by Ciana Stone
"The works."
"A man after my own heart." Molly got busy putting buns on plates. "Mustard, catsup, mayo?"
"All."
"Oh yeah." She put the plates on the counter beside the stove then began slicing a tomato.
Wiley put sizzling burgers on the buns, slid the skillet off the burner and then prepped his sandwich while Molly did hers. She added a generous helping of potato salad to each plate, and they took a seat at the table.
Molly was the first to dig in. "Oh my god, this is good." She put her hand in front of her mouth and talked while chewing.
Wiley sampled his and nodded in agreement. "Uh huh."
For a minute or so, they focused on eating, then Wiley spoke up. "What did you mean when you said Kaylee's father was kind?"
Molly stabbed at her potato salad and then put her fork aside. "I don't talk much about him. His name was Kayden Branch, and he was such a caring and gentle person. When we were kids, he would give us, and Elisi rides to the store, so she could shop, and he paid for my cap and gown when I graduated high school. He always listened and never judged, and the advice he gave was sound and presented with respect.
"He was there for me when my brother died and for Elisi, too. He was married twice, and both of his wives died without them ever having children. But he was good to every single person he met, and he was my best friend."
"He was an adult when you were a kid?" Wiley found that odd.
"Yes."
"So, if Kaylee is five, then you were – how old when you got pregnant?"
"Almost thirty."
"And he was?"
"In his sixties."
Now he was shocked. "I know this will sound horrible but why would someone so young and beautiful hook up with someone twice her age?"
"Because he was a genuinely good person, and in his youth, he was drop-dead gorgeous. I mean, take your breath away handsome. He still looked very fine in his sixties. And he was dying."
"He was …"
"Dying. Yes. He had been suffering discomfort for some time but refused to see a doctor. Finally, he passed out while pumping gas in his truck and the station owner called an ambulance. Once he was in the hospital, it was discovered that he had advanced pancreatic cancer."
"And that made you want to sleep with him?"
"Well, no silly." She picked up her fork and resumed eating. "But it did prompt me to go stay with him to help him out, and we talked a lot. About everything. He told me about his entire life, and I felt like I was reliving it with him. One night, about a month after the diagnosis, I asked him if he had anything on his bucket list. He was getting weak, and we both knew he didn't have long.
"He said he wanted to get high on some seriously good pot one more time and make love to a beautiful woman. I knew where to score pot and I know I'm not a dog, so two nights later, I dragged a mattress from the guest room, put it in the back of his truck and we got high, made love and watched the night fade into dawn."
Wiley felt the upwelling of grief from clear across the table and noticed how her hand holding the fork trembled. She put it on her plate and swiped at her eyes. "As the sun started to crest the horizon he took my hand and kissed it, said I'd made his final dream come true and told me it was time for him to go.
"I kissed him and hugged up tight to him, told him I loved him and would never forget him, and then I lay there and watched him breathe for the last time."
She smiled and swiped at her eyes again with a paper napkin. "Sorry, I still have a tough time talking about that."
"You loved him."
"Very much."
"And you named your daughter after him?"
"Yes."
"Did you ever feel that it was a mistake?"
"No, why would I? He was a wonderful man, and he gave me the most amazing gift in the world. Kaylee. She's part of him too, so in a small way, I got to keep part of him."
"And what about her?"
"What about her?"
"Does she know about her father?"
"Oh yes. Elisi and I have told her all about him and how he would have loved to have lived long enough to meet her. And she has his name. Kaylee Little Fox Branch."
Wiley thought about her story as he ate. Molly was a remarkable woman, and unlike anyone, he'd ever known. "I'm sorry if I turned lunch into a downer," she apologized and then jumped up. "Damn, I forgot to put the clothes into the dryer. Be right back."
He watched her dash from the room, then got up and followed. She was pulling clothes from the washer and putting them in the dryer. "Need help?"
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "No, I've got it, but it'll be half an hour before these are dry."
He shrugged. "I imagine we can find a way to fill half an hour."
Molly closed the dryer, started it and then turned and leaned back against it. "You're a bad man, Wiley Johns."
"You wound me. I was thinking about that perfectly fine sofa you have and that nice ceiling fan. We worked hard, have full bellies and have to wait for our clothes, so maybe a nap would be nice." He leaned in and put his hands on the dryer on either side of her. "What do you say to a nice little snuggle."
"Are you kidding? I love to snuggle." Her response was as enthusiastic as a child's. She pushed him back, took his hand and pulled him down the hall, but not to the family room. To her bedroom.
Molly pulled back the bedcovers, sending pillows flying. She plopped down on her side and patted the mattress. "Come on."
Wiley lay down, and in nothing flat she was snuggled up to his side, her head on his chest, one leg slung over his groin and one arm circling his torso. "Oh oh, Yum, we fit so well."
"You don't seem particularly sleepy."
"Oh, I don't want to sleep."
"Then what?"
"Talk to me. Tell me about your life and what led you here."
"There's not much to tell."
"There's everything," she whispered. "Tell me about the woman who broke your heart, Wiley. The one who got away."
"What makes you think there is one?"
"I know things."
"Do you now?"
"Yes. Can't you sense it?"
It wasn't until that moment it dawned on him. She had said her Grandmother was all that when asked if she believed in extrasensory abilities. He'd not paid close enough attention, or maybe his desire for her clouded his mind, but now it was clear. It wasn't just her Grandmother who was all that.
It was Molly.
Chapter Four
"It's Only Kinky the First Time"
"I know you must be bummed that your daughter's arrival was delayed," Trina commented as she poured chips into a big bowl.
"I was, but then I talked with Kaylee for a couple of hours last night, and she really wanted to stay until the school year was over before she left. She didn't want to miss out on Kindergarten graduation."
"Oh no, you'll miss her graduation?"
"No way. Elisi is going to FaceTime it for me, so I'll be there – sort of. Still, it sucks."
"What sucks?" Mica asked as she walked in through the door that led to the side porch.
"Molly's going to miss being at Kaylee's Kindergarten graduation."
"Crud. Could you go back just for that?"
The little cloud that had been hanging over Molly's head lifted. "Maybe. Just maybe. If I put in a few more hours every day for the next three weeks, I could make enough to afford to take a couple of days off and pay for the trip. You're brilliant, Mica. Thank you!"
"Wiley's right about you."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he said you have a naturally sunny disposition and always seem to be sincerely grateful and happy for the small things that so many of us take for granted or discount."
"Wow, I don't know what to say."
"Nothing. But, you could answer a question."
"Okay. Come on, let's take the rest of the food to the backyard, and we'll talk as we walk."
"Okay, I've got the tray of sandwic
hes and potato salad, Trina's got the chips and veggie tray, and you've got the tea. Everything else is already out there."
"Then let's do it."
They all went outside to the backyard where Molly had set up chairs and a couple of tables she'd borrowed from Netta. The paved area she and Wiley had created under the oak was the perfect place for everyone to gather and be comfortable.
"Okay, so what's your question?" Molly asked as she put the big jug of tea on one of the tables beside the cups.
"We've all been wondering. Just what kind of work do you do?"
"Oh, I'm a product tester."
"A what?" Cody asked.
"A product tester. Manufacturers send me products, and I use or test them and write reviews and recommendations. And I fill out questionnaires for them about the performance of the products, what I liked and didn't like. That sort of thing."
"I didn't know people made a living doing that kind of thing." Annie Morgan commented. "How did you get into that?"
"Kind of by accident. Come on, everyone grab a plate."
"So, tell me more," Annie said.
"Fodder for a book?" Cody asked.
"Maybe." Annie looked at Molly. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"
"Of course not."
"Okay, so tell me more. How did you get started?"
Molly busied herself filling up two plates as she talked. "Well, it was right after Kaylee was born. Someone gave me a gift certificate, and I ordered one of those baby swings. You know, the kind that has the little bassinet bed as well as a seat? Anyway, I ordered it, and when it came, I unpackaged it and was a little dismayed at how much assembly was required. Hold on."
She grabbed napkins and plastic cutlery and carried it with the two plates over to Netta and Nellie Mae. "Here you go, ladies. Can I freshen your tea?"
"Oh no, this is just perfect, hon," Netta replied.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay, Mrs. Nellie Mae?"
"Just peachy, sweetheart. Thank you."
"You just yell if you want anything."
"We will, sugar."
"All righty then." Molly returned to the table, fixed her own plate and found a seat beside Mica.
"This potato salad is fantastic," Hannah Weathers commented. "And I may steal the rest of the fruit salad it's so good.
"Thank Mrs. Netta and Mrs. Nellie Mae," Molly said. "They were sweet enough to come over last night and help me get everything cooked up. We made Wiley peel potatoes."
Netta and Nellie Mae giggled, and Molly grinned as Hannah addressed Netta and Nellie Mae. "Well, my hat's off to you ladies."
"And we'd kill for the recipes," Cody added. "For the Honky Tonk. Heck if you'd let us have them, we'd even change the menus. Netta's Famous Potato Salad and Nellie Mae's Award-Winning Fruit Salad."
"Oh you," Nellie Mae waved her hand at Cody and smiled from ear-to-ear. "I've never won an award."
"You have now," Cody said and looked around. "What do you say, judges. Top of its class?"
A chorus of affirmatives had Nellie Mae beaming. "So, what's this about Wiley peeling potatoes?" Trina asked.
"He's pretty good at it," Molly replied and addressed her next question to Netta and Nellie Mae. "And he's fun to look at, isn't he?"
Everyone laughed, and Savannah even teased the older women. "Oh, you naughty girls. Were you taking advantage of that man?"
"Don't I wish," Netta said and earned a lot of laughs.
"You're wicked, Mrs. Netta. Wicked." Hannah joked.
"Not near as much as Nellie. Why she was purely staring at his butt when he was washing those spuds."
The teasing and laughed continued and Molly looked around with a smile. What a wonderful moment. It was even better when Nellie Mae responded with "well, it's not every day you see an ass like that."
"Amen, sistah," Molly agreed.
"Ooh, you have a little thing for Wiley?" Charli Judd ribbed her a bit.
"Nope." Molly dead-panned her response. "I have a ginormous thing for him. I mean, damn girl, he has that – that—"
"That baby you know I'll take you there thing," Mica said.
"Yes, dear lord, yes." Molly agreed.
"Yep, it runs in the family. It was the first thing I noticed about Deacon."
"And did he?" Molly asked.
"Girl." Mica gave her the look, and everyone laughed.
"Oh, hell. And here I was being so good."
"Oh yes, running around half naked in your back-yard screeching like wild Indians, having water hose fights and getting all friendly with the man is definitely being good," Netta said.
Everyone looked at Molly, and she shrugged. "A girl needs a little fun, right?"
"Amen to that," Savannah agreed. "Every now and then I just wanna see Mason dance with his shirt off."
"Oh lord, that man does have moves," Annie agreed.
"Yes, he does," Savannah lifted her cup and tapped it to Annie's.
"And you're married to a movie star," Molly remarked. "I nearly fell over in a faint when I met him. I mean, damn, girl. Damn."
Annie laughed. "Yes, I agree."
Molly suddenly had an epiphany. "You know, I just realized. You all have men that are next level hot. But I guess that's cuz Y'all are all next level hot, too."
Everyone laughed, and Mica turned the conversation back to Molly. "So, you and Wiley?"
"Don't get the wrong idea." Molly sobered a bit. "We've seen each other, and he helped me do all this work in the backyard, and I honestly do have a thing for him, but we're not having some torrid affair or something. Hell, he doesn't even know where he'll be next month, and I have a child to consider. As much as I'd like to climb that mountain, I have to think about how introducing a man into my life will affect Kaylee."
"I think that's smart," Hannah remarked. "I know our little girl is only eight months old, but I consider her in every decision I make."
"Amen," Savannah added.
"Thanks," Molly brightened up and smiled. "And besides, flirting and getting to know someone is so much fun, don't you think? Particularly a man who has the balls to wear some of those shirts."
That got everyone talking about Wiley's t-shirts. Molly noticed Trina giving her a look, and they shared a little smile. Trina knew that Molly was more than casually interested in Wiley. Molly had been honest about that, and Trina didn't mind.
"Oh shoot!" Nellie Mae squeaked just as it started to rain.
Everyone jumped up, grabbed things off the table and hurried inside. "Just pile it in the kitchen," Molly instructed.
"What is all this stuff in the dining room?" Cody asked.
"Nosey much?" Hannah asked.
"Products," Molly answered.
"Products?"
"Yes, you were going to tell me about your product testing job," Annie reminded her.
"Oh, okay. Come on, let's get comfortable."
Everyone found places to sit in the family room, Molly pulled in extra chairs from the dining room, so everyone had a seat, but she chose to sit on the floor by the hearth, next to Cody.
"All right, spill," Annie said.
"Okay, so I bought a swing for Kaylee and the directions for assembly were crap. I mean real crap. I got it put together, but it took much longer than it should, and I had to take the mechanism that made it swing, apart twice. When I was finished, I emailed the place I bought it as well as the manufacturer and gave them what should have been the directions for assembly and suggested that they rewrite what they had.
"Two weeks later, I received an email from a company asking if I'd consider doing the same thing with other products along with testing them and writing reviews. They offered to pay, so I said yes. After that, I was recommended for more work, and my client list started to grow along with my salary, and within a year I was making enough to support myself, Kaylee and Elisi without having to leave home."
"What kind of products do you test?" Hannah asked.
"A little bit of ev
erything. Household appliances, lawn equipment, computers and printers, phones, tablets, bikes, scooters, motorbikes, sex toys, paint, cleaning supplies—"
"Whoa, back up the truck, Gus," Cody interrupted. "Sex toys?"
"Yep."
"As in—"
"Sex toys. You know, vibrators, dildoes, clamps, gags, lube—"
"You do not," Netta said.
"Yes, I do."
"Why on earth would a person do that?"
"Well, let's see." Molly didn't take offense, but she also didn't make excuses. "One, they pay and pay very well and two—" She paused and grinned. "I am single, and a girl has needs, ya know."
There was a lot of laughter at that, and even Netta chuckled although she hid behind her hand. "They actually pay you for that?" Savannah asked.
"Yes, they're one of my higher paying clients, but they have quite a questionnaire to fill out about how you used the device and what results you gained. As strange as it seems, it takes longer to test the toys than it does a washing machine and it pays more."
"Now that's fodder for a book," Annie said and then asked. "Do you get to keep the products you test?"
"Yes."
"So, what do you do with all the sex toys?"
"Keep the ones I like and toss the rest. Contrary to popular opinion you can have too many toys."
"Well, I guess that explains this." Netta pulled a T-shirt from between the couch cushions.
Everyone howled when she held it up.
It's Only Kinky the First Time
"That's Wiley's. He and I were – never mind," Molly gave up on an explanation.
"Fitting, considering your career," Nellie Mae commented and earned a good laugh.
"Hey, I didn't buy it, he did."
"So, if I can ask," Charli spoke up. "What are your favorites and what did you hate?"
Molly looked around. "Okay, Y'all don't start calling me names but I pretty much like it all – except nipple clamps. That just hurts and not in a "come on and spank me big boy" kind of way, if you get my drift."
"Oh, I do. I am not a fan. At all. That's one thing I won't do."
Molly was awarded another epiphany. A vibe she'd gotten from Charli and Grady was dead on target. They were a sub-dom couple.
"Amen, sistah," she agreed.