Page 37 of Moonlit Kisses

“Uh, I lost my family in a car accident before Christmas.”Fuck!

The car is silent for long moments, nobody knowing what to say to that. If I weren’t driving this damn car, I would wrap her up and pull her in tight. I had no fucking idea, and I didn’t think it was my place to ask her such a personal question. I could kiss Beth right now for asking, and for providing me with such intimate information.

Once I discovered my first impression of Molly was way off base, and since spending almost every day with her, I’ve grown to admire her, to like her. I’m man enough to admit I’m attracted to her—who wouldn’t be? She’s fucking beautiful. But she has so much more to her than her looks. She’s incredibly sweet and thoughtful. Kind and down to earth. She could easily be bitter, but I’ve seen none of that from her, which makes me admire her even more.

“I’m incredibly sorry, Molly.” Beth’s voice oozes compassion. “That’s tragic. Please let us know if there’s anything at all we can do to help you. You must be devastated. I can’t imagine how much your life’s changed.”

Martin releases a heavy sigh next to me and stares out his window. The mood in the car is understandably heavy after Molly’s confession. I catch the side of Molly’s face in my mirror as she stares out her window. There’s a sheen to her eyes as she reaches up to wipe her cheek. Turning back toward Beth, she nods. “Thanks, Beth. I’m doing okay.”

Silence descends again and I think it would be fair to say that each of us is happy to keep it that way, lost in our thoughts.

I pull into the parking lot at Pier 7, searching for a park. It’s reasonably busy since it’s a nice day as we move into Spring. I find a spot a fair distance from the Pier, but nobody minds the walk.

I grab Molly’s hand as soon as she climbs out of the car and pull her in close. Pressing a kiss on the top of her head, I whisper, “I’m so fucking sorry about your family. If I can help, let me know. Okay?” I catch her eyes and implore her to lean on me.

She gives me a fake smile. I know it’s fake because it doesn’t quite create her usual dimples. “You’ve already helped me a lot, Max. Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

I squeeze her extra tight, then release her so we can make our way to the Pier. We stop atDeclan’s Dinerand order cool drinks and hot fries to share. While we sit, enjoying the sunshine, I show Beth the same photos I showed Martin, giving her a sense of how much work I’ve done on the car.

She chuckles and waves off my spiel. “You don’t need to impress me. I’ve already told Martin that if he wants the car, he should buy the car. He works damn hard and gives so much of himself to me and our family. He doesn’t drink or smoke and he spends any free time he has with his kids.” She looks across at him, her eyes full of love and admiration for her husband. “He deserves to have something special after working hard for as many years as he has to build his electrical company.”

Molly gives me a genuine smile. She knows I’ve got the sale. “Even though I haven’t worked for Max for very long, I’ve learned he works incredibly hard on the cars to make sure they’re running at their best. You won’t be disappointed with the Sprint. He’s worked hard on that car to make sure it’s perfect.”

My heart expands in my chest with her words, which are full of genuine pride in me and my work. My family has always been proud of me. Mona never gave a shit about my work, only ever complaining that it took too much time away from her and that my hands were perpetually stained. This feeling that Molly’s given me with a few simple words—that she didn’t have to say—makes me puff up with pride in myself. I place my hand on her thigh beneath the table and give it a gentle squeeze in gratitude.

I should move my hand away, but I casually leave it there and Molly seems happy enough for me to do so. The lines between us are becoming more and more blurred by the day.

CHAPTER18

–max–

“C’mon,I’m taking you to dinner to celebrate the sale of the Sprint!” I clap my hands together in excitement as I step through from the office. She’s crouched down low, collecting the dirt she’s swept up from the workshop.

Molly stands, brushing her hands on her skin-tight jeans. “Congratulations.” Her smile is wide and excited as she leans forward to hug me. “I’m truly happy for you. It was such a magnificent car.”

“It certainly was, and I’m happy that she’s gone to a suitable home where she’ll be appreciated and looked after.” Molly chuckles and I pull back to look at her. “What?”

“Nothing. Do you realize you talk about cars like they’re people?”

“Well, duh. Theyarelike people. They have quirks just like people and we need to look after them, make sure they’re cared for, just as we would a loved one.”

She bends over with an all-out belly laugh and I feel great that I could make her laugh like that after the heaviness of her confession. I don’t suppose she has much to laugh about these days, not that I would have known if Beth hadn’t asked about why she moved here. She keeps her private life to herself and generally only shows a bright, cheery demeanor, maintaining a high level of professionalism. There have been times where I’ve noticed her staring off into space, a distant look on her face as though she’s lost in a memory, but she’s never let it affect her work.

“Come on. I want to take you to this Mexican hole in the wall place I found. I think you’ll like it.” She pauses for what feels like an eternity. “C’mon. Celebrate with me.” I lift my eyebrows, waiting as patiently as I can for her answer. I never usually celebrate selling one of my project cars, but I wanted an excuse to spend more time with her. After today, I want to check in with her, learn more about her.

Her dimples make an appearance. “I love a good burrito.”

“Great. Let’s go.” I grab her hand to pull her behind me to my car.

“Hang on. I haven’t finished here, and I should probably get changed.” My eyes skim over her. She looks perfect in her jeans, white t-shirt, and plaid shirt. “Don’t worry about finishing up. We can sort it out on Monday morning. It’s Saturday. Let’s go have some fun.”

She shrugs. “Okay, but will this be okay for where we’re going?” She fidgets with her shirt.

“Yeah.” I shrug. “You look great.” I tug her with me and this time she follows.

I find street parking close toLos Burritos. Whenever I get the urge to have authentic Mexican, this is the place I come to. The outside isn’t appealing in the least and I wait for Molly to arc up about eating here, but she doesn’t say anything as I take her hand and guide her inside. It’s still early, so it’s busy, but not crazy, as we step up to the counter to place our order. The scent of spiced meat sits heavy in the air, reminding me how much I love the food here. Glancing around, I spot a clear booth toward the back that would be perfect for us.

“If you tell me what you want, I can place our order.” I tip my head toward the empty booth. “You can take care of our booth.”

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