“Joseph, is that you?”

“Yes. Turn around. The eagle is not in Chicago.”

“Eagle? What eagle?”

“The target. The eagle means the target. Haven’t you ever seen a spy movie?”

“I don’t speak spy. You’re telling me Jordan is not in Chicago?” She pulled her car off the road onto the shoulder. “What do you mean? Where is she?”

“Amalia just called. She’s on her way to our house. She should be there any minute.”

“In Applewood ?”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. How far away are you?”

“Far. It will take me a couple of hours. Are you sure she’s there?”

“Dead sure. You better turn around. We can stall her.”

She understood the implications of what he was saying to her, and her heart warmed. He was helping.

“Thank you, Joseph,” she said. “For everything.”

“You can thank me later. Just drive safe.”

“I will.”

With a flick of her wrist, she cranked the volume on the stereo even louder and turned that damn car around.

*

“I’m stuffed.” Mikey took in his plate, and in a nice touch, took Jordan’s for her as well.

She grinned up at him as he passed. “Very chivalrous of you, Mikey. I’m impressed.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he shot back. “I just happen to be in a good mood.” He softened a little. “You see, I haven’t seen my little sister in a few weeks. And here she is.”

“Aww, I missed you too, Michael.” She caught him on the return and pulled him into a hug he begrudged at first. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her snugly and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

“So there.”

She grinned up at him and then turned to her parents. “Thank you for having me tonight and for dinner.”

“Let’s do this more often,” Amalia said, cradling her chin in her hand. “It was fun to hear all you’ve been up to. I mean that.”

“Thanks. Maybe we can. In fact, let’s try. But for now, I better head over to Little Bobby’s. I’m exhausted, and I hear he has the guest room all made up for me. I wouldn’t want to stand the guy up.”

“Why don’t you stay here? With us?”

“It’s just easier. There’s a lot of work to be done over there. Plus, he kind of insisted.”

“You can’t leave yet,” Joseph practically shouted.

“Oh. Okay. Is there something you—?”

“Pie! We haven’t had pie. And we should.” Joseph pointed at her.

“If it’s okay, I think I’ll pass. I’m just really full. The pizza was plenty.”

Her father looked around furtively in a move that had her questioning his sanity. “You’ll make your mother cry if you don’t stay for one piece.”

“I will,” Amalia added. “I’ll just cry. Tears. Is that what you want. Your own mother?”

She shot Mikey a questioning look, but he just shrugged, clearly as mystified as she was.

“Okay. No crying. Just a small piece though, and then I have to jet.”

“Coming right up!” Joseph shouted. He was full of extra energy tonight. Geez.

Two bites into her coconut cream sliver, the kitchen door opened.

“Hey, Mol,” Mikey said from the kitchen. “What’s up?”

“Kind of a crazy, busy day, actually.”

“Yeah?”

“You have no idea.”

And then there she was. Molly. Standing in the entryway of her parents’ living room. Her hair was a little windblown, which made it completely perfect. In fact, just the sight of her made everything else in the room pale.

*

“Hey.” Molly knew it wasn’t the best opening line, but it’s what came out of her mouth. Jordan looked completely surprised to see her there. That much she could tell.

“Hey.” Jordan seemed to be clocking the exits, which wasn’t a great sign. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too.”

“I’d like to stay and catch up, but I’m supposed to meet Bobby and I’m already late.” She picked up the bag next to her chair and slipped it over her shoulder, as Molly stood there paralyzed. Even though she’d had all these great things worked out to say, the minute she found herself face-to-face with Jordan, they were gone from her mind.

And this was too important for that.

“Don’t go.” That was step one. Stop her from leaving. Jordan turned to her in question. “I should have said all of this before, but I wasn’t ready. I get that now. But just because I wasn’t ready doesn’t make what’s happening in my heart any less true. God, I’m not making sense. How could you have possibly followed that?” She placed a hand on her forehead and commanded her mind to slow down.

“What’s going on, Molly?” Jordan’s eyes locked with hers, and the compassion there was unmistakable. That’s when the world seemed to right itself, because just that look from Jordan was enough to set her back on track. Their connection was still very much intact.

“Do you want us to give you a minute?” Mikey asked.

“Shhh,” Amalia said to him. “I’m trying to listen. I’m the mother.”

Molly took a deep breath. “I know why you walked away.”

The three other Tuscanas looked from Molly to Jordan and back again as if captivated by an unpredictable tennis match. But she didn’t let it distract her. If anything, they should hear all of this.

She pressed on. “I was struggling and you saw that. You saw the doubt, the trepidation. And maybe you thought it was best for both of us if you gave me an easy way out.”

Jordan listened, her expression guarded. God, what was she thinking?

“But it wasn’t the easy way, because each day without you has been insufferable. The doubt, the trepidation was never about you. You’ve been the one true thing in my life through all of this, and my feelings never wavered.”

Jordan’s lips parted in surprise.

“I love you, Jordan. I’m in love with you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. It took me some time to admit it to myself. But I’m sure now. You once talked about the grand gesture. And if I had a radio, I’d be holding it over my head right now. But, here I am in front of your whole family, putting it all out there. I wasn’t ready before, and you were right to give me space. I’m ready now. No, excited is a better word. I’m excited for whatever life has in store for us. That is, if you are.”

“Are you?” Joseph asked.

Mikey shot him a warning look. “Dad.”

He covered his mouth. “Sorry.”

All eyes were on Jordan, who wasn’t saying a whole lot. The silence hung in the air between them.

“Am I too late?” Molly asked.

Finally, Jordan shook her head. “No. You could never be too late. I just—I want you to be happy, and I don’t want to be the person who gets in the way of that. Because those are the kinds of things you think about when you love someone. And I do love you.”

Molly moved to her then because those words were too powerful to keep her away any longer. She cradled Jordan’s face in her hands delicately. “The thing is, I think you’re kind of the key to my happiness.”

Jordan seemed to take that in. “I am?”

“You are. Wait a sec. Did you hear all that?”

“What?”

“We’re in love,” she whispered.

A slow smile took shape on Jordan’s face. “Best sentence ever.” And she kissed Molly. Right there in the living room in front of everyone. Molly sank into the amazingness of that kiss. She marveled at how it felt so wonderfully perfect as Amalia sniffled into Mikey’s sleeve.

“What?” she said when they all turned to her. “Am I not allowed to get emotional?”

Mikey eyed them, clearly in shock at this new development. Luckily, there was also a smile on his face. “You two have some big time explaining to do. And sometime soon. Way to keep a guy in the dark.”

Molly slid her arms around Jordan’s waist. “Sorry, Mikey. We kind of left you out of all this, didn’t we?”

He held his thumb and index finger very close together and then turned his attention to Jordan. “Lucky for you, little sister, I’m a roll with the punches kind of guy.”

“Yeah. Lucky me,” Jordan looked at Molly purposefully.

It was time to get out of there. And Molly, for one, couldn’t wait another minute.

She turned to the Tuscanas, who’d so graciously offered their house up in aid of her quest. “We should get out of your hair.” She took a moment to hug each one of them. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “For everything.”

“Take care of each other,” Amalia said. “That’s the most important thing.”

“You got it.”

Once they were outside and alone. Jordan brushed a strand of hair from Molly’s forehead. “So, hi.”

“Hey,” she whispered back. For a minute, she just stared. Marveling at how everything had turned out. That Jordan was here. In front of her.

Hers.

The night was balmy, and the moon three-fourths full. Jordan took her hand and threaded their fingers. Their lips were just an inch apart, and suddenly that became way too much. She leaned in and brushed Jordan’s lips with hers ever so lightly, but that only made her crave more. It hadn’t been her goal to make out with Jordan in the middle of her parents’ driveway, but that’s what happened. She just wanted to lose herself in Jordan and soon. She pulled back slightly and met her eyes. “Please tell me you’re not going to Little Bobby’s tonight.”

Jordan’s breathing was shallow as she stared back in all seriousness. “I think he’ll understand.”

“Praise baby Jesus.”

*

The thing about Molly was that it was very hard for Jordan to keep her hands off of her. And it had been a while since they’d been anywhere on her. She had been knocked off her feet in a really good way to hear Molly’s words.

Molly was willing to fight for them. She’d told Jordan she loved her in front of her entire family. It meant everything .

And yes, it would have been simpler if they’d waited to ravish each other until they were safely ensconced in Molly’s very comfortable bedroom. But unfortunately with them, it was never that simple. Their physical connection was not only still off the charts, it was hovering somewhere outside the time zone.

Their shirts and Jordan’s bra had made it as far as the entryway. They’d bumped into doors and walls as they kicked their shoes off. Finally making it to the hallway off the living room, Jordan found herself pressed against the wall. Molly was kissing down her body and making quick work of her jeans. As Molly slid them down her legs, Jordan splayed her hands against the wall as an onslaught of arousal shot straight through her. Molly straightened and slid her body up against Jordan in the sexiest move this century. The physical ache she caused was almost painful. The town sweetheart was also a very skilled seductress.

Jordan eased her hand to the nape of Molly’s neck and held her in place as she kissed her like she was drowning, which she was in the most welcome way. As Molly rocked into her, that hunger only grew.

Their mouths danced in rhythm, and Molly’s hand dipped between her legs and brushed across her. Giving just the tiniest bit and then pulling back. God.

Then wordlessly, she led Jordan into her bedroom, where she eased her onto her back. Instead of following her down, Molly stood in front of her and slowly removed her remaining items of clothing.

And the temperature in the room shot up around them as Jordan looked on in captivation. “How are you so perfect?” she breathed. “Just look at you.”

Molly held her gaze. Confident. Strong. “You make me feel that way.”

She lowered herself onto Jordan and hitched in a breath as their bodies met.

And Jordan was home. She reached up and brushed the hair back from Molly’s forehead “God, I’ve missed you.”

“Never again,” Molly assured her, and her lips descended onto Jordan’s. She kissed her with skilled precision and began to move against her in a slow rhythm. The kind she knew drove Jordan wild. She then reached between them and began to stroke her as she sucked firmly on Jordan’s nipple.

In surrender, Jordan threw her head back on the pillow, completely helpless to the rush of sensation. It was all she could do to just hold on. Molly continued her quest downward, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses on her breasts, her stomach, her abdomen. She parted Jordan’s legs gently and her hands skimmed up her inner thighs, her thumbs meeting in the middle and brushing over her center. Jordan gasped. Molly leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of one thigh and then the other. But it was the first touch of Molly’s tongue that caused her hips to jerk. The second and third swipe had her arching her back for more. But when Molly pulled her more firmly into her mouth, she tumbled over the edge, falling into a never-ending red-hot release. She dug her fingers into Molly’s shoulders and rode out the shock waves.