Hope Burns
Page 12
It was a good-sized limo, but there were quite a few of them in there, so it wasn’t like they could all spread out. Which meant Carter’s thigh was pressed alongside hers.
It had been twelve years since he’d touched her. Since she’d touched him. In those last moments before she’d walked away from him forever, they’d shared tears and words neither of them could take back. Now, silence stood like an impenetrable steel wall between them.
“The wedding was good, huh?” he asked, obviously reaching for something, anything to say.
“You don’t have to talk to me.”
“We have to talk, Molly.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “No, we don’t.”
“There’s a lot that needs to be said.”
“No, there isn’t.” She purposely kept her voice low so the others wouldn’t hear their conversation. But damn if she’d smile at him.
Instead, she looked straight ahead, wishing she were seated near the window so she could focus on the scenery, and not the partition separating them from the driver. She couldn’t eavesdrop on everyone else’s conversations, because that would be rude, which meant her only recourse was to either talk to Carter, or stare ahead like a zombie.
And it was a twenty-five-minute drive to the reception venue.
Great. Maybe she should close her eyes and take a nap. Or maybe Carter would, since he’d had so much to drink the night before.
“Shouldn’t you be tired or something?” she finally asked him.
He frowned. “No. Why should I be tired?”
“You drank a lot last night.”
“Oh, that.” His lips curved, drawing her attention to the fullness of the bottom one, something she definitely did not want to look at, or remember. “Nah, I’m fine. Had a whopper of a headache this morning, a minute of panic when I couldn’t find Rhonda.”
“Rhonda is just fine, and parked in Luke’s garage.”
“Thanks for the rescue and the ride home, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” She looked away again, but then shot her attention back on him. “You wouldn’t have really driven home in your condition, would you?”
“No. I’d have either called a taxi or one of the guys to give me a ride. I am a responsible adult now, Molly.”
She snorted in disbelief, louder than she’d intended to, which caused nearly everyone in the limo to look her way.
Great.
“What’s so amusing over there?” Chelsea asked.
Searching for something . . . anything . . . she finally blurted out, “Oh, nothing. Carter told a joke.”
“Well, now you have to share,” Logan said.
“Was it a dirty joke?” Will asked, causing Jane to poke him in the ribs.
“Thanks a lot,” Carter whispered to her.
She clasped her hands together in her lap. “You’re so welcome.”
Now that everyone’s attention was focused on Carter, she could relax. And she could tell he was squirming, which made her even happier.
“Let’s see,” Carter said. “What was that joke again? Oh, right. I remember now. A husband and wife came back from their honeymoon, and they weren’t speaking to each other. The best man asked what was wrong.
“ ‘Well,’ the groom said. ‘When we made love the first night, I forgot what I was doing and left fifty bucks on the pillow.’ ”
“ ‘Ouch,’ said the best man. ‘I’m sure she’ll forgive you, though. Surely she couldn’t expect you to save yourself for marriage.’ ”
“ ‘It’s not that,’ said the groom. ‘The problem was, she gave me twenty bucks in change.’ ”
Despite herself, Molly snorted again, and everyone else laughed as well. She lifted her gaze to Carter, who winked at her.
Damn him. She wasn’t going to like him ever again. She was a lot more comfortable hating him. He’d been in that dark place in her heart for twelve years, and that’s where he was going to stay.
They arrived at the reception hall and there was a decided chill in the air. She was glad Emma had thought to have the matching long-sleeved shrugs added to their gowns, because she might need hers before the end of the night. October could be so unpredictable in Hope, and while the day had dawned warm and sunny, it was growing cooler in the evenings and these skimpy dresses weren’t going to provide much in the way of warmth.
They made their way into the reception area, and Molly took in all the beautiful decorations. Emma and their mom had seen to all the planning, with a lot of help from Martha and the bridesmaids as well. It was gorgeous, with abundant fall colors, including eggplant and burnt orange as well as deep yellows and browns. Champagne was flowing and the bar was open. People were filing in and the deejay was already playing music.
Molly made her way to the bar to get a glass of wine. She met her dad there.
“How’s it going, sweetheart?”
“Fine, Dad. How about you?”
“Happy to have one of my baby girls married. And how about you?”
“Happy to not be one of your baby girls who got married today.”
He laughed, then put an arm around her and tugged her close. “Plenty of time for that. You just haven’t found your knight in shining armor yet.”
She didn’t want to tell her father she didn’t believe that knight existed, so she just nodded. “Right.”
It had been twelve years since he’d touched her. Since she’d touched him. In those last moments before she’d walked away from him forever, they’d shared tears and words neither of them could take back. Now, silence stood like an impenetrable steel wall between them.
“The wedding was good, huh?” he asked, obviously reaching for something, anything to say.
“You don’t have to talk to me.”
“We have to talk, Molly.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “No, we don’t.”
“There’s a lot that needs to be said.”
“No, there isn’t.” She purposely kept her voice low so the others wouldn’t hear their conversation. But damn if she’d smile at him.
Instead, she looked straight ahead, wishing she were seated near the window so she could focus on the scenery, and not the partition separating them from the driver. She couldn’t eavesdrop on everyone else’s conversations, because that would be rude, which meant her only recourse was to either talk to Carter, or stare ahead like a zombie.
And it was a twenty-five-minute drive to the reception venue.
Great. Maybe she should close her eyes and take a nap. Or maybe Carter would, since he’d had so much to drink the night before.
“Shouldn’t you be tired or something?” she finally asked him.
He frowned. “No. Why should I be tired?”
“You drank a lot last night.”
“Oh, that.” His lips curved, drawing her attention to the fullness of the bottom one, something she definitely did not want to look at, or remember. “Nah, I’m fine. Had a whopper of a headache this morning, a minute of panic when I couldn’t find Rhonda.”
“Rhonda is just fine, and parked in Luke’s garage.”
“Thanks for the rescue and the ride home, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” She looked away again, but then shot her attention back on him. “You wouldn’t have really driven home in your condition, would you?”
“No. I’d have either called a taxi or one of the guys to give me a ride. I am a responsible adult now, Molly.”
She snorted in disbelief, louder than she’d intended to, which caused nearly everyone in the limo to look her way.
Great.
“What’s so amusing over there?” Chelsea asked.
Searching for something . . . anything . . . she finally blurted out, “Oh, nothing. Carter told a joke.”
“Well, now you have to share,” Logan said.
“Was it a dirty joke?” Will asked, causing Jane to poke him in the ribs.
“Thanks a lot,” Carter whispered to her.
She clasped her hands together in her lap. “You’re so welcome.”
Now that everyone’s attention was focused on Carter, she could relax. And she could tell he was squirming, which made her even happier.
“Let’s see,” Carter said. “What was that joke again? Oh, right. I remember now. A husband and wife came back from their honeymoon, and they weren’t speaking to each other. The best man asked what was wrong.
“ ‘Well,’ the groom said. ‘When we made love the first night, I forgot what I was doing and left fifty bucks on the pillow.’ ”
“ ‘Ouch,’ said the best man. ‘I’m sure she’ll forgive you, though. Surely she couldn’t expect you to save yourself for marriage.’ ”
“ ‘It’s not that,’ said the groom. ‘The problem was, she gave me twenty bucks in change.’ ”
Despite herself, Molly snorted again, and everyone else laughed as well. She lifted her gaze to Carter, who winked at her.
Damn him. She wasn’t going to like him ever again. She was a lot more comfortable hating him. He’d been in that dark place in her heart for twelve years, and that’s where he was going to stay.
They arrived at the reception hall and there was a decided chill in the air. She was glad Emma had thought to have the matching long-sleeved shrugs added to their gowns, because she might need hers before the end of the night. October could be so unpredictable in Hope, and while the day had dawned warm and sunny, it was growing cooler in the evenings and these skimpy dresses weren’t going to provide much in the way of warmth.
They made their way into the reception area, and Molly took in all the beautiful decorations. Emma and their mom had seen to all the planning, with a lot of help from Martha and the bridesmaids as well. It was gorgeous, with abundant fall colors, including eggplant and burnt orange as well as deep yellows and browns. Champagne was flowing and the bar was open. People were filing in and the deejay was already playing music.
Molly made her way to the bar to get a glass of wine. She met her dad there.
“How’s it going, sweetheart?”
“Fine, Dad. How about you?”
“Happy to have one of my baby girls married. And how about you?”
“Happy to not be one of your baby girls who got married today.”
He laughed, then put an arm around her and tugged her close. “Plenty of time for that. You just haven’t found your knight in shining armor yet.”
She didn’t want to tell her father she didn’t believe that knight existed, so she just nodded. “Right.”
