Page 65 of Moonlit Kisses

“Me too,” adds Austin.

The boys head out the back with Cristo and Dad, and Molly sits on the designated cushion on the floor, crossing her legs. I know she was worried about being around this many people, but she’s coped like a champion. The opening scene fromFrozenplays and Kenny attacks Molly’s hair with a brush, dragging Molly’s head back sharply.

Emma steps in, placing her hand over Kenny’s, stopping her. “Kenny.” She waits until Kenny looks at her. “You need to be gentle. You don’t want to hurt Aunty Molly.”

Kenny’s bottom lip quivers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Aunty Molly.”

Molly twists around and drags Kenny into her lap, snuggling her close. “You didn’t hurt me, lovely girl. I wasn’t quite ready. Long, smooth strokes work best with my hair.” She winks at my niece, putting her at ease.

See, she’s gonna be a great mom. I need her to have my babies.

Kenny brushes, combs, twists, and miraculously braids Molly’s hair as she patiently sits for almost an hour. She’s got fancy hair clips sticking in and out of everywhere and it looks a total mess, but when Kenny asks Emma to take a photo to show Molly, she gushes over how fabulous her new hair-do looks.

Mom, Emma, and Sarah all look at me withthatlook on their face. The one that says they know I’ve found the one. The one that’s perfect for meandperfect for our family.

Trust me. I know.

As the party winds down, we say our goodbyes. Each member of my family hugs Molly for long minutes, almost to the point it’s a little uncomfortable. Even Lachlan gives her a brief hug, which is unheard of until he’s known someone for a while. I remember he latched onto Theo quickly, too. Perhaps he has a sixth sense about whether someone is a decent person.

Mom hugs me extra tight as she whispers in my ear. “Molly’s absolutely wonderful. She’s definitely a keeper.” When she pulls back, she pats my cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

I’m not sure what I’ve done to make her proud, but I’ll take it. I’d rather she be proud of me than disappointed.

Molly and I climb into my car and as we pull out of the driveway, she releases a long breath, then giggles. “I don’t know what I was worried about. Your family is amazing.” She looks across at me. “I felt especially welcomed from the minute I walked in the door. You are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such great people.” She leans across, laying a chaste kiss on my bristly cheek. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“You’re welcome. I’m pretty sure my family’s in love with you and will expect you at every Sunday lunch from this point forward.”

Her head snaps toward me and her eyes widen. “Really? I’m glad I made a good impression. It meant a lot to me to be invited. I didn’t want to mess it up.”

I reach across and squeeze her thigh. “I don’t think you could ever mess up after my last girlfriend.” I tense my jaw and look out the passenger window before looking forward. “She, uh, she wasn’t very nice to my family. You’re the complete opposite.”

“I wondered what those funny looks were about. I was worried I’d done something wrong.” She fidgets with her bracelet.

“Nah. They were in shock that I brought home someone so sweet.” She chuckles and I’m relieved that she’s not going to dig any further about my previous girlfriends. I haven’t had the best track record with the women I’ve brought home in the past. “Are you gonna tell me what you girls were talking about in the kitchen after lunch?”

“Are you nervous?” She raises one eyebrow and gives me a cheeky smile.

I shrug like I don’t care one way or the other.

She pushes my shoulder playfully. “Sarah was fascinated with my nose ring, actually. Then I showed them my naval piercing, and she started asking all sorts of questions about how the jewelry will go when I’m pregnant.”

And doesn’t that put the perfect visual in my head. “Oh yeah? How does it go when you’re pregnant?”

“Once my tummy expands, I’ll have to remove it. It’s easy enough to do.” I look across at her midsection, imagining it swollen with our baby. Maybe now would be the time to bring it up with her?

“Hang on. You’re wearing a dress. How did you show them your stomach?”

Her cheeks flush pink. “Oh, uhm, it was only the ladies, so I lifted my dress. I have underwear on, so there was nothing to see.”

I groan and readjust my position at the image of her innocently lifting her dress, exposing her underwear. “Do you think you’ll want to have kids?” I glance across at her.

She smiles. “Absolutely. I love kids.” She pauses. “What about you?”

“I’d have kids tomorrow if I had my way.”

Her smile widens. “Really?”

“Did you end up going back for your birth control shot last week?” I’m hoping she forgot, but I don’t think Molly would do something like that.

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