Hotshot and Hospitality by Nora Everly

Chapter 32

Garrett

I stood dressed in my best suit with my back against the side of my truck. The inn was lit up brighter than daylight. The kitchen completion party was in full swing, but I couldn’t bring myself to go inside. Not with the way I had left things with Molly. She deserved better than to have me pressure her the way I had. I was better than that, dammit.

She had gone through something I had yet to understand and it hurt her in ways I could not begin to comprehend. Landon’s words flashed through my mind. He had told me to forgive her if she couldn’t let her feelings out. There was nothing to forgive, I had agreed to indefinite un-dating. It wasn’t her fault I had wanted to change the deal.

Bypassing the side kitchen door, I went around to the front of the inn. Balloons and streamers and twinkle lights decorated the path to the main entrance and all along the porch. Landon and Leo had outdone themselves. Party guests were lingering in small groups, eating, drinking, and chatting. I saw several Monroe & Sons employees who I greeted as I passed. But inside the huge formal banquet room of the inn was who I was looking for.

Surrounded by our families, Molly stood in the corner, next to Leo and Clara. She was stunning in a silky red dress that flowed almost to her feet, with a neckline and side slit that should be illegal. She was gorgeous.

I had to get her to notice me without drawing attention to the fact that I needed her. Maybe I could get to her through Leo or Clara. I waved, and Leo caught my eye and elbowed Molly’s arm with a sideways grin. Clara also grinned and leaned back against the wall as if to watch.

Molly caught my eye, and with a tremulous smile, headed my way, her high heels clicking over the gleaming wood floor. I looked toward the exit, thinking of leaving so she would follow, but she shook her head and I froze in place.

I backed up.

She continued walking.

I kept backing up.

I was still trying valiantly to keep this secret between the two of us. My eyes darted around the room at the grinning faces of our families and friends, but she didn’t stop coming at me until she had my back against the wall. At my raised-eyebrow look of alarm, she smiled.

“Are you okay?” I mouthed.

“I love you, Garrett Monroe,” she declared, and it was loud. Heads that weren’t already facing us immediately turned in our direction, because of course. This was Green Valley and everyone else’s business was always way more interesting. “I love you with all my heart and I want to be with you and only you. I want to marry you someday and carry your babies. I don’t care if I turn into a roly-poly ball and have to eat weird-ass pickle food or a whole entire freakin’ cow. I love you and I choose you and—”

She turned to the room to shout, “I love him.” Her hand flew back into my chest, I took it to kiss her palm with a grin. “I’ve never not loved him for my whole entire life! We’ve been secretly dating ever since he kissed me at Genie’s and that’s the truth. He only kept it a secret because I asked him to. Because I was scared to mess up and lose him and scared to lose y’all. I’m still scared, but mostly—” She spun back to face me. “I—I hurt you and I messed everything up anyway, Garrett. Please forgive me. Please—” Tears flowed down her cheeks and her shoulders trembled as she stood there in front of me, beautiful as could be and radiant with her heart on display, wide open for everyone to see.

“Enough. Molly, baby, hush,” I said, putting my finger to her lips. I had to let her know my heart felt the same way. “I love you too. I’ve always loved you, and I’ll go right on loving you for the rest of my life.” She covered her face as her shoulders shook with sobs and excited chatter filled the room.

We needed out of here, so I swept her into my arms. “Always, cutie,” I said into her ear as I carried her out of the banquet room, through the side door and out to the rose garden.

“We heard!” Jordan hollered as I passed him. He was kicking a ball around on the lawn with Cam, Abbie, Melissa, and Sadie’s boys. “I’m happy for y’all. Kids! Everyone, inside!” he yelled.

“Yup, it’s gonna get loud up in that treehouse, right, Molls?” Cam hooted as he helped Jordan usher the kids inside the inn.

“Oh, god! Go to my house, Garrett,” she murmured into my chest, where she was still hiding her face.

“You got it, baby.” I changed course and jogged towards the back of the property to her little carriage house.

We made it to the porch, and I set her down. “Frick!” she shrieked through her tears. “It’s locked and my keys are at the inn in my stupid cute purse that goes with this dress. Ugh!” She spun around. “Kick that door in. You know, like in a movie. Kick it, Garrett. You can fix it later. I’ll even pay you.”

I burst out laughing, then caught a glance at her chest, heaving up and down.

Her in that sexy red dress.

A semi-public declaration of love.

My dream come true.

Who gave a damn about a broken door?

I kicked it in.

“After you, cutie.” I swept my arm out for her to precede me. I followed her in and propped the door up enough so it would sort of close. “I love you, Molly.”

“I love you too.” She rushed toward me, sliding her hands up my chest to grip the lapels of my suit jacket. “This is precious to me, Garrett. Too precious to destroy. This is everything I’ve always wanted and I’m sorry it took me so long to see what you saw.”

I took her hands in mine, kissing each one before placing them back on my chest. “Believe this, please. It’s always been you for me, Molly. Even when I couldn’t have you, it’s been you. For fucking always, okay?”

“Okay, Garrett. I believe you.”

“Be sure. Right now, be sure. Because there’s no going back after tonight. I won’t allow it.”

“I don’t want to go back. I only want you. I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember knowing what love was. I was just too scared.” Her breath hitched on another sob.

“Take a breath, baby. I’m here now and everything will be okay.” I let my hands drift down her cheeks, resting them against her neck. “You and me, Molly. This is where we start and it’s never going to end.”

“I don’t want it to end.” Those words were a promise. They filled a hole inside me, one that I hadn’t known was there until she came back into my life, bringing smiles and laughter and fun right along with her.

“Good.” I drew her closer, tipping her face up to mine with my thumbs beneath her chin. “I’m going to kiss you now. Then I’m going to take you to bed. And after this, I’m never going to be without you ever again. I can’t sleep without you. I can’t be without you. You belong with me, and you always have.”

“Yes, Garrett. Yes, to everything. All of it, please . . .” The tears were back, shimmering in her eyes like bursts of starlight. She was mine and I would never let her go. Never again.

“This is forever, Molly.”

“Forever . . .” she repeated as her eyes drifted closed. I took her mouth, then bent to sweep her into my arms again to carry her to bed.