I stayed for about an hour before I piled my dishes in a bin near the garbage to finish wandering the town. I glanced back to see Molly watching me as the door closed behind me, vowing to come back for her and the place itself. I found some stores that I’d shop at regularly and admired the views frequently. My house was at the edge of a forest and I had so much peace there but this location was breathtaking. I wondered if this might be the lifestyle I’d settle in, enjoying the slow pace. I could work on this base through retirement and settle here since my parents weren’t far at only a few states away.
That was an interesting thought. I made my way back down the street and stopped in a used book store to get some of the novels that were new to the shop and add them to my collection before walking past the cafe and glancing inside again.
Molly was helping a small line of people as the redhead moved behind her to fix orders. She was a pretty girl, the redhead. I sensed that she was confident and vibrant with a little sass and smiled at the image of the young man that was with her. She was going to be a handful. Molly looked over to see me through the glass and our gazes locked for a few seconds. I’d be back soon to pursue her, because I needed her deep inside. I craved her.
I walked back to the house that I was renting and fixed some eggs for breakfast. That muffin was delicious, but I needed food now and I sat at the table and took in the view as I ate. It was lush and green, gorgeous to look at as well as explore. I’d done a small amount of that in my free time here and tossed around the idea of a hike today. I took pride in my body and worked out a lot; running outside or just doing some basics inside. Most women didn’t take me for being forty-two years old and I wondered for a moment how old Molly was. Her face was youthful but her eyes showed experience and I guessed her to be in her twenties, perhaps around twenty-four or so. The redhead was slightly younger with the curiosity of a girl.
I knew that I didn’t want her, but I did want the dark-haired beauty that was haunting me now as I started out into the forest. I had to take my time with her, not wanting a repeat of Brittany. I needed to keep my cool and do this right since I had a lot of pressure at work to think about as well.
Chapter 4
Molly
Nate picked Noel up from the cafe when we closed, so I took the Jeep and ran to some stores the next town over. I loved Target and would drive any hour to go even if I was tired. I loaded my bags into the passenger seat and headed home, thinking of the man in the cafe. It reminded me of meeting Lance at the party in college. They both had that air of confidence in them However, the man today was gorgeous and I could daydream about him for a little while. His body was muscular while he was a few feet taller than me, and his eyes screamed intensity. I thought back to what Marta had told me about the base and wondered if he was from there with his cropped hair. Besides that, he just conveyed that he led a disciplined life and did things by the book. He looked a little lost walking into the cafe for a moment but once he looked at me, I saw the control setting in. I remembered not being able to speak
as I blushed and shook my head, not wanting anyone to do that to me now. I was older and should be able to act it. I was thankful that Noel got so distracted by Nate’s arrival and forgot all about it.
I drove through town and turned to get to the house, needing to relax. I parked in the driveway and greeted Marta as I walked through the front door. I was sure that she knew about Noel’s last minute date and that I usually took that time to do whatever I needed with the car. “Hello, Molly. Did you have a good day?”
“Yes, it was busy! I feel a little tired so I think that I am going to relax for a while.” I smiled as I walked into the kitchen with my bags to see her stirring something on the stove. I loved coming home to dinner like this and just the smile on her face brightened my day.
“Target, huh?” She asked with a chuckle as I breathed in the scent of her pasta sauce.
“You know me too well,” I joked with a smile. “That smells so good. Do you need help with anything?”
“This is easy. The sauce has been simmering all day while I worked and the rest I’ll throw together before Keith comes home. Take a little nap if you’d like.” She smiled at me and I nodded and turned to head up the stairs to put away my purchases. I looked outside as I stretched, smiling at the view as the blue eyes of my mystery man flashed through my mind.
Changing into some leggings and a t-shirt, I crawled under my covers to sleep for a while just to get through the evening. Working with customers all day drained me to begin with, but people like that man took all my energy with just one look. I needed to recover and I closed my eyes as I turned to my side with a soft sigh. Why couldn’t I just grab onto life the way that Noel did instead of fearing every choice that I made?
I woke up later to a soft knock on the door, turning and blinking as I noticed my dark room. “Dinner’s ready, Molly.” I called back to Marta before I heard her walking back down the stairs as I frowned. Lance was in my dreams; the good version that I first met and the bad one. I hated when he came back but seeing that man was the reason. They were alike yet different since the customer had been older and not lacking the control that Lance did. How I knew that after seeing him for an hour tops was beyond me, but I did. I wondered if he would be worth the risk as I stepped into my bathroom to fix my hair.
I walked down both sets of stairs and smiled at the family sitting at the table. Noel had come home and she smiled at me. “Look what the cat dragged in,” I joked as I took the seat across from her and smiled back. “How was your afternoon?”
“Good. We went for ice cream,” she replied as her eyes sparkled. “Mom said you went shopping.”
“I needed things,” I defended myself as Keith chuckled. “You never want to go.”
“We have stores here, you know.” Noel smiled brightly as she waited for my response.
“They’re not Target!! I need to look around and get my crack corn.” I held a hand to my heart as I thought about the red and white bag of their popcorn that I always bought from the snack bar waiting for me in my room for a snack later. I knew that she didn’t care that I was using her car to get there but more teasing me since she’d been to the store with me countless times when we were in college. “I got you something. If you’re nice to me, I’ll give it to you.”
We ate dinner as Keith talked about his day, sending loving glances towards his wife several times as I quietly envied them. Marta talked about an issue she had with a new client and laughed as she described the mild argument that ensued. It was when we were eating the apple crumble that Noel looked at me as something crossed her mind. “What was up with you today at work?”
“What do you mean?” I feigned innocence as I sipped my milk and broke a piece of the pastry off with my fork. I knew exactly what she meant.
“That guy turned you into a mute, Molly. Do you know him?” Noel asked as Marta looked at me with interest.
“No. I’ve never seen him before. He just seemed so demanding for his first time in a place,” I said as I shrugged.
“He was older, Mom. Dreamy if I wasn’t crazy about Nate,” Noel said as Marta raised an eyebrow at me while Keith paled. He was already having trouble with his only child dating guys her age much less talking about older men.
“How much older?” He asked as Noel smiled at him. Keith was forty-nine and I could almost see his panic in his eyes.
“Oh, Daddy. I think he was in his late thirties or something. Don’t worry,” Noel assured him as Marta smiled at her husband. He relaxed a bit as I thought to myself that the man seemed older. I’d never confess how much I was thinking about him, at least not yet. I helped Noel wash dishes as she chattered about Nate and their afternoon, just listening to her enthusiasm. She asked if I wanted to see a movie the following evening together for a girl’s night out and I agreed as I looked at her. While we worked together, it would never be the same as a night out. I liked the time alone with her away from home and work since it reminded me of college. There were a few good memories from that time.
We finished cleaning the kitchen and went to her room to watch a show. She went to sleep earlier than I did since she was busy all day, so I hugged her and went to my room to read for a while. I lit a candle that filled my room with the scent of spiced cider as I took in the bad boy character and how easily the girl gave in to him. It was familiar to me. Well, apart from the hot sex scenes, anyway. I was grateful that I never gave that to Lance and still held onto my virtue since he would have broken my heart so much worse. I read those hungrily, wondering if that was what sex was like. It always sounded so irresistible and uncontrolled when I’d always been too scared to take things that far, much to Lance’s dismay. It led to many fights, but I was foolish enough to think that he’d wait for me.
I woke up to the alarm, wanting to stay in bed for just a little longer even though the cafe was calling my name. It was one of the mornings that I wished Noel wanted to open a bar until I was moving and showered. I braided my hair into a loose plait in the car and looked into the mirror, using the dim lights on the street. I had put on a little makeup today and checked the mascara that made my lashes look endless. I reached into my purse and applied a burgundy stain to my lips over the balm as Noel glanced at me curiously. She always wore makeup, but this was new for me. “Who’s that for?”