Page 18 of Ten Kisses

Everyone, including me, was smiling. I didn't ask him what he meant. I didn't care what he was talking about.

"The lake's nice," I said scooping a plate for Kat. "Michelle always makes the fish when Darren catches it. I've tried hers, but I've never had it like this."

"You're going to love it," Darren said, coming to stand next to me.

I looked at him. "I'm waiting on a delivery, so we're going to eat in my apartment."

"A delivery? I-I was about to ask what you're getting on a Saturday, but I'm sure the delivery guy will come here first. They usually do. Are you ladies done in the pool then?"

"Probably so," I said. "Thank you for the pool and the food. This looks and smells amazing." I lifted the plate in my hand. "I'll bring these plates back later."

Chapter 7

Salem

Salem couldn't help but smile on his way to Molly's apartment. She was going to fall in love with her counter. He had engraved her logo on the front of it and had added a few other details she knew nothing about. She hadn't seen it, and he knew she was going to love how it came out. He took another guy with him to help him unload and set it up.

Salem had been to her apartment a few other times. He knew it was detached from the house and that he could access it from a circle driveway in the back. The property felt similar to other houses where he had done work. His carpentry business usually attracted upscale clients, and he had done work in this exact neighborhood before.

He drove slowly to the back of the house where he parked next to her apartment. The small, hand-painted sign hung outside, Molly's Chocolates. Salem had the counter on a trailer, and he had parked carefully so that the back end of it was close to her door.

Darren Collins came out of the main house before Salem even got out of his truck. He had met the man before. He had seen signs for his law firm around town and knew who he was. Darren was wearing a smug grin as he came outside.

Salem told his employee, Nathan, to start taking the straps off of the counter while leaving the moving blankets in place. It was impossible to see, and Salem liked it that way. Nathan nodded because he knew what to do. He would make quick work of getting it prepped and to the edge of the trailer.

"Are you making the delivery for my tenant? She's in the apartment back here."

"Yes, sir, it's for Molly. I've got it. I know where I'm going. Thank you."

The guy pulled back a little, standing up with his back straight and looking Salem over with an appraising stare before extending his hand. Salem straightened his posture as he shook the man's hand.

"You're not Molly's boyfriend, are you?"

"No sir."

The man smiled like this information pleased him.

What did he care?

"We are close, though. We're family, basically," Salem said.

"Oh, you know the Kennedys?" He asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"My sister's married to Molly's brother."

"Oh, you're Sadie's brother, I remember. I think we've met. That's great. Yeah, I recognize the name now," he said, pointing at the writing on the door of Salem's truck. "She's been with us for over a year, now, so I get her friends mixed up. We love Molly. This must be her new counter. She's really pushing for this chocolate thing."

"She's good at it. The chocolate's excellent."

"I should have known you've tried it already."

"Yeah, no, Molly and I are close."

Salem baited the man with that, and it worked. He glanced at Salem with a testy stare. No words were exchanged, but it was a challenging stare. The man stuck out his chest and looked down his nose at Salem even though he was no taller than him. Salem didn't like the feeling this guy gave him, and instinctually he pulled back and stood up straighter, appraising that guy, the same as he was being appraised.

"What is this? What does she owe you for this?" Darren asked, nudging his chin at the trailer. "I'll pay you for it, and Molly and I can work it out with her paying me back. We already have a system worked out."

"Molly and I are square. She paid me already." Salem gave that guy a chin nudge that matched his own. Salem felt like this guy was being possessive of Molly, and he didn't like that at all. He didn't know what that meant about his own feelings for Molly. Did he have feelings for Molly? "I know she appreciates all you and your wife do for her," Salem told the guy curtly. "I'm going to help my assistant in with this, but it was nice seeing you."

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