Hotshot and Hospitality by Nora Everly
Chapter 3
Garrett
Halfway out to my truck I realized I was smiling, and I quickly wiped it off my face. Molly probably didn’t remember any of what had happened between us last night. If one of the two people involved in a situation didn’t know it occurred, then it had to be like that tree-falling-in-the-woods thing, meaning nothing happened and I had no reason to smile this morning. With a heave, I tossed my tool bag into the back of my old Chevy truck, then climbed inside the cab. But that didn’t mean something couldn’t happen in the future. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of her over the years. I thought of her a lot, even when I shouldn’t have, even when I was engaged to someone else. Molly had been an integral part of my life growing up—until she wasn’t.
My family owned Monroe & Sons, a construction company located in Green Valley, passed from father to son and serving this community for over sixty years. My brother, Barrett, the oldest, was our architect. Everett, our carpenter, had switched to part time to open a gamer shop in town, and Wyatt wasn’t part of the business at all; he was a Green Valley deputy sheriff. Currently, I was a foreman with my own crew, but after my father retired, I would take over—we’d signed papers on Friday to make it all official. I had always expected to share the responsibility with my brothers, but I was the only one of us interested in running the business. The thought of handling it by myself was daunting, but I enjoyed learning the ropes from my father. I also knew, no matter what my mother said, he would never retire until he was good and ready. I figured I had at least a decade left to learn from him.
When I turned eighteen my immediate goal had been to get away from Green Valley. I wanted to be and see and do something else. My brothers had grown up with clear ambitions, some of which were outside of joining the family business. Not me. I had always wanted to end up working for my father, I had no doubts about that. But before I joined the company, I needed to be more than just the youngest Monroe boy, more than my family’s reputation. After college I enlisted in the Marines with the goal of becoming a combat engineer, and I did it. Returning to Green Valley was like slipping into a warm bath: comforting, familiar, safe, but boring. I think I forgot how to live when I came back here.
This morning was one of those rare times since leaving the Marines that it felt like something different was on the horizon. This felt so much better than the steady monotony I had allowed myself to sink into when I returned to town almost four years ago. I had been one of the lucky ones, managing to get through my service relatively unscathed and unencumbered by the harsh memories that plagued so many others.
Gravel crunched under my tires as I turned my old truck around to head for the highway, wincing as the sun hit my windshield to momentarily blind me. When my vision cleared, it was met by the majesty of Green Valley in the fall. Colorful trees rose in the mist as the elevation dropped and the road wound down toward town. It was peaceful and familiar; it was home. Despite the boredom, I never wanted to leave again.
I stopped at Daisy’s Nut House for coffee on my way to the inn. I needed something to keep me awake. I’d suffered from insomnia off and on since I was a kid, but lately it was nonstop. If it kept up, I would be forced to take a sick day just to get some sleep. I was exhausted and already struggling to keep my eyes open.
Once I was out of the hills, the drive to the inn went quick. Traffic was sparse since it was so early.
Briefly, I wondered how Molly was feeling. An involuntary grin crossed my face as I recalled her words when I dropped her off, “I love your almost-beard. When did you get so sexy, Garrett?” She had hugged me and mumbled loudly into my chest, then snapped a selfie before she went inside her house. There was no way she’d remember what she said; she’d been too drunk. But I couldn’t get her words out of my mind.
Maybe this change in outlook was due to Molly?
Or maybe it was because being around her last night had evoked memories of a time in my life that existed before I had strayed so far away from what I had wanted to be. I had wanted to see the world and then settle down with a family, to have a wife and kids of my own. I wanted a life like my parents had. But here I was, thirty years old with none of those things. Maybe my ex had left me gun-shy. Or maybe I just needed to relearn how to love the simple things in life and appreciate the fact that I was lucky enough to still have one.
I rolled my window down to let the soft breeze fill the cab of my truck. Along with the whiff of fresh mountain air, I caught the scent of Molly’s perfume still lingering on my jacket, warm and sweet, like night-blooming jasmine and tequila or a summer breeze. She was an irresistible cocktail I wanted to drink all the way down. I never knew she smelled so good. I never knew her skin was so soft and that her lips tasted so sweet. I had never allowed myself to fully imagine a lot of things when it came to her.
The last time I’d actually touched her was to give her a hug at her dad’s funeral. The girl I grew up with had been a tiny bag of bones, full of planes and angles, and always willing to throw an elbow whenever I pissed her off. This Molly had curves for days, was warm and soft pressed against me when I held her, and made me ache to feel even more.
After pulling into the inn’s parking lot, I stopped alongside my oldest brother Barrett’s truck and spotted my father’s cargo van next to it. My crew would be here within the hour. I always arrived on-site early, especially on the first day of a job. We didn’t usually work on weekends but would sometimes make exceptions to keep our scheduling on track or for special clients like Molly’s family.
“Hey there, Garrett!” My eyes shot to the porch and widened when I saw Clara Hill sitting on a rocking chair sipping coffee and grinning at me like she knew all my secrets. Between Molly, Leo, and Willa, she probably did.
“Mornin’, Clara,” I greeted as I made my way to the porch.
“It’s been awhile.” She tilted her head and grinned at me. “I think we last saw each other at Genie’s when you asked me to dance and paid for my drinks all night so you could grill me all about our mutual friend, little miss Molly. Was that it?”
I felt my cheeks heat. Had I been that obvious? “I suppose it was,” I hedged. Clara was a person who would have the upper hand in whatever situation she found herself in, and I envied that about her. We weren’t quite friends back in school, but I liked how good she always was to Molly. Clara was loyal and I respected that. But it didn’t mean I was above pumping her for information. “How’s Molly doing?”
“Currently, she’s stuffing her face with scones and mainlining coffee in the kitchen with your dad and Barrett. She’s hungover, but she’ll live. Her date stood her up last night. Pity, isn’t it?” Her eyes darted to the side as she set her mug on the table next to the swing.
I narrowed my eyes as I took the seat across from her on a bench. “Yeah, she was pretty mad about it. And drunk.”
“She’ll get over it. She didn’t want to go out with him in the first place, you know.”
“Really?”
A small smile crossed her face. “Yep, really.” She stood up and grabbed her purse from the seat. “I had wanted to stay and watch y’all rip up the kitchen, but I just remembered I have a previous engagement. Be gentle with our girl—she hasn’t had a hangover since way back in high school. Oh, and tell your momma hi for me.”
“Okay . . .” This entire conversation felt like she was trying to tell me something without saying it outright, but I couldn’t figure out what. The thought left my mind when Molly stepped onto the porch. “Molly, hey.” I stood, while Clara laughed softly to herself and Molly lifted her chin in my direction.
“Molls, I just remembered I have somewhere I need to be. I’ll text you later.”
“You can’t leave!” Molly protested. “What about your man-candy? Barrett just told me they hired one of their cousins from Knoxville. He should be here any minute. And guess what! His name is Chris.”
“Damn, seriously?” She looked pained but determined. “Next time! I gotta run. Bye, y’all.” She darted down the steps, got into her car, and left.
Molly finally met my eyes, then quickly looked down. “So . . .”
I took a step closer. “How are you today?” I raised my voice slightly so she would be sure to hear me.
Her eyes popped up to mine as her lips quirked in a smile. “I’m fine. Uh, Barrett and your dad are inside with Landon and Leo going over the kitchen plans—” She gestured behind herself to the door and stepped aside to let me pass.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh, okay. About what?”
My brain blanked out as I stood there looking at her. She was so pretty in the early morning sunlight. The hints of gold in her brown eyes sparkled, distracting me. Flirting was usually second nature to me; I could do it without thinking. I supposed that was the problem. I thought about Molly entirely too much for my own good, and I always had. “Well, would you like to—”
The door swung open and bounced off Molly’s butt. “Oh, excuse me, honey!” My dad’s rumbling laugh filled the porch as he patted Molly on the head. “I didn’t hurt ya, did I?” My dad considered himself an old-fashioned southern hard-ass, but on the inside, he was mush. He’d always had a soft spot for Molly, especially after her dad died. Our fathers had grown up together as best friends and remained that way as adults. Most of our childhood weekends were spent grilling out in one of our backyards while our parents chatted and us kids ran crazy.
“I’m okay.” She laughed and patted her behind. “I have plenty of padding back there.” God yes, she had plenty of padding back there. I would like to put her in my truck, drive her home and get a handful of that padding right now. Two handfuls in fact, one of each sexy cheek. Last night had flipped a switch in me. The fact that the switch even existed at all should have been the first clue that my feelings for her were stronger than I had ever been willing to admit. Maybe I hadn’t been just playing around when I proposed to her when we turned six.
Dad smiled and gripped my shoulder as he passed me to step off the porch to go to his truck. “I’m headed to the Bandit Lake site. I’ll try to swing back here after lunch. Bye, you two.”
“Later, Dad.”
My head swung to the door as Leo’s smiling face appeared. “Yo, Garrett! I just tried out a new scone recipe. You want?” A smile crossed my face as he joined Molly and me.
“Sure, man, and the chocolate soufflé turned out great. I dusted the sides of the pan with cocoa powder just like you said.”
“Told you. I have all the tricks. I’ll be the go-to food-nerd for all your stress-baking inquiries.”
“You bake?” Molly looked surprised.
I nodded in response as Leo answered for me. “He’s full of insomnia and hot-guy angst. It’s getting pretty serious.”
“You can’t sleep? Still?” At her look of concern, my chest started to feel warm. Shit, I couldn’t have feelings like this so fast. It had to be the coffee I just pounded on the drive down here.
“Yeah, still. Some things will never change. We should catch up.”
“Yes, y’all should have dinner together. Garrett, make her the five-cheese soufflé. Molly is in love with cheese, as I’m sure you remember.”
“Hey! I’m not in love with cheese. Do I love it? Yes, but we’re not in a relationship or anything—I can see other foods whenever I want.”
I chuckled. “You dust the pan with butter and grated parm for this one. You’ll love it. I’ll make it tomorrow night at my place. You can ride home with me after work.”
“What? I . . . wait, what—?”
Molly’s head whipped to Leo as he chimed in. “Perfect! She’ll bring the veg. I’ll make my spinach salad. Molls is not a cook.”
“Hey—”
“Sounds good. Is this all okay with you, Molly?” It occurred to me I should actually ask her, and not let Leo speak for her. Molly wasn’t like other women. And I didn’t mean that in the sexist way that would make my mother slap me upside my head if she heard me utter those words, either. I knew Molly as a kid. We used to be close, and that made her different. I was torn between the desire to flirt with her and wanting to run off with her to play Mario Kart. It was confusing and exhilarating all at the same time. I wanted to make out with her just as much as I wanted to bust out the Uno cards and kick her ass in a game.
“Y’all are going too fast for me to keep up!” she complained.
“Molly, would you like to have dinner at my place tomorrow?” I grinned at her.
She puffed out a sigh. “I can’t. I’m babysitting Abbie tomorrow night. And maybe having dinner together isn’t such a good idea after—” She turned to Leo. “Go inside for a minute, please?”
The sigh that came out of Leo was almost as disappointed as I was beginning to feel. “Molly, don’t—” he started.
“Please?” she murmured.
“Okay, sure thing.” He stepped behind her toward the door and she turned back to face me, but before he went inside, Leo mouthed flirt with her to me and batted his eyelashes. I stifled a laugh and studied her face, which had that same stubborn look she used to get when we used to play video games together in my parents’ basement. Something was bothering her. I doubted she remembered much about last night; that’s probably what it was.
“It doesn’t have to be tomorrow,” I said.
“I . . . think we should steer clear of each other for a while. I don’t exactly remember last night. But I have feelings. I have impressions, Garrett, and I think we need to stay away from each other so we can still be friends.”
“You realize that makes no sense.”
“It doesn’t have to make sense when it’s how I think I feel.”
“How you think you feel? But you don’t know for sure?”
“I have a picture of us on my cell phone. I hugged you, I feel like maybe we kissed, and I don’t want to wreck the friendship we have left—”
“You worry too much,” I argued.
Her hands hit her hips as she scowled at me. “You don’t worry enough! You never did.”
“I have to go to my truck. My crew will be here any minute. We can talk about dinner later.”
“We aren’t having dinner. Unless our families are there, just like we used to do. We shouldn’t be alone.”
“Maybe we need to be alone. I remember last night, and clearly. I did kiss you, briefly. Just a peck. You were drunk, and I probably shouldn’t have done it, but Jackie was at the table getting in your face about being stood up. I wanted to shut her up. I kissed you without thinking and I’m sorry. You hugged me goodbye on your porch. You told me you liked my beard and you called me sexy before you went inside. Nothing else happened between us. You made me feel good, Molly, and I want to have dinner with you. I want to know you again—what’s wrong with that?” All my cards, just thrown all over the fucking table.
Shit.
I turned away from her and stalked down the porch steps, stopping at the bed of my truck to get ready to start work. I grabbed my tool belt and strapped it on while I waited to hear whatever she was about to say. She had me flustered and feeling like I did when we were teenagers and she’d avoided me.
“Okay, maybe we should talk,” she shouted as she stomped down the stairs toward me. “We’re friends. Garrett and Molly are friends—that’s who we are.” She waved her hand between us as she yelled. “So, yes, we can get together, but no flirting and no date sorta situation. We can talk like friends do over lunch at Daisy’s or something like that. We can order cheeseburgers with lots of onions. No-kissing food, because there will be no more kissing. Okay?”
“I don’t kiss anyone who doesn’t want it. You don’t need onions to keep me away from you. But I’m just saying, if we were together and you wanted my kisses, onion breath wouldn’t stop me—nothing would. I would make sure you had everything you needed from me. Everything.”
I saw her sharp inhale; I watched her cheeks flush and her lips part. Her half-mast eyes and the fact that her hand had drifted up her chest to stop at her neck told me all I needed to know. I let my eyes wander down her curvy little form and back up again as a slow smile crossed my face. “I like your hair. The bun is cute.” She resembled a Hershey’s Kiss with her chocolate brown hair pulled into a knot at the top of her head. Completely adorable and probably sweet as hell.
She gasped like I had called her a troll or something equally terrible. “It is not! This bun is non-flirty and definitely the polar opposite of cute. My great-aunt Belle sometimes wears her hair like this and she’s at least ninety! Take it back.”
“You’re using Annabell Cooper as your defense?” I scoffed. “Everyone knows she’s the biggest flirt in Green Valley! And I will not take it back. By the way, your attitude is only making you cuter. Something told me that warning you of this fact would be interesting.” Crossing my arms, I leaned back against the bed of my truck to watch her. I had no doubt her reaction to my statement would be memorable.
“You’re impossible! Just like always!” She flung her arms to the sides, huffed out a breath and whirled away from me to storm off toward the inn.
“And you’re adorable, cutie!” I shouted to her back, making sure I was loud enough for her to hear me. I smiled as I flashed to when she used to call me a buttface and stomp into the house whenever I beat her playing basketball in my parents’ driveway, almost twenty years ago. Damn.
“Ugh! No flirting allowed! And don’t call me cutie, buttface!” she shouted before turning to stomp up the porch steps.
I chuckled as she spun around to face me once more, flinging her hand up and down, then pointing at me. “You think you’re some big hotshot because you used to be a badass Marine and now you’re a big, buff construction guy in a tight, sexy T-shirt with a super cool tool belt. Well, you’re hot. I mean, you’re not. You’re still a buttface, Garrett.”
Getting to know her again was absolutely going to be the most fun I’d had in years.