Molly’s heart squeezed. Knowing how much Finn would appreciate the fatherly pat on the back. She studied Meabh’s profile as she peeled potatoes at the sink, her eyes were filled with unshed tears and her shoulders curled forward.
Finn wasn’t ready to play happy families with her new family, and Meabh had said she understood, but it still must have been hard. Watching Finn be familial with another clan must have bubbled under her skin and buried itself in her chest.
Molly stepped up beside Meabh at the sink, put her arm around her shoulders, and squeezed. Teary eyes met hers, and Meabh gave a trembling, thin smile. “His father wasn’t always an asshole, you know.” She kept her voice low.
Molly nodded.
“I’m just glad Finn let me back into his life in some capacity. Today meant a lot to me.”
“He’s grown into a good man.”
Finn laughed at something Dad had said as they sipped on their beers, Will had finally taken his head out of his phone and joined them.
“You mean a lot to him.” Meabh swept her hair from her face with her forearm, still keeping her voice low.
“He means a lot to me, too.”
When she didn’t reply, Molly met her stare. She had that knowing parental look on her face, like she was privy to a secret, and Molly swallowed. Did everyone but Will know? Was she really so transparent?
Molly’s breath caught. It wouldn’t matter for much longer. She was determined to tell Will after the graduation BBQ, then everyone in the world could know for all she cared.
Chapter 25
Finnegan
Molly was being weird as hell. She was smiling, laughing, and hanging out with her friends as they arrived at her parents’ place, but something was afoot. She kept tugging on an invisible thread on the hem of her dress – at least when she wasn’t otherwise occupying her hand by chewing her nails to shit. What the hell was going on?
“Molly? Can you nip out to the garage and see if we have more Solo cups and paper plates please?”
Mom’s dreams of having an intimate BBQ lunch served on her best china were quickly stomped out when she’d learned that it wouldn’t just be the six of them for lunch. She not-so-secretly loved it though. She was never happier than when her house was full of laughter and bustling with noise.
It was also no secret that Molly had inherited her mom’s love of peopling and parties. Any excuse for a shindig and the Morrisons were there – the female half at any rate.
Molly brushed past him as she made her way to the side door of the house and out to the garage. Mr. M turned to Finn and took the root beer from his hand. “You should go help her out there, Finn. I’m pretty sure those Solo cups are too high for her to reach and we both know she’s too stubborn to ask for help.”
Finn chuckled. “You’re right, she definitely doesn’t need any more medical bills, or busted limbs. Be right back.”
Finn followed Molly’s path through the house, pulling the door closed tight behind him. He hadn’t had a chance to see her alone since before the ceremony, and he couldn’t remember if he’d told her how beautiful she looked in her pretty blue dress and sunflower yellow heels.
He also hadn’t had a chance to check underneath said dress to see if she was wearing panties.
“Molly? You in here?”
He peeked his head through the garage door. Molly stood on one leg on top of a stack of precariously balanced paint cans. She reached for a packet of red Solo cups on top of some shelves.
“You have got to be kidding me!”
“I’m fine. It’s fine. I’ve got it.”
“I don’t think that word means what you think it means. Finn rushed to her feet and wrapped his arm around her lower legs. “You’ll have a broken limb if you’re not careful. Do you really want another trip to the ER so soon after the last one?”
She laughed as he slid her down his body and plopped her onto her feet in front of him. Rolling her lips between her teeth, she hugged the plastic cups to her chest.
He cupped her chin. “What is it?”
Her eyes darted back and forth between his, like she was looking for an answer to a question she hadn’t asked. “True or false.”
His muscles stiffened.Uh oh.
