“You’re kidding me.” The thought made her smile.
“No. I just wish I could’ve been there to see it.”
“You and me both. It’s nice to know I have some friends.”
“You do,” Helena assured her. “I just wish you’d told me. You wouldn’t have had to deal with this all alone.”
“Honestly, it never occurred to me.” She could see the concern on Helena’s face. “It’s just that I got so used to not having anyone since Mark turned almost all of our friends against me, that it never crossed my mind that I could.”
“Well, you can, ’cause I’ve got your back now.” Helena waited for her to smile, then added, “So, anything else you want to tell me?”
“No.” She laughed. “You now know all my deepest, darkest secrets. You and the whole town. Jeez.” Sighing, she dropped her head into her hands. “Considering what Mark is probably saying about me, the rumor mill is going to grind me up.”
Helena waved a hand. “Honey, you know I’ve been grist in that mill plenty of times, but the fact of the matter is we protect our own. It’s one thing for us to talk about you. It’s another thing entirely for an outsider to try it.”
“But I’m still going to be the talk of the town. And not in a good way.”
“I figured that’s why you were hiding today. I’m not going to deny that you’ve shocked a lot of people, and there will be some scandalized pearl clutching, but in this case the truth really will be your best defense. It might not be easy, but it’ll pass and you’ll be fine.” She laughed. “If they’re not running me out of town on the rails, you’re in no danger at all.”
That tiny shred of hope felt like a lifeline. “You really think that’s true?”
“I know it is. And you know I’m not going to blow sunshine up your skirt about this town or the people in it. I’m fully aware of what they’re capable of. But since they actually liked you to begin with . . .”
Oddly, this was cheering her up considerably. She didn’t necessarily believe it a hundred percent, but the support was appreciated. “What would I do without you?”
“Mope. And wallow and worry, obviously.” Helena pinned her with a hard look and Molly braced herself. “How is Tate handling all of this?”
“You haven’t talked to him?” She’d assumed Helena would have gone to him first.
“No. I’ve been too worried about you. Why?”
Dangerous territory. “He’s not real happy with me. I withheld pretty important information—”
“Yes, but that’s understandable.”
Oh, if only Tate agreed. “And I embarrassed him in a pretty spectacular way in front of everyone.”
Helena waved that away, too. “Like he’s never done anything embarrassing before. Hell, I’ve embarrassed him worse than that in front of way more people. Don’t tell me he’s giving you a hard time.”
“It’s complicated.”
She seemed to understand. “I’ll talk to him.”
“No. Don’t.” Helena looked surprised, so Molly rushed to explain. “I don’t want you in the middle of this. It’s not fair to you. Be his friend. Give him a sympathetic ear like you gave me, but don’t feel like you have to take sides or mediate.”
“I’d make an excellent mediator. I know and like you both and want everyone to be happy. That’s even better than a disinterested one. If he’s mad about something, I’m the best person to figure out what’s stuck in his craw and Heimlich it out of there.”
Typical Helena. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t want you in the middle because I don’t want this thing to affect us.”
“How could it?” Helena looked genuinely offended, which warmed Molly’s heart.
“If Tate made you feel like you had to choose—”
“I’d smack him silly,” she said quickly. “Tate Harris is not the boss of me.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to go out with him in the first place,” she admitted. “I know you love me, but you’ve loved Tate longer. There’s history there. You’d be right to choose him over me, but I don’t want to lose you.”
“If you’d done something to deliberately hurt Tate, that would be different. Why didn’t you just tell him up front? He’d have kept your secret.”
She sighed and leaned back. “At first, I thought I’d have to—that I should—but then I didn’t want to. I didn’t want him to think—well, less of me because of my baggage. Plus, I was afraid he’d have a problem dating a married woman.” She snorted. “I guess I was right.”
“It’s weird, I’ll grant you that.”
“Then I was happy, and I didn’t want to mess that up.”
Helena looked at her carefully. “You care about him, then?”
Something squeezed painfully in her chest. That was the one question she’d been avoiding the whole time because it just hurt too much to think about. “I do. More than I realized.”
“Then y’all need to talk this through.” She made it sound so easy.
“I’ve tried to explain. He’s not interested in listening.”
“You’re both hurt, you’re both angry, and I know how Tate gets when he’s angry. You should hear him shout at me. He just needs a little space to calm down before he can be rational about it.” She stopped and smiled crookedly. “But I want you two to work this out. I want to go on couple dates with y’all.”
That panged Molly. Thinking about Tate was hard enough. It hurt to think she’d hurt him, and honestly, he did have a very good reason to be mad at her, but still . . .
She was also disappointed in him. Tate was a good guy, and deep down she’d hoped he’d understand. She hadn’t really realized that she was counting on that until he hadn’t. All that talk had just been talk, and his lack of follow-through let her down. It wasn’t fair for her to blame him for not reacting how she’d hoped he would, but she could be sad about it nonetheless.
She was willing to admit she’d been in the wrong and that he deserved to be mad, but her feelings were hurt. It was irrational, but she wasn’t feeling very rational right now. And while in a normal world discussing and dissecting boy problems would be the obvious thing to do with her best friend, it complicated matters quite a bit when it was the boy’s best friend as well. She certainly couldn’t tell Helena all that. She was going to have to have a long, hard think before she had any idea what to do about Tate. And that think couldn’t happen until she got the rest of her life sorted out.
Ugh.
“What time is it?”
Helena smiled, understanding perfectly. “It’s time for wine.”
Things would have to look better in the morning.
Chapter 15
“I say we gather up a couple of guys and go kick his ass for him.” Quinn stretched out on his lawn chair and threw a ball for Scoop to fetch. The dog took off like a shot across the yard and returned a second later, dropping the ratty tennis ball at Quinn’s feet and staring up at him adoringly.
“It’s tempting,” Tate replied, mainly because that would be the expected response. He stretched his legs out, repressing a groan. Tonight was poker night, and he’d come early and scored dinner. Iona’s jealousy had made his fridge a sad place recently, but maybe with this new development good food might return soon. It was the saddest search for a silver lining ever and he knew it. Sophie was an amazing cook, and he’d eaten way more tonight than he should have. He ought to be chasing that ball, not Scoop, but the thought of moving was a little too much.
“You two are supposed to be fine, upstanding citizens, role models for our youth and all that crap,” Sophie said, coming out with fresh tea glasses for everyone. She’d obviously overheard. “You two end up in jail, and I’m leaving your asses there.”
Quinn reached for her hand. “Aw, you wouldn’t bail me out?”
“And waste perfectly good money I could spend on flowers for the wedding? Nope. You do the crime, you do the time.” She threw Scoop’s ball and the dog took off again. Sophie looked at
Tate and sighed. “Are you sure Scoop’s not some kind of retriever? She’ll do this for hours.”
Scoop was almost a textbook example of a boxer. “I don’t see any in her, but you never know. I warned you she would be an active dog.”
“I didn’t believe you, but chasing after her has gotten me in the best shape of my life,” Quinn said. “Molly’s husband looked big, but I could probably take him.”
Tate felt his eye twitch at the words “Molly’s husband,” but he was wearing sunglasses, so he didn’t worry about Quinn or Sophie seeing it. “I thought the same thing.”
“I don’t know where he went, though. We’d have to find him first.”
“Went?” Tate turned to Sophie. “I thought he was staying at your place?” Sophie’s bed and breakfast was one of the nicest places on the beach.
“He was. I only gave him a room—and my owner’s suite at that—because he dropped Molly’s name. Once I heard about yesterday’s foolishness, I told him he wasn’t welcome in my establishment any longer,” she said primly. “If he’s lucky, that roach motel outside Bayou La Batre might rent him a room, but no one in Magnolia Beach will—even if they had one to spare.”
“Ms. Marge turned him away today, too, when he tried to get lunch,” Quinn added. “She told him to his face how she likes Molly and didn’t appreciate what he’d been saying about her.”
“Good for her,” Sophie said.
Tate wasn’t all that surprised. Everyone liked Molly, and Magnolia Beach stood by their own—even when they were in trouble. But he was amused. “Don’t tell the tourism board. They’ve worked so hard to cultivate a reputation as a hospitable place.”
Sophie threw Scoop’s ball again and turned to go back into the house. Then, looking over her shoulder with a small smile, she added, “Who do you think sent out the e-mail?” With that, she went back inside.
Quinn shook his head. “From what I understand, Fuller’s a pretty small town, too. You’d think he’d know how fast word can spread.”
“Well, from what Molly told me, he’s a pretty big deal in Fuller. I guess he thought his reputation would precede him or something.”
“Is she okay? Sophie said she wasn’t at the coffee shop today.”
He didn’t know, but it seemed he was supposed to. “I’m giving her some space.”
“Oh.”
There was a wealth of meaning in that word, but Tate let it pass and Quinn didn’t push. He was still processing a lot of information, and some of the looks he’d gotten today hadn’t helped his mood much. Sam’s ringtone interrupted the conversation, and he debated answering it. He’d been avoiding Helena’s calls and texts entirely—and those messages were getting downright testy now. Sophie’s food hadn’t been the only draw to coming early tonight. He didn’t know what he’d do if Helena showed up on his porch, because he wasn’t ready to talk to her about this yet. Escaping to Quinn’s might seem cowardly, but it would keep him from saying something to Helena he’d regret later.
Sam, though, presented a different quandary. She might be calling about Molly—a conversation he didn’t want to have—or their mother—something he didn’t have the patience for tonight. But it could be about something else important. Bracing himself, he took a chance and answered.
As usual, Sam skipped over the preliminaries. “Do I need to quit my job?”
Molly, then, would be the topic. “What?”
“Well, am I going to get fired?” she demanded.
He kept his voice calm and toneless. “I don’t know. What did you do?”
“I didn’t do jack. I’m wondering what you did, though.”
“Excuse me?”
“I know you. And I know Molly. Considering what happened yesterday and the fact Molly wasn’t at work today, I can only assume you’ve done something stupid.”
It seemed his sister was conveniently forgetting he was the injured party in this situation. “I have no idea how you’ve managed to jump to that amazing and erroneous conclusion.”
“Like I said, I know you.”
There was a challenge there, but he wasn’t going to respond to it. Sam wanted information, and he didn’t have any to provide, even if he felt so inclined. “Well, I sincerely doubt that Molly would take her anger at me out on you.”
“So she is angry at you.”
Damn, walked right into that. “You don’t need to worry about it. This is between me and Molly.”
“I like Molly. And I like you. I’m also pretty sure you really like each other. And y’all are awesome together.” Her tone softened. “Fix it, okay?”
If only it were that easy. “Well . . .”
“Look, my divorce was relatively simple, but it’s not an easy thing to go through. You have no idea what it’s like. Even if you want the divorce and know it’s the right thing, you still feel like a failure and a fool. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to want out and not be able to get out. And to have it drag on so long? That’s a beating no one’s ego should have to take.”
“Sam—”
She raised her voice and refused to let him interrupt. “Lord, just the thought of how much money she must have spent on this makes me want to cry for her. That’s just insult on top of injury.”
“Then Molly needs a better attorney. The rest of it really isn’t your business, Sam.”
“Molly’s my friend, too. I get to be concerned about her. And you’re my brother, so I can’t help but make it my business.”
“I’m not going to discuss my love life with you.”
“Fine.” She exhaled sharply, but her tone softened. “Look, try to be understanding. You wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.”
“I’ll talk to you later, Sam.”
He heard her sigh again, but he wasn’t going to argue with her. Hanging up before he lost his temper and said something he’d later regret was the best idea. Yes, he knew he might be being a jerk, but it was hard to be rational right now. It was weird that Molly was married, but he was convinced it wouldn’t have been as bad if she’d just told him. That was the part he just couldn’t be rational about.
While his mood hadn’t been what anyone would call “good” at all today, he’d now lost any interest in playing poker tonight. Not that the poker table was a particularly prime place for anyone to grill him about Molly, but he didn’t really want to sit around with a group of people who wouldn’t ask him anything but would most likely be wondering about it all the same.
He wasn’t in the mood to deal with that tonight at all. Sliding the phone back in his pocket, he walked back over to Quinn. “I’m going to have to bail on tonight, sorry.”
Quinn’s eyebrows went up. “So we’re going to go kick his ass after all? Do you need backup?”
He laughed. It was said as a joke, but Tate knew the offer was sincere if he said the word. “I’m not going after Molly’s ex. Sam just reminded me of some stuff I need to take care of. Tell Sophie I said thanks for dinner.”
“Will do. And good luck.”
“Thanks.” He shouldn’t need it, not for this at least, he thought, pulling out his phone again and looking for the number. But he appreciated it nonetheless.
He needed all the luck he could get these days.
• • •
Molly had dreaded today, fortifying herself with positive mantras while dragging her feet across town to open Latte Dah, hoping for the best but steeling herself for the worst.
The first surprise came with the morning pastry delivery from Miller’s Bakery. Joe Miller normally did his mother’s deliveries, so Molly was taken aback to see Joyce Miller herself arriving with the boxes ten minutes before she even opened the doors.
It was easy to underestimate Mrs. Miller. She was a sweet-looking, unprepossessing woman in her mid-sixties, the soft grandmotherly type, smelling of fresh bread and cinnamon and all the fabulous things she cooked in her bakery.
But underestimating her was a stupid move people only made once. Not only could Mrs. Mil
ler rip someone down a size without even raising her voice, the woman had serious clout in this town. The Millers might not be as obviously influential as say, the Tanners, but Molly had the distinct feeling, if not the solid proof, that the Millers—and Joyce Miller, specifically—pulled a hell of a lot of strings in Magnolia Beach, and her “opinions” might as well be carved into Moses’s stone tablets.
Her mouth went dry. She liked Mrs. Miller, but she was not ashamed to admit she was also slightly intimidated by her, and Molly was afraid of what this impromptu visit might bode. Plastering a smile on her face, she unlocked the door. “Good morning, Mrs. Miller. This is a lovely surprise. Joe’s not sick, is he?”
“He’s fine. I just had a craving for a good cup of coffee this morning and thought I’d kill two birds with one trip.”
“Of course. I’ve got a fresh urn of dark roast ready—it’s organic and fair trade—but I can easily start something else, or maybe I could make you a cappuccino? Or perhaps a cup of tea?” Stop babbling.
“The coffee is fine.” She settled onto a stool at the counter as Molly got a cup. “How are you doing?”
She was not even going to pretend she didn’t know exactly what Mrs. Miller meant by that. “I’m okay.”
“You certainly gave us all a surprise.”
“Trust me when I say that was not my intention.” She placed the coffee in front of Mrs. Miller and busied herself getting milk and sugar.
“But goodness, Molly, that man . . . He’s quite obnoxious.”
She bit back a smile. “Well, now y’all know why I’ve been trying to divorce him.”
“The bigger question is, why did you marry him?”
There was no judgment in Mrs. Miller’s voice, and relief swept over Molly. “I was young and stupid?”
Mrs. Miller actually smiled at that. “We were all young and stupid once. Do you think you’ll be getting that divorce soon?”
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