Page 52 of Ten Kisses

We all got silent while a little boy recited Psalm twenty-three.

Salem and I made eye contact when he finished.

"Isn't this adorable?" I said. "Ethan needs to do it next year. He could list dinosaurs."

"Would they allow that?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Oh, yeah, you should have seen the little magic show that happened a minute ago. I was almost bawling it was so cute."

"That was just the most adorable thing," Mom agreed, hearing me talk about the magic show.

She had obviously been listening to our conversation. I had to remember that Salem and I had a sort of familiarity that my family knew nothing about. I had to remember to keep my distance at a time when all I wanted to do was be close to him—to reach out for his hand. He was so handsome that my heart sped up every time I looked his way.

"Some lady gave us one of your chocolates when we passed those tables," Phillip said.

"Oh, you guys came that way?" Mom said, looking concerned. "I thought for sure you would park at the house so you could check out the tunnel on the way. The vines are really covering it. It looks so good right now. The lights are off, but you can still see it."

"We'll go over there and check it out before we leave," Phillip assured her.

Chapter 19

Salem

Camp Eden was special to Salem. It was a beautiful piece of property north of Raleigh with acres of woods, various sports fields, cabins, and canoes. It had been used as a public facility for years, but the property finally went up for sale, and Ben Kennedy bought it for his private residence. Their children were grown and out of the house, but they all lived close by in Raleigh and visited regularly. All of the girls would spend the night tonight, and that was something they did often.

Camp Eden was a relaxing refuge, and Salem had the privilege of working out there for a few weeks. He and his brother had put a lot of effort into making a beautiful tunnel in the woods. The tunnel itself had a couple of bends in it. You could see out one end from the other, but the view was obstructed by the irregular flow of the path. It was the vision of Molly's mom, and for most of the job, Phillip and Salem had worked on it themselves without any of their crew.

They made it happen that way once they saw the nature of the job. It had been a good experience for the brothers. (And obviously for Sadie as well.) Most of their work took place in the city, and the job at Camp Eden had been one of the most enjoyable projects Salem had ever done.

It was such a good experience for him, that his body felt warm and happy as he walked onto the property. He loved this place. He had met Molly there, and he was convinced that she was the love of his life. She would be such an amazing partner and mother, and he felt drawn to her in a way that made him want to build a family with her.

But there was so much physical attraction as well. Molly was one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen in his whole life. Salem could see that from the second he laid eyes on her, but he never considered that they would ever be together. Their relationship had been built on physical attraction. That was all Salem could offer her at the time.

He had his moments when he felt ashamed of himself for that, but it was what it was. If she hadn't been so dang beautiful, he would have never gone along with that no-strings-attached proposition. He would have never been in this position.

And he loved the position he was in.

He loved this night. He loved the property and the Kennedy family. He was proud of Molly, and he wanted everyone to know they were together.

He reminded himself to be patient. He had to do that almost every time he looked at her. She looked comfortable and carefree with her jean shorts and t-shirt. She had been out on the canoe. Her auburn hair was in two French braids, but some of the curls at her hairline were coming out, looking wild in the best way possible, little pieces flying here and there in the wind. She had on green Vans that had seen better days. He wondered how she could have been outside at the camp all afternoon and still be so beautiful.

The guy who emceed the talent show announced that the Kennedy family had so graciously provided the supplies for smores at the campfire, featuring world-famous Molly's Chocolate. The crowd cheered, and Molly blushed which made Salem want to touch her, hold her. It was difficult to resist. He just watched and waited, letting her decide when she felt comfortable telling her family about it.

There were two supply tables set up near the fire—one on each side. The fire was large and hot enough that you had to use long skewers, which the family provided.

The church had assigned people to each table to make sure children had assistance. There was action and excitement, but everyone had been warned about the fire, and so any children who wanted to run and play were in an open area that was safely away from the fire.

Salem loved watching people talk about Molly's chocolate and enjoy eating it. It made him proud and gave him a certain satisfaction. He was protective of her. He watched for people's reactions to her chocolate, and he reacted to them in ways that amused himself inwardly. For instance, when he heard someone say, 'I like the dark chocolate more than the one with caramel', he caught himself thinking that people should just keep their mouths closed about their opinions and be grateful for the caramel. It happened a few times when he would feel protective of Molly for something small.

But the vast majority of comments were talking about how amazing the chocolate was and how they were the best smores ever. Salem made discreet eye contact with Molly throughout the entire time at the fireside. They were next to each other some of the time, and at other times, they talked to other people. Salem's eyes always found Molly's, though. They shared conspiratorial glances. There was something unspoken between them, and it was fun to experience those secret moments with her.

"I'd like to have everyone's attention, please! Can you please gather around and come closer so everyone can hear me?"

The man had taken off his top hat, but he still spoke like he was the one in charge. They walked toward him, all of them standing together in groups.

Salem was behind Molly, and they were standing on the edge of the group, so he held her hand. Her precious little hand gripped onto him the instant he reached out for her.

Molly's nails were trimmed short so she could work with her hands all day.

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