Molly fumbled into her black yoga capris and peach long-sleeved thermal shirt. The clean clothes made her feel infinitely better, though Liam still bewildered her. She hobbled to the door and opened it, surprised to find Liam waiting for her. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you wait. You’re soaked, too! I’m sorry.”
“You’re fine.” He let her use his arm as a crutch and moved her toward the couch.
“Oh, really? You’re helping me walk? You don’t have to do that.”
Liam ducked his head to whisper to her, “You should let me help you. I don’t often get to play the hero. This is crazy good for my ego.”
“Well, anything I can do for your ego,” she teased.
Liam took his time lowering her gingerly onto the couch, treating her as if it mattered how softly she hit the cushion. “I’m going to go change. Be right back.”
“You can put your wet clothes in the tub. I’ll wash them in the morning, if you like,” Molly offered, embarrassed that the best thing she could think to repay him with was doing his laundry.
Liam thanked her, and then disappeared into the bathroom to change, emerging a handful of minutes later. He called into the kitchen as he made his way back to Molly. “Nate?”
A voice Molly would know anywhere answered back, sounding like he was looking in the fridge. “Yeah?”
“Take the car and go pick up dinner, will you? Molly hurt her ankle, so she can’t wait on Kyle tonight.” Liam wore black sweats and a black fitted t-shirt that showed off his excellent physique. Molly could not understand how he could look so stunning in such simple attire. He looked as if he could have been the model for the loungewear outfit. She kept her chin down, feeling like a little kid. He’d been nice to her, and she was careful not to let her imagination run away with her, thinking it all meant more than a simple kind deed. It was nothing more than a doctor working off the clock, Molly told herself, trying to keep her nerves and the butterflies in her stomach under control.
“Sure. Hey, Little Luco!” Nate poked his light brown head of hair around the corner and grinned at her. “You falling for my brother already? What are you doing with him? I’m closer to your age. Liam’s an old man! Plus, I smile more than once a year.”
“What? I, um, I…” Molly stammered, her cheeks turning pink at being put on the spot right when she’d been thinking how well Liam’s pants fit him from behind.
“I’m thirty-one,” Liam grumbled, moving the coffee table closer to Molly and propping her leg up on it.
Nate slid his jacket over his shoulders, laughing at Molly’s blush and flustered headshaking. “Think long and hard, Moll. Liam’s gonna go bald long before I do. Sure, he’s got the glamorous career, but I’ve got the easy job. Dental assistant,” he declared, showing off his teeth that were every bit as perfect as Liam’s. “Did you miss me, kiddo? What’s it been, a year? Two? How have you lived without me this long?” Nate leaned over the back of the couch and planted a purposefully sloppy kiss on her cheek.
Molly made a face as she wiped off the intrusive affection. It had been just over a year since Nate last visited Kyle. Nate had always teased her in school. Calling her cutesy names in front of her few friends and teasing her mercilessly when he knew it made her uncomfortable. He was one of the few friends Kyle had who wasn’t a complete jerk, though, so Molly had palled around with him a few times throughout the years.
“Ah, there it is.” Nate pointed to her scowl and barked out a laugh in his only volume – loud. Nate had a smile always at the ready. He started poking her shoulder just to irk her, grinning his glee at being able to annoy her so easily. “Did Kyle tell you? I’m staying the week, which means I get you all to myself. Are you so excited? You don’t have to say anything; I know you’re jumping for joy on the inside. We can have movie nights, pillow fights, raid your panty drawer.” He stopped short. “Oh, that last one was my fantasy. I guess you can tag along for that, too. Just don’t be judging what I gravitate towards in your drawers. I’ve always had a thing for Grannie panties.”
Molly did not answer, but cast him a baleful look, which Nate howled at.
“There it is. Proof you missed me. I’ll take that as a very convincing ‘I love you, Nathanial. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.’ So, that’s yes to you and me sharing a bed tonight, right?” He jerked his thumb to Liam, who sat on the couch next to her. “This one doesn’t share space well, so best stick with me.”
Liam was watching the one-sided exchange dubiously, unsure what to make of the blatant flirt that Liam knew had absolutely no agenda to it. It was just Nate being Nate, as he always was. Liam wasn’t sure why it was bothering him this time.
Nate pulled the shoulder of his jacket down, rubbing his chest seductively and licking his lips at Molly. “Liam might bandage your feet, but I can suck on your toes. How does that sound?”
Molly yanked the blanket off the back of the couch and pulled it over her head to discourage his antics. Nate had always been a ham around shy girls. His teasing only compounded her timidity. One day, she swore she would put him in his place, but every time she tried, the words failed her.
Kyle walked into the living room, beer in hand. “You decide to run off into the sunset with Nate, yet?”
Molly ignored Kyle’s question and removed the blanket from her face. Using sign language, she said to Kyle, Did you give Nate cash for the order?
Kyle rolled his eyes. “You can talk, Molly. Just because the people you interpret for like you to communicate like that doesn’t mean everyone else does.”
Cash? she repeated.
Sighing dramatically, Kyle signed back that he was just going to do that. Of course, he had to go back to the other room to get it. He shoved a fistful of dollars into Nate’s hand. “Here’s her dowry. Now sweep her off her feet and take her into the sunset. You have my blessing.”
She guessed it was supposed to be funny, her being traded off for thirty-five bucks, but it only weighted her shoulders more. She picked at a thread on the blanket and tried to pretend she did not feel Liam’s eyes boring into her.