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She snuggled into him, and Nathan sank back into the pillows. He wasn’t exactly sure what just happened, but he did know that her words stung. He was expecting a hell of a lot more, and for Nathan Jacobs, that was something of a first.
He held her as she fell asleep, and watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest. He inhaled her scent like an animal committing it to memory. He would miss her more than he could admit to himself, and it was all he thought about as he gazed out the window to the darkness that lurked there.
He was still watching it when the first bits of gold streaked across the horizon.
Chapter Twenty-One
Molly woke up slowly. She stretched like a cat who’d just been scratched, slow and lazy like, enjoying the sensual lethargy the morning brought. She snuggled deeper into the blankets and yawned. It was quiet and dark, and for a moment, she had no idea where she was. She smelled Nathan--his scent was all over her--and she smiled and rolled over. But the bed was empty, even though she could still see the imprint of his head on the pillow.
This isn’t my bed.
Molly sat up and pushed the tangled mess that was her hair out of her face. As she gazed around the cabin and memories poured into her brain, she thought of the night before, of Nathan inside her, of their connection, and the dimple that appeared on his right cheek when he smiled. She remembered how he laughed when she told him about Aunt Sally’s python, and the way he liked to twirl her hair while listening to her.
Then she thought about the things she didn’t say, the things he didn’t acknowledge, and she realized she’d never felt as empty and used up as she did this morning. It was as if all the joy and light in the world had been sucked out of the universe, and she had no idea how to get it back.
Slowly, Molly slid from the bed and reached for the dress that lay in an uncaring, crumpled mess on the floor. She put it on and avoided herself in the mirror, because holy hell, it felt like she’d been put through the wringer. There was a note on the desk, along with Nate’s jacket. She closed her eyes and inhaled him, savoring the moment until she knew she needed to let go or lose it completely. She shrugged on the jacket, glad it covered the state of her dress, and grabbed the note.
Moll,
I was up early and didn’t want to wake you. Last night was incredible, and now that it’s time for me to leave, I don’t quite know what to say. These past few weeks were a total surprise, but a good one, and I hope you feel the same. I’m not quite sure where we go from here, but please know no matter what the future brings, you’ll always be my oldest and best friend. That will never change. I plan to be back at Thanksgiving and hope to see you. Until then, take care of yourself and my little girl, Petal. I arranged a ride for you. Just call up the main office.
Nate
Molly stared at the letter until her eyes watered and blurred. After everything they’d shared over the last fourteen days, it seemed so damn impersonal, like a note you’d leave for a friend, not a lover. But what did she expect? Hadn’t she been the one to set the tone the night before?
She tucked the note into the pocket of Nate’s jacket before calling for her cab. It took her a few minutes to make the bed and tidy up so that it looked as if no one had spent the night. Molly took one last look around the small, intimate cabin and then walked outside. It was still early, barely eight o’clock, but there was the family brunch to get through, and though she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and ignore the world, her family would definitely not respect that boundary.
They would expect an explanation for her disappearing act, and she needed time to come up with something plausible. She didn’t bother to check her cell phone. She’d heard it blowing up in her clutch the night before, and she wasn’t in the mood to be chastised. She knew it was wrong to leave her brother’s wedding without a word to anyone, but to have that last night with Nathan, she’d do it again in a heartbeat.
She let herself into her home, tossed her heels, and padded silently up the stairs—she wasn’t up to facing Janelle just yet—but found her bedroom empty, with Janelle’s things gone. It was the only bright spot so far, because she couldn’t put into words the relief she felt at not having to see her cousin at brunch.
Molly was a bag of nerves by the time she got to The Diner. It was a small mom-and-pop shop that had been in the downtown core as long as she could remember. The owners, Frank and Delilah Coldwell, hadn’t changed a thing since Frank’s father had opened the place back in the late sixties. It had linoleum tables and black-and-white-checkerboard floors, a jukebox in the corner, and straight-up Americana food. It was the kind of food you ate with relish and then felt guilty about eating, so you immediately headed to the gym. If you were counting calories, this wasn’t the place for you.
She parked across the street and watched as her nana walked inside with Aunt Sally, followed by her mother and father. She sat back for a few moments and then realized it would just be better to get it over with. She slid from the truck and strode across the street with purpose, feeling like she was heading into an ambush.
When she pushed open the door, Jess’s face was the first she saw. Her new sister-in-law smiled widely and beckoned for her to sit across from her, while her parents nodded and waved but then got back to whatever it was they were discussing with Jess’s folks, while Nana Malone and Aunt Sally ignored her altogether. Zach and the boys said nothing about the night before, didn’t mention Nate, and they definitely didn’t ask where she’d been or come from.
It was as if she’d walked into the Twilight Zone.
At first, Molly was on pins and needles, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for that one question that led to one hundred she didn’t want to answer. But as everyone ordered food and the topic turned to Zach and Jess’s honeymoon in Bali, she began to relax. She wondered who’d effectively embargoed the subject of Nathan and Molly, because someone obviously had, but in the end, she didn’t care. She was grateful to sit and listen, pasting a smile to her face when it was appropriate and nodding yes or no when expected.
She managed to get through brunch without so much as a backhanded comment. If anything, she expected Mike to ride her a little bit. When brunch was over, Molly got up, hoping to sneak away before anyone notice, but she wasn’t so lucky. Her nana cornered her near the jukebox and insisted she give her a ride back to Molly’s parents. Her explanation was questionable. She told Molly that her father had downed an entire carton of goat’s milk, which apparently didn’t smell so good once that person perspired. According to Nana Malone, her son perspired a lot.
It sounded fishy to Molly, but she wasn’t about to make a scene. She led her nana back to her truck and, once the old woman was buckled up, headed back across the bridge to the south side of town where her parents lived.
The music was on. Molly knew she was in for it when she was asked to turn it down. Almost immediately, Nana Malone turned to her.
“I see you left early with your young man last night.”
She nodded, because it wasn’t as if she could deny it, though she turned to her grandmother with a frown. “Why didn’t anyone say anything at brunch?’
“Oh, they did plenty of talking last night and then again this morning. Good Lord, it was all anyone was talking about. Why, your mother nearly had a cow when she found out you’d been carrying on with Nathan this whole time.”
Molly groaned. “I can imagine.”
Nana chuckled. “She was miffed that you didn’t tell her, but then she got real annoyed when your father told everyone he wasn’t surprised. In fact, he’s known for a while.”
“What?” Shocked, Molly darn near drove off the road. She pulled up in front of her parents’ and put the truck in Park. “What do you mean he knew?”
