Chapter 4
MOLLY
Four points. Probably five. More like a hundred. Maybe more.
Molly struggled to catch her breath in the thin mountain air.
Ollie’s fall could’ve been so bad. Seriously? Stuntman school?
Why couldn’t he choose something simple like baseball?
Something that didn’t require extra health insurance for upcoming emergency room visits.
She refused to think any further on it. Because if she so much as closed her eyes right now, she’d see her son falling backward into the lake, and she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to face that right in this moment.
Never mind the addition of the Gavin equation.
Gavin. Gavin, who she was supposed to hate. Gavin, who didn’t think twice about jumping in after her kid like Ollie was his own son.
She bit at the inside of her lips as she stepped around pebbles in the path back to the reception.
How many points did a guy get for saving her son’s life? Perhaps the word saving might be extreme—she could’ve been the one to dive in and grab him. But…she wasn’t the one.
Gavin was.
She deflated a whole heap at that.
He’d disappointed Rachel on more than one occasion. Made stupid decisions that affected her best friend’s life in multiple instances.
Molly was fundamentally required—best friend code—to loathe him.
Yet…
He’d spent all day watching the boys. He dove right into the lake after her kid with no hesitation. After it all? He wanted to ensure Ollie’s lake excursion didn’t affect Rachel’s day.
Giving Rachel that was something she’d never expected of him.
A lump lodged in her throat.
The caring about Rachel’s happiness, that changed things. Grr, perception was a total bitch sometimes. Like, for instance, now.
The Gavin she’d decided she hated would never have done that. Would never insist they allow Rachel her day and
not mire her down in parenting blah blah.
Who was this guy?
And why was he making Molly question every little thing? She glanced up to the sky for some kind of answer, but the canopy of trees blocked out most of the blue.
“Molly?” Kaiya hustled toward her on the path. “Where have you been?”
Hold it together, Molly. Strength is more than a word today.
“Oh no,” Kaiya said as she got closer, her eyes going wide. “What happened?”
Oh, so very much.
“Ollie fell in the lake.” Molly pursed her lips together to hold back any hint of emotion other than happiness. Happiness was the only feeling allowed at this wedding.
“Goodness.” Kaiya reached for Molly, placing her hands on Molly’s shoulders. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Molly said for both her benefit and Kaiya’s. “Gavin pulled him out. They’re both soaked, but fine.”
Kaiya leaned back. She mouthed, “Gavin?”
Molly’s dislike of the man was well-documented in their mom group outings. Though she’d never gone so far as to make T-shirts with his face scratched out, she’d definitely considered it after he delivered two puppies to Rachel’s house without asking first.
Who did that? Gavin. That’s who.
“I know.” Molly shook off what had happened and linked her arm with Kaiya’s as they trekked back together.
Molly hadn’t realized that after Gavin left with Ollie, she felt empty. Worried. Scared. But dwelling on what could have happened didn’t help anyone. Not when what was turned out to be totally okay.
That’s the advice she’d give to the dating scene because there was definitely a life lesson there. She’d make it a point to figure that out later so she could bottle it and use it on next week’s episode.
“Rachel wanted me to be sure you didn’t murder Gavin in the forest,” Kaiya said cheerfully. “There was some genuine concern.”
“I promised her I wouldn’t.” At this point, she actually owed Gavin. Really, at this point, she was questioning everything she’d ever thought about him. “Besides, we had the kids with us. I couldn’t murder him in front of witnesses. Makes things messy.”
“You probably could’ve just paid them off with candy or a Dave & Buster’s date,” Kaiya concluded.
Funny, somehow pondering Gavin’s demise had lost its fun factor.
Molly squeezed Kaiya’s arm. “While we both know that pondering unique ways to castrate Gavin is one of my favorite pastimes, let’s talk Dan.”
Kaiya blushed, deep red stains on her cheeks.
“Ohhh.” Molly released her arm. “Dish.” She stepped back, giving her friend a tip to toe full evaluation.
Kaiya fiddled with the ends of her hair. “There’s nothing to dish.”
Molly pinched her lips to the side. “You really think that’s going to work with me? Me of all people?”
“I really like him,” Kaiya said, quietly. “It’s like we’ve known each other longer than a day.”
Molly adored this part of watching two people fall in love—the space before any complications settled in. The spot where it was just two people figuring out that there was a future together.
“I think it’s perfection,” she said.
“Are you sure?” Kaiya didn’t seem convinced. “I mean, he’s not even my date. He’s yours.”
“I gladly handed him over to the perfect woman.” Molly swayed her hips as she stepped to the tent. “I couldn’t have picked better for him if I’d planned it myself.”
Though…she sort of wished she’d felt some of Kaiya’s excitement toward the man. Even if he was much better off with someone perpetually prepared, who remembered to bring appropriate underwear.
“In fact,” Molly said, scanning the room and…yep, Dan had his eyes pinned to Kaiya, “I think he’s looking for you.”
Molly gave her friend a nudge toward her future. A future Kaiya had no problem stepping toward. “Molly,” Rachel called.
Molly strode toward her. “I’m so sorry. I got totally waylaid—”
“Brady told me what happened.” Rachel crossed her arms. “He included the part about you and Gavin deciding not to disclose the events.”
Molly closed her eyes and shook her head. Best laid plans and all that…
“The situation is under control,” she assured her, opening her eyes once more.
Rachel quirked an eyebrow in that way only she could pull off. “Seriously?”
“It is.” Molly did her best attempt at lifting her eyebrow in the same way Rachel did, but she knew without even having to look in a mirror that she did not have that kind of facial muscle control.
“Brady said that Gavin was soaked and Oliver will probably never get to play Xbox again.”
Well. “That part is correct.”
If it were possible—and Molly wouldn’t have thought it could be—Rachel’s eyes got even kinder than their usual brand of nice. “He also said that he and Kellan played a pretty big role in the event that led to the soaking.”
“We haven’t done a full interrogation,” Molly said. Although, she was feeling the heat of Rachel’s inquisition.
“I’ll receive a full report of your interrogation?” Rachel leveled her stare at Molly. “As soon as it’s complete. Not after my honeymoon.”
“Of course,” Molly said, making a puh-sha sound with her lips. “It’s not like I’m going to work together with Gavin on long-term-punishment options. That’s your territory.”
Because that would require them to spend long-term time together.
“No cutting remark about my ex?” Rachel stood back, giving Molly a solid once-over.
Molly shook her head. “Not this time.” Not after what he’d done for Ollie.
“Is it possible you might actually not hate Gavin?” Rachel had an expression of awe.
“No,” Molly said, entirely too quickly. She paused, then said more slowly, “Maybe I’m learning to tolerate him. He did just jump into a lake for my kid. I can’t exactly give him shit after that.”
A wry smile played across Rachel’s lips. “Uh-huh. Okay. We’ll see how long this lasts before you’re ready to kick him in the nuts again. I’m betting…four hours?”
“Don’t you even get started with me when I’m trying to be grateful.” Molly shoved her hands on her hips and started toward the cake table. Were they serving the stuff yet? If not, she was totally going to indulge in a glass of champagne.
“Molly…” Rachel moved to catch up with her. “You know Ollie’s okay, right?”
Molly nodded. Swallowed. “Thanks to Gavin, he is.”
Her perception of the man could change, but the leopard wasn’t totally changing his spots. He was still Gavin. She was still Molly.
They were morally required to continue to be oil and water. Maybe after today—after what he did—she didn’t have to continue to hate Gavin.
But she wasn’t ready to like him, either.