Zeke had gone to sleep last night thinking about Molly. He woke up thinking about her.
He’d spent too much of his morning at work thinking about her.
When he’d arrived at 8:40, figuring he’d get to work first and could slip into his office without being overwhelmed by his attraction to her, there she was. Sitting at her desk, typing away on her desktop computer, Dawson Solutions coffee mug in front of her. Her hair had been in a bun, and he’d wanted to release the clip holding it. He’d wanted to undo the little leaf-patterned scarf at her neck. Slip her suit jacket off her shoulders...
It was now close to noon; he’d gotten little accomplished, and he was ready to go get his brain back to normal, back on track, by meeting with Danica Dunbar at Bear Ridge Realty. Surely once he was enveloped in the midst of his dream woman, he would refocus and his crush—if that was what it was—on his admin would disappear.
He came down the hall toward the reception area, and Molly stopped typing. “Well, wish me luck.”
“You won’t need it,” she said. “I’d straighten your tie knot like in the movies but your tie is perfect.”
He smiled. “See you this afternoon. I’ll tell you all about it.”
The office phone rang and she grabbed it, so that was that. Time to go.
Outside, he breathed in the cold but fresh, crisp air and headed left. Blue Ridge Realty was three doors down. There were some glossy photos in the window of homes for sale—from huge ranches to small houses in town.
Here goes fifteen years of waiting, he thought, pulling open the door. Danica came right over, extending her hand.
“Zeke, so nice to see you again,” she said.
Just as when he saw her last week for the first time since high school, he waited for the rush of emotion—excitement, anticipation—but all he felt was interest in finding out more about available houses in Bear Ridge.
Very weird. This was Danica Dunbar, standing before him wearing a pink-and-white tweed minisuit and very high heels, her long blond hair in a low ponytail curled down one shoulder. Makeup, jewelry—all business-glam. She looked amazing and did smell heavenly. But the face that had starred in his dreams all these years, that had gotten him through some very trying times, didn’t seem to be affecting him. In the slightest. Not even in a nostalgic way.
How would he stop thinking about Molly if he wasn’t consumed by his crush?
She led him to her desk. A credenza with a lot of vases of flowers was against the wall. From her suitors, he figured. No red tulips, Danica’s favorite, per Molly. A few days ago he would have ordered an exquisite arrangement of three dozen to be delivered after a meeting like this. Now, everything was up in the air.
“So,” she said, sitting down in her swivel chair and gesturing for him to sit in the leather club chair across. She held an iPad and a stylus pen. “You gave me a brief rundown of what you’re looking for when you called the other day, but I’d like to hear more detail about what’s important to you in a house. Location. Square footage. Number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Style. Privacy. We’ll start there and see what’s available.”
He looked right at her, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Shouldn’t he be unable to think, let alone concentrate on all she’d just said? Shouldn’t he be unable to drag his eyes off her pretty blue eyes, the shimmery pink-red lipstick, her long legs?
His head was actually full of house details. He kept thinking about the luxe cabins—Daisy called them log mansions—that his brothers Axel and Zeke had built on the ranch property. He could see himself in something like that. Or the classic farmhouse Ford had bought in town. He liked that, too. He kept waiting to be distracted from his thoughts by Danica’s beauty, but right now all he thought about was a section of the ranch down by the river, three miles from where the path along the water ended—where the guests turned around on their walks. That area would be perfect and private. And right there on the ranch with his family.
“Full disclosure,” he said. “I might very well decide to build on my family’s property, but I’m not sure of that. I do like the idea of walking to work, though. I also like space and large rooms. I’m not really sure about number of bedrooms. To be honest, I don’t know what I want.”
I thought I wanted you.
I thought I’d never have kids of my own—and now I can’t stop thinking about a single mother with a year-old baby who likes to grab my ear.
“Well, right now you’re single,” Danica said. “But if you’re planning to marry and start a family, that may be something to consider when it comes to space. The new condos that went up on the far side of Main Street are beautiful, but they’re one-and two-bedroom. A condo might serve a ‘right for now’ purpose.”
“That would let me off the hook,” he mused aloud.
“What do you mean?”
Part of him was vaguely aware that he should shut up. But he kept going. “Just that I never planned to marry or have kids at all. But then you meet someone, and bam, your whole point of view is different.”
Am I talking about Molly? Or Danica?
She nodded. “I’m glad to hear that because I’m not sure I want kids. Maybe I just haven’t been hit with baby fever yet. But I do think my Mr. Right, if he wants children, will fire up those maternal instincts.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. My ex-husband didn’t, which is why he divorced me.” She bit her lip. “Oh, God, did I just say that aloud? Do you know I haven’t talked about this with anyone and here I am, just blurting it out?” She looked stricken. “Okay, back to houses. Condos. Square footage.”
He stared at her, focusing on not allowing his mouth to drop wide open. She wasn’t sure she wanted children. She was him in male form!
So why wasn’t this having a bigger impact? He could ask her out right now, mentioning that he’d love to talk more about this complex topic over dinner at her favorite restaurant in Prairie City.
But he couldn’t even summon the interest in asking her out. When she was even more perfect for him than he knew ten minutes ago.
“I guess the most important thing is keeping an open mind—and staying true to yourself,” she said. “So what do you think? Want to look at houses and the condos? I know of four within walking distance to Main Street that may fit the bill—they’re all a little different. Two have turn-of-the-last-century charm and two are recent builds.”
“I’d like to see them all,” he said. “It’ll help me decide to get a sense what’s out there. I hope I’m not wasting your time. I’ll understand if you’d prefer if we made an appointment for when I know what I want.”
“All part of my job,” she said with a warm smile.
They stood and headed toward the door. She opened the closet, handed him his overcoat and slipped on that long red wool coat with the leather belt she’d been wearing the first day he’d seen her. The day he’d met Molly. Re-met Molly. She tossed her long curled ponytail over down past one shoulder, a faint hint of her perfume in the air.
Still, absolutely nothing. Amazing. He wouldn’t have thought it even possible.
As they got into her silver car, Danica added, “Sometimes you have to see that what you thought you wanted doesn’t meet any of your needs. And sometimes, something you never would have put on the list is perfect. It can be a numbers game. And other times, you get lucky right off the bat and find your dream home with the first showing.”
He stared at her, wondering if she knew about his old crush. Or that he’d kissed Molly and put the kibosh on that. After all, she and Molly were best friends, but they both clearly kept some truths to themselves. From Danica’s expression and voice, with absolutely zero personal glint in her eyes, he decided she was just speaking generally. A little too applicable, though.
“So we have something big in common besides Bear Ridge High class of too many years ago,” she said as she headed into the light traffic.
He glanced at her. “What’s that?”
“Molly! Isn’t she just the best?”
She sure is, he thought. “I’m lucky to have her as my administrative assistant. Do you happen to know what her favorite flowers are? She did a great job on client research this morning, and I’d like to thank her.”
Danica beamed. “She loves red daisies. She calls them ‘the day brightener.’ If it were summer she’d pick them right out of her yard and have a bunch on her desk.”
“Perfect,” he said. “Thanks.”
She smiled, and he couldn’t help but think about how he used to wish she’d turn that beautiful smile on him in the halls at school, on Main Street as teens. But now, Danica Dunbar was simply a lovely human being and highly recommended Realtor who was showing him houses. And that she knew Molly’s favorite flowers was quite a plus.
Why did it seem everything was reversed now?
Maybe they should look at the one-bedroom condos first—and he should buy one. No room for the family he was sure he didn’t want.
“So which would you like to see first? The houses or the condos?”
Say condos. Say condos.
“The houses,” he found himself saying.
Molly had barely eaten three bites of the turkey-and-cheese sandwich she’d packed for today’s lunch. Were Danica and Zeke making out right now on some scenic overlook? In an empty house she was showing him? Had he already asked Danica out for every night of the rest of their lives?
She forced herself not to bite her nails. She’d been so consumed with thoughts about the date she’d almost forgotten today was the grand turn-around of Tim’s Tasty Tacos. She’d called her dad just a little while ago and the moment he’d answered the phone she knew business was booming.
She glanced out the front window of Dawson Solutions only to see Zeke coming across Main Street with a bouquet of red daisies. Her favorite flowers. Sigh. He must have forgotten that Danica’s favorite flowers were red tulips, which wasn’t like him. Her boss remembered everything. Her friend liked all flowers, but for a man gunning to win Danica’s heart, daisies didn’t seem very “grand gesture.”
She expected him to turn left toward Bear Ridge Realty, but he came into Dawson Solutions. “Afternoon, Molly. I miss anything?”
Forget what you missed—what did I miss?
She sat up straight and reminded herself she was at work. “Several calls from potential clients interested in meetings, a call from Peter Winkowski and a request for a follow-up meeting from Shelly Neffer.”
He nodded and held out the bouquet. “For you. For all your hard work on the Ranelli account. Your research was impeccable and saved me countless hours.”
Molly tilted her head. “These are for me?”
“They are. I got a tip that red daisies are your favorite.”
Her heart gave a little ping. “Well, thank you, Zeke.” She popped up to get a vase from a cabinet at the coffee station, filled it with water and put in the pretty bouquet. Zeke Dawson had given her flowers! For a moment, everything else went out of her head.
But as she set them on her desk, her burning question came right back and she couldn’t wait a second longer. “So was the meeting...successful?” Did you ask her out?
“Danica showed me two condos and three houses, but none of them was quite right for different reasons. I’m going to take one of the buggies out on the ranch this weekend to explore some areas and think more about building on the property.”
She nodded slowly, waiting for him to keep going, to mention that he finally had gotten his date with Danica and they were going out Saturday night.
“At first I thought a high-end one-bedroom condo would suit me fine,” he said, “but what if I wanted to have my nieces and nephews over? They’d crash into each other in such a small place. Danica pointed that out.”
Molly kept waiting for him to get around to his finally asking Danica out after years of waiting. But he was talking houses and how the small yards wouldn’t work if his siblings with dogs wanted to come for a barbecue.
“What’s the point of a yard if I can’t throw sticks for Dude and River?” he said. “Fetch is one of their favorite things. And my nephew Danny? Two years old and already headed for captain of the track team. I’d probably want to build a playhouse for all of them, too.”
Sounded like a man who was in the beginning stages of thinking ahead to a family of his own. A dog of his own.
Because Danica would turn him around.
A lump formed in Molly’s throat.
“So when’s the big date?” she asked. “Saturday night?”
Zeke looked at her as if she’d grown another nose. “Date? Well, that hardly seems really appropriate since she’s my Realtor now. Don’t you think?”
Molly gave a dry chuckle. Ha, ha, real funny. He was making fun of their situation, wasn’t he? Which didn’t seem like him, but perhaps he needed to make light of it. Sweep it all under the ole rug.
But not only wasn’t he laughing, he wasn’t smiling. “I’m serious.”
“Wait, what?” she asked. “You are?”
“It’s a working relationship. Realtor and client. I think business and romance should be kept separate. And not just in a boss and subordinate situation but in all cases. I told you I got burned with a former colleague, so that’s probably just too fresh. Maybe once I’m settled on a house—either in town or on the ranch—I’ll revisit asking her out. If she’s not seriously involved with someone by then.”
Molly forced her jaw not to drop to her lap. What in the world? Okay, yes, he had been hurt by a former coworker. But c’mon. His Realtor was not his colleague. He was making excuses for not asking out Danica Dunbar, woman of his dreams. If Zeke had asked Danica out, she likely would have said yes.
Because she had no idea that Molly was madly in love with the man.
So what gives?
As Zeke stood in front of her desk flipping through the messages she’d taken, she studied him. Carefully. He looked so...content. At peace.
Wait. A. Minute. Another possibility occurred to her. Could it be? Was it actually possible?
Had Zeke discovered that he didn’t actually have a crush on Danica anymore?
“Zeke, I’d like to ask you a personal question. You don’t have to answer, of course.”
“Okay,” he said. Warily.
“You spent almost three hours with Danica this afternoon. Was it like you expected—I mean, on a personal level?”
She was getting the clear sense it wasn’t. Or he would have asked Danica out instead of coming up with a flimsy excuse about business and pleasure. She wanted to stand up on her chair and do a little happy dance.
“It was,” he said very seriously.
Her heart thumped and she stared at him. “Oh.” Had he been too choked up with emotion to ask Danica out? Had he gotten tongue-tied from being so close to her?
“I’ve known for a few days now that the old crush is gone,” he continued. “But I was hoping it would still be there so I could distract myself.” He paled for a moment as if he hadn’t meant to say that last part.
Oh! Her frown was immediately turned upside down. The twenty-year crush on Danica Dunbar was over. Because he had feelings for Molly! She glanced at her vase of sweet red daisies, her heart leaping around in her chest.
“Well, I’d better get to work,” he said. “I took a long few hours to myself, so...”
“Of course,” she said in her professional voice, scooting her chair in and poising her hands over her keyboard. She fought the grin bursting inside her as he headed down the hall toward his office—very possibly thinking about her.
There was still the matter of his certainty that he doesn’t want to be a father, she realized. She bit her lip. He’d said that outright a number of times and it came from somewhere deep inside him, as rooted as his family tree.
But that was an old hanger-on—she was sure of it—just like his crush on Danica had been. Everything about Zeke—from his actions, behavior, conversation—centered on family and how important it was. So she’d just have to show the baby whisperer of Bear Ridge that he was made for fatherhood, made for a family of his own. That would take a blowtorch, though, to get through the cinder-block walls he’d erected around his heart.
But right now, Molly Orton felt like she could truly do anything.