“Okay.” Jordan smiled back at her curiously. “We’ll have to do that.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Molly set down her glass of champagne on the white linen tablecloth and surveyed the place. She had to hand it to her mother-in-law. The once generic ballroom of the Applewood Country Club had been transformed into stunning elegance with no expense spared.
Twinkly lights dipped down from the ceiling and an eight-piece orchestra played from the corner of the room as Applewood’s best and brightest mingled, sipped champagne, and collectively wished Joseph Tuscana a happy sixtieth birthday.
All in all, it had turned into a pretty fancy affair, and the turnout was more than they’d hoped for. It would be the most talked about event in Applewood into next year. Molly knew that much.
It was two hours into the party and everyone seemed to be having a marvelous time. Herself included. The thing about Dr. Tuscana was that everyone in town knew and loved him. He was hardworking, playful, and sympathetic to his patients. And in contrast to the relationships he had with his children, he withheld judgment throughout the course of their care. It was the town’s steadfast appreciation of their doctor that accounted for the just over two hundred guests there to celebrate his birthday.
Molly checked the dessert table and noticing the truffles had dwindled, headed to the kitchen for more. “For the hundredth time, sugar, I’ve got this,” Eden said as she rounded the corner with a whole new tray. “Now would you get out from under my feet and enjoy your family’s party? You’re more annoying than a fly at a picnic.”
“I’m not a fly. I just want to make sure everything is perfect.”
“And it is. Do you trust me or not?”
“Of course I trust you.”
“Then for the love of all things sexy, get out there and have a good time for both of us. Shake hands, kiss babies, dance a little.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Molly offered a small salute and scurried away from the dessert table in search of her father. She’d spoken to him briefly on his way into the party and wanted to make sure he was feeling all right. She’d arranged for one of the nurses to accompany him tonight just in case he got to feeling weak and needed assistance. But there was no way she was going to let him miss the party, no matter how nervous it made her. He needed time among his family and friends.
“Hi, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek from behind and slid into the chair next to his at one of the round banquet tables. He smiled over at her as he bopped his head along to the swing dancing taking place on the dance floor a few feet away.
“This is some party.” His eyes twinkled when he said it, and that made her swell up inside. “You all did a fantastic job helping put all this together. It shaped up to be pretty fancy in here.”
“Thank you.” She threw a glance around at the decorations she’d help put up earlier in the afternoon. Jordan had been there too, and out of respect for her family, they’d kept a small distance between them. There would be a time and place to talk to the Tuscanas, but it was the furthest thing on her to-do list at the moment. In fact, due to terror, she planned to put it off as long as possible. When the time came, she’d have to plan it out carefully. Strategize. It would require a great deal of finesse. Even thinking about the concept had her feeling a little sick to her stomach. She pushed the whole idea from her head. This was a party.
“Are you feeling okay, Dad?”
“Never better. It’s nice to see all of these smiling faces in one place. I’m having a great time. Don’t worry about me, kiddo. Why don’t you go find your friends and have some fun. I’m gonna go talk to Chuck Cupper a bit. See if his golf score’s improved any.”
“Okay, but save me a dance a little later.”
He squeezed her hand. “I look forward to it.”
Molly made her way through throngs of friends and neighbors, stopping to talk every so often. All the while, she scanned the room for Jordan. And she wasn’t hard to find. It was as if a part of her was always trained on Jordan’s proximity.
She watched her from across the room as she laughed at something her old soccer teammate said. That smile lit up her whole face, and it was a stunning visual. Quite simply, she radiated tonight. Jordan wasn’t much for dressing up, so she’d gone for sleek and sophisticated. She wore a simple black dress, cinched with a thin red belt. The medium heels made her legs look long and luxurious. The outfit looked like it was made for her, and she easily stole the room.
Molly headed that way, intent on spending a little part of the evening with Jordan, because, well, she really, really wanted to.
“Molly O’Brien, I need to talk to you!”
She stopped. “Mr. Jeffries, hi.”
“You weren’t at the shop this morning.” He glared, his eyes full of accusation.
“I know. I had some things to do to get ready for the party. I’ll be back in the morning though. Back on schedule.”
“Well, good. Just seems if it’s your shop, you should be there each day. People depend on their routine not being disrupted.” He was still glaring hard, but she knew that what he just said was code for “I missed seeing you,” and she felt a smile touch her lips.
“You’re right, Mr. Jeffries. I’ll try and remember that in the future. ‘Be there every day.’”
“See that you do,” he huffed and headed off in search of someone else to snarl at.
She lifted her eyes to where she’d last seen Jordan, but she was gone.
*
The terrace was quiet when Jordan made her way out there. Guests had come and gone throughout the party, enjoying the view and the quiet tranquility of the night. She rested her forearms on the railing and looked out over the expanse of treetops that surrounded the country club. It was a picturesque overlook and she took a minute to soak it in.
She was enjoying the party and the chance to see everyone together in one place all in celebration of her father. It was a good night. Admittedly, she spent much of it stealing glances at Molly, but that was pretty much the norm these days.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” She turned. Summer sauntered her way over to the railing with two glasses of white wine. One of which she handed to Jordan. “You looked a little lonely.”
Jordan held up the glass. “Thanks. Just catching my breath for a minute is all.”
“Glad you’re back in town. Boring around here without you. How long are you staying this time?”
“Couple more days.”
Summer eyed her and smiled leisurely. “Which is plenty of time.”
Jordan stared at her curiously, very much on guard about where this was going. Summer seemed to be in perpetual game mode and it was important to stay one step ahead, exhausting as that was. “Plenty of time for what?”
“For you and me to finally spend some one-on-one time together.” She leaned in close to Jordan’s ear. “Clothing is optional. Though this outfit is a favorite.” She ran her hand the length of Jordan’s body from shoulder to thigh, inching up just under the hem of Jordan’s dress.
Bold. Summer never was one for subtlety. And if she didn’t opt out now, she had a feeling this cat-and-mouse game would never end. She turned to her. “As nice a time as I’m sure we’d have, I’m going to have to decline.”
“Because you’re seeing someone?” Summer stared at her evenly.
She decided to just level with her. “Yes.”
Annoyance flickered across her face. “Molly. Then it’s true. I wondered when I saw your car parked outside of her house at two a.m., but I gave you far too much credit for that, Jordan. ”
Whoa. “My car? What were you doing on her street at two a.m.?”
“Just checking out a theory, and this is one I am so sorry to have been right about. Molly O’Brien? Seriously, what are you thinking?”
Jordan shook her head and took a step back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Summer.” She turned to go.
“She’ll never love you for you.”
The words froze
her in place. She felt as if she’d been punched as she turned back.
“You and I, Jordan, are the also-rans of this town, and it’s important that people like us stick together. And that’s why I’m looking out for you. You’ll never matter to her the way Cassie did, and when she looks at you, she’ll always think of her. Always .”
Jordan took a minute because the words hit home. “You don’t know that.”
Summer offered an overly sympathetic smile. “Don’t I, though? I have something you don’t right now, Jordan, and it’s called perspective. You’re second place in this scenario no matter how many different ways we run it. And trust me, that isn’t going to change.”
“Stop. It’s not like that with us.” And she believed that, mostly. Well, at least she wished she did.
“It’s lose-lose, Jordan. If you’re not willing to consider yourself, think about Molly. Her life was torn apart when she lost Cassie. She deserves a fresh start, and she can’t have that with you. You come with baggage, with reminders. You’re just an extension of her loss. Another way for her to hold on to Cassie, and if she stays with you, she’ll never get that clean slate. How do you not see that?”
Jordan met her gaze and held on. There was so much logic in those words, as twisted as they seemed. But Jordan wouldn’t let herself admit it fully. “You’re wrong.”
Summer tilted her head to the side. “I’m rarely wrong.” She laid a hand on Jordan’s shoulder as she passed and headed back into the party.
Jordan was reeling.
She didn’t want the words to affect her, she really didn’t. Because what Summer had professed about her, about Molly, was resonating with her no matter how much she fought against it. She stared into the darkened trees and talked herself down one minute at a time.
Things were good in her life.
Hell, they were better than good. They were great, and it was important that she remember that. She heard the door to the terrace open and she turned. And in that moment, everything seemed to right itself.
“Hey, stranger. I’ve been looking for you. That’s some party.”
Molly stood a few feet away, her eyes shining brightly. She wore a yellow cocktail dress with thin straps. It came in at the top of her waist and fell loosely to just above her knee. Quite simply, it was stunning on her.
She held up a hand. “Before we go any further, I have to tell you how pretty you look. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look prettier.”
A soft smile touched Molly’s lips and her cheeks colored just a hint. “Thank you. I was saving it for a special occasion and tonight felt like the night.”
“Another good decision.”
Molly took the spot next to her at the railing. “I thought by now the party would be winding down, but trust me, no one seems to be going anywhere any time soon. Your brother’s about to start a conga line, I can feel it.”
“Mikey always liked a good time.” Jordan smiled and stared out into the night.
“Hey, look at me.” Molly placed her hand on Jordan’s chin and gently turned her face. “You have the most faraway look. Everything okay?”
She met Molly’s eyes and exhaled. “It feels better now. I’m just enjoying the quiet. The crickets are beginning to chirp. It’s one of my favorite times of night.”
Molly took in their surroundings. “It is pretty beautiful, isn’t it? The emergence of spring. Everything about it seems so promising. So hopeful.”
Jordan studied Molly’s profile. “It would be even more promising if I were able to kiss you. Because that’s what I really want to do right now.”
Molly’s looked at her and her lips parted ever so slightly. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, just between them. “What kind of kiss would it be?”
It didn’t take much thinking. “Soft. The kiss would be soft and slow, like the night around us right now. I would ease my hands into your hair and pull you in even closer against me.” Molly closed her eyes. “I’d feel how warm your skin was and lose myself in how wonderful you taste. And then…there would be no stopping us.”
Molly opened her eyes and held Jordan’s gaze for several long moments as the heat they felt but couldn’t express hung between them. Finally, Molly glanced behind her and then back to Jordan as if an idea were taking root. “Come with me.”
And, of course, she did.
They followed the terrace as it wrapped around the building and stopped at the outside door that led to the adjacent banquet room, empty for the night. Molly tried the handle. “Locked. Stay right here.” Jordan watched her as she disappeared around the corner. It was only a minute or two before she appeared on the other side of the door and let Jordan in. Molly then took her hand and led her silently to the nearby coat closet and Jordan began to understand.
“Okay. So we’re just—”
“Stealing a moment. Exactly.”
“Stealing a sexy moment, you mean.”
“I do.”
Once safely inside the small walk-in closet, Molly flipped the light on and backed herself slowly to the wall, a small smile breaking across her face. “I remember you mentioning something about a kiss?”
Jordan smiled back as she moved to Molly. She leaned in and paused just a breath away from Molly’s incredibly enticing lips. “I think I said it would be soft at first.” She brushed Molly’s lips with hers once, and then deepened the kiss on the second go-round. “I think I also said it would be slow.” She slid her hands from Molly’s face into her hair and pulled her in again. And she kept that promise, luxuriating in the kiss, taking her time with it. Savoring the wonderful experience that kissing Molly inevitably was. She felt so alive when they were together like this, like no other time in her life. It was quite possibly—
There was a gasp from the doorway. She pulled her lips from Molly’s just in time to see her mother place her hand over her heart, her other hand on the open door. Her father stood just over her shoulder. “We were just looking for a quiet place to…” Her mother’s gaze flew from Molly’s face to Jordan’s. “I don’t understand. Would someone please tell me what is happening here?”
And in that horrible moment, she didn’t quite know what the words should be. But Jordan did. She straightened and stepped toward her parents in earnest.
“I know this was probably a surprising sight to walk in on, and I’m so sorry for that.”
But her father wasn’t listening. He was staring intently at Jordan, disappointment written all over his face. “What in the world are you doing?” he whispered harshly. “You’ve pulled some insane stunts in your time, Jordana, but this is too much. You’ve gone too far.”
“We weren’t doing anything wrong, Dad.”
“But weren’t you?” he bit back.
Her mother placed a steadying hand on his arm. “Some things are sacred, Jordan. You of all people should understand how upsetting this is. Cassandra was your sister. Your only sister. Have you no respect for her memory at all? Either of you?” Her mother’s eyes filled with tears, and in that moment, so did Molly’s.
“It’s not Jordan’s fault,” Molly managed.
“I would never have expected this from you, Molly,” her mother said, as if her heart was broken.
“But you would have from me?” Jordan quipped.
“That’s right, we would have,” her father shot back. “You always wanted everything she had and look at you now.”
Molly held up a hand. “Okay. Let’s not say things we’re going to regret later. You’re all family.”
Jordan tilted her head. “Yeah, just some of the members of the family are less impressive than others, right, Dad?”
“Don’t,” Molly murmured to Jordan, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Let her say it. It’s true,” her father growled. “If you’re looking for another Cassie, Molly, you’re not going to find it in this one here. They’re nothing alike.”
Jordan swallowed the anger, the pain that comment inspired and focused on diffusing
things. She made sure her voice was calm and even when she spoke. “As much as I wish to God it wasn’t the case, Cassie’s gone now. And this”—she gestured between herself and Molly—“has nothing to do with her.” But as the conversation shifted to Cassie, Molly noticeably withdrew, her eyes now fixed on the ground.
“How long has this been going on? How long exactly have you been taking advantage of your sister’s—” Her father then held up his hand. “You know what? I don’t want to know the details.” He shook his head slowly and walked away. It was clear he was upset. She could only hope that with time, he would understand.
Jordan turned to her mother. “Mom, I feel like I should apologize, but that doesn’t seem right. Because what I feel for Molly is very real, and I’m not going to stop seeing her because of our past. It’s time for us all to move forward.”
Her mother turned to Molly in question. “Is that how you feel too?”
Molly raised her eyes to her mother-in-law and then turned helplessly to Jordan, her eyes swimming with desperation. She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again. “I’m sorry,” was all she managed. “To everyone, I’m sorry.”
The words hit Jordan hard. What did that mean, she was sorry? She was backing down. Why was she choosing not to stand up for them? Summer’s words echoed in her ears. You’ll never matter to her the way Cassie did . Self-doubt was a powerful thing and it systematically ate away at Jordan as she stood there.
Her mother nodded solemnly and straightened, raising her hand and letting it drop. “I don’t even know what to say to you two. I should get back to the guests.”
Left alone, Jordan turned to Molly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” But she’d wrapped her arms around herself almost as if in protection and took a step back. “Do you think you could give me just a minute?”
“Sure. Whatever you need.”
And she left her there, even though it went against every instinct she had.
As Jordan crossed the empty banquet room, her limbs felt heavier as she realized that things were much more precarious than even she had acknowledged. The feelings they’d all just exchanged were so unguarded, so raw. She was still reeling from their effects. It had been a horrible scene back there, and there was nothing she could do to undo it. The worst part had been the haunted look in Molly’s eyes as it all went down. It was an excruciating sight. It tore at her still. And it wasn’t just the look. It was its implication.
How Sweet It Is Page 24