Page 85 of Molly's Mr. Wrong
“She’s not well.” Georgina frowned as she removed the last bit of shell from the egg she held and then placed in the bowl to be rinsed.
“How not well?”
Georgina shrugged. “I’m not sure. Chase has to take care of the kids a lot, though, which is hard when he works two part-time jobs. I think that’s one reason he loves hiking so much. He can get away. Really away. Where no one can contact him about the latest emergency.”
Molly concentrated on her egg, somehow keeping herself from asking Georgina how deeply she wanted to get involved with a guy who had to spend most of his time putting out fires for his family.
“I heard that Chase’s dad died in prison.”
Georgina’s dark gaze came up. “Yes. Hepatitis. Not a shanking.” She held Molly’s gaze for a long moment as if challenging her to make something of it. She wasn’t going to. Not now, anyway, before they were going to an event. But they were going to talk at some point. Meanwhile, she kept hoping that the new would wear off and that Georgina would find a nice college guy from a similar background as their own.
The street was lined with cars by the time Molly and Georgina left their house with the cake and the eggs, which had come out very well, if Georgina did say so herself. Elaine opened the door and ushered them in.
“Mike’s out back, preparing the grill,” she said.
“Great. How are you feeling?”
“Good. Good.” She smiled, but Molly got the impression that she was tired of people asking about her health even if she was understanding of the fact that they need to.
She went into the kitchen where Finn was digging around in the fridge. He looked over the door as soon as she set foot in the kitchen and she felt an instant tug of attraction. He smiled at her, then went back to his search for whatever.
After setting the cake on the table, she followed her sister out the back door to the yard where the rest of the guests were relaxing in lawn chairs. Allie waved her over and the guy sitting next to her got to his feet. Molly had to tip her head back to see his eyes.
“Molly, this is my fiancé, Jason Hudson.”
“Nice to meet you.” He smiled congenially as his big hand swallowed hers. She’d known him by reputation only, since the former professional wide receiver had graduated from high school before she and her family moved to town.
“Same here.”
Dylan and Jolie were on a blanket in the shade of the big apple tree that dominated the small backyard and Mike was at the grill, just as Elaine said. Cal and Karl were milling around nearby, both holding cans of beer and wearing loud Hawaiian shirts.
“Where’s Buddy?” Molly asked Mike after saying hello.
“Safe in the house. I can’t keep as close of an eye on him out here and he’s still mighty small.”
Mike the protector. She could see why he was so upset about Elaine, in addition to having lost two other people in his life. She patted his shoulder and went to join Georgina and the rest of the Brody-Culver-Hudson clan under the tree. When Elaine and Mike approached, Jason and Allie vacated their chairs and stretched out on the grass. Jason settled his big hand on Allie’s thigh and she casually settled her own hand on top and leaned back against him. Just as with Jolie and Dylan, she was struck by the level of sheer contentment. She’d been content once, too. Believed in the dream. The dream could happen...but it was a bitch when it didn’t work out.
But her dark thoughts didn’t keep her from smiling when Finn joined them, sinking down into the grass beside where she was stretched out and propped on her elbows. He waited until the rest of the group was discussing new restaurants that had recently opened to lean closer and ask, “Doing okay?”
“Nervous for this upcoming week.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
She dropped her head back to look at him. “This won’t affect you.”
“It’ll force me to face the hard truth.”
“The only hard truth is that Jonas is a butt.”
Finn laughed. “Maybe he’ll grow out of it.”
“Not unless he leaves home soon and life gets a couple good swipes at him. As it is, he’ll be protected for the next ten years.”
He lifted a few hanks of her hair from the ground where it had pooled behind her and let them slide through his fingers and drop to the grass. It was an intimate gesture and one that Georgina caught. She sent Molly an “ah” look and then smiled a little.
Cool.
Elaine got out of her chair and Mike was instantly out of his, too. “I need to start cooking dangerously,” he said. Elaine smiled at him and the two of them ambled toward the house.
