Second Chance on St. Patrick's Day

by Mia Ford

  Molly whimpered as she pressed her hands against my chest as if she wanted to push me away. Her lips were still crushed against mine and her tongue wrapped around mine as I moved closer. “Robert,” she murmured pulling away and looking at me.

  “Too much?” I asked as she nodded quickly. I placed a soft kiss against her lips and moved beside her, keeping her close to me. Molly snuggled against me, curling her legs under her body as she regained her composure. “Did I scare you?” I asked her as she opened her mouth and closed it. “Did someone hurt you, Molly? Did someone try to force you?”

  “No, nothing like that. I was with this guy in college and he was aggressive. He never forced me but he pushed and pushed me and I thought that I was in love with him. I tried to make him happy as best I could and keep my virtue but he just got cruel as time went on. I knew him a year and we were together for about six months before I found him in bed with two women at a party. It broke my heart even though I knew that he wasn’t good for me. I was trying until then, nearly convinced that I should sleep with him.” I stroked her hair as she shook her head. “I sound like such a weak, stupid girl and maybe I was. I don’t know.”

  She was just a victim to an asshole. I was that guy when I was younger and slept with a few women that didn’t really want it. I pushed Brittany out of my mind and kissed her hair. “You’re not stupid. He took advantage of you, Molly. He pushed you and you didn’t give in. You were strong, not weak.”

  “But I did things that he asked of me. I didn’t always say no.” She wrapped her arm around me and I felt anger fill me.

  “You wanted it to be special, Molly. You’ll have that still when you make the decision.” I accepted that it might not be with me since I didn’t completely understand how all of this affected her. “Sex can be beautiful. It can be intimate and comfortable when it’s with the right person.”

  “Can I kiss you again?” She asked as she moved to look at me. “I like that.”

  “Of course,” I told her, feeling the need deep inside of my body. I was so wrong for her.

  I took her home a couple of hours later after a lot of long, deep kisses. We didn’t move any further than a few touches but I could see the confusion on her face when I parked in the driveway. I looked at her and turned her face towards mine after a look at the house, seeing it dark. “Do you feel okay?” I asked her softly as she smiled softly.

  “I like kissing you a lot. I didn’t feel like you pushed for anything, but I am all mixed up inside. I’ve never felt this way about a man, not even…him. I see that now.” She reached over to touch my leg, making my cock jerk. “Do you want to see me again or did I mess tonight up?”

  I chuckled and brushed my lips against hers. “Yes, I do. Can I take you to the movies in a couple of nights?”

  She agreed and we slowly said our goodbyes before I walked her to the door. I walked back to my car painfully aware that I should walk away from this. I wasn’t good for her but fuck if I wasn’t attracted to her.

  Flashbacks of my past flooded my mind as I started the engine and pulled down the hill to return home. I walked in and stood in the living room, still smelling her perfume as well as her desire.

  Fuck.

  Chapter 10

  Molly

  I got up slowly the following morning, tracing a dying rose with my finger as I blinked sleepily. I didn’t get home too terribly late but was so used to staying home at night. Nothing I’d done for years had been as exciting, or as confusing as last night. I knew how badly Robert wanted me but he didn’t press me. I could feel the tension in his body as we kissed and the way his erection was pressed against my thigh, intimidating and large. God, how would that ever feel inside of me?

  I blushed as I took a quick shower and dressed for work. I told him about Lance. That was embarrassing the more time passed and I looked back. I knew that it still hurt me at times but that didn’t make it all right to just talk about it on a first date.

  I pulled my hair into a messy bun and glossed my lips with a deep pink color before heading downstairs. Noel was waiting for me with curiosity burning in her eyes as I groaned softly. “So, how was it?”

  “Your mom told you, I see.” Noel wasn’t home and I hadn’t told her about the date after work.

  “Yes, when I got home. How was it?” She demanded as we walked through the garage to the car.

  “It was…intense. It was fun. He’s so charming, Noel but he’s forty-two!! That’s so much older.” I looked at her as she got into the driver’s seat.

  “You know, it really isn’t. You’ve always been mature for your age, much more so than anyone that we knew in college,” she assured me as she started the car and raised the garage.

  “Was I mature when I was catering to Lance’s demands?” I asked before dropping my head back against the seat.

  “You fell for the wrong man, Molly. It happens to the best of us and I am so glad that you didn’t sleep with him. You knew it was wrong. It won’t always feel that way.” She drove into town and turned to head to the cafe as I let out a sigh.

  “I told him about Lance. The gist, anyway.” I looked at her as she parked next to the police car. “Things got heated and I kind of freaked out. It just spilled out.”

  Noel smiled at me and turned the car off. “Did he run screaming from you and bring you right home?” I shook my head. “He gets a point, then.” We got out and greeted the officer as he watched us go inside and lock the door behind us. I yawned and went to make coffee first thing while Noel went back into the kitchen to get things started in there. I got two steaming cups and brought them inside of the kitchen as I helped her mix some batters, pouring them into the baking pans carefully. Everything had to look good and I turned on all the ovens before sipping my drink. “It’s tough having a life with this schedule, isn’t it?”

  “Worth it. I think that as time goes on, we can get some more people on here and maybe get a break. I don’t want to just work and have nothing else, and neither should you.” She smiled at me as I slid a pan into the oven.

  “You’re right. I have been hiding out for too long.” We baked and talked about Robert as she swooned, telling me that she was going to trade Nate for him.

  “Older men are so sexy. They know just what they’re doing and they do it so well. Right?” She asked as I raised an eyebrow.

  “When did you go out with an older guy? And all I did was kiss him, but he was so good at that.” I thought back to it as I smiled dreamily and Noel squealed.

  “I did in college but I never told you. I met him at a bar and we hooked up a few times. It was amazing but just a fling.” Noel shook her head sadly. “Now I can live vicariously through you.”

  “We will see if he takes me out again. He might have come to his senses,” I joked as she shook her head at me.

  I walked out to brew all the coffee and start the fire as I looked around. I did love this place and was proud of it and I checked around the dining room as I sang along to the song on the radio. Despite being tired I felt happy, even hopeful. Maybe this would work out well and we could become something.

  My core ached as I thought about him and I hoped that I’d get to see him again. I finished and walked over to the front door to unlock it, grinning as Mike walked in. “Morning.”

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he greeted me with a wink as I shook my head. I turned the sign on and walked with him to get his order as Noel brought out the second tray of baked goods and said hello. She gave him a fresh muffin and I got his coffee as he tipped us and walked away. I watched Mike, guessing that he was around sixty or seventy. He was retired I was guessing since he was here every day and told us that he used to work for the mechanic in town. He seemed happy here.

  Could Robert be? I knew that he wasn’t retiring tomorrow but he could make a life here unless he decided to transfer. I knew how the military worked that way and he could move almost anywhere if he wanted to.

  I pushed the thought away as the door opened
and more people came in, forcing a bright smile on my face as I helped them. At the end of the day, this cafe was my constant in life. I shouldn’t think about anything more.

  The morning still seemed to drag even with the steady flow of regulars coming in and I let Noel sit down for her break first to eat since Nate came in to see her. I watched them, thinking how cute they were together.

  I grabbed some soup for my own break and took it to the same table that I sat at when Robert was here. I still felt the electricity in the air from that day and my phone chimed when I was mid-bite. I checked it to see a message from Robert asking if I was free tonight. My heart soared. He wanted to see me again. I replied that I was and he said that he would pick me up at six again if that was enough time after work for me.

  I agreed and returned to my lunch with a smile on my face. Noel noticed and asked if lover boy contacted me for another romantic date as I blushed deeply. “Yes.”

  “For tonight? He’s into you,” she smiled at me with bright eyes as I shrugged and took my place at the counter.

  “Maybe,” I agreed as the lunch crowd started to leave and we cleaned up. I wiped down the tables and cleaned the glass as I hummed the song that was playing over the speakers. I was tired but the adrenaline running through me, along with the coffee, seemed to balance that out. I knew that I should sleep a little bit when I got home but I wanted time to get ready for Robert.

  We walked in to smell a roast cooking slowly in the oven as my stomach growled. “How was it last night?” Marta called out as Noel and I glanced at each other curiously.

  “Who do you mean?” Noel called back with a wink as her mother poked her head out of the kitchen.

  “Both of you, sillies.” She laughed as we went into talk to her. Noel told her about the dinner she’d had with Nate and his roommates before she looked at me like the cat that swallowed the canary. “And your night?” Marta asked, trying to contain the laughter at the look on Noel’s face.

  “It was nice. We went to that Asian place in town and had a nice dinner,” I replied as I felt them both staring at me. “He’s a good man.”

  “I’m sure that he is. One thing I will say is that Robert is a gorgeous man!” Marta told me as I smiled at her. “He seemed pretty smitten with you.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” I told her as Noel smirked at me.

  “He asked her out tonight as well. Does that sound like something a confident, older man would do if he was smitten?” Noel challenged me as I rolled my eyes.

  “Why, yes it does. Where are you going?” Marta asked as she leaned on the counter.

  “He mentioned the movies last night, but I’m not sure.” I shrugged, feeling like a child. I had no idea what I was doing and last night still had me reeling.

  “I don’t know if you’re ready for this, but I made a huge roast for dinner. He’s invited to stay and eat before the movies,” Marta offered as Noel clapped her hands.

  “Oh, my goodness.” I imagined sitting at the table with the two of them watching us and Keith interrogating Robert. He looked at me as a daughter now and he’d protect me as fiercely as he would Noel. “No. We can’t do that.”

  I got ready, dressing in some gray slacks that were perfect for dinner or the movies, paired with a lavender shirt that buttoned up over my curves. There was no time for a nap since the idea of him eating dinner here got me all worked up, so I freshened up my makeup and hoped for the best. I was just slipping my feet into some black flats when I heard the doorbell and groaned. There was no way that I would make it to the door before anyone else, so why bother trying?

  Chapter 11

  Robert

  I smiled as the door to the house swung open, seeing Marta and Noel looking out at me. “Good evening,” I greeted them, wondering where Molly was.

  “Hi, Robert,” Marta said brightly as she glanced at her daughter. “I made a huge roast for dinner tonight with some vegetables and I was wondering if you’d like to join us, assuming you didn’t have plans for it with Molly.”

  This was a surprise and I fought the urge to laugh for a moment. The way the women were looking at me told me that they wanted to know more about me and technically, we didn’t have dinner plans. I was going to wing it tonight and I smelled the scent of the roast drifting outside. “I would like that very much. It smells amazing. I’ll have to check with Molly, of course.”

  “You want to stay?” I heard her voice and the shock in it as she stared at me from behind Noel’s head.

  “I don’t get a good, home cooked meal too often. It’s entirely up to you, though,” I offered generously as she licked her deep pink lips. Marta and Noel moved so I could walk in and Molly took my breath away as usual. She was dressed simply in pants and a soft shirt that clung to her curves, making me take a longer look as she blushed. Molly looked embarrassed and I imagined that she would be with the obviously excited women looking at us.

  “No, that’s fine. We’ll stay.” She said after a moment and smiled. “Can I help with anything, Marta?”

  I went into the living room with them and met Keith, Noel’s father. He was a pale man that was a few years older than I was, and we shook hands as Marta introduced us. He took me in carefully and I recognized the look as that of a worried father. He must consider Molly like a daughter, something that I appreciated. “Would you like something to drink?” Molly asked from behind me as I glanced at her. “We have everything.”

  “Get us some beers. Molly,” Keith said easily as I nodded and looked at him. “Thank you.”

  The women went into the kitchen and he invited me to sit down in the spacious room where a hockey game played. “What are your intentions with Molly? You’re considerably older than she is.”

  I noted that his wife was a few years younger than he was, but nothing near the difference that I shared with Molly. “I met her at the cafe and she caught my eyes. It’s just the second time that I’ve been out with her, or in as it were but I have no plans on hurting her.” I looked at him, guessing that the look in his eyes meant for a moment. “I can sense that she’s been hurt and I would never want to make anything worse. She’s a sweet, beautiful woman.”

  “She’s like a daughter to me and you’re right. She has been though I don’t know the details.” He glanced up as Noel walked back into the room with the bottles, looking curiously at me as she smiled.

  “Here you go. Dinner will be ready in a jiffy.” She looked at her dad. “Don’t be too hard on him, Dad.”

  Keith chuckled as she walked back into the kitchen and shook her head. “That one drives me crazy,” he said affectionately with a smile. “She brought Molly home for holidays a few times and it was obvious how close they were. When she mentioned bringing her home with her to open the cafe, we agreed immediately. There was just something about Molly that made me want to protect her.” I’d never tell him that I knew the details, nor how bad I wanted her. We were both men and I suspected that he understood that.

  Marta called us to the table and I sat down beside Molly with Noel across from us and her parents on either side. Keith had already started to ask me about the military and I told him some stories of places I’d been and some of the action that I’d seen. He seemed to enjoy them and I understood that once I heard that he was the owner of a construction company. He’d lived here his entire life so the idea of travel and different surroundings must be exciting, even though I knew that he was happy here. The way he looked at his wife told me that as well as the gentle smiles that he gave Noel and Molly.

  For the first time in my life, I felt a craving for that security in my life and I stared at Molly. She smiled at me as she took a bite of potato and blushed as I reached for the bottle of beer. I got to know the family, liking their kindness and the way they fit so well into this town. I went with Keith to watch the game while they cleaned up, full and happy as I settled on the couch. The girls were laughing in the kitchen over the sound of running water and I looked around. “How long have you
been married?” I asked him as he smiled.

  “Thirty years. I met her when I was just out of college and she was starting, so we got married when she was done.” I guessed him to be around fifty-two or so, though they were both healthy like I was. “We moved here and then Noel was here and everything seemed perfect. I started the business with Marta’s help and she started doing the bookkeeping for some locals. We’re not rich but I don’t think you have to be to be fulfilled.”

  I made a great salary and prior to this, I was thinking only of saving money. I wanted to buy a nice house and live life to the fullest but when I looked around this room, I knew what he meant. “Yeah,” I murmured thoughtfully as I took a drink of the beer. I was nursing it since I assumed I’d be leaving with Molly at some point and wanted to be safe.

  “Have you ever been married?” Keith asked me as I shook my head.

  “I’ve always moved a lot and never wanted to bring someone into that life. It was chaotic at times and I lived for that. Now that I’m here, I might settle some and think about retiring.” I shrugged and glanced at the score, fondly remembering a few games that I’d attended over the years.

  “You’re going to stay here?” Marta asked from the end of the room and I glanced her way with a smile.

  “Perhaps. It’s time I start thinking about where I am going to live permanently.” I told her as she moved to sit beside Keith, taking his hand.