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You’ve got to try it though. See what all the fuss is about. I may just surprise you.”
“I’ve got no doubt you will.”
“Then I’m making you a pie. A pecan one, because that’s the one that Max said would win over anyone.”
“Have you ever cooked for anyone else?” she asked.
“Just Max and Trey a couple of times. Other than that, just me.”
She finished her breakfast, putting her fork down and staring at him. It was kind of surreal to her to be sitting opposite him. They’d fought so much, and now they were talking about falling for each other, and pie.
“I’ve not been with another woman in a long time, Molly.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m not thinking about that. I don’t want to constantly dwell on the past between us. I was thinking about something else.”
“Oh, yes, and what was that?”
“I was thinking about pie,” she said with a giggle.
****
The walk into town took about thirty minutes, and through it all, Dale found excuse after excuse to touch Molly in some way. They’d packed walking shoes as June’s dad had warned him he’d need them. He’d asked her to pack practically.
When she tripped over a couple of branches, he’d kept hold of her hand and refused to let it go.
There were only a couple of shops in the small town, and they made their way to the large grocery store.
“We’ve got lots of groceries,” she said.
“Yeah, but we want to get something for the kids. Let’s see if they have a section that will get us what we want.”
They walked in together, and Dale saw the reflection of them both in the mirror. It filled his heart with a great deal of joy. He loved this woman, and their history together was not the greatest.
Each hour they spent together, he believed it was an hour where he got closer to her saying yes.
That was what he wanted; to be married to her. To claim her so the entire town knew she belonged to him.
She didn’t like that the townspeople were calling him names and saying shit about him not being there for her. He didn’t mind though. Molly could blame herself for denying him marriage, but he’d also stepped away from her. He’d not been by her side, helping her every single step of the way. He’d been glad for a short time that she relieved him of any duty.
He’d washed his hands of her and left her to it, for the most part. Whenever he saw her around town, he’d often look the other way, like in high school when she started to show.
There were times when he couldn’t look away though. Her stomach was like a beacon to his gaze, and he’d felt so much need fill him up. After her rejection, though, he’d tried to hide it and pretend that seeing her pregnant with his kid didn’t affect him. It had, and even now thinking back, there had been many times he’d just wanted to place his hand on her belly, stare into her eyes, and know that she was now his.
So much stupid time lost, and it wasn’t like they were ever going to get it back. Yes, he had a great deal of regret when it came to her, but he wasn’t going to add to it either.
They stopped at the children’s section of the grocery store that also sold household items and toys.
Dale hit a complete blank. He didn’t have the first clue what to buy them, and stayed back while Molly looked at some of the toys on display.
She held up a doll and smiled at him. “What do you think?”
“That’s scary as fuck.”
“You think so?” Molly turned it around to look at it.
“That’s the kind of doll that wakes up on Halloween night and scares the shit out of you by murdering you.”
She laughed. “Wow, you’re scared of dolls. Noted.”
She moved toward a toy car for Luke.
“I think he’s a little old for that,” Dale said.
“Yes, he is.”
“Oh, what about this?” She picked up a board game. “This way they can play together and they can play in the shop as well while I’m working.”
“Why do you take them to the bakery all the time? Especially weekends?”
“Child care or a babysitter cost a lot of money. I don’t have any spare cash, and if I do, I like to save for a rainy day or for Christmas. I don’t like taking out loans, or being in debt.” She shrugged. “It’s been tough. Raising a couple of kids is not cheap.”
“No, it’s not.”
He’d seen the cost of a baby stroller, a cot, a high chair, and other things that she would have needed. This didn’t even include diapers. He knew she didn’t have to worry about the cost of formula as she’d breastfed their babies.
After buying them a couple of toys each, they made their way to the main grocery section where he picked up all the ingredients he’d need to make the most perfect pecan pie.
Once they were heading back, they each carried a sack filled with goods back to the house.
Dale walked at a slower pace as they dropped off their items, and he placed the ingredients he’d need in the fridge.
Taking her hand, he pulled her back out of the house.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going for a walk.”
He took her hand, and they found a trail that they followed. June’s dad had told him about a rather secluded spot, which was so beautiful. All he had to do was follow the path after turning right coming out of the front door.
For several minutes neither of them spoke, and Dale didn’t want that. This was their time to get to know each other, and he was determined to do it, minus the arguing.
“Do you think you’ll have more kids?” he asked.
“I don’t know. It’s not something I’ve thought about. You?”
“Can I be honest with you?” he asked, stepping in front of her and bringing her to a stop.
“You can be honest with me about anything.”
“I want more kids. I want to be able to experience everything I missed with Sasha and Luke. To hold your hair back as you’re puking in the toilet. To feed you some salted crackers or rub your feet when they feel too swollen for you to do anything.” He moved behind her, placing a hand on her stomach. “I also want to be able to touch you. To feel our child moving around.”
She leaned back against him.
“I wanted to do that, Molly.”
“What?”
“I wanted to touch you. To feel what we’d created, and to know it made you mine.”
She turned in his arms, but didn’t touch him. Her hands stayed firmly down. “I’m sorry. I thought … I … was doing the right thing.”
“I know. Because you heard me say that shit, it kept you away from me. You have no idea how much I regret it.” He cupped her cheek. “I lied. When I found out you were pregnant, I wasn’t scared. At first I was shocked, and then it was like a light bulb went off, and I realized this was my chance to have the girl that everyone wanted in high school. It was my chance to show them all that you picked me, and that I loved you more than anything.”
She shook her head. “No one wanted me in high school.”
“Why do you think Chloe hates you so much?”
Molly frowned at this. “Do you even know why she hated me in high school?”
“Because all of the guys liked you, Molly.”
“That’s not why Chloe hated me, Dale. It’s because of you she hated me.”
“What?”
“Chloe has always had a thing for you, Dale. Even when we were in high school. When you asked me out, it angered her. You were always looking at me and trying to find things to talk to me about. She saw that, and she hated me for it.”
“No, there’s no way. I mean … Chloe was easy. She had every single guy...”
She kept on staring at him. “She just wanted you.”
“I didn’t want her, Mol. I only ever wanted you.”
“I believe you, Dale. Did you know when we went out on our date she tried to get me kicked off the cheering squad?”
“S
eriously?”
“They voted against her, but obviously she got her wish when I became pregnant. It’s always been you for me, Dale. It’s why I’ve never dated or been with anyone else.” She tilted her head to the side, staring at him.
Running his thumb across her lips, he felt his dick begin to harden. It didn’t take a lot for him to want her. It was a constant state whenever he was around her.
She smiled. “Why did you think she hated me?”
“Because you were the most beautiful girl on the entire squad.”
She chuckled. “Hardly! I wasn’t the most beautiful girl there.”
“To me you were. I wasn’t interested in anyone else. In fact, if any of the guys ever showed an interest in you, I’d threaten to hurt them.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I don’t like sharing you.” He’d always been the one to watch her in high school. Whenever she entered a room, he’d notice. That hadn’t changed. Even now he watched and waited for her.
She laughed. “You’ve never had to share me, and besides, you didn’t have to ever worry for long. I got pregnant, and other than Max, everyone else avoided me like the plague.”
“Everyone wanted to know who the father was. They had no idea it was me, especially after all the shitty rumors that Chloe spread about you. I didn’t do anything about them, and that was my mistake.”
“I’m just going to avoid her from now on. I didn’t like her back then, and I certainly don’t like her now.”
“I would. She means nothing to either of us. Shall we?”
They kept on moving, and came to a stop at the edge of a large waterfall. The sight was indeed beautiful. He held Molly close to him. Staring at the beauty, he made a small wish that the next time he came back, she’d be his wife.
Chapter Eight
Molly couldn’t believe that she sat at the counter in the kitchen at the cabin, watching Dale make pastry. He was cutting in the butter and the vegetable shortening, looking so confident as he did. There had been a few revelations today, and she wasn’t entirely comfortable with all of them.
She’d known about Chloe’s infatuation all along, and it didn’t exactly make her feel good. Dale had never really shown Chloe any attention even back then. She could understand Chloe’s hatred, especially as she herself loved Dale with all of her heart. She also knew that hatred was because Dale picked her. The other woman always had an eye for Dale, but he’d never given her the time of day. When the gossip spread that he was taking Molly out, that was when the trouble started between her and Chloe. Not that she’d done anything about it. Whenever Chloe had said something mean or spiteful, she’d dealt with it. Mostly pushing the hurtful words to the back of her mind.
