Molly (12 page)

She placed the drawing on a table beside the
chair and turned to leave the room. Behind her, there was an
ominous tearing sound, then footsteps.

“Did you think I was your captive,
Molly?”

Samuel’s large hand gripped her shoulder, and
he spun her around. She could see the torn ribbons dangling from
his wrists.

“What are you doing?”

“Never underestimate your opponent,
Venus.”

His mouth came down on hers. The kiss was
fierce and wild and hungry. Every ounce of passion he’d kept in
check through the nerve-racking party, through the vicious game of
racquetball, and through her tantalizing seduction was finally
released.

He dragged her hips into his and pressed
against her filmy chiffon skirt. He wanted her to feel the power
and danger in him. He wanted... Oh, God! She felt so good. He
wanted to lower her to the floor and find release.

He kept her in his bruising embrace a while
longer—mainly to prove to himself that he could kiss her and walk
away. When he let go, he noticed that her lips were red and her
eyes were extraordinarily bright. She looked incredibly
desirable.

“Molly, go back to your room before you get
into trouble.” He turned her toward the door.
“Real
trouble.”

She hurried from the room, closing the door
softly behind her. When she reached the hallway she leaned against
the wall. Her ordeal was over. And what had she proved? Certainly
not that she could ever get the upper hand with Samuel Adams. And
certainly not that they would ever see eye-to-eye in the matter of
the body as art.

She closed her eyes, and the memory of his
sizzling kiss washed over her. Oh, Lord, he was a dangerous man.
His arms had been divine, his kiss heaven.

She struggled with the temptation to go back
to his room and climb into his bed, Rule Four be damned. What would
it be like to share that big four-poster with him?

But, oh God, he was
Bea’s brother!
And there were no guarantees, ever.

Molly hurried her bedroom and didn’t once
think of opening her laptop and emailing the Dixie Virgins.

o0o

Samuel was gone when Molly awoke the next
morning. It was just as well. She didn’t think she could have faced
him after that scene in his bedroom.

She and her daddy spent a happy, busy day
with Glory Ethel, planning the wedding. And late that evening, they
sat down together in the big house on North Wood Avenue and
prepared to eat dinner.

There was an empty place at the table.

“Is Samuel coming to dinner?”

Molly thought her question was innocent. She
had no idea how bright her cheeks and eyes were.

“I never know about my son. He told me not to
plan for him, but still, a mother can hope.”

Squelching her disappointment, Molly changed
the subject.

“You have a wonderful name. Do you mind
telling me how you got it?”

“I was the last of nine children, eight of
them boys.” Glory Ethel paused to laugh. “When the doctor told my
daddy that I’d been born, he rushed into Mama’s room and shouted,
‘Glory, Ethel, it’s a girl!’ As if she didn’t already know.” She
wiped tears of laughter from her cheeks. “The name stuck.”

“The name suits you.” Molly’s dad reached for
Glory Ethel’s hand. “You’re my glory woman.”

“And you’re my sweetheart, Jed.” She patted
his hand. “I can’t wait for you to see Bea again. She’s grown into
such a lovely woman.”

Molly flushed bright red about what she had
done with Bea’s brother. Did friendship make that wrong? And for
Pete’s sake, what about the wedding? Things were getting so
complicated, Molly wanted to crawl into a hole.

“Molly.”

“Yes, Daddy?”

“Glory Ethel asked if you’d like to live with
us. You’ve been talking about leaving Paris and setting up your own
little gallery. You could have your choice of towns. We’ll keep
both houses, sort of go back and forth as the mood strikes us.”

“That’s sweet of you, but I won’t be here
much longer. After the wedding I’m going back to Paris.”

“I thought you were going to take a long
vacation, Molly. You deserve it.”

“I had planned to, Daddy. But models can’t
drop out of sight for too long or they’ll be forgotten. I need to
go back.”
Have to go back.
She had to put an ocean between
herself and Samuel. And then she wasn’t sure that would be
enough.

As quickly as she could, she excused herself
and went upstairs to her laptop.

From: Molly

To: Bea, Janet, Joanna, Belinda, Clemmie,
Catherine

Re: Daddy’s Wedding, etc.

Daddy and Bea’s mom have decided to have a
quiet wedding, family only. Janet, they’re so excited about getting
married in your house. Daddy’s is too small, and Glory Ethel’s
house is the same one she lived in with her first husband, so they
wanted something neutral.

Oh, Bea, I can’t wait to see you again! We
need to have a long, heart-to-heart talk. I’m afraid I’ve made a
big mess of things with your brother. He can barely stand to be in
the same room with me. I don’t even know what will happen when this
extended family has to get together for holidays!

Molly, feeling blue

From: Bea

To: Molly, Clemmie, Belinda, Joanna,
Catherine, Janet

Re: The wedding

Molly, I’m taking an extra day off so we can
talk! I’m coming straight to Tupelo, so stock up on popcorn and
chocolate! Make sure you get
Hershey’s with almonds!
Get a
few Almond Joys, too. Fortunately, the bridesmaid dress Cat and I
found in New Orleans has a skirt big enough to cover a multitude of
sins. Chill, girlfriend. I’m on the way!

Bea

From: Catherine

To: Molly, Bea, Joanna, Belinda, Janet,
Clemmie

Re: Wedding dress

Molly, it sounds like you got to the
iron-clad Sam Adams. Good for you!!! Wait till you see the wedding
dress Bea and I found for Glory Ethel!!! She’s going to look like a
Southern belle from
Gone With the Wind!

Cat

From: Clemmie

To: Janet, Molly, Bea, Joanna, Belinda,
Janet

Re: Bea’s visit

Oh, I can’t wait to see you, Bea! I’m going
to make some popcorn balls, and we can all stuff ourselves silly
while we talk!

Clemmie

From: Janet

To: Molly, Bea, Belinda, Joanna, Clemmie,
Catherine

Re: Can’t wait

It will be wonderful to have you here, Bea!
Molly, you hang in there. We’re going to figure this out. There’s
nothing broken that the Dixie Virgins can’t fix!

Janet

From: Belinda

To: Janet, Bea, Molly, Joanna, Clemmie,
Catherine

Re: Deep Doo Doo

Janet’s right, Molly. When I got in deep doo
doo, ya’ll knew just what to do, and look at me now!!! The happiest
woman on earth!!! We’ll figure it out.

Belinda

From: Joanna

To: Molly, Janet, Bea, Joanna, Clemmie,
Catherine

Re: Envious

OH, I’m so ENVIOUS I could JUST DIE!!! I wish
I could tell the nuns to go jump in the lake, and then I could hop
on the first plane and come home!!!! Molly, just remember that your
face and your body are famous all over Europe! There is NO REASON
to believe Bea’s brother won’t fall head over heels in LOVE with
you!!!! If he doesn’t, he’s not worth a second glance!!! Sorry,
Bea. Nothing personal!

Joanna

From: Bea

To: Joanna, Molly, Janet, Clemmie, Catherine,
Belinda

Re: Sam

I agree with you a
hundred percent,
Joanna! Listen, there’s
nothing
that would make me happier
than to have Molly for a
sister-in-law!!!!
Except maybe
getting to turn Virginia loose.
Dang,
Rule Four is
for
the birds!!!

Bea

From: Molly

To: Bea, Joanna, Janet, Clemmie, Catherine,
Belinda

Re: Us

What would I do without you!

Molly, feeling better already

o0o

Molly had been gone from Florence for two
days and for Sam it felt like two years.

He slammed shut the file folder and opened
his desk drawer and picked it up Molly’s sketch for the thousandth
time. He was no fool. What he was seeing was not a picture of a
naked man but a nude study. It was art.

Molly was good. And she was right: the
unclothed human body didn’t belong merely in the bedroom. Done in
good taste, it belonged in museums and art galleries and even on
office walls.

He put the sketch back into his drawer and
buzzed his secretary.

“Delores, get Carmondy down here.”

It took Carmondy only five minutes to get to
his boss’s office. He sat in the chair facing Samuel’s big desk and
snapped open his briefcase.

“You won’t need that.”

“What’s up, boss?”

“That painting in your office. I want to buy
it.”

“It’s not for sale.”

“Everything can be had for a price. How
much?”

Carmondy wasn’t afraid of arguing with
Samuel. His boss was bright, tough and hardworking, and he expected
all his employees to be the same. But he also expected and
encouraged them to use their own judgment and to speak their
mind.

Carmondy started to state again that the
painting was not for sale, and then he took a closer look at
Samuel’s face. It was as fierce and determined as ever, but it was
also haunted, as if he were seeing a vision that he couldn’t quite
believe.

“You really want that painting, don’t you,
Samuel?”

“Yes. How much?”

“Well, I’m going to be blunt with you.”

“That’s what I expect.”

“I’m crazy about it, but my wife Martha isn’t
too taken with it. She won’t let me hang it at home, and to be
honest with you, it doesn’t quite fit the image of a staid old
bank—even draped in a curtain.” Carmondy chuckled. “You can have it
for exactly what I paid for it.”

“Done.”

“I guess you’ll want to pick it up in the
next day or two.”

“I’ll send Wayne for it immediately.”

o0o

Wayne, Samuel’s sometime chauffeur and
sometime housekeeper and all-the-time gofer, did his usual
efficient job. By the time Samuel reached his apartment that
evening, the painting of Molly was hanging on his bedroom wall.

He tossed his briefcase onto a chair,
loosened his tie and stretched out on his bed. Propping his hands
behind his head, he studied the painting.

Smiling down from the painting, Molly teased
and taunted him. She made him feel good and kind and warm and
generous. She made him feel strong and protective.

He got up and began to pace, but every time
he glanced at the painting, Molly hit him like a blow to the chest.
He continued his restless pacing, wrestling with the problem,
viewing it from all angles. As a businessman he was accustomed to
looking for the bottom line, and the bottom line was simple: he was
in love with Molly.

He analyzed his options. An affair was
logical. He could have Molly; and then when he came to his senses,
they would both be free. He stopped beneath the painting and gazed
at it, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could never
let her go.

“Do you know what you’ve done, Venus de
Molly? Do you have any idea what you’ve done to this
dyed-in-the-wool bachelor, this polite, scandal-avoiding
citizen?”

Wayne stuck his head around the door. “Did
you call for anything, sir?”

“No, Wayne. I’m just talking to myself.”

“Talking to yourself, sir?”

“It’s a new habit I’ve acquired.”

“Yes sir.” Wayne turned to go.

“Wayne...” Sam said. The older man turned
back. “Thank you for hanging this painting.”

“Did I put it in the right place?”

“It’s perfect.”

Wayne gave him a grin that showed two gold
teeth and then limped back down the hall. It occurred to Samuel
that Wayne was getting too old to drive. He’d have to hire someone
else and call him Wayne’s assistant. The old man had his pride.

He turned his attention back to the canvas.
Only three more days until the wedding and he’d see Molly in the
flesh.

He could wait—barely.

o0o

Molly felt as if she’d died and gone to
heaven. All the Dixie Virgins except Joanna, who was in Madrid, and
Cat, who had a huge exam, sat in a circle on the floor of her
bedroom with cans of Pepsi
free
and three bowls in junk
food in the middle – popcorn balls, popcorn, and an assortment of
chocolate bars.

“I never eat candy,” Janet said, then reached
for another Almond Joy. “All those fat grams.”

“Live large.” Bea napped a candy bars and one
of the popcorn balls. “Clemmie, these popcorn balls are to die for.
If I can’t zip my bridesmaid dress, it’s all your fault.”

“I’ll zip it.” Clemmie smiled. “After dealing
with Miss Josephine, I can handle anything.”

“I wish I had a reason not to zip my dress,”
Belinda said.

“Hush up!” Bea tossed her a Hershey bar. “Are
you trying to get pregnant?”

“Yes, and not having a bit of luck.” Belinda
grinned. “But the trying sure is fun!”

“At the rate I’m going, I’ll never even get
to
try
!” Bea said. “Whoever thought of Rule Four
anyhow?”

“You!” All five of them spoke at once, and
then laughed until they were hanging onto each other with tears
streaming down their cheeks.

It didn’t surprise Molly at all that her
tears were real. And it didn’t take two minutes before Janet and
Bea noticed. Bea hugged her hard and Janet squeezed her hand.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Molly
sniffed and Clemmie handed her a tissue.

“I do.” Belinda leaned over and grabbed her
other hand. “You’re in love. I know all the symptoms.”

“She’s not in love,” Janet said. “She’s just
tired. For God’s sake, finishing art school and coming straight
home to wedding chaos and then having to deal with Bea’s
high-powered brother! Who wouldn’t be exhausted!”