“I love the décor, Mom,” Emma said. “Thank you for the sendoff.”
“Yes, thanks,” Luke added. “We’re so ready for Hawaii.”
“I can imagine,” their mother said. “You’ve had a lot on your plates, with all the wedding planning and juggling your jobs on top of it. You both deserve to relax.”
Emma looked at Luke. “I won’t know what to do with myself, taking more than just a few days off. Whatever will we do with ourselves?”
Luke nuzzled her neck. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
Their mother cleared her throat. Emma laughed, then turned to Chelsea. “Are you sure about watching the dogs? I could easily board them at the clinic. Rachel and Leanne would look after them.”
Chelsea waved her hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. This way, your house won’t sit empty while you’re gone. The dogs will miss you both as it is, and I get to sit in a big house instead of my condo. It’s a win for all of us.”
Emma shot a smile to Chelsea. “Thank you for doing this.”
“It’s not a problem. Just don’t expect me to vacuum up your dust bunnies.”
Luke laughed. “God forbid.”
“What about you, Molly?” Jane asked. “Are you heading back to Austin soon?”
“Tomorrow, actually.”
“We’re sure sorry to see you go,” Will said. “It’s been such a pleasure having you here.”
Molly did her best to plant a genuine smile on her face. “Thank you. It’s been fun to be in Hope again.”
“Maybe you can start visiting more often,” Chelsea said. “We have wicked fun girls’ night out. We’d love to have you join us.”
Emma nodded. “This is true. If you come home to visit, we’ll schedule one when you’re here.”
“I travel a lot, too,” Des said. “Maybe you can come up sometime when I’m in town and we can do girls’ night then.”
There was no way in hell Molly was ever coming back here. But she wasn’t going to tell her sister—or her parents—in a roomful of people. “I’ll definitely think about it. In the meantime, you all are welcome to come see me in Austin.”
“Or wherever you end up next,” Carter said, his gaze direct.
She didn’t flinch, just met his gaze with a shrug. “I don’t know. I like Austin. I might stay put for a while.”
Carter’s response was to arch a brow. That brow with the scar above it, the one she used to run her fingers over.
She shuddered, remembering oh-so-clearly those intimate moments they spent together, when he’d bring her fingertips to his lips, sucking each of them into his mouth until every part of her trembled. When he’d take her mouth in a kiss that made her dizzy. She’d learned so much about sex, about her own body, with him.
It was as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, because his green eyes went stormy dark.
“Excuse me.” She pushed back from the table and went into the kitchen, leaned her hands on the sink, and looked out the window.
They were going to have forever together. A stupid teenage dream.
Back then it had felt so real. The looks they’d exchanged just a moment ago had felt just as real, and they weren’t teenagers anymore.
Imagination. Just her imagination.
“What were you thinking about in there?”
She whipped around to find him standing just a few inches away from her.
“Nothing.” She started to push past him, but he caught her hand.
“Molly.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “Don’t.”
His thumb brushed her inner wrist, and her pulse kicked up. She didn’t want to feel anything for him. She hated him.
She hated herself more, because she still did feel. And when he pulled her closer, she couldn’t resist the draw.
“About last night. You did all the talking. There are a few things I want to say to you.”
“Hey, Moll, I thought we might—”
With Emma’s appearance, Carter took a step back, and so did Molly.
Carter took a deep breath. “I’m going to go talk to Luke.”
He turned, grasped Emma by the shoulders, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Really happy for you and Luke, Em.” Then he left the room.
Emma frowned. “What was that all about?”
Shaking off the residual heat, she gave her sister an innocent look. “What was what all about?”
Emma crossed her arms. “Come on, Moll. You and Carter.”
“There is no me and Carter. That was over a long time ago.”
“Not from where I was standing. He had your hand, and you looked like you were about to kiss.”
Molly let out a short laugh. “I can guarantee you that was not about to happen. Or ever happen. We don’t even like each other.”
“You don’t have to like each other to still feel that pull of passion.”
“That’s not it. There was nothing.”
At Emma’s look of disbelief, Molly added, “Really, Em. There’s nothing between Carter and me. We’re over.”
Emma hugged her. “I’ve always felt like there’s something to your breakup with Carter that you never told me.”
She’d never told anyone. Not Emma, not her parents. They would have swarmed her and coddled her and there would have been a giant mess of recriminations and finger-pointing, and they would have ended up hating Carter when it had been no one else’s business. She’d dealt with it alone and run like hell, licking her wounds by herself.