone, grabbing her by the waist again.

  She pushed him away with little success, locked in his brash and smarmy embrace. “Are you working, Dane? I’m guessing no…”

  “I’m…in between gigs,” he chided.

  “I thought so. Get out. Now,” Molly seethed, trying to release herself from his sordid brutish grip unsuccessfully.

  “Hey! Everything okay here?” A familiar booming voice came from the front of the shop, causing Dane to stiffen and allowing Molly to breathe a little easier when she finally got out of Dane’s grips. “Thought I heard the lady say let her go and leave, friend.”

  Marcas O’Reilly was Libby’s on again, off again love interest, which also made him Molly’s friend by proxy — a real big brother type. He had a menacing tone that implored, do what I say, and a presence that said, or I’ll kick your ass. Marcas had several bakery boxes in hand, indicating to Molly he was Libby’s delivery guy for the day. Praise God for that and good timing, she thought.

  Dane paused, taking in the tall, broody man who largely filled out the expensive suit that didn’t sway the intimidating vibe he exuded in the least. Marcas O’Reilly was a class act, but carried an Irish bad boy swagger that commanded attention. He stepped between Molly and Dane, providing a buffer between them, which forced Dane several steps backward.

  Dane scanned back and forth between the two, assessing the situation and who they possibly were to each other. “Oh, I see what’s going on here. You’ve got a new friend.”

  Marcas dropped a grin full of mischief and machismo. “Something like that. Door’s that way, friend.” He nodded toward the front of the store.

  Without much choice in the matter, Dane puffed out his chest in a final alpha attempt, pacing backward toward the door, not ready to turn his back on the enemy in such close proximity. “I’ll be back. We need to talk this out…” he finished, swinging his arm between himself and Molly, indicating they were this. And then he was gone.

  Marcas turned to Molly, giving her his charming wink and smile. “Libby asked me to drop these by.”

  “I’ll have to remember to thank her for sending you when she did!” Molly said with a forced chuckle.

  “You might want to mention that guy to Jasper — looks like trouble. He almost forced my hand and ruined these pastries!” Marcas said. “Then I would have had to face Libby. Better yet, I’d turn Libby on that guy. Nobody ruins her pastries and gets away with it.”

  “Blasphemy!” Molly laughed. “Flattened pastries would be worth a mention to the sheriff, but we’ll spare everyone the wrath of Libby. Dane is all bark, no bite.”

  “He seemed pretty determined to me…I don’t like how the asshole just rolls off him,” Marcas added.

  “I can handle him. When there is no money and no place to stay, he’ll leave…but thank you. I do appreciate you helping me.” Molly gave Marcas a quick thankful hug, valuing her friends and their big, beefy men that much more.

  “Okay. Call if you need anything, kid,” Marcas said with a mega watt smile and matching wink.

  Molly appreciated Marc’s concern, but Dane was harmless and would likely be gone by the end of the day. She hoped. For now, she was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the man she didn’t mind hanging around and invading her personal space. Seth. They had a night of sleuthing to plan.

  Seth was pissed. While getting ready for his meeting with his partner in crime, Seth decided to take a quick look at Facebook to see what they were up against — if anything — today. To his surprise, and disenchantment, he found a new photo posted with a flippant caption that assaulted his heart, causing it to sink the darkest of depths, leaving it tattered amongst his chilly flood of emotions.

  When you have a type, you have a type… Who is this tall, dark, and handsome Pine Valley stranger?

  Below the abstruse caption was a picture of Molly wrapped in the arms of some motorcycle thug, looking quite cozy, given the lip lock. His stomach turned at the sight of them. Molly and Seth were nothing more than friends, technically, but it still made his skin crawl, nonetheless. They had spent time together, intimate time in an emotional sense, and he had thought perhaps they were moving in some sort of direction together. Plus…he really liked her.

  His one-sided assumption that they were engaged in some kind of unspoken relationship, given their time spent together, just slapped him square in the face. He thought the attraction between them was a given, the chemistry awe-inspiring, and the undeniable compatibility absolutely earth-quaking. He was wrong. According to Evelyn Shirley and #RumorHasIt.

  Seth sat in the fire station kitchen, lost in thought, staring at that picture. He was torturing himself, comparing and stacking himself up against the thug. Seth should be at Reading Grounds, meeting with his object of affection to plot their next expedition in the anti-Evelyn campaign, but instead, he would sit and wallow in his own misery. He lost the girl
before he even had her.

  Molly took a break from Reading Grounds and made her way to the fire station to check on Seth. It wasn’t like him to not show up without a call or text. Seth was finishing his shift earlier that day, but should have been long since done unless he was on a call. He never missed their afternoon spy ninja meetings, so naturally, Molly’s mind went a million ways, wondering what happened to him. Seth’s job was one full of risk, and Molly’s heart hurt to think that was what kept him.

  Those thoughts provoked emotions she didn’t realize she had where he was concerned. Sure, her feelings for Seth were becoming more than those of friendship, but somewhere along the line, she missed the transition to where they stood now…wherever that was. She cared for him, deeply — everything about him.

  Molly turned the corner and faced the fire station head on. Her jaw dropped at the wide-open doors and all the half-naked firefighters standing around. Holy hell, this must be what heaven looks like, she thought. The photographer and random animals surrounding brightly colored fire hydrants and extinguisher props tuned her in to what was going on — the annual fire house calendar. Molly was interrupting their shoot and didn’t feel an ounce of remorse for doing so. Hello handsomes — as in plural — she thought.

  One man in particular leaning with arms crossed against the largest of the fire engines had her attention immediately. Seth stood barefoot in his turn outs and suspenders, sans shirt and sexy as hell. Molly recalled his rippling bare chest the night he slept over in her chair, but that memory didn’t do justice to what stood before her — smoldering hot sex on a stick. Seth’s ability to make her sweat, go weak in the knees, and command her most personal parts without a word was a dangerous and exciting realization. He. Was. Hot!

  Molly blushed when she noticed him watching her. The effect he had on her was as exhilarating as it was frightening. The wave of relief that Seth was indeed okay, so okay he was standing there looking like that, flooded her core. She had to squeeze her legs together just a bit tighter.