Hotshot and Hospitality by Nora Everly

Chapter 14

Garrett

“Have you talked to her?” Everett asked. We were in his store in town on Main Street, Twenty Sides and Sundry. It was a gamer shop where he sold everything one would need to become fully immersed in the geek lifestyle. Occasionally I watched the shop for him so he could have a day off, saving him from hiring someone else since he rarely needed the extra help. His sister-in-law and sole employee, Gracie, was behind the counter texting on her phone in between helping the customers who were trickling in and out while Everett and I sat at one of the tables near the front window facing the street.

“No, she gets crazy busy at the inn. We haven’t had a chance since she agreed to go to dinner with me.” It had been a few days; we were both too busy with work. All I had managed was the smile-and-wave combo I used to get out of her before our Genie’s breakthrough.

“Oh, to The Front Porch dinner-date thing?” Gracie asked without lifting her head from her phone.

“Yeah. But it’s a bet, not a date,” I answered. I wasn’t willing to be honest with anyone about my feelings. No one needed to know that I planned on doing my best to make sure the bet ended up as our first date.

“Sure, okay.” She snickered. Gracie, even though she was only about seventeen, was just like her sisters—a little bit scary. They always knew everything, and I couldn’t quite figure out how. “Don’t end up like one of her Chrises, Garrett,” she warned with a quick glance my way.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I questioned as Everett sat there carving a miniature dragon and chuckling to himself at my expense.

She held up a finger as she finished ringing up a customer. She answered after the patron left the shop. “Don’t get dumped, blown off, or let her chase you away. According to Clara, Molly is oblivious to male attention unless it’s super obvious. So be obvious, Garrett. That’s all I’m saying, because that’s all I know. So far, anyway.”

I ran a hand into my hair, covering my eyes with my palms against the imminent headache. “How do you know? Why does everyone know everything? This town is ridiculous.”

Everett glanced up at me. “There’s a Hill sister dinner at my place once a week, man. They poke through all the Green Valley gossip while they eat my spaghetti. You and Molly were the topic the other night.”

“Everett makes the best spaghetti. Maybe you should make Molly some spaghetti,” Gracie added with a sage nod. I nodded back, because yeah, he did, and maybe I should. “Okay, it’s seven. I’m off. See y’all tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Gracie. See you at home.” Willa had taken Gracie in when she came back to Green Valley, so she was like a little sister to Everett and, by extension, to the rest of us.

“Oh, snap! Look!” I opened my eyes to see her pointing at the window of Stripped, the dance studio across the street, owned by Suzie Samuels.

Everett looked too, then laughed at my expression when I caught an eyeful of Molly hanging upside down on one of the poles set up in the window—Stripped also offered pole fitness classes. “Wow, that looks pretty difficult,” he remarked and set his carving down to watch.

“It is,” Gracie answered. “It’s a basic invert, but not easy to do. I almost fell off last time Suzie tried to teach me. Dang, look at her go! Well, bye, y’all!” She opened the door, flipped the sign to “Closed” and locked the door behind herself.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck.” My stomach dropped and I tugged at the collar of my T-shirt. She was dressed in tiny black shorts that hugged all her curves and a tight black tank with crisscrossed straps. I couldn’t look away even though I was certain my eyes had bugged out. Everett was going to give me so much shit for this and I deserved it. Not too long ago, it was him staring out the window at his now-wife Willa on one of those poles with me dishing out the shit.

This was the last thing I needed to see. I was always up at night because of my insomnia, but lately the reason for it was her—the way she looked at me and the secret smile that would cross her sweet face when she thought I didn’t see her. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. She was not graceful; she was powerful as she moved. Strong, like a wild cat, jumping, attacking, moving up and around that pole with fierce purpose. I admired it. It was sexy as hell, but also aggressive and athletic and I had no idea she had that in her—it was one more thing about her to discover and admire.

Then my mother stepped up to the pole next to her and swung around it in a circle. I shoved my chair back and blinked several times before Everett lowered the blinds with an abrupt crash. “We never saw that. That never happened and we won’t be scarred for the rest of our lives,” he declared.

I slumped in my chair. “Give me some of that denial, man. My eyeballs were in paradise and now I need therapy.”

“You and me both. I still can’t decide if that place is a blessing or a curse.”

“Right now, it’s a curse.” He laughed and picked up his carving while I contemplated calling Molly.

We both jumped at the knock at the door.

“Yoo-hoo! I saw you through the window! It’s your momma!”

“Shit, man, I need a few hours to get that out of my head. Don’t let her in,” I said under my breath.

“We can’t ignore her. She knows we’re in here.” He laughed and got up to go to the door. She burst in wearing a bright pink track suit with a headband wrapped around her forehead like something out of an old eighties movie. Grabbing Everett’s face, she kissed each cheek. Trailing behind her was Molly, wearing the same tiny shorts with a hoodie on top. Damn. Seeing her standing there doubled my pulse rate and made me want to stay seated at this table to hide my half-hard cock. It was a testament to how hot Molly was since the image of my mother on that pole was still hovering somewhere around the perimeter of my brain.

“Garrett William, get over here and kiss your mother,” she demanded after letting go of Everett’s face and stepping back. Her voice took care of the boner—it deflated, and I got up to say hello.

“Hey, Ma.” I hugged her and let her manhandle my face before turning to Molly with a grin. “I saw you flying around that pole, Supergirl. Impressive.”

Her cheeks heated. “Thanks. I took pole classes with Clara years ago, back when she was in college and still stri—never mind. Anyway, hi . . .”

“Hi,” I returned, wishing my mother and Everett would get out of here so I could be alone with her.

My mother’s beaming face passed over Molly, then mine. “Oh, you two! So cute together—”

“They’re not together,” Everett interrupted her. He shot a sympathetic smile to a red-faced Molly.

“That doesn’t mean they won’t be. Take her out to dinner, Garrett.” She was not to be deterred.

“Ma! Give it a rest, please?” If I didn’t nip this in the bud, she would never quit, and I did not need a lifetime of her pushing her way into my relationship with Molly. I loved my mother with all my heart, but when I finally got my shot with Molly, I wanted her far, far away from it. Especially since she was so important to Molly and a big part of Molly’s hesitation when it came to being with me.

“Oh, fine. I’ll quit pushing. I just love you both so much and I want you to be happy. With each other—”

Everett held out his arm. “Mom, I’ll walk you to your car. It’s time to lock up, I have a pregnant wife at home in need of Christmas cookies, and I’m not sure where to find those in the fall.”

She took his arm. “I’ll make her some tonight.”

He tossed me the keys to the store with a grin. “Don’t forget the alarm. Later, Molls.”

I caught the keys with a matching grin. “I won’t forget.” He was now my favorite brother.

“Bye, y’all,” Molly added before Everett shut the door. “She’s never going to give up, is she? Everett flat-out said we weren’t together, and it was like she didn’t even hear it.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about her.”

She laughed. “Why? You don’t control her brain. I’m the one who’s sorry. I never really apologized for acting like an idiot about Lacy. For making assumptions about the two of you. I should have known better.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for—”

“Listen, I overreact sometimes—or, really, kind of all the time. I even know this about myself and I still do it. Here’s your chance, Garrett. Get away while you still can. I won’t stop you.” She puffed out a breath of air and brushed a bit of non-existent lint from the sleeve of her hoodie.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere except to Front Porch with you on Saturday night,” I reassured her.

“Be sure, Garrett. I . . .” An unexpected hint of vulnerability entered her voice as she drifted off, her thought left incomplete. It raised my protective hackles, because who had hurt her?

“I’m sure. Six o’clock, The Front Porch, steak, lobster, you and me. No pressure, casual. It’s a done deal.”

A slow smile drifted across her face. “I’ll meet you there.” I had a lot of hope invested in that smile. I’d missed it over the years, so much that seeing it again on a regular basis had become somewhat of a life goal. I never wanted to lose her again.

“Good. I’m looking forward to it, Molly. More than I think you know.” I held the door of the shop open so she could exit, then turned my back to set the alarm.

I walked her to her car and stood there as she drove off. I’d given away too much again. I wanted to spend time with her tonight, but I had the feeling that pushing her about it would only push her away, so I let her go instead.