Page 112 of The Wild Card
As if on cue, music starts playing over the speakers and Kyoko darts off behind the bar.
I’m about to look for Collin when he appears next to me, looking a little out of breath and with desperation in his gaze as he grabs my hand. “Molly-girl,” he says on a long exhale. “Come.”
And then he’s tugging me away from the noise of the room, down a hallway and through a door into what looks like an office. It’s lit only by the glow of a small lamp, and as soon as the door is closed, Collin lifts me onto the desk and steps right into my space, his big hands cupping my cheeks.
His gaze roves over my face like he hasn’t seen me in months, not just over twenty-four hours.
And then his mouth finds mine—searching, reassuring, promising. His hands don’t leave my cheeks, thumbs lightly brushing my skin with a tenderness that makes my stomach flutter. His lips caress mine, at once both possessive and adoring, stealing my breath and my heart.
After a moment, Collin pulls back, resting his forehead on mine, eyes closed. I wrap my arms around his neck, studying his dark lashes and the strong cut of his jaw as I try to catch my breath. His blue eyes drift open, meeting my gaze.
“Hi,” I say. Suddenly, I feel shy. But I no longer hold even the smallest ounce of insecurity.
I knew, but now Ireallyknow that Collin is mine—and mine alone.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t come back last night,” he says. “I hated that I couldn’t reach you. And I’m even more sorry if you’ve been worried after whatever Liza posted. I still haven’t seen it, but I heard.” He shakes his head. “It was nothing. She was waiting for me outside the gym. She apologized, hugged me, and left. That was it. I guess she had someone hiding and filming us? But there’s nothing going on with?—”
“I know.” Smiling, I reach up and run a hand over Collin’s smooth jaw, freshly shaved with only the barest bite of stubble against my fingertips. “And I’m glad you’re here now.”
“Are you okay? Are we?” he asks.
I nod. “I’m more than okay now. And based on that kiss, I’d say you and I are just fine.” I kiss him once more, softly, for good measure, then pull back again. “You should know that your family knows that we’re really together. Apparently they have known for a while. Jo let it slip. She said she’s sorry and doesn’t want you to be mad at her, so make sure you tell her you’re not.”
Collin nods, like this isn’t coming as a surprise. “I’m sure they would have figured it out anyway. I wasn’t very good at acting like I was just acting with you, Molly.”
“Well, then how about no more acting or joking or faking?” I suggest.
Collin leans forward, pressing another kiss, this one silk-soft, on my lips. He trails kisses over my cheeks, my jaw, and then starts moving down my neck. Before I can fully lose myself in his lips, I slide my hands to the front of his shoulders and gently push him back until we’re face to face again.
“In the interest of full honesty and disclosure, there’s something else I want to talk to you about.”
And after drawing in a deep breath, I tell Collin about my dad.
I tell him how he’s always been overbearing, but how it shifted after Chase left and I became the sole focus of his control. I share how he paid for Chase’s college and not mine, plus my suspicion that Dad hoped the debt would keep me financially dependent on him. And it probably would have—if I didn’t have money in an account he didn’t know about.
“This is why you lied in your job interview?” Collin asks. “Why you didn’t want to go back up to Kansas for your car or any of your things?”
I nod. “I felt like he’d find a way to make me stay. I’m not sure I can stand up to him yet. Though I want to. I’m trying. It’s why he cut off my phone service. One more little punishment for my defiance.”
Collin pulls me into his arms then, and I can’t remember the last time I felt so safe, so seen. So loved.
“I was serious earlier about getting you a phone,” he says, giving me a last squeeze before pulling back to look at me. “But I can understand if you don’t want to go from one man having control of your phone to another. I can just go with you to the phone store to make sure you get an iPhone this time.”
I can’t help but laugh, even though a deeper part of me is truly moved by Collin’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you. I’ll consider it. I’ll get paid soon from influencing, so I might just need a little loan.”
“Whatever you want. One more question,” Collin says. “Does Chase know about your dad?”
I shake my head. “No. Dad was controlling with him too, but it was different and worse with me after Chase left. I’ll talk to him. I just didn’t want him to worry or feel responsible. I also just hate feeling weak. Like if I were as strong as Chase, it wouldn’t have gotten so bad.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this. You hear me?”
All I can do is nod as Collin pulls me into his arms again, giving what’s arguably the best hug of this year. Maybe the one before that too.
There’s a sudden banging on the office door. “Are you coming out, lovebirds?” Chevy drawls. “They’re waiting on you to cut the cake.”
“Just a minute,” Collin calls, then sighs. “I guess we should get back out there. The downside to a small wedding is that everyone notices when you’re missing.”
But when we get out of the office, it’s no longer a small wedding. The entire brewery is filled with what looks to be almost every resident of Sheet Cake. At least, everyone I’ve met, plus many I don’t know.
