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He stepped toward her, and she couldn’t help but take a step back. She saw the sadness in his eyes and instant
ly regretted it, but he’d already moved toward their kids. He bent down, kissing first Sasha on the cheek, then Luke, ruffling their hair before he left the shop.
“I thought you were going to say no,” June said.
Molly glanced toward the doorway of the bakery to see her friend there. Icing covered her cheeks and fingers.
“I was.”
“Why?”
“I just … I … I don’t want to have a broken heart again, and Dale’s stomped on it more times than I can count. I don’t want to be another woman that caves to him.”
“He loves you,” June said.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s guilt. I sometimes think he feels guilty for what happened.” She rubbed at her temple. “Are you sure you’re okay to watch the kids Friday? I can cancel.”
“No. You’re not canceling. You’re going to have some fun. Trey and I need the practice. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” June gripped her shoulders and then kissed her cheek. “You’ll have fun, you’ll see.”
****
“You nervous?” Max asked, eating another handful of potato chips.
Dale glared at his friend before looking at his reflection. He wore a pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, and boots. Winters Fall was not known for its fancy restaurants, but he loved The Sexy Cowgirl. They served great food and beer, and played some awesome music. What he needed was to take Molly away from being the mom, away from being the girl he’d knocked up, and show her he was still that guy she’d liked in high school.
He didn’t even know if she liked him anymore, let alone cared. Sure, they had great chemistry that never fizzled out. She was the one girl that had gotten away from him, and he didn’t like it.
Over the years he’d tried not to care, which had been easier to do when he didn’t see her every single day. The moment he saw her, she always had the power to awaken feelings inside him he’d tried to forget.
It never worked.
“This is the first chance she’s given me in a long time, Max. She’s the mother of my children, and at every single turn has turned down my marriage proposals. I even tried to order her to marry me, and that lasted a couple of days before she said no. What do you think?”
“You could have just said yes instead.” Max shoved in another handful of potato chips, crunching on them.
The noise grated on his nerves. He had to remind himself that this wasn’t Max’s fault. This was his own fault.
“Thank you,” Dale said.
“What?”
“I wanted to thank you for taking care of Molly when I wasn’t there, and for being yourself with her.”
“You’re welcome.” Max scratched the back of his head. “Just show her how you feel without being cocky about it.”
Dale sighed.
He loved her.
There was no doubt about that.
He’d screwed up at every single point with her. He wasn’t going to do that again. He was older now, wiser, and knew where he’d gone wrong.
“Don’t ask her to marry you tonight,” Max said. “Just be yourself as if you’ve both not seen each other from high school, and don’t have that very messy history that seems to always come between you two.”
“I’m not embarrassed to tell the world I fathered those kids. She didn’t want anyone to know.”
“I get that. I even understand why she didn’t want the world to know, so everyone wasn’t gossiping behind your back. Seeing as you told Chloe, the biggest blabber in the town, everyone will know by the time you walk into that bar tonight.”
He’d told Max about what went down at the bakery. Even retelling the shit Chloe said had made him so angry he’d punched the fucking wall he’d been working on. Max had simply shrugged as if it wasn’t news to him, which again only annoyed him. He should have known what was going on back in high school. Chloe had always been a nasty bitch, and much to his shame, he’d not cared because out of the entire cheer squad, she’d been the easiest.
Yes, he’d been a huge bastard, but that had all changed.
“Make her forget, and if people stare, act like it’s not a big deal. You want to win her over, you’ve got to step up into the big man shoes now,” Max said, finishing off his potato chips.
Dale left his apartment, which he’d begun renting after he left Max’s, as his friend started to grate on his nerves.
His friend was constantly screwing two and three women at a time, and didn’t seem to have a care in the world.
That life for him was over, and it hadn’t been a good one to start off with. The more he thought about Molly and his kids, the more he wanted a family.
Climbing into his car, he drove toward Molly’s house. It would be a lot easier if she let him move in, and they could pay the bills, and live life together, but she wouldn’t let him. He also knew it was partly his fault.
Through the years, when they were alone and she didn’t give him what he wanted, and he wasn’t talking sex either, he’d say some nasty shit and leave.
Each time, he regretted it and would come crawling back.
He was done being the asshole and lashing out for no good reason.
Arriving outside her door, he took several deep breaths, feeling this could be the change that he’d been hoping for.
He always carried the engagement ring he intended to give to her, and it was stored safely in his wallet, but that wasn’t coming out tonight.
Walking toward her door, he pressed the bell, waiting.
Seconds passed, and she opened the door. There was no Sasha or Luke playing around her feet as she did. Just Molly.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey. I didn’t think you’d turn up there for a moment.”
“Can I admit I did a really girly thing?” he asked.
She smiled and nodded. “Go ahead.”
“I was nervous, so I invited Max to my place to check to make sure I looked decent.” He stood with his arms outstretched, and gave a twirl.
She chuckled, and he fell. Damn, he’d missed that sound coming from her so much. “You look very handsome.”
He held his hand out. “Can I see my lady?”
She rolled her eyes, but opened the door the entire way, revealing her figure-hugging dress. Since having Luke she’d filled out, making her tits larger, her hips, thighs, and stomach rounder. His cock began to swell, and a wave of arousal pulsed through him, which he pushed aside.
Tonight wasn’t about sex, and he was determined to make it a night to remember.
Molly held his hand, and gave him a little twirl of her own. She looked sexy as fuck in the dress, which had some sparkles across the hips that only seemed to enhance her curves. Maybe going out was a big mistake, because he didn’t want anyone else seeing how sexy his woman was.
She was all his, and had been for some time.
“You look so beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
He waited as she locked her door, and when she placed her arm through his as they walked toward his car, everything felt right.
This was his woman.
When he picked her up on their first date in high school, he’d known she was special. She was the first girl he’d even tried to impress, and been the only girl since then that he thought about the most.
When he opened the door for her, she thanked him, and climbed inside.
Get a grip, Dale. Focus. This is your chance.
He got into the car, and his hands were shaking, his nerves trying to get the better of him, but he didn’t stop.
Starting up the car, he pulled away from the curb and began the short journey toward the bar.
“I wanted to talk to you before we got to the bar tonight,” he said.
“Okay.”
“Can we … I want to … forget about the past between us. I don’t mean our kids, because I don’t want to forget about them. I mean everything in between. The shitty things I’ve said and didn’t mean.” He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I know I don’t d
eserve another chance, and you’re probably scared right now that I’m going to break your heart, but I promise you, I won’t.”
“I don’t want to keep remembering the past, Dale. It …it’s not the best memory, so I’m happy for us to go on and think just of the future.” She gave his hand a squeeze, and in that simple action, he actually believed that they could move forward.
Arriving at the bar, he saw it was already busy. He parked so that if more people arrived, he’d still be able to get out. When he was younger, he’d been a fool and had to walk home because people who’d brought their cars had drunk, and left their vehicles to pick up the next day. He’d not been able to get out from his spot, and since then, he always made sure he could leave at any time.
He didn’t mind the walk, but if he didn’t have to take it, he wouldn’t.
Parking up, he quickly left the car, and rounded toward Molly’s side, opening the door. He held his hand out, and she took it without any hesitation.
“I’ve never been here,” she said.
When he took her out in high school, they went to the diner. They’d been way too young to even try getting in the bar.
“Well, you’re in for some surprises, and a lot of fun.” He saw a bunch of men waiting outside having a smoke, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He wanted everyone to know before he even entered the bar that she belonged to him, and there was no way they were taking her away from him. He’d never been this possessive over a woman before. Molly was different. From the moment she agreed to go out with him, she’d belonged to him. Now he just needed her to see it herself.
Chapter Three
The music was so loud. Molly saw they were attracting attention, and she tried not to let it bother her. Blanking them out, she focused on the heavy beat of the music and the excitement in the air, which all made her think of sex.
What didn’t help the way her thoughts were going was Dale’s hand on her hip. Did he even realize he caressed her as he held her?
