performance, but he had to be honest with himself. The only action he’d had since leaving his wife was his hand. And sinking into Molly was soft, warm, wet—a little slice of heaven. She didn’t complain, though. She seemed to fall over the edge into total bliss as fast as he did.
She hadn’t stayed the night as he’d hoped. He’d begged her to let him see her Sunday, but she was working a double.
He’d made a call to his real estate agent to give him a heads up on Molly’s plans. His agent was surprised that Molly’s realtor had agreed to it, but in the meantime they needed to get back out there. Luke hadn’t set up another appointment yet. At this point, he wasn’t sure he even wanted to buy. The only reason he had considered it before was for Sammy. He had an excellent landlord and cheap rent. Maybe staying put was the right thing for him at the moment.
The last French fry was gone, which meant he no longer had an excuse to hide out in the parking lot. He dragged himself out of the car and to the station. Normally, he loved his job, but this day he just wasn’t feeling it. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to everyone else’s problems—he had enough of his own.
He was greeted right away by Annie as he walked through the glass doors. “So…good news?”
He shook his head. “Not this time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not giving up.”
“That’s no surprise.” She laughed. “I left a file on your desk. Mrs. Scotts was in again today.”
He sighed. “What did her husband do now?”
“She arrived home five minutes late from work and he made her sleep outside.”
“Did he hit her?”
“Not this time.”
He grunted. “Then what can I do for her? I can go out there and talk to him and tell him that it wasn’t nice to do that, but he’s been managing his anger. I don’t understand why she stays with him.”
“I know, sir.”
“I’ll swing by their place when I leave tonight.”
She rested her hand on his shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. “You’re a good man. In the end, you’re going to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”
He chuckled. “Is that so? And when did you become a psychic?”
“In my spare time.” She winked.
He shook his head and grinned at her. Annie always knew how to make him smile. He then went toward his office to see what else had piled up on his desk while he’d been away.
* * *
Molly plopped down on her couch and waited for Sandy to join her. She placed her plate in her lap and stared down at the grilled cheese and pretzels. It wasn’t the most elegant meal, but it was perfect for the evening.
Sandy had brought over the latest movie from the book craze that hit recently with werewolves. This was the third movie in the series, and Molly had missed it in theaters. Sandy had picked up a copy the moment it came out and told her, since they were both off, they were watching the movie.
Molly was looking forward to seeing it. She’d read the book series and enjoyed it. Usually she wasn’t one for paranormal things, but the books had been well written.
Sandy joined her on the couch. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“You sound so thrilled. Hello…we get to see men with their shirts off through almost the whole movie. What could be better?”
Luke, with his shirt off. “Let’s get it started. I don’t want to start eating until it’s playing.”
Sandy picked up the remote and hit play. The movie started, and Molly hoped it would be a good distraction from the man crowding her mind.
By the time the movie was over, Molly had in fact forgotten Luke’s name for a few moments. Half-naked, muscled, and tanned men could do that. Though Luke naked topped the half-naked men any day.
“I can’t believe they ended it like that. Talk about a cliffhanger.” Sandy threw up her hands.
“You already knew that though—you saw it when it was playing at the theatre.” Molly reminded her.
“I had wishful thinking they’d add more.”
Molly giggled. “I’m sure they were going to do that for you.”
“You never know.”
Molly glanced at the coffee table. At some point during the movie, they’d finished off her ice cream. She was feeling stuffed. As she rubbed her belly, she wondered what Luke was doing. Ugh, she was sure she just grunted aloud.
“What’s up, girl?” Sandy asked.
“I can’t get my mind off a