Chapter 14
14
It was after six when Molly poked her head around Gloria’s back door. “Knock, knock. Are you ready to party?”
Gloria emerged from her bedroom, wearing capris and a twinset, the cardigan draped around her shoulders like she’d just stepped out of the sixties.
She gave Molly a once-over. “Well, look at you. Dressed for action with the perfect shade of lipstick to ruin a handsome man’s collar.”
“These lips will not be going near any collars, thank you very much. That stuff just gets you into trouble.”
“Why are you never any fun? At your age, you should be out with a different beau every other night.” Gloria rummaged in her bag, her advice on Molly’s love life forgotten in her search. “Shoot. Where are my keys?”
“I haven’t seen them.” She glanced at the MG in the driveway, all polished up and with its top down. Whenever Molly was a passenger in Gloria’s car, she found herself gripping the edge of her seat. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”
“No, I do not. It’s only five minutes down the road. And anyhow, Mitch has saved me a special parking spot. It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.”
Gloria searched the drawer of the hall table, where she found her keys. She followed Molly outside. “You can drive it home if I have one too many Pimm’s tonight. And if you want to stay late, I’ll ask Frank and Andrea to drop me off. Wasn’t this morning a blast?”
Molly slid into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt, Gloria’s earlier “fun” comment preying on her mind. Was that her now? No fun? “I’m glad you thought so. I, on the other hand, found it extremely stressful.”
“Yes, I could see that.”
As Gloria reversed onto the street, Molly gripped her seat and held her breath. “Anyway, in the end, I wasn’t good enough.”
“Pfft. According to those judges, maybe. I blame that Sinclair fella myself. He’s a bit of a grump if you ask me.”
With a warm wind ruffling her messy updo, Molly remained silent as Jake’s assessment of her choux pastry mentally reared its annoying head. While his comments were valid, the perfectionist side of her nature struggled with his execution, especially when he spat his mouthful into a tissue.
Such a shame. Step back.
Gloria zipped down Seaview Road and entered the park grounds, where an attendant waved her forward and into a parking space. She cut the engine and turned to Molly. “You were plenty good enough. You do know that, don’t you? But politics played a part.”
Molly glanced her way. “What do you mean?”
“Like I said, that Jake chap, he had to eliminate you.”
“What? Why would you say that?”
Gloria patted her on the leg. “Because he’s sweet on you. Can’t you tell?”
Molly chuckled but then remembered that lazy smile he’d given her at the beach. “Don’t be ridiculous. He is not.”
“Hmm, believe me, I know a thing or two about men, and when a man looks at you the way Chef Sinclair looked at you, it means only one thing—you’d better hold on tight because Mr. Sexy Cakes is definitely interested. Of course, whether he has the balls to act on that interest remains to be seen.”
“You think he’s sexy?”
“Oh yes, in that arrogant way some men have. Oh, and another thing.” Gloria pointed a finger at Molly. “Don’t bother correcting me if I’m wrong, but I’m almost certain you have a teeny crush on him as well.”
Molly opened her mouth to protest, but Gloria stopped her with a decisive hand. And as they left the MG and headed for the Lime Tree Hill tent, Molly wondered if Jake would be at the after-party. Knowing Mitch, he would’ve invited half of Clifton Falls. However, as she followed Gloria inside, the crowd was manageable, and Jake was nowhere to be seen.
After a full-on two days, Jake had contemplated skipping the after-party. Not one to socialize much lately, he’d been on edge all weekend. He was exhausted—all peopled out—however, mingling with the sponsors was all part of the deal, so for that reason, he’d promised Todd he’d put in an appearance.
It was now early evening, and apart from a few taste-test mouthfuls, Jake hadn’t eaten since grabbing a quick sandwich for lunch. His stomach rumbled as he caught a whiff of the offerings from the grill, but instead of grabbing a plate, he headed into the belly of the crowd, where Mason and a couple of women from the competition were waiting for him at the bar.
A short time later, Alexia and her posse of pouty hangers-on joined them. Although wary of her, Jake tolerated her while maintaining his distance for the sake of family peace.
With drinks shouted and a tedious amount of small talk indulged in, he followed Todd and Kristy outside to the grill and, within minutes, had another drink in one hand and a full plate of food in the other.
At first sight, Jake almost didn’t recognize Molly. Artfully made up with kiss-me raspberry-red lipstick and wearing a fitted below-the-knee black dress with crisscross straps at the back, she looked stunning. And just like that morning, when he’d watched her stroll through the swash at the beach, her floaty floral dress damp around the hem, he struggled to curb his interest.
He recalled one of his Parisian friends saying that the best sex of his life had been with a woman he despised. At the time, Jake had reacted to this statement with disbelief. Now, even though he kept reminding himself that Molly was taboo for many reasons, there was something about her that he couldn’t deny. Forbidden fruit.
Around her neck was a lanyard with Lime Tree Hill printed in large font on its tag, and in her hand, a tray of shot glasses filled with a yellow liquid. He watched her work the room, offering the crowd what he now realized was limoncello—a venture Lime Tree Hill had recently dipped its toes into, according to Todd. When she reached Alexia’s table, they embraced like old friends, and she stayed for several minutes, chatting and flashing that beautiful smile. Interesting.
But as Jake finished his meal, Molly Parker, with her alluring smile and kiss-me-red lips, didn’t once look his way.
However, just as he was about to get up to mingle again, she glided over to their table, that tray of shot glasses in one hand and her presentation faultless.
“Evening, gentlemen, Kristy. I hope you all enjoyed your meal. I have an after-dinner treat for you.” Molly dipped with all the grace of a highly trained server and deposited several liqueur shots on their table. “Lime Tree Hill’s popular limoncello, locally made with our own organic lemons and vodka sourced from a craft distillery nestled below the Southern Alps.”
Once everyone had expressed their thanks, Kristy took a sip. “Oh, that’s lovely, very nice indeed.” She looked up at Molly. “Gosh, after the weekend you’ve had, I expected you to be at home, soaking your feet rather than working for the sponsors.”
Molly beamed once again, and Jake couldn’t take his eyes off her. “No time for that. Enjoy your night, won’t you?” Then she was gone, weaving through the crowd, flashing her charm as she went.
Moments later, as Kristy excused herself to mingle, Todd nudged Jake under the table.
“What?” Jake knew what was coming next but sipped his limoncello and said nothing more.
“So, you and Molly. Do you two know each other?”
Did he know her? “Not really.”
“Yeah? Well, I didn’t want to say anything in front of Kristy, but you guys have some serious sparks flying back and forth between you. Is she single?”
Jake drained his shot glass. He’d wondered the same thing ever since realizing who Molly was. “That limoncello’s seriously good, and I have no idea.”
“You gonna ask her out?”
He picked up a second glass and took a sip. Then another. “Nope.”
“It’s about time you put yourself out there again, that’s all I’m saying. And she seems nice. Course, the package is like a million-dollar bonus.”
Jake shot him a sideways glance and grinned. “Trust you to make a comment like that.”
“What? She’s a good-looking woman. You’ve never thought ‘what if’?”
Jake had thought “what if” many times over the weekend and, if he was honest, several days before he’d connected the phrase “off-limits” with Molly Parker. “Even if I had, it would be all wrong, mate.”
“Ava’s still messing with your head, is she?”
“This has nothing to do with Ava.” Jake picked up his glass and finished the limoncello. “Molly’s an old friend of Jesse’s. They met years ago in Tulloch Point.”
“So they dated. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Not for long, but here’s the weird part. Jesse named her in his will, but no one in the family has ever met her before.”
“Was she at his funeral?”
Eager to take another look, Jake searched for Molly in the crowded tent but failed to spot her. “No. Apparently, she didn’t know Jesse had passed away until recently.”
“But she turns up out of the blue after the fact? And you believe her?”
Jake shrugged. “Why would she lie about it? Toward the end, Jesse mentioned her, but by that stage, I had too many other things on my mind. Dad knew about her, but he’s not the best communicator. So anyway, all that’s enough to slot her into the no-go category.”
“That’s some screwed-up shit right there.”
“Yep. Isn’t it? I just wish Jesse had told me more about her.”
Jake fell silent as Todd’s wife and another couple joined them. Unable to focus on the small talk around the table, he sat in the shadows of the tent and watched Molly again, her expression warm and hand gestures animated as she continued to work the room. And for one fleeting moment, despite his conversation with Todd and the complexities presented to him, he wanted to spend the rest of the night wrapped around that curvy body of hers and to kiss that gorgeous red lipstick right off those sensual lips.
Jake checked his watch. It was after eleven—time to call it a night. He scanned the tent’s interior, hoping to catch another glimpse of Molly, but she’d disappeared. Todd and his wife were in fine form, downing shots with the Lime Tree Hill crew while dancing to the DJ’s music. They waved him over, but Jake couldn’t handle booze or crowds like he used to. Sure, he still enjoyed the buzz of a cold beer or a decent glass of red, but he’d had enough hangovers lately to last him a while, and unfortunately, that second shot of limoncello had been enough to tip him a little sideways.
The fresh air struck Jake like a slap to the face, and as he strolled toward the makeshift parking lot, he imagined Molly outside, stargazing in that stunning dress but with her feet bare and hair down. He found himself wondering if she was in a relationship, who she hung out with, and where she lived.
He was about to grab his jacket from the truck before making the trek up the hill toward home when he noticed Molly struggling with the soft top of a vintage MG.
“Do you need a hand?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks, but I’ve almost… ouch! ” She jerked her hand back, flicked it several times, then sucked her index finger into her mouth. “Shit, that hurt.”
Dragging his gaze away from the finger between her lips, Jake activated the light on his phone and stepped closer. “Is that better?”
“Um. Ouch,” she repeated. “Bloody stupid thing.”
“Maybe if you stretched it a bit tighter?”
Molly stared at him, and he could have sworn she rolled her eyes. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”
“Who, me? Of course not.”
“Here.” He held out his phone. “Hold this, and let me try.”
Molly accepted his phone and stepped back. “I just can’t get the dome thingy to clip into place.”
Dome thingy. Smiling now, Jake pulled the canvas tighter and snapped the stud into its socket. “There. That should do it.”
“Thanks.” She looked him up and down. “You’re not planning on driving, are you?”
“No, I’ve had too much to drink, plus I’ve already had one ticket recently. I forgot helmets are mandatory here.” He studied her as he accepted his phone.
“How are you getting home then?”
“I’ll walk.”
Molly opened the driver’s door. “Where do you live?”
“On the hill.”
“I can drop you off if you want.”
“You’re offering me a ride home?”
“What, do you think I’m so petty that I can’t be civil after what happened today in the bake-off?”
“Of course not.” He chuckled. “It was fun, wasn’t it?”
“Sure it was. Hop in.”
Jake frowned down at the MG. With his six-three frame, compact cars had never been his thing, but he was too drunk to care. “Thanks… if you don’t mind.”
He was sure he caught a soft sigh, but again, he was too drunk for it to bother him. She obviously didn’t like him much—or perhaps her interest matched his, but she was trying to hide it, just as he was.
They drove out of the park grounds in silence as a bank of clouds and a cool wind traveled in from the south. Jake wound up his window before glancing her way. “You did good today.”
She threw him a doubtful look as if his compliment was unexpected. “Thanks. But not good enough as it turned out. That tissue spit was brutal.”
“ Choux’s a difficult one to master. Although it wasn’t the pastry per se.”
“No? So you just wanted to play favorites?”
“Are you seriously questioning my professional judgement, Ms. Parker?”
“I must admit, it’s tempting. But you obviously know your stuff.”
Jake hesitated while weighing up his options. He’d decided earlier not to say anything but… “You’d used salt instead of sugar in the filling.”
Molly turned to look at him, her expression one of horror. “What the heck? I did not! You’re so full of shit.”
He suppressed a smile as she came to a stop at a red light, her indignation on full display. “You did.”
“Are you serious? I used salt in my pastry cream?”
“Didn’t you taste it?”
“Noo. Oh my gosh! I’m so embarrassed right now.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Hold on a minute, you’re kidding me, aren’t you?”
Jake set his smile free. Despite their circumstances, he found himself liking Molly more and more. Regardless of her outward elegance, she seemed an earthy, no-bullshit kind of girl. Just his type. “Would I do that?”
“I don’t know. Would you?”
“Ouch. You wound me.”
“I meant to.”
“Um, the light’s turned green.” Jake chuckled—his natural reaction to anything and everything when he’d been drinking. Molly shifted into first and glanced in the rearview mirror before crossing the intersection of an almost deserted street. “You’re a decent baker, but baking under pressure isn’t easy.”
“Yes, and it’s not something I care to repeat in a hurry. Still, it’s my own fault for letting CeCe talk me into it.” She shifted into third, then second as she turned onto Whitman Avenue. “And I’m glad Mason won. He deserved it.”
“He did. But your cheese scones… I’d happily sell them in the patisserie any day of the week.”
Another glance his way. “Even with the sugar?”
“I sweeten mine too. You’re right. It improves the flavor. Who taught you to bake?”
“Mum and Grandma. They’re both amazing bakers. As a kid, I wanted to own a cake shop when I grew up.”
That surprised Jake. “But you’re employed by Lime Tree Hill as well as SpinWeb?”
“No. Mitch Harrington’s my cousin, so I said I’d lend a hand.”
“Right. I met him for the first time earlier. He seems like a decent guy.”
“Yes, he is. Lots of fun too.”
“Take the next left onto Cornwell Place. We’re at the end of the cul-de-sac, number ten.”
As Molly pulled into the curb, Jake contemplated asking her in before rapidly questioning his motives. Quite aside from the fact it was his mother’s house, Molly wasn’t his to have, even if she agreed to only one night. And he always did this when he’d been drinking—left his responsible self out in the cold in favor of Jake the carefree fantasist. He had to remember that when it came to Molly Parker, the world was not his oyster.
Alongside the mailbox, Molly put the car in neutral but left the engine idling, and as he turned to look at her, the faint scent of her perfume had an unexpected effect on his senses.
Earlier, he’d been a judge and she a contestant, and if he was honest, the alpha in him had enjoyed that position. Now they were back on more equal footing, and he found it just as interesting. There was something almost primal about wanting a woman you couldn’t, or shouldn’t, have, especially when alcohol was involved, and at that moment, he wanted Molly Parker with every fiber of his being.
With her hand still resting on the steering wheel, Molly tilted her head toward the house. “Your place looks amazing.”
“Thanks, but it’s not mine. I’m cat-sitting for my mother while she’s away.” Jake opened his door. “Anyway, thanks for the ride. Much appreciated. After your elimination today, I thought I’d be number one on your mortal enemy list.”
“How do you know you’re not?”
“Is that a trick question? You do realize I’m a little drunk here?”
As Molly cut the engine and stared straight ahead, Jake expected a witty rebuttal, but instead, she said, “May I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What was Jesse like… you know, as a person?”
Jake hesitated. He was hammered and so freakin’ horny it physically hurt, and she wanted to discuss his late brother? They’d spent several weeks together; didn’t she already know him inside and out?
“It’s just,” she continued, “our short time together played out inside a bubble, and I’ve always wondered if I ever really knew the essence of him.”
Hand resting on the door lever, Jake smiled at the memory of his twin. They’d exchanged plenty of angry words over the years but never stayed mad at each other for long. “Jesse was one of the best. Reserved at times, but I couldn’t have asked for a better brother.”
Molly offered a soft smile in return. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Hands buried in his pockets, Jake strolled between rows of standard roses to the front door and let himself in. Although he’d lived in this house until he turned twenty, with Jesse now gone and his parents divorced, there was an emptiness to it that never seemed to ease. Like a jigsaw puzzle with several missing pieces that would forever sit at one end of the dining table and never be completed.
With a large glass of water in his hand, Jake walked into his childhood bedroom and lay on the bed. He didn’t have the energy to undress, not just yet. Once again, he imagined Molly outside stargazing—her red lipstick smudged and hair tousled. And in that moment, he realized how lonely he’d been since Jesse’s death.
Lonely and filled with regret.
Still, Jake was glad they’d had another chance to talk. Perhaps one day, he’d find out what really happened between her and Jesse, but for now, he needed sleep.
Moments later, when his phone lit up with a text alert, he was tempted to ignore it, but it could be his mother requesting an update on her precious cats as she lay awake, worrying about them. Understandably, she worried about many things lately, so for that reason, he picked up his phone and tapped the text icon.
Alexia: You and Jesse’s ex? Unbelievable!!! Then again, I suspected there was something going on at the bake-off. Discreet, not.
Jake huffed out a low “fuck.” He knew he shouldn’t reply, but with excess alcohol in his bloodstream, he couldn’t help himself.
Jake: What are you on about?
Alexia: I saw you get into that vintage car with her. All smiles and drunk Jake flirty.
Jake: My life, my business. Besides, I was too hammered to drive so she dropped me off. How do you know Molly anyway?
Alexia: We’ve met a few times.
Jake: Really? Where?
Alexia: Around. Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying. You do realize she’s part of that Lime Tree Hill family? Rich entitled pricks who think they run the show.
With an exhausted sigh, Jake dropped his phone on the bed and closed his eyes. Alexia had always had a thing about people with money, not that she’d ever been short of cash growing up. He’d shouted her one drink earlier, and that contact was enough for Alexia to slot back into her pseudo-stepsister role, where she gave her opinion freely whether or not he wanted it.
He thought back to the scene in the tent, Alexia and Molly chatting like long-lost friends, then picked up his phone again.
Alexia: Does your mum know?
Jake: Know what?
Alexia: About you and catfish Parker?
Catfish Parker? WTF?
Jake: This convo is over. Goodnight.