Lauren pursed her lips and looked Molly up and down with disgust. “Nope. Just here to chat with Eli.”
Molly waited patiently with a smile on her face, and Eli could see the frustration mounting on Lauren’s face.
“Why are you always here? You can’t let yourboyfriendhave a conversation with another woman? Jealous much?” Lauren asked.
Molly snorted. “Nope. Not jealous. Just making sure you don’t keep crossing lines. It’s a little weird, to be honest.”
Lauren clenched her fists, and her face turned bright red. He thought Lauren might try to hit Molly, so he pulled her behind his back and stood between them just as Lauren screamed loudly and charged. “Death to the wench!”
Eli’s eyes widened, and he easily wrapped his arms around Lauren, pinning hers to her sides as she continued to scream. “Lauren, calm down.”
“Don’t you know you’re never supposed to tell a woman tocalm down?” She continued to shriek and scream. “Come here, wench. Let me suffocate you with my big bosom.”
Eli coughed and only pinned her arms tighter.
Cole and Michelle ran out of the back office to see what the commotion was.
Katie had called the police while Eli kept Lauren from breaking free. Cole stood off to the side, watching in amusement, but Eli knew he would jump in and help if needed. Fortunately, Lauren was fairly small.
It felt like several long minutes before the police showed up and escorted her out. Before they led her out the door, she looked back at Eli and shouted.
“You’re not a good one, anyway. I never wanted you.” Then she looked at Molly. “You can have him. Just know you’re getting my scraps.”
Eli’s eyebrows raised. The entire store and cafe were in complete silence as the door closed behind her. Lauren’s yellsand screams were muted significantly once she was placed in the back of the police cruiser and the door shut.
Eli tugged Molly to his side, who seemed just as stunned as he was.
It was Cole who finally broke the silence. “Did she battle cry?”
Molly nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe I’ve been dubbed the wench.”
Eli pursed his lips. “And apparently I’m her scraps.”
After a beat, they all burst into laughter. Several customers had filmed the entire exchange and had immediately uploaded the videos to social media.
Once the frenzy died down, Molly turned toward Eli with her arms around his waist. “She said, ‘Death to the wench’. Does that mean I should be worried about my safety?”
“I don’t know. She is a bit unhinged.”
“A bit?”
He chuckled. “I’ll ask Jameson to get a restraining order. I can also call my buddy at the police station to see if we need to be worried. But in the meantime, stay with me for a few days. I’ll protect you.”
He dropped it so casually he half expected her to turn him down, but God, he hoped she’d say yes. They had only shared their first kiss a few weeks prior, but since then they had spent nearly every evening together once the store closed.
They had agreed to take things slow for the sake of their working relationship. Neither of them wanted anything to go sour if they didn’t work out. But he was confident they were in it for the long haul. Spending time with her and getting to know her had only confirmed it.
She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him with a smile. “Oh really? You think I need protecting?”
“If it means you’ll come stay with me, yes.”
She giggled. “I’d be happy to.”
13
Eli sat on the couch with Molly tucked into his side as the movie played. They turned on a random romantic comedy, but he wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t want to watch it to begin with, but he wanted her to feel comfortable at his place. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous.
It had been far too long since he’d had a girlfriend. He would hook up with women occasionally, but they never led to relationships. He hadn’t met anyone worth pursuing long-term, but then Molly came along and everything changed.
