Taming Molly: Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 2.5 A DuVal Cousins Quickie (5 page)

“And here I’m dancing with you hoping your low-key and studious reputation is going to help salvage mine.”

“Not a chance. The words low-key and studious have been banished from my vocabulary. I’m Mr. Bold where you’re concerned, and saving your reputation is definitely not my objective. It’s completely up to you not to be caught somewhere you shouldn’t be. However, I will do my best to restrain myself from going all statistical theory on you.”

Molly laughed—and immediately noticed how good it felt. Laughing. In Henderson. Surrounded by people who knew her name. “What are you doing here?” she blurted out. “I mean, no offense, but these aren’t your people.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Says the out-of-towner.”

“I may live out of town,” Molly grumbled, “but trust me. My heart and soul are stuck right here in Henderson.”

“That should give me a fighting chance, then.”

“To do what?”

“Steal your heart while you aren’t lookin’.”

He said it so soft, so sweet, Molly just started to melt. Right there. In his arms.

Because you’re lonely
, Molly reminded herself.
And apparently vulnerable.

The last thing she needed was some wild one-night stand with Hot Poindexter. Especially now that he was the new assistant coach and creating a buzz around town. Better shut it down.

“Josh, these aren’t your people.”

“But they’re your people. Some of them know my name. Your father knows who I am. I dare say he even likes me.” Josh nodded over her shoulder. When Molly glanced back, she saw her dad giving Josh the thumbs up.

“What’s that about?”

“He’s under the flawed assumption that I’d be that good influence you were talkin’ about.”

“He put you up to this? That’s why you are dancing with me?” Honest to God, her heart broke just a little bit.

“Right. Like it was your father who suggested I throw an extra shot on top of your tequila sunrise and then press my manly parts right up against your very intriguing girly parts in the middle of the damn dance floor.”

“Well….” Molly stumbled, a little distracted by Hot Poindexter’s manly parts—and a bit unnerved he was talking about them. “What was that thumbs up for?”

“My guess is that he wants you to move back to Henderson. I figured my manly parts would give you a good reason.”

Molly stared into his eyes until she finally realized that Josh McCourt was pulling her chain. She burst out laughing.

“No?” He smiled. “Not a good enough reason? Give me a minute, and I’ll think of something else.”

“Josh,” she said, laying a hand on his shoulder for the first time. “You’ve made me laugh, and I’m having fun at a big Henderson social event for the first time in a very long while. That’d be reason enough for me to want to move back. But the truth is I already want to come home. I’ve spent my time in exile, and I’m looking to redeem myself.”

“Redeem yourself?”

“The town gossips love me. But my extended family? When I’m the subject of that gossip? Not so much. I came to this wedding planning to show Evie Jackson and her snobby followers that I deserve a place in this town. I want to show everyone that I’m not the same girl I was before.”

“Yeah—no.”

“What do you mean?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Now that I’ve finally gotten my hands on the infamous Molly DuVal, I expect Molly DuVal—not some watered-down, boring version.”

Molly sputtered. And blinked.

“Exactly. Stop with all the woe is me bullshit and show up to this party like the rock star you are.”

Molly felt her mouth clap shut.

“Down the drink and put both hands on me. Pretend you’re having fun.”

She started to follow his orders, but once the glass was at her lips she balked. “My father’s not gonna like this.”

“Your father loves the rock star. He just has the unfortunate duty of being your father.”

Somewhere inside of her, that statement rang true. She eyed Josh once more before downing the rest of her drink. She handed it off to a passing waiter and put a second hand on Josh’s shoulders.

“Better,” said Josh.

“I’m not sleeping with you.”

“Yeah, ya are.”

It came out so matter-of-factly, stated with such quiet certainty that it made Molly nervous. Nervous way down deep on the inside where desire and hope mingled and things got a little tingly.

She should cut her losses now, she thought. Just turn and walk away. Stick with the plan. The ladylike, play-it-safe, no-sleeping-with-Josh, really, really boring plan.

Damn! What was with all this boring talk? She wasn’t boring, and she didn’t have to be the life of the party to prove it. Raleigh was boring. Life without her friends and family was boring. She…

It hit her then—the truth. She couldn’t come home. She, Molly DuVal—the
real
Molly DuVal, the one who preferred tequila over wine, the one who liked the way Josh’s hands were sliding over her back, the one who really, really liked the nervous, tingly quiver of longing he was coaxing out—would never be able to come home.

And that hurt.

“I need another drink,” she said, turning to pull Josh off the dance floor.

“No,” Josh said, pulling her back into his arms. “You just need a few minutes to wrap your head around what’s happening between us.”

“Nothing is happening between us.”

“Plenty is happening between us. And no one but you and I need to know about it.”

“That’s not how it works with me,” she confessed. “Trust me. A nice guy like you—a teacher at the high school—you don’t want your good name tangled up with mine at the end of the night.”

“What are you so afraid of? Besides having a little fun? Look around you for heaven’s sake.” Josh turned her so that her back was up against his front. His arms crossed at her tummy, and his chin hovered just over her shoulder as he spoke. “First of all, let me remind you that this is not the Molly DuVal show. It’s a wedding. If you’ll notice, everyone is watching the bride and groom. Not us. Not you. And certainly not me.”

Molly let her rigid stance ease a bit. Because, of course, Josh was right. The party in front of her was in full swing. Guests were either sitting down at the tables eating and drinking or crowding the bars and dance floor. She also noticed that her Aunt Genevra was making out with her groom like she was a lovestruck teenager. And that her cousin Lolly was sitting on top of a bar—
actually sitting up there
—one hand on Brooks Bennett’s cheek as she leaned in to kiss him. Her own parents were on the dance floor, her mother wearing a too-tight and too-short dress to be age-appropriate, with her father’s hand attached to her ass like they were in a seedy night club. She spied Lucy, Jacey, and Vivi doing shots with a cute dark-haired bartender, and the rest of her cousins were singing at the top of their lungs over there in front of the band.

Hell. She’d be the last one anybody would bother looking at right now. She turned around inside of Josh’s arms and blinked up at him.

“My apple was just the first to fall off the tree, wasn’t it?”

Josh cocked his head, giving her a short grin. “I’ve lived in this town for the last five years. The DuVal name is well respected, but it is widely known that not one of them is a wallflower. Starting with your father. You being a girl and the first of the next generation was just an unfortunate twist of fate. Now…” he shrugged, “the rest of them have joined your party.”

“So it seems. But I’m still the one bad apple.”

Josh shrugged. “I’m a twenty-eight-year-old brainiac who’s never snuck a girl into a locker room. Wanna trade?”

Molly smiled. Josh made her smile. A lot. She leaned her cheek against his chest, not caring that the music was loud and fast.

“Your father promised me faux Google Glass if I keep you out of trouble tonight.”

That had her snapping her head up. “What?”

“That happened after I had already asked Vance to introduce us.”

She shook her head, not following.

“Just making sure you understand the force of nature you are up against.”

“What force of nature is that exactly?”

“I’m a new man, Molly DuVal. I might have been too shy to ask you out that day back in high school, but I am now a football coach among other things, and I’ve developed a few fancy moves of my own. Prepare to be dazzled.”

Molly burst out laughing.

“Luckily, my ego is nimble enough to dodge that reaction.”

Molly’s mouth hung open in an awed smile. She couldn’t remember ever having someone of the opposite sex render her speechless. “I’m…flustered.” She even felt herself blush when she said it. “I’m fairly certain I’ve never had a date make me speechless.”

“Your taste in men has been less than stellar. I’m bringing more to the table. I plan to leave you speechless a lot.”

Oh. My.

“You want to up your game? I’m your man. You want Henderson? I’ve got it in my pocket.”

“Don’t tell me. All I have to do is reach into your pocket, right?”

He swung her underneath his arm and then dipped her low. Leaving her defenseless in his arms and dangling inches from the floor, he said, “You, sweet Molly, don’t have to do one damn thing. I’m planning to take care of all of it—but good.” He swung her back up into a standing position where woozy didn’t begin to describe her state.

She was sure it was that state that had her blurting, “You, Josh McCourt, are making me think about everything I shouldn’t be thinking about.”

To which he calmly stated, “Now we’re finally getting somewhere.”

Chapter Seven

True to his word, Hot Poindexter, a.k.a Josh McCourt, took Molly by the hand and showed her that he did indeed have Henderson in his pocket. The boy from Oxford, Henderson’s rival town, stole a glass of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray, whispered in the man’s ear, and then dragged Molly behind him right over to none other than Evie Jackson.

“Mrs. Jackson,” Josh said, interrupting the conversation at her table.

Molly, horrified as she scanned the upturned faces one by one, realized she could name each one of the old biddies sitting there sporting their silver-grey updos and ancient pearls. This was bigger than just Evie Jackson. Josh had brought her right to the nucleus of Henderson’s society. To the foot of the formidable mountain she had to climb. This was the generation most unlikely to forgive her. This was the generation she had to persuade to ease their harsh assessment.

And here she was…speechless.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to bring you this champagne as a thank you for that kind note you sent me,” Josh was saying. The waiter arrived then with a tray full of champagne glasses. “And I didn’t want to leave out these other young ladies,” Josh said as the women clapped hands and tittered as champagne was placed before them. “I am happy to hear the Garden Club was able to make use of the vegetable software. I took a walk over to the plot of land you ladies have transformed so beautifully and noticed you’ve got quite the bumper crop going this year. I confess the tomatoes were in such abundance I took a couple home with me.”

“Oh, Josh.” Evie Jackson swatted at him flirtatiously. “You take what you want from that garden. I mean it. Our thumbs would not be nearly so green if it wasn’t for your soil tests and computer-generated layouts.”

“Ladies, I believe y’all know my date, and the bride’s niece, Molly DuVal.”

Date?

“Hmm,” Evie said, giving Molly careful scrutiny. “Molly.”

“Mrs. Jackson,” Molly said meekly.

Josh dove right in. “I understand Molly was engaged to your grandson, Mrs. Jackson.”

What the hell?

“Mmm. Yes. Breakin’ her engagement to our Tyler is probably what Molly is best known for around here,” Evie said, caging her harsh remark with her full-on Southern belle smile. “A word to the wise, Josh.”

“How is Tyler doing these days?” Josh proceeded undaunted.

Mrs. Jackson’s smile became genuine. “Why he’s just had twins,” she whispered—completely in awe. “Two beautiful baby girls. Named after me and his other grandmother.”