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“I made sure we used lacquer,” she corrects herself, “I mean,varnish, because Hetty at the hardware store taught me the difference now. Anyway, it should be really durable, so hopefully we won’t have to paint it again for at least a couple years. Maybe three. Which is good because the labor and paint cost…”
“I hope you’re proud of yourself,” I interrupt her. “I’mproud of you for getting this done to such a high standard.” I shake my head, still admiring the horse sled.
But Molly doesn’t reply, so I turn to face her, and her eyes are glassy.
“You okay?”
“Just…” She blows out a breath and shakes her head. When she’s back with me, the gloss is gone from her eyes. She steps closer, next to me, until her strawberry scent blooms into my space. “Yeah. I am proud. And I’m glad you like it, too.”
I stare at her face, searching for that look again, the one that briefly exposed a completely different side to Molly, a side I’ve never seen. Even in the kitchen, when she shared a little about her family story, it was wrapped in positivity. Her mask might have slipped, and it tugs at my gut that she thinks she has to be perfect for everyone.
We’re not friends. Not exactly. But if we were, I’d figure out a way to let her know she doesn’t have to be perfect for me. That sunshine went behind a cloud for a minute, and I wish I could tell her just how much I love dancing in the rain. It’s real. It’s raw. Even though I could, maybe, make her feel a little better by telling her this, as usual, I keep these kinds of thoughts to myself.
But it’s the first time in my life I feel selfish instead of safe for keeping my distance. And that feeling crunches in my chest like my heart is made of tinfoil.
She climbs up into the front row of the sleigh. “God, I hope it snows soon.”
“Forecasted for next week,” I say.
“Really? Good thing I set up the page on the site.”
She pulls her phone out from her bra strap, and it’s a fucking wet dream. I’m getting thick imagining my face buried where that cell was.
She pats the seat next to her. “Come on up. I’ll show you.”
Even though my pants are getting tight, it’s easier to deal with that than my ribcage running out of space. This woman makes my heart feel too big for my chest. I grip the side of the sleigh and hop up in one swoop, then take the place where her hand said I should. Our legs smooth up against each other. Her thigh is warm, and I bet the insides of them are just the cozy place a man needs as winter settles in.
Her arm leans into mine when she shows me her phone. She swipes up. “I used a few stock photos, too…”
She’s talking, but it might as well be in another language because my brain doesn’t register one single word. When I tip my head in her direction to look at the screen, her hair is inches from my face. Her cheeks are round and a gentle pink while she smiles at her cell screen. I close my eyes, wish for just a second that I never learned how much loving something ruins you, because I really like being around this woman.
I have a hunch we’re not so different, because now that I’ve seen that cloud pass over her light-brown eyes, I know she’s complicated, too. I’m sure if we were to let something happen, we’d make a real good mess of each other.
She clicks off her cell and spins her head to me, and she’s close enough for me to smell her lip gloss, which is more watermelon than strawberry. I’m a damn fruit connoisseur, apparently.
“What do you think?”
I didn’t pay attention to a goddamn thing.“Impressive.”
She tucks some hair behind her ear and flutters her lashes until she’s staring either at my dick or the floor of the sleigh. “Just need that snow.”
This is crazy, me sitting here sniffing this woman. Every vein in my body is sizzling with some sort of burning need to touch her again. Now that I know what it feels like, I can’t get it out of my head. I get up sharply. “Let’s go check out those harnesses.”
She slaps her thighs and rubs them. “Yes. Better get to work.”
I dart my eyes around the space, looking for the harnesses and feeling hot.
Molly jumps down. “They’re just over here.”
I take off my hat, scratch my head, and put it back on, but electricity is charging through me at the speed of light. I just can’t be close to Molly. “On second thought, Sunshine, might be better for Georgie to help. She and her brother used to do horse pulling.”
I need to get out of here. I start walking backward. “She’ll be better at helping.” I turn but throw my voice to Molly. “Have her call her brother, Grant… they’ll be better at this than I’ll be.”
They damn well won’t be better. But when the chill of the bitter air does nothing to stop my skin from bursting into flames, so hot for that woman, I know it’s better I sit this one out.
ChapterSixteen
MOLLY
