indiscretion and their marriage seems stronger than ever, but it was quite a scandal for a while.”
“I would imagine so,” Grant weighed in.
I wasn’t sure about adding this detail, but decided I might as well be completely honest. “I had a huge crush on Dean for a very long time, so it was hard for me when he chose to be with Josie, but I’m happy for them now.”
Grant’s expression looked pained, but I wasn’t sure if it was in sympathy for my heartbreak or if it bothered him to hear about my feelings for another man.
Deciding to try to lessen the blow, in case he cared, I added, “My best friend, Avery, Alex’s sister, helped me so much during that dark time, and it all ended up working out for the best.”
He spent several long moments mulling over all of the information I had just shared with him. When he finally spoke, his words couldn’t have surprised me more if he had suggested that we go naked cliff diving.
“So, in this odd little town, we have siblings Molly and Max; Danica and Dean; and Avery and Alex. Is there some kind of alliteration naming ordinance here?”
“Out of everything I just said, that is what you picked up on?” I lightly chastised him, but I was smiling because of his astute observation. Shaking my head, I said, “You know, I’ve spent my entire life here and never noticed that.”
“This is a strange place you call home, Molly Marie Malone,” he weighed in.
“I guess so,” I said as I stared down at my plate, holding the large spoon as I swirled a strand of pasta around my fork. When it came to me, I practically shouted their names, “Claire and Meg! They are sisters, and their names don’t start with the same letter.”
“Have them thrown out of town immediately!” He joked before adding, “It’s funny that it took you that long to think of one non-alliterative sibling set.”
I nodded before telling him, “Meg was one of the cops that showed up on your first day of filming to hold back the unruly crowd. She’s married to a country star you might have bumped into at some of your hoity-toity celebrity events… Levi Ryan.”
“I’ve heard of him,” Grant nodded his head before saying, “Wait, this woman’s name is Meg Ryan? Like the actress??”
“Do not bring that up when you meet her. I learned the hard way that it infuriates her to no end to be compared to anyone else––even a beautiful and talented actress––and no one wants to see Meg get angry. She’s an absolute fireball.”
I slurped the end of a pasta noodle into my mouth and hoped I didn’t look like too much a hick to Grant as I swiped the white linen napkin across my face.
“This town…” He stared up at the clear, star-filled sky before adding, “How could I keep from being utterly charmed?”
32
Grant
After our dinner plates were swept away, decadent slices of warm chocolate cake with raspberry drizzle were delivered for dessert. I enjoyed watching Molly eat it so much that I didn’t even bother with my own.
“You’ve gotta try this,” she said around a mouthful of gooey cake.
I took a couple of bites, but food wasn’t what I was interested in right then. The ecstatic noises Molly was making as she enjoyed her dessert were sending what felt like nearly all of my blood flowing straight to my crotch.
After shoving my barely-touched dessert plate away, I steepled my hands and rested my chin on them as I openly watched her eat.
“What?” she asked when she noticed me staring.
She had a bit of chocolate on her cheek that I was desperate to lick off, but she was too far away.
“Do you have anything you’d like to ask me?”
She stopped chewing and stared back at me. After swallowing loudly enough that I could hear it across the table, she said, “Yes, lots of things, but some of them are quite personal.”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” I responded, trusting her fully.
“Well, there’s one thing in particular that I’ve been curious about for a while now.”
Her cheeks flushed bright red, which made me incredibly curious what was coming. When she remained quiet for a long while, I gave her a quick nod of my head to encourage her to go on.
After taking a hefty gulp of her wine, she said, “Well, I’m not really sure how extensive your injuries are. So, I was wondering if… I mean, can