Hope Burns
Page 4
Luke passed her, giving her a peck on the cheek as he made his way into the kitchen. “I was. Taco Bueno has become one of our favorite places to eat, especially on nights when we both have to work late.”
Molly inhaled the scent of flavored meat and beans. “I can’t tell you how many of those tacos and bean burritos I ate when I was in high school.”
That, at least, was one memory that wasn’t painful.
“Not as many as I did,” Emma said, coming out to greet Luke with a swift kiss. Her hair was still wet and she’d changed into yoga pants and a tank top.
“Did you go to a tanning salon?” Molly asked.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “No. But I’m trying out a spray tan. What do you think? Too orange?”
“No. Actually, it looks really good on you. I hate you for that.”
Emma grabbed plates and Luke poured tea for both of them, then they pulled up seats at the kitchen table. “I don’t know why. You’re tan. Have you been swimming or something?”
“There’s a pool at my condo. It’s my leftover-from-summer tan.”
“Oh. Perfect. You have that sun-kissed look. Not surprising since you live down south now. The weather must be great in Austin.”
“It’s good there. I like it.”
Emma grabbed a taco. “For now, right?”
Molly shot her an enigmatic smile. “For now. I have a great job doing accounting and marketing for a music company. You should visit. It’s an amazing city.”
“We should. When the dust settles post–wedding and honeymoon, we’ll take a road trip. If you’re still there.” Emma winked.
“Great.” It was a known fact that Molly never spent more than six months to a year in one spot. Then, wanderlust or an uncomfortable itch to move on set in—she tried to never put a label on it—and she’d find yet another job in another city.
It made her parents crazy, and it worried Emma. But for Molly, it had become the norm. She liked moving around. It gave her a chance to see different parts of the country. What was so wrong about that?
She bit into the burrito and rolled her eyes heavenward. After she swallowed, she looked at Emma and Luke. “I missed these—so much.”
“I imagine you get some great burritos in Austin,” Emma said.
“Oh, definitely. And I know these are from a fast-food chain and all, but Taco Bueno has memories associated with it.”
Emma grinned. “Stopping for a taco after school.”
“And on Friday nights,” Molly said with a grin. “It just reminds me of home.”
“You wouldn’t miss them if you’d come home once in a while.”
She answered with a shrug. “I’m here now. And they were worth the wait.”
They ate and she listened to Emma and Luke discuss their days. She and Emma talked at least once a week, so she was familiar with their jobs. Luke was busy as a local cop in Hope, and Emma had her hands full running the vet clinic. They were both successful, and ridiculously in love with each other. Luke scraped taco sauce off the corner of Emma’s mouth, and Emma listened intently to Luke’s story about a rear-end collision he’d worked today, offering sympathy as he told them about one of the occupants’ injuries.
The way Emma looked at Luke was the same way Molly used to look at—
No point in going there. That had been a long time ago. She never even thought about him anymore.
“So tell me what’s on the agenda for this wedding shindig,” Molly said after they cleaned up the remnants of their fast-food fest. Luke had taken the dogs outside, leaving Emma and Molly to catch up in the living room.
“You and I are going to head to the bridal salon for a final fitting tomorrow. We should be fine, and we’ll bring the dresses home. Ours will go to Mom’s, of course, because we’ll be getting ready there the day of the wedding. Oh, and we’re meeting Jane and Chelsea at the bridal shop.”
“Okay.”
“Luke’s brother Reid flies in from Boston tomorrow as well, but Luke’s taking care of picking him up. The rehearsal dinner is Friday, then the wedding at the country club on Saturday. We’re going to do a brunch Sunday with the families, then Luke and I head out on Monday for Hawaii.”
Molly grinned. “My guess is that you and Luke are way more excited about Hawaii than anything else.”
Emma laughed. “You would guess right. Though I am looking forward to being married. Finally. It’s taken a lot of planning, but it’s going to happen.”
Molly grasped her hand. “I’m so happy for the two of you, Em. Luke’s a great guy.”
“He is. And thanks. I want the same thing for you, Moll.”
“Oh, well. You know, I’m not even close to being ready to settle down.”
“And why is that? With all the traveling you’ve done, haven’t you found one place that suits you yet? Or a guy who makes you want to put down roots?”
“Uh, no.” There’d never be a guy who’d make her want to stay in one place. Never. She’d planted her flag in a guy’s heart once, and love had devastated her. She never wanted to go there again. “I like my freedom too much.”
“And speaking of guys . . . you are aware Carter is in the wedding, right?”
Just the mention of his name made her pulse kick up several beats. “Of course. You told me.”
“I know you two broke up in high school, but you’ve never talked about it.”
Molly inhaled the scent of flavored meat and beans. “I can’t tell you how many of those tacos and bean burritos I ate when I was in high school.”
That, at least, was one memory that wasn’t painful.
“Not as many as I did,” Emma said, coming out to greet Luke with a swift kiss. Her hair was still wet and she’d changed into yoga pants and a tank top.
“Did you go to a tanning salon?” Molly asked.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “No. But I’m trying out a spray tan. What do you think? Too orange?”
“No. Actually, it looks really good on you. I hate you for that.”
Emma grabbed plates and Luke poured tea for both of them, then they pulled up seats at the kitchen table. “I don’t know why. You’re tan. Have you been swimming or something?”
“There’s a pool at my condo. It’s my leftover-from-summer tan.”
“Oh. Perfect. You have that sun-kissed look. Not surprising since you live down south now. The weather must be great in Austin.”
“It’s good there. I like it.”
Emma grabbed a taco. “For now, right?”
Molly shot her an enigmatic smile. “For now. I have a great job doing accounting and marketing for a music company. You should visit. It’s an amazing city.”
“We should. When the dust settles post–wedding and honeymoon, we’ll take a road trip. If you’re still there.” Emma winked.
“Great.” It was a known fact that Molly never spent more than six months to a year in one spot. Then, wanderlust or an uncomfortable itch to move on set in—she tried to never put a label on it—and she’d find yet another job in another city.
It made her parents crazy, and it worried Emma. But for Molly, it had become the norm. She liked moving around. It gave her a chance to see different parts of the country. What was so wrong about that?
She bit into the burrito and rolled her eyes heavenward. After she swallowed, she looked at Emma and Luke. “I missed these—so much.”
“I imagine you get some great burritos in Austin,” Emma said.
“Oh, definitely. And I know these are from a fast-food chain and all, but Taco Bueno has memories associated with it.”
Emma grinned. “Stopping for a taco after school.”
“And on Friday nights,” Molly said with a grin. “It just reminds me of home.”
“You wouldn’t miss them if you’d come home once in a while.”
She answered with a shrug. “I’m here now. And they were worth the wait.”
They ate and she listened to Emma and Luke discuss their days. She and Emma talked at least once a week, so she was familiar with their jobs. Luke was busy as a local cop in Hope, and Emma had her hands full running the vet clinic. They were both successful, and ridiculously in love with each other. Luke scraped taco sauce off the corner of Emma’s mouth, and Emma listened intently to Luke’s story about a rear-end collision he’d worked today, offering sympathy as he told them about one of the occupants’ injuries.
The way Emma looked at Luke was the same way Molly used to look at—
No point in going there. That had been a long time ago. She never even thought about him anymore.
“So tell me what’s on the agenda for this wedding shindig,” Molly said after they cleaned up the remnants of their fast-food fest. Luke had taken the dogs outside, leaving Emma and Molly to catch up in the living room.
“You and I are going to head to the bridal salon for a final fitting tomorrow. We should be fine, and we’ll bring the dresses home. Ours will go to Mom’s, of course, because we’ll be getting ready there the day of the wedding. Oh, and we’re meeting Jane and Chelsea at the bridal shop.”
“Okay.”
“Luke’s brother Reid flies in from Boston tomorrow as well, but Luke’s taking care of picking him up. The rehearsal dinner is Friday, then the wedding at the country club on Saturday. We’re going to do a brunch Sunday with the families, then Luke and I head out on Monday for Hawaii.”
Molly grinned. “My guess is that you and Luke are way more excited about Hawaii than anything else.”
Emma laughed. “You would guess right. Though I am looking forward to being married. Finally. It’s taken a lot of planning, but it’s going to happen.”
Molly grasped her hand. “I’m so happy for the two of you, Em. Luke’s a great guy.”
“He is. And thanks. I want the same thing for you, Moll.”
“Oh, well. You know, I’m not even close to being ready to settle down.”
“And why is that? With all the traveling you’ve done, haven’t you found one place that suits you yet? Or a guy who makes you want to put down roots?”
“Uh, no.” There’d never be a guy who’d make her want to stay in one place. Never. She’d planted her flag in a guy’s heart once, and love had devastated her. She never wanted to go there again. “I like my freedom too much.”
“And speaking of guys . . . you are aware Carter is in the wedding, right?”
Just the mention of his name made her pulse kick up several beats. “Of course. You told me.”
“I know you two broke up in high school, but you’ve never talked about it.”
