Right. So they were going there.
“I mean it.” Agnes used her no-argument tone. The one she didn’t pull out with Molly very often.
“Why does everyone keep telling you that?” Gavin asked, eyebrows adorably pushed together.
“That will not be a problem.” Molly gave a look to Agnes that she hoped transmitted the ixnay on the sharing. This may officially be her first fake date with Gavin, but that only meant that any desire she had to fix him up with someone else would also have to be fake.
Also, they were at bingo and Molly was nearly certain there wouldn’t be a ton of prospects here for his future Mrs.
Gavin tugged at her hand. She sighed.
“Molly?”
“It’s nothing.” Not anything she wanted to share at the moment, anyway.
“I need to know,” Gavin said, tilting forward so his face was closer to hers. “Is she in cahoots with my mom?”
“Who’s your mama?” Agnes asked.
“Evelyn,” Molly answered for him. “And you don’t know her.”
She was pretty sure.
Instead of doing a thorough analysis into all things Mollyland, she ushered them through the door of the bingo parlor. But she didn’t release his hand. What could she say? She sort of enjoyed holding it.
The enormous room with white walls and commercial carpet held rows and rows of dark brown folding tables with tan metal chairs—the kind that collapsed easily for storage. The room smelled a little like a hospital corridor or an airport. On the scale of favorite locations, those were two of Molly’s least favorite.
Peter’s couple was going to watch a jazz concert in City Park. Molly bet that there were funnel cakes there. The bingo place only had a small concessions stand with soda and hot dogs. The hot dogs looked mighty iffy, if she said so herself.
They settled at the table behind Agnes and Charlie, and Molly took careful time arranging her bingo cards on the faux woodgrain surface of the table. She’d gone for a pink dauber. Gavin chose red.
“Did you bring a book?” Molly asked, low.
“No.” He chuckled. “The company tonight is much more interesting than any book.”
“You mean Agnes and Charlie, right?” she said, aiming to keep it light.
“Why do you do that?” he asked as the first numbers came over the intercom.
She took her time daubing the correct boxes. Not so lucky, G-4. She only had a one of that combination. “Do
what?”
“Put yourself down like that?” He took a considerably annoying amount of time marking his own cards.
“I don’t put myself down.”
“You just did.”
“No, I built up Agnes and Charlie.” There was a difference. A minute difference that she felt a little queasy about.
Was she putting herself down? She didn’t think so.
But…
She was essentially cubic zirconia when Gavin usually went for diamonds. Not that she’d liked Dakota, but the woman was gorgeous and she was successful. And then there was Rachel. While she and Gavin both said their marriage was a mistake, he’d gone for her at one time. Rachel was little miss perfect. Molly meant that in the best sense. Rachel was kind and beautiful.
Molly was just…Molly.
