“What’s the deal?” she asked, full on meeting his gaze.
He didn’t squirm like most people did when she looked at them like that. He also didn’t glance away. “Deal with what?”
“You.” She waved the semi-full box of raisins in his direction.
He pointed to his chest like she hadn’t just pointed at him herself. “Me?”
“You’re being so different.”
Not like he wasn’t still Gavin. Still had the same haircut—a little long around the edges, but clearly meant to be that way. Still filled out a pair of jeans or slacks the same way, nicely with just the right amount of ass. T-shirts
or dress shirts still stretched perfectly over his torso. But there was something different about him.
“Different, how?”
“Nice.” She waved the box to give the full effect of all of him. “You’re being nice.”
He frowned at that. “I’ve always been nice.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” As a matter of fact, she’d bet money on it. And her money was all tied up with hopes and dreams. She had no extra money to be gambling with these days.
“Name one time,” he said, like it truly appalled him. She squared her shoulders. Not that it had bothered her,
but at Ollie’s birthday party he’d dropped the kids off and he’d seemed to look straight through her. Like she didn’t exist.
Actually, that’s usually how their interactions had gone until recently. Like he’d looked straight through her.
“When you sent puppies to the boys without talking to Rachel,” she said, going with something way less personal to herself.
He sighed. “That was a mistake. And you’re right, it wasn’t nice.”
See? She had an easy example, and it had nothing to do with her feelings. “Uh-huh.”
“Can I tell you a story?” he asked in that way that people do before they tell you the story anyway.
Seeing as they had time before the movie started, might as well. “Sure.”
“I used to be married to this woman. Very nice lady.
Her name was Rachel,” he said.
Oh, so they were playing this game?
“I really like Rachel,” Molly replied.
“I know.” He shifted so his body faced hers, which was more of a challenge for him given that he wasn’t a small guy. His broad shoulders and muscled forearms took up space.
Molly waited for him to continue with story time. “When we were married—” He paused, then started
again. “Rachel talked about how she wanted twin puppies for her twin babies. When they were older.”
Seriously? Rachel had seriously never mentioned that to her…
“So I, being totally wrong, took that as an invitation to present my children with puppies. The whole thing was a mistake. I apologized to all involved, and now the puppies are dogs who spend a great deal of time at my house, too.”
Molly swallowed before she said softly, “I didn’t know Rachel had asked for them.”
“There was enough time between the ask and the delivery that she’d probably forgotten about it. I get it—I screwed up.” He scraped his hand along his neck. “Have you ever screwed up, Molly?”
