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“They can. I don’t like to serve it rare though. I like to make sure it’s thoroughly cooked.”
“I will take that on board.” He tapped his head. “I had no idea you could cook.”
She laughed. “I couldn’t in the beginning. I was on ramen noodles and takeout food. It wasn’t exactly healthy for me or the baby, so I’m learning to cook every single day. June’s doing everything she can to teach me how to bake, but it’s not something I’m a natural with. I’ll get there.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but I think you’re a wonderful mother.”
He saw the tears in her eyes, and cursed. He didn’t mean to make her cry.
“You know, that is the nicest thing that anyone’s ever said to me. Thank you, Dale.”
June entered the kitchen and paused. “I ruined a moment, didn’t I?”
“No, no moment ruined,” Molly said. “I’ll see you later.”
“Max has your order,” June said.
He nodded and left, following his friends across the road toward the tattoo parlor that Trey owned.
Max was already eating when he arrived.
“I see you didn’t wait for me.”
“Your sandwich is on the counter. You were too busy flirting with your woman to see us leave.”
“She is my woman,” Dale said, taking a bite out of his sandwich and thinking about Molly.
“Can you believe this is where we’re at?” Trey said.
“What do you mean?” Max’s words were jumbled as he spoke with his mouth full.
“I’m married and about to have a kid. Dale has two kids, and is trying to get the woman he wants to marry him, and you’re tongue-tied around Aria.”
Dale raised his brow as he looked toward Max.
“You were tongue-tied?” he asked.
“I was thinking about what to buy.”
“Bullshit. You couldn’t form any words while Aria was in the room. The moment you saw her, you went all silent, and only spoke when she’d left the place. Does that tell you something?”
“It tells me that I was hungry.”
Dale laughed. For the first time ever he saw Max’s face go bright red.
“Holy shit, do you have a crush on her or something?”
“I don’t even remember her.”
“Now that is a total lie,” Trey said. “There’s no way that you go that way when you look at a woman.”
Dale saw the guilt in Max’s eyes. “What did you do?”
“What?”
“Look, I don’t remember the last time you looked guilty about something, but it is bothering you. Just let us know what it is so we can help you,” Dale said.
He took another bite of his sandwich as Max finished chewing his.
“I may have said some shitty things to her is all. Kind of like the realization I was a prick.”
“You’re only just seeing this now?” Trey said.
“Look, I was an asshole at school. I get it. I thought I ruled the school. Chicks wanted me, and I didn’t have to worry about getting my fucking head down and studying. I made a lot of mistakes, and one of those mistakes was Aria, okay? I wasn’t nice to her.”
“We’ve all made mistakes,” Dale said.
“Yeah, well, some mistakes are best not dwelled upon, okay? When I see Aria next, I’ll apologize. It was just a shock, and I saw how nervous she was. Maybe it’s hanging out with you two pussies or something. I don’t know. Either way, I don’t like this feeling.”
The doorbell rang.
Time for chatting was over. Trey took the guy to the back, while Dale made his way behind the counter, checking out the latest ink that Trey had done. Some of their clients didn’t mind having the designs photographed and placed in his book.
“I called her lard ass,” Max said, drawing his attention.
“What?”
“That’s what I called her. You and Trey weren’t there. I was pissed off about something, and she was in the way. I yelled in the cafeteria ‘lard ass,’ and everyone laughed. I don’t recall her coming to the cafeteria again.” Max ran a hand down his face. “I don’t even think I found it funny at the time.”
“What made you so angry that you would do that?”
“I don’t fucking remember. It could have been a teacher calling me useless back then. I had a short temper.”
“And you think now is any better?” Dale asked.
“I need to take a leak.”
Dale blew out a breath, watching his friend leave for the bathroom. Max with guilt was a strange sight.
Flipping through the portfolio, he caught sight of a heart with names inside, and he paused. Grabbing a pencil, he began to sketch an idea, with Molly and his babies’ names inside.
The doorbell sounded as he was finishing up. Putting the paper to one side, he looked up to see Chloe.
“Hi, I hope it’s okay to drop in like this,” she said.
“Are you here to badmouth my woman?” he asked, glaring at her.
“You heard it all wrong, to be honest. I didn’t mean those things. It was just a shock to see her, and to see that she now had two children.”
“They’re both mine.”
“How can you be so sure?” Chloe asked. “We all know a lot of guys wanted to date her in high school. What’s to say that you didn’t scare them all off so easily?”
He’d already figured out her game. Molly had been the girl that most guys wanted, but he’d put fear into every single one of them to stay away from her. She’d been sweet, kind, and sexy rolled into one package. She never gave any of the guys the time of day. That was why it had been such a big deal when she agreed to date him.
That’s because she’s yours.
“I missed you, Dale.”
She reached out to put a hand on his arm, and he pulled away from her touch. “What do you want, Chloe? I told you back in high school. You and me, it’s never going to happen. I don’t give a shit the kind of lies you spread, and you do. The only thing you spread more than lies is your legs.” She gasped, and he rolled his eyes. “Please, get over yourself. You’re clearly here to cause a problem between Molly and me.”
Her glare said it all. “You shouldn’t have ever been with her. What did she have that I didn’t?”
“Wow, still trying to fuck Dale, are we now?” Max said. He tutted. “Couldn’t handle breaking him and Molly up when they were younger, so you’re going to try to do it now?”
“Get out of my shop, Chloe. Don’t consider yourself welcome here ever again,” Trey said, who’d joined them in the doorway.
Chloe flicked her hair back, gave them both a glare, and left. He watched the door close behind her before turning toward Max. “What do you mean she broke Molly and me up?”
“Put two and two together. I heard the rumors about your hooking up with Chloe right after you dated Molly.”
“It’s not true.”
“Yeah, but Molly didn’t know that, and I bet that’s the reason she never wanted to date you again.”
Chapter Five
Molly couldn’t contain her laughter as Sasha and Luke both jumped on Dale’s back, tackling him to the ground. The lasagna was cooking in the oven, and she had a few minutes just to enjoy watching them all.
Dale suddenly reared up, and both kids jumped back laughing as they circled him.
“I’m the tickle monster. I live to tickle children!” He reached out for both of them at the same time, and they all collapsed to the floor laughing so hard. “Come on, Mommy, come join us.”
“No, no, you’re not tickling me. Mommy has to go and check on food.”
“Lasagna queen,” Luke said.
She laughed. Grabbing her oven mitts, she glanced into the oven to see it all golden and bubbly. Lifting it out, she took a knife, checking that the pasta was cooked through all the way.
“That looks delicious.”
Dale entered, licking his lips.
“I’ve got to let it cool for ten minutes. Otherwise the kids will burn themselves.” This gave her time to open up the pre-made garlic bread and place it in the oven to brown up and for the cheese to melt.
This was a dinner that had taken her a lo
ng time to get right, and she was proud of how she’d done it.
Leaning against the counter, she stared up at Dale as he moved in close, his hand going to her waist.
The moment he touched her, she lost all thought. Covering his hand with her own, she licked her lips, trying to stay focused. Their kids were in the other room.
“Chloe came to see me today.”
“I saw.”
“She wanted to cause trouble. Asking me if Sasha and Luke were even mine.”
Pain pierced her heart at the thought of anyone doubting her. She wondered if he did. “Do you want a paternity test?”
“I don’t need one to know those two angels in there are mine, Mol. She tried to make out that you were screwing everything in high school, but you and I both know I was your first. You never went with another guy after me or before me.” He stroked her cheek.
“I know I didn’t, but sometimes men need confirmation.”
“I don’t need it. I know you’re mine.” He sighed. “Max said something, and I want you to tell me the truth.”
“Okay.”
“Back then, did you think that I’d gone on a date with Chloe after being with you?”
She took a deep breath and hearing his question awakened the pain she once felt as Chloe told her in great detail what they’d done. “Yes.”
“It’s not true,” he said.
“What?”
Out of everything she expected to say, those words were not it.
“I’m not going to say that I’ve never been with Chloe, but it was long before I was with you. Half of the football team slept with Chloe. She wanted to bag us all as some kind of championship to herself, but I was never with her after that. I didn’t want to date her.”
“Wow,” she said.
“Is that why you turned me down after? I thought we had something special, and then you just completely rebuffed me, and I figured I’d read everything wrong.”
