Blondie is now staring at the dirt and twisting the corner of her mouth. “Thanks,” she mutters before turning and trailing reluctantly behind her.
Did Darcie just bail me out? She knows I married Molly over the weekend after the whole surprise reception, but she doesn’t know the whole story behind it. She just clearly didn’t like whatever this new woman was playing at any more than I did.
I’m antisocial, not stupid. I know the difference between acting interested and digging like a dog with a bone. And after Riley had the nerve to show up at the reception, I can’t help but speculate that Blondie’s behavior is because he’s sniffing around in the shadows somewhere.
Grabbing the to-go box off the passenger seat, I slam my truck door and let myself into the veterinary clinic.
Behind the desk sits a stout woman with her black hair up in a bun wearing bright neon scrubs with loud flowers all over them. “Hi!” She smiles and immediately looks to the floor near my boots. Her smile remains in place but her wide eyes cloud over with a look of confusion. “Can I help you?” She must be wondering where my pet is.
“Uh yeah, I’m just here to talk to Molly real quick.”
She tilts her head along with her curious smirk. “Who should I say is here?”
“I’m…” Do I say husband? It feels so awkward and strange. I’ve been married for hardly five minutes, and it didn’t exactly happen the old-fashioned way. And what if Molly’s coworkers don’t know?
“I’m Wolf,” I end up telling her without even a trace of smoothness—seems my acting skills haven’t improved since the reception.
The receptionist gives a slow nod then swivels her chair to the side before rising to head down the hall. When she returns, her smile is still curious but a bit brighter. “She’s just finishing up some stitches. She’ll be right out.”
Nodding my thanks, I pace restlessly for several moments until Molly appears from one of the corridors, wiping her hands off with a paper towel.
“Hey.” Her eyebrows lift in surprise, and several strands of her light chocolate hair have fallen loose from her messy bun. One hangs long enough to tickle her neck, which gives me the most unexpected urge to walk up to her and place a kiss on the smooth span of skin there, like a husband would do to a wife.
“Hey,” I say back instead as her hazel eyes bounce between my face and the box in my hand.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“So you didn’t call the diner for a cinnamon roll,” I say as an affirming statement rather than a question.
“Uh-uh.” She shakes her head, her mouth lifting in what looks like amusement. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?”
Darcie truly was helping me out back there… I’m going to have to give her one hell of a tip on Monday.
I let out a cleansing sigh then say, “Kind of a lot is going on, actually. Can you come outside and talk for a minute?”
“Yeah.” She chucks the rolled-up paper towel in the trash can by the door and follows me outside. Once we’re in the brisk morning air, she starts probing for a little info. “You seem flustered. Did someone try to talk to you today?”
As I swing the passenger side door of the truck open, I falter in my movements, and a chuckle erupts out of me. I legitimately feel the corners of my mouth curl upward and my chest shakes with an enjoyable rumble. It’s so unexpected, it makes me cough a little, and I thump my chest as I collect myself and gesture toward the seat. “Have a seat, smart ass.”
Molly makes a graceful little leap and tucks a leg beneath herself. She looks cute, like she belongs in the shotgun seat of my truck.
I give a quick glance around as I step in close, using the open door as a privacy curtain of sorts, and tell her what happened.
Molly shakes her head down at the gravel. “I should’ve known he wouldn’t give up that easy. Fuck!”
“Yeah,” I agree quietly and hold up the to-go box. “I think this was Darcie’s way of helping me out.” I reach into the truck to set the roll on the dash?—
“Give me that.”
I hand it off to her before I lose an appendage. “Fine.”
“So wait a minute… Does Darcie know?” Molly’s hands hover over the gooey pastry like she’s trying to think of how best to pick it up.
“I’m pretty sure she believes this is real and didn’t like seeing someone hitting on me.”
I think I hear Molly grumblegoodunder her breath, her mouth full of cinnamon sugar. I let it go.
“Anyway, seems like we need to up our game and find us some rings too.”
