Letters to Molly (Maysen Jar, #2)(88)

“Thank you,” I said as I pulled into the driveway.

“You’re welcome. I had a nice time. See you later.” She wiggled her hand free.

“Wait.” I stopped her as she reached for the door handle. “I’ll get it.”

“It’s—”

“Please. Let me open your door.”

“All right.”

I hustled out of the truck and to the other side. With her hand in mine as I helped her down, I sent a silent prayer up to the twilight sky. One kiss. Give me one kiss. If I could get an opening for one kiss, I might have a shot at turning this night around.

“Can I escort you to the door?”

“If you insist.” She nodded and let me lead the way. “It’s strange without the ramp. It didn’t take long but I got used to it.”

“I can have them build it again. I know Max would love to have it for his skateboard.”

She laughed. “I’ll get used to the steps again and the way things were.”

We reached the door and she looked up at me. Her hand didn’t go for the knob.

Yes. Someone upstairs still liked me.

Without a word, I cupped Molly’s cheeks in my palms, then I put my lips on hers, swallowing her gasp of surprise.

Her hands came to my chest, tentatively resting on the starched cotton of my button-up. As I coaxed her mouth open and slipped my tongue past the seam, her hands pressed against my chest, her fingers fisting the material as I slanted her head and dove in deeper.

She moaned. I moaned. We surged against one another, my hardness pushing against her hip. Her breasts smashing into my chest.

We kissed hot and wet, each of us panting when I finally pulled away.

“I . . .” She gulped. “Wow.”

“I want to come in.” I took one step away. Then another. “But I’m going to head home.”

“Okay.” Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen. She touched one, the corner of her mouth turning up. “That’s probably smart.”

“Thank you for dinner.”

“That’s my line.”

“I’m sorry about Bridget.”

“It’s fine.” She waved it off. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is. I’ll fix it.” First thing tomorrow morning. I stretched between us, scooping up her hand, and brought her knuckles to my lips for a soft kiss. “Good night, Molly darling.”

“Good night.”

She stood on the porch, leaning against a post as I jogged to my truck and pulled away from the house. She kissed me back. Despite Bridget’s untimely appearance, Molly had kissed me back. The smile on my face stayed in place all the way home.

“Looks like you had a nice time,” Mom said from my couch as I walked inside and tossed my keys on the kitchen counter.

“I did. The kids asleep?”

“Max is. But I told Kali she could read for a while in her bed.”

“Okay. I’m going to go in and say good night.”

Mom pushed up from the couch and came over for a kiss on my cheek. “I’m heading home.”

“Thanks for babysitting.”

“Anytime. And I do mean that. Whatever it takes for you to win Molly over again, I’m here to help. We’ve missed her.”

“You work with her. Daily. You see her more than I do.”

“It’s not the same. She’s missing from our family.”

Christmases. Thanksgivings. The random barbeques we’d had since Mom and Dad had moved home from Alaska. Mom was right. Molly had been missing from our family.

But I’d get her back, and we’d fill that void. And it would never be empty again.

“Drive safe.” I hugged Mom then went down the hallway, toward the golden glow underneath Kali’s door. I eased my way inside, in case she’d fallen asleep. But there she was, her curls still damp from her shower, reading a book propped up on her knees. “Hi, sweetie.”

“Hi, Daddy.” She closed the book. “How did it go?”

I grinned and crossed the room, bending to kiss her forehead. “Good.”

“Did she say yes to the movie? Or are we going with Plan B?”

I wasn’t even a little bit ashamed to enlist my daughter in my plan to win back her mother. Kali was on deck as my backup for the movie date. If Molly had said no, Kali was going to ask Molly to have a sleepover at a friend’s house. We’d already brainstormed an excuse to get Max over to Mom’s. And that would free me up to take Molly on a surprise movie date.

“She said yes. You guys can stay at Aunt Poppy and Uncle Cole’s house.”

Kali fist-pumped. “Yes.”

“Okay, you’d better get some rest. School tomorrow.” I kissed her forehead again. “I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”

“Love you too.” She snuggled in as I flipped off her lamp.

“Night.”

“Dad?” She called to me before I reached the doorway. “I know you can make Mom happy.”

I smiled. “Me too.”





“Morning,” Bridget muttered, her sunglasses still on as she walked into her office.

I sighed, draining the last swallow of my coffee. I’d been dreading this conversation all morning. Once I’d dropped the kids off at school, I’d come to Alcott expecting her to be here already.