Page 34 of Shocking Sapphires
“I do,” I answered almost immediately. “How did you get that scar on your forehead?”
31
Molly
Grant’s eyes bulged out with surprise as he stared at me after I answered his question. “Wait… You were one of the real-life kidnap victims depicted in the screenplay? How did I not know this??”
I absently rubbed the small indentation as I remembered Kevin Durley conking me on the head with a rock. After shrugging my shoulders to answer his last question, I said, “It was the scariest time of my life. I can’t imagine how poor Claire survived nearly a year as his captive. I’m so glad they have that madman locked up.”
“Me too,” Grant whispered, seeming truly stunned by what I’d been through.
He shook his head as our plates of delicious-looking pasta and grilled chicken were delivered. Then he said, “You know, I always thought small-town life would be boring, but I’m starting to sense that it’s anything but.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” I assured him as I tucked into my pasta and groaned in delight as the myriad of marvelous flavors assaulted my taste buds.
After swallowing the first bite, I leaned forward to give him the insider’s scoop, “Alex left this out of the movie, likely out of respect for his wife, but while Claire was missing and presumed dead, he had an affair with the nanny, Josie, whom he had hired to help him watch little Hannah.”
Grant’s eyes were locked on mine, riveted to every word I was saying as I went on. “When Claire returned, Alex got her pregnant with their second child and then found out that Jo was also pregnant with his child.”
“What?!?” Grant asked, sounding utterly scandalized.
I nodded and continued. “Josie ended up with Dean Waters, Dani’s brother. He is raising the child as his own, but Alex is still involved in little Jaxson’s life. Alex and Claire have worked through his indiscretion and their marriage seems stronger than ever, but it was quite a scandal for a while.”
“I would imagine so,” Grant weighed in.
I wasn’t sure about adding this detail, but decided I might as well be completely honest. “I had a huge crush on Dean for a very long time, so it was hard for me when he chose to be with Josie, but I’m happy for them now.”
Grant’s expression looked pained, but I wasn’t sure if it was in sympathy for my heartbreak or if it bothered him to hear about my feelings for another man.
Deciding to try to lessen the blow, in case he cared, I added, “My best friend, Avery, Alex’s sister, helped me so much during that dark time, and it all ended up working out for the best.”
He spent several long moments mulling over all of the information I had just shared with him. When he finally spoke, his words couldn’t have surprised me more if he had suggested that we go naked cliff diving.
“So, in this odd little town, we have siblings Molly and Max; Danica and Dean; and Avery and Alex. Is there some kind of alliteration naming ordinance here?”
“Out of everything I just said,thatis what you picked up on?” I lightly chastised him, but I was smiling because of his astute observation. Shaking my head, I said, “You know, I’ve spent my entire life here and never noticed that.”
“This is a strange place you call home, Molly Marie Malone,” he weighed in.
“I guess so,” I said as I stared down at my plate, holding the large spoon as I swirled a strand of pasta around my fork. When it came to me, I practically shouted their names, “Claire and Meg! They are sisters, and their names don’t start with the same letter.”
“Have them thrown out of town immediately!” He joked before adding, “It’s funny that it took you that long to think of one non-alliterative sibling set.”
I nodded before telling him, “Meg was one of the cops that showed up on your first day of filming to hold back the unruly crowd. She’s married to a country star you might have bumped into at some of your hoity-toity celebrity events… Levi Ryan.”
“I’ve heard of him,” Grant nodded his head before saying, “Wait, this woman’s name is Meg Ryan? Like the actress??”
“Donotbring that up when you meet her. I learned the hard way that it infuriates her to no end to be compared to anyone else––even a beautiful and talented actress––and no one wants to see Meg get angry. She’s an absolute fireball.”
I slurped the end of a pasta noodle into my mouth and hoped I didn’t look like too much a hick to Grant as I swiped the white linen napkin across my face.
“This town…” He stared up at the clear, star-filled sky before adding, “How could I keep from being utterly charmed?”
32
Grant
After our dinner plates were swept away, decadent slices of warm chocolate cake with raspberry drizzle were delivered for dessert. I enjoyed watching Molly eat it so much that I didn’t even bother with my own.
