Twice the Temptation

“Molly.” It was Nate who spoke first.

“Nate.” After a brief instant of hesitation, the brunette smiled and moved forward. “I’m here to meet with Reese.”

“That she is,” Reese said. “If you gentleman will excuse us, we’ll just move to the other side of the bar for some girl talk.” She turned to Brie. “Please join us.”

“Yes,” Molly said. “I could use the moral support. I’m about to take a very big step.”

For one second, maybe less, Brie hesitated, torn. Girl talk was something she hadn’t had very much of since college. But she didn’t want to leave Cody, didn’t want to miss what else Nate might have discovered.

Cody squeezed her hand. “Go ahead. I’ll fill you in.”

And she could have sworn that Avery winked at her before she turned to follow Reese and Molly.

CODY’S MIND WAS RACING as they all took seats at the far end of the bar. There was something—just at the edge of his mind that was still trying to get his attention. It had been bothering him ever since they’d left the scene of the accident.

He’d spoken nothing but the truth to Brie. He needed time to think. Then it would come. He and Nate had selected seats which offered a clear view of the women. While Avery brewed coffee, Cody tried to marshal his thoughts. If he wasn’t going to get alone time, it might help to share his ideas aloud.“Marielle Radtke,” he mused. “That kind of fire power isn’t something Ferrante would have easy access to,” he said. “I can see him hiring the two goons who tried to gun Brie down at the Kansas City airport and whoever shot at us in Times Square. But a dynamic duo like Radtke and her partner is a little out of his league.”

“You’re thinking he had help,” Nate said.

“Yes.” Cody narrowed his eyes on Nate as a thought occurred to him. “You got the information on Radke and partner pretty quickly. I’m thinking you must have contacted Ian or Dane.”

“Ian,” Nate admitted. “Reese talked to both of her sisters this morning after her near miss. They expect to arrive with Ian and Dane sometime tomorrow. Once I got back to the office, I gave Ian a call. It didn’t take him long once I sent him our mystery woman’s fingerprints and a photo.”

Nate glanced at Mac. “Reese’s older sisters are engaged to two brothers who run a top-notch investigation firm.”

Mac nodded. “So I’ve recently learned. MacFarland Investigations. The name rings a bell, but I haven’t quite placed it yet.”

“They’re very good at what they do.” Nate turned back to Cody. “Any idea on who might have put Ferrante in touch with Radtke?”

“Yeah. And I don’t like it,” Cody said. “I’m thinking whoever is behind this latest attempt on Brie’s life is going all out to protect his or her ass. If Radtke had succeeded in running us off the cliff, it might have passed as an accident.”

Nate’s brows shot up. “You think I would have overlooked the fresh cuts on the guardrail cables?”

Cody’s smile was thin. “Radtke didn’t know you. She thought she was dealing with—”

“A small town hick sheriff,” Nate finished.

“Exactly,” Cody said as Avery set mugs down.

A giggle had the four men all turning toward the booth where the ladies were seated. Reese had taken the lid off the hat box.

“What’s that about?” Nate asked with a frown.

“Molly asked Reese for a favor,” Mac explained. “She wants to get a head start and draw out her fantasy now instead of waiting until the big mixer tonight.”

“It’s all nonsense,” Nate muttered.

Cody noted that the sheriff’s scowl belied his words.

Curiouser and curiouser. Cody shifted his attention to Molly who had her hands hovering over the hat box. “So that’s the famous fantasy box.”

“The one and only,” Avery said with a sideways glance at Nate. “Its magic goes far beyond fulfilling fantasies. So far Hattie’s linen hat box is three for three in the matchmaking department.”

“Wish me luck.” Molly’s voice carried to them.

Nate shifted on his stool so that his back was to the booth. “We have more important things to talk about.”

Indeed they did, Cody thought.

7

“WISH ME LUCK,” MOLLY said. Her hands shook as she extended them over the open hat box. At the last minute, she snatched them back and fisted them on the table in front of her. “He isn’t even looking.”

“Who?” Brie asked.“Nate.” Reese spoke in a low voice. “He’s Molly’s first love, and she hasn’t gotten over him yet.”

“Well, he’s gotten over me,” Molly said. “I’ve been back on the island for more than a year, and I might as well be a stranger for all he’s noticed me.”

Then she leaned close to Brie and pitched her voice low. “Nate was my high school sweetheart, and he dumped me at the senior prom.”

“I’m sorry,” Brie said.

“In a way, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I left the island and went to the Fashion Institute in New York City.”

“She’s really good,” Reese put in.

“I thought I’d gotten over Nate Kirby, that I’d washed him out of my hair and out of my heart,” Molly continued. “Four years in the Big Apple gave me a new goal—to design clothes for celebs on the red carpet. But when my grandmother became ill a little over a year ago, I came back to take over her general store.”

“And Molly’s turned it into a great boutique,” Reese said. “She designs most of the clothes, and she’s starting to attract buyers from New York.”

“Yeah.” Molly sighed. “The only problem is I haven’t gotten over Nate, and he’s not interested.” She shot a glare at Nate’s back. “This is do or die for me. I’m moving on.”

“I think I met your grandmother on the ferry coming over. Her name’s Clarissa, right?”

“That’s her,” Molly said. “She’s retired now, but she’s running my store this weekend so I can do this.”

“You just have to be sure you want to do it.” Reese tipped up the lid off the box and pointed to the warning.

Brie leaned closer to read it: The fantasy you draw out will come true. “Your grandmother talked about the fantasies. Is this warning for real?” she asked Molly.

“Absolutely,” Reese added. “My sisters and I can all testify to that. The fantasies we pulled out all came true. For Naomi and Jillian, it was a forbidden fantasy they’d each secretly entertained in their early teens. And Hattie not only fulfilled those fantasies, she hooked them up with Dane and Ian MacFarland.”

“Cody mentioned Ian,” Brie said.

“They were in the CIA together,” Reese said. “The MacFarlands have had a rough time of it. Their mother died when they were just kids and the whole family was split up. Ian and his younger brother and sister were adopted. Dane got shuffled around in the foster care system. He finally tracked Ian down about a year ago, and the two of them are determined to find their other siblings.”

“Wait,” Molly said. “Back up a minute. Did I hear you say that your fantasy came true also? You didn’t mention that last night when I ran into you in the bar.”

Reese smiled and blushed a little. “That’s because it hadn’t come true yet. And I wasn’t so sure it would. I was positive Hattie’s fantasy for me was a mistake. I was supposed to experience all the pleasures of having my own boy toy.” Reese laughed. “Boy toy? Not my style at all. Until I ran into Mac in the lobby.”

At the sound of Reese’s laugh, Brie noted that all four men glanced over at their table. Then Nate turned his back to them.

“That’s it. I’m doing this,” Molly said in a low, determined voice. “I’m moving on. And I’m hoping Hattie’s fantasy works as fast for me as it did for you. I’m closing doors to the past, and opening doors to the future.”

“You’re beginning to sound like a self-help tape,” Reese said.

A martial light came to Molly’s eyes. “You’re right. Been there, tried those.” She turned to Brie. “Leaving Belle Island and attending school in New York was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Coming back here and opening my own store is the second smartest thing. But this…” She pointed to the fantasy box. “This is going to go to the top of the list.”

When she pulled out a parchment envelope from the box, another one floated to the table in front of Brie. But her attention was totally diverted by the changing expressions on Molly’s face.

Puzzlement.

“I don’t get it,” she murmured. “Unless…”

Next came surprise.

“Ohh.”

Comprehension dawned on Molly’s face.

“I think I get it.” As Molly slipped the parchment back into its envelope and into her purse, her expression turned thoughtful.

“Aren’t you going to tell us what you drew out?” Brie asked.

Molly shook her head, her expression still very thoughtful. “It might not be what I think it is. And I don’t want either of you to tell me I’m wrong. That might pull the plug on my courage.”