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Psychic in Ring of Debauchery!
Molly couldn’t believe what she was rereading.
“It’s just a headline,” Lauren said.
“It’s the end of my life!”
“You’re not even psychic,” Pepper said.
Molly stared at the online newspaper on her laptop, which was on the countertop in the kitchen, and at the headline about the young psychic with debauched tendencies who resided in Hopeless. “I just came in to get lunch ready,” she told her cousins. “I thought I’d check the news and my email while the eggs were boiling and I find this!”
“It’s much worse than the greed rumor,” Pepper offered.
“The Texas Portal is a rag that focuses on gossip and classified ads,” Lauren said. “It’s not the Amarillo Globe.”
“But the Globe emailed me!” Molly said. “They want an interview. In situ. In my den of iniquity.” Texas wasn’t the world but it was Molly’s whole world.
What would the people who knew her, or had known her in her youth, think if they read this? All the old Crazy Molly and Wacky Mackillop stuff would come out again.
“Don’t go worrying about what others might think,” Pepper said. “They don’t even read that Portal rag.”
“No, but they read the Globe,” Lauren said. “Maybe you ought to do the interview with them and laugh it all off, before they print the article without you.”
“Is that legal?”
“You should check in with Marie. She started all this. She’ll know how to finish it.”
Would Momma know? It had been Momma’s fault the hot photos of Saul had gotten out in the first place. Those photos had gone viral—well, they’d gone around Texas. People were tweeting his abs. The shame of it.
“This is turning into a fiasco,” Lauren said.
“I know,” Molly agreed. “And even worse, I just kissed him four times.”
“You did what?”
“We told you to ignore him.”
“I was ignoring him. He obviously didn’t like it.”
“He’s not going to ignore you anymore, Molly. Not after this.”
Molly stared at the screen on her laptop and the front page spread of the online rag, featuring Saul’s abs and the adoring expression on her face as she reached for the fountain. Now photoshopped as his abs. She picked up the strap on her Pro camera and twisted it around her hand, like a talisman. “So what am I going to do about this headline? Because I don’t want to be debauched. I want to be a photographer.”
“You’ve got to tell him.”
“You’ve definitely got to tell him.”
“Gosh, you are having a hard time of it,” Pepper said.
“I’m so glad it’s not me.” Lauren paused. “But we’re with you in spirit, Molly. We’re on your side. You can do this.”
Nerves were making Molly’s skin prickly and maybe her legs were trembling. It was difficult to discern where the trembling originated because her whole body was shaking, but since the trembles usually started in her thighs whenever the matter of Saul came up, she presumed that was the source, so she clenched her butt muscles and firmed her thighs.
He’d come in ten minutes ago for his lunch and she had to get this done. She picked up a printed copy of the Texas Portal front page, which she’d taken from the online newspaper’s website.
“Here,” she said, handing it to Saul.
He finished chewing, and put his thick ham salad and boiled egg sandwich onto his plate.
“I can explain,” she said as he took the piece of paper off her.
Maybe she ought to have explained first, before letting him see it. His face registered shock—it definitely wasn’t amusement—then his focus zoomed in as he read the article beneath the photo, not naming either of them, but suggesting that something wicked and naughty was happening in Calamity Valley, around the Hopeless area, involving a den of sexual freedom and a young psychic.
Molly swallowed. “I’m so sorry.”
He was still studying the photo, his expression a mix of incredulity and awe.
“Momma’s really sorry too.”
He blew out a laugh. “Is this where your sexual deviance problem came from?”
Molly nodded. “Probably. But Momma’s getting us out of the fix she accidentally put us in.”
“So Marie did this?” he asked, aiming the printed sheet of paper at Molly.
“By accident. And she’ll get us out of it.”
“Is that wise?”
“She knows what she’s doing.” Please let Momma know what she’s doing.
He looked at the photo again. “I don’t remember you staring so adoringly at my chest.”
“It’s photoshopped. Momma did it. And it’s not your chest—it’s your abdominal muscles.”
“Why? What’s wrong with them?”
“Nothing! They’re spectacular.”
He tilted his head. “But my chest isn’t?”
“It’s equally spectacular. But women have a thing for washboard abs and you have them.” She shrugged as though saying, “Come on. You’ve got them, you can’t deny it.”
“And you like them?” he asked, with a lazy smile in his eyes.
“Not particularly, but I am a woman and I do notice stuff like this, whether I want to or not.”
“When did you take these photos of me?”
“Oh, right, yes...” Oops. “Just before I asked you if you’d mind me using photos of you in my business brochure.”
“And Marie, who got us into this, is getting us out of it?”
Molly nodded. “She knows what she’s doing.” Pleeeeease know what you’re doing, Momma.
“Pardon me if I don’t appear convinced.” He stood, crumpled the sheet of paper in his hand and threw it onto the countertop. “Okay, let’s forget this nonsense and get on with it. We’ve got a lot still to do this afternoon.”
He wasn’t worried about the photo? What a relief. He was still going to build her roof.
“Good idea,” she said, becoming stalwart and steadfast. “You carry on with your I’m-in-charge routine, and I’ll do as you ask because I’m desperate.”
“For sex?” he asked with a lift of an eyebrow.
“For a roof!”
He gave her his hot-contractor, narrow-eyed smile.
“You are so smug, Solomon.”
“And you are such a liar, Mackillop. You like looking at my abs.”
“Do not. When is the crane arriving?”
“Tomorrow. By the end of today, I want to have finished double-checking all my calculations, and you need to have moved all those roof tiles that are stacked in the courtyard out of my way. If you need a hand, I’ll give you a hand.”
Great. There were only fourteen dozen stacks left to shift. “I don’t need your hand. I’m in charge of tiles, remember?”
“You’re overseeing the tiles.” He stuck the tip of his finger into his chest. “I’m in charge of everything.”
“That’s not actually right, because—”
“Unless you want me to walk out of here, annoyed and aggrieved that my near nakedness has been the front of amusement and humiliation all around Texas.”
“There’s no humiliation for you,” Molly told him, stepping back. “You’ve got perfect abs and women want to look at them. What about me? I’m the one with the grievance here. I’m the one with the sexual appetite.”
He turned away but not before she’d seen a flash of a grin.
“I might add that I’m not in the least bit interested in your stupid abs,” she told him. “Or your stupid chest. Or even your stupid shoulders, come to that.” She glared at him when he swung back to her, his grin gone, replaced by a baffled expression.
“Stupid?” he asked. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
“I’m currently speechless at your ridiculous and over-the-top aggrieved perception of what is nothing more than an accidental interpretation of an innocent situation. Stupid is the first word that comes to mind.”
“Fine. Let’s get on with our day, shall we? Because this entire situation, not to mention your stunning array of vocabulary, is beginning to feel one hundred percent stupid.”
“Fine.”
He grabbed his work gloves and strode to the door.
Molly suddenly remembered something she had to speak to him about. “Um... since we’re chatting,” she said quickly, making him pause.
“Chatting?” he asked, with a disbelieving look on his face.
“There’s a valley meeting tonight in Hopeless.” She’d owned up about the photos, it hadn’t gone too badly, and now she had to deal with the next thing on her plate. “Want to come?”
“What for? You need me to kiss you in public or something?”
Molly held her hand up in a don’t-move-from-that-spot manner. “We’ve got to stop doing that.”
“So stop doing it.”
“I didn’t start it!” She shook her head, not wanting to head into that argument again. “What was I saying?”
“Town meeting.”
“Oh, yes. You’d be welcome, and I think it might do your reputation some good.”
“I don’t have a reputation.”
“Oh, really?” She slung her weight to one hip and put a hand on her other hip. “You don’t have a girlfriend who isn’t your girlfriend, whom you didn’t just dump and who isn’t pregnant?”
He sucked in a breath. “No. I don’t.”
“So do you have a wife and six kids back in Colorado?”
“Do I what? Who told you that?”
“Nobody. I imagined it.”
Saul shook his head, unable to concentrate on so many absurdities at the same time. They’d argued. They’d kissed. He’d liked it—and so had she. But she didn’t want to see how much they’d both liked it, so they’d argued again. Then this ridiculous nonsense with the Texas Portal and Marie’s newsletter, and now...a wife and six kids? Seriously? He didn’t know why she’d imagine such a preposterous scenario, but he did start imagining a few scenarios himself. Sally-Opal at the head.
He took his focus to outside. What was Sally-Opal thinking? Had she called his sister? Should he call Karlie himself and head the whole threatening scenario off? Because if he didn’t do something, there’d be a lot of emotion flying around on everyone’s part. Or should he wait and see what happened next and deal with it as it occurred?
Fury rushed through him. He’d never had this incapacitating inability to make a decision before. What the hell was happening to him?
“Are you listening?” Molly asked.
He returned his focus to her. “Yes.”
“You were miles away.”
“I was thinking about my sister.”
Her hand fell off her hip and she straightened. “You have a sister as well as a grandpa and mom and a gay younger brother?”
He grimaced, having not meant to say so much. “She’s a half-sister.”
“You have a whole family and you didn’t say?”
“Looks like I didn’t mention it.”
“So you don’t have a wife and six kids?”
“Molly.” He tipped his head. “There’s no room in my life for a wife. Or six kids.” Or one kid, come to that. “So what is it you want to tell me about this town meeting, because I can see I’m not going to get any more work done here until you’ve said what it is you want to say.”
“We’re going to hold a town open day. There’ll be apples, and bunting, and lollipops and cake... and... other stuff that hasn’t been decided yet.”
“Sounds amazing.”
“Oh, forget it,” she said, turning to pick up her work gloves. “Just get on with your job.”
Saul gave her back a reluctant smile, considered walking over to her and kissing her, then decided against that in case he took it further. Because he had an inkling she wanted it to go further as much as he did. Only problem was, they weren’t right for each other so why make more of a mess than they were already dealing with?
Oh, but one perfect night with Molly. It was tempting.
