Holy hell.

She collapsed limp and satisfied onto the pillow, her breathing shallow, but her heart full. Molly joined her there. She tipped Jordan’s face up to hers. “I love you,” she whispered and stroked her hair. Jordan nodded and stared into Molly’s eyes. She savored the way Molly felt against her. The sound of her voice when she said her name. The ways her eyes lit when she looked at her.

She felt cared for. Safe.

Loved.

Jordan stroked Molly’s cheek. “I didn’t know it could be like this. Feel like this.”

Molly kissed her. “We’re lucky.”

Jordan wrapped her arms around Molly’s waist and pulled her in, sliding her thigh firmly against Molly, who closed her eyes and parted her lips in beautiful response. She was beyond ready. And Jordan was feeling impatient.

She wanted her hands on Molly. Her mouth.

Everything.

She was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen, and watching her climax had become her favorite drug of choice and she needed it now.

“Baby,” she whispered as she rolled her over and lowered her head, running her tongue across her nipple, circling it slowly. Molly’s hands were in her hair, softly encouraging her. As she pulled the nipple into her mouth and sucked, Molly began to make the most adorable tiny noises. She refocused her attention on Molly’s neck, her collarbone. As she kissed the skin there, she massaged her breasts softly at first and then more firmly, squeezing her nipples until Molly was squirming wildly beneath her, looking for some kind of release.

“Oh God, I don’t think I can—”

“Yes, you can,” Jordan whispered in her ear. “Hold on for me.” She stared into her eyes, and the vulnerability there staggered her. With nothing standing between them now, it was easily the most intimate experience of her life.

She rolled herself more fully on top and slid her hands down Molly’s sides, cupping her hips and holding them in place as she pressed against her firmly. Molly whimpered quietly and closed her eyes. “More,” was all she managed. But more she could do. She began to move her hips against Molly slowly in small circles. And though Molly attempted to increase their rhythm, Jordan held her in place, maintaining control. Finally, she reached a hand between them and slid into Molly, her hips picking up pace against her hand until Molly called out and shuddered against her in the most gorgeous display. Her lips parted, her hair fanned out across the pillow, Jordan made a point to memorize the image.

She kissed her neck softly and smoothed the hair from her forehead as her breathing slowed once again.

“Jordan?

“Yeah?”

Molly cradled her face in her hands and shook her head. “You undo me every time. You know that?”

“I think we undo each other.” She kissed her cheek softly.

They made love again that night, waking up and finding each other. The touches were somehow softer with the understanding of what they meant, what they promised. It was a night Jordan would never forget. Because it wasn’t about the moment at hand. It was about forever.

Chapter Twenty-nine

The sun was up early and streaming through the window, but Molly let herself sleep until seven.

Louise had opened up shop on what would be Flour Child’s last day. Molly had scheduled herself for eight, knowing she’d have to stay late into the night to finish the last of the packing. She had to hand over the keys to the bank the next day.

“Are you going to be okay?” Jordan asked from the kitchen table where she nursed a cup of coffee in her jeans and T-shirt. She’d gotten up with Molly and seemed to be lingering close for moral support. It was sweet.

Molly attempted a smile, but it was weighted with sadness. “It’ll be a rough day. The roughest. But if I have you waiting for me, I’m going to get through this. I feel like I have a lot to look forward to and I have to concentrate on that.”

“You do.” Jordan held out her hand, and Molly crossed the distance between them and allowed herself to be pulled into Jordan’s lap. “So, there’s a thing.”

“A thing? You should probably elaborate.”

“George is moving to Applewood.” Molly raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “We’ll get to why later. But the point is, he’s now planning to commute to Chicago. To me. So we could work together. But if I were to move to Applewood, that wouldn’t exactly be necessary. I mean we’d still have to go into the city for meetings, and of course on location for shooting. But if our office home base was here—”

She didn’t get to finish because Molly’s lips silenced her in a celebratory kiss. “Yes,” she said to Jordan when they came up for air. “That sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard. Did you hear me say yes? ’Cause I can say it louder. Yes!” she called out loudly to the room as Jordan laughed.

“I can get an apartment or…”

Molly took the leap. “Or you could move in with me.”

A beat. “Really?” Jordan asked in a hopeful voice. She also looked especially adorable.

Molly looked down at her. “Uh-huh.. But if you’re gonna move in, there’ll have to be conditions.”

Jordan grinned. “Conditions?”

“Oh yeah,” Molly said quite seriously. “You’ll need to pull your share of the handiwork around this place.”

“Which would be?”

“Well, all of it. While wearing jeans and a tank top. That’s also a condition by the way, because there will be lots of objectification.”

“I love it when you objectify me.”

“And I’ll need to interview this cat of yours, Frankie, is it?”

“Francis Ford Coppola until you get to know him better.”

“Pretentious.”

“He totally can be, yeah.”

Molly sighed happily. “So it’s settled. You, me, a cat, and a fish in the blue house.”

“How can you beat it?”

“Who would even try?” Molly murmured as she went in for another kiss.

That’s when Jordan’s phone buzzed. She checked the readout and took the call. “Hey, Bobby. I’ll be over in just a bit.”

She stared at Molly questioningly. “Yeah, she’s right here. What’s up?” Molly watched Jordan curiously, finally tilting her head to the side in question. Jordan took her hand in reassurance and smiled. “Okay, we can leave now.”

“What?” Molly asked as she hung up. “Is everything okay?”

“I think so. But Bobby says we need to get over to Flour Child now.”

Molly’s mind raced with a million possible problems. “Is something wrong? What’s going on?”

“Let’s not wonder. Let’s go find out.” Jordan took her hand and they headed out.

*

Molly heard them before she saw them.

As they rounded the corner to Main Street, the sight before them stopped her cold. There were people, throngs of them, hundreds in fact, gathered in front of the bakeshop. Some were carrying signs depicting the Starbucks logo with a line through it. Others wore homemade T-shirts. She didn’t know what to make of it. She looked at Jordan, who shrugged in mystification.

The crowd started to cheer when they saw her. It was all very surreal. She moved among them, shocked at the sight. There was Mr. Mueller, the mailman; Deb from the diner; a whole grouping of her neighbors and former teachers. Hell, she could go on and on. It seemed like everyone was there. And that’s when she saw him.

“Daddy? You’re here too?” she said. “Do you know what’s going on?”

He smiled and put his arm around her. “Turns out these folks don’t want to see you close. In fact, they’re here to show their support and vow to keep you in business.”

“Gonna skip Starbucks from now on, Molly,” Evan Thompson, from the auto body shop called out. “I don’t care if they do have a drive-through. Your cinnamon rolls are fifty times better anyway. I’ll be here from now on each morning. Promise ya.”

“Thanks, Evan. But I don’t think that’s—”

Celia Foster pushed through the crowd. “None of us are going to that big chain store anymore. Flour Child is our bakeshop and we’d like it to stay that way. We’re not willing to give it up.”

“I’ll be in at least twice a week. Three times if I get a raise,” someone behind her called out.

Molly turned toward the voice. “That’s so nice of you to say, Mrs. Abernathy, but I’m afraid there’s not much choice. I have to close down today.”

“Actually, you don’t.” It was Felix from the bank. Molly threw a questioning look to Jordan who squeezed her hand.

“I don’t understand.”

He handed her an envelope. “The mortgage has been paid, along with the secondary loan. You’re free and clear.”

She stared at him. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“A donor came forward. Paid it all off in your name.” Felix looked to his right, and Molly followed his gaze.

There, standing at the edge of the crowd, feigning interest in the shop’s awning and pretty much ignoring everyone was Mr. Jeffries.

He scoffed, catching Molly looking at him. “What?”

“Did you pay off my mortgage, Mr. Jeffries?”

He glared back at her like she was less than bright. “Well, I couldn’t exactly have the shop close down, could I? A man’s entitled to his routine, you know.”

She didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” was the start she went with. “I’ll pay you back just as soon as I can.” She couldn’t quite process this turn of events.

“You will not,” he grumbled. “You’ll use the cushion to get ahead and the rest of the idiots will keep you afloat. Then everyone will be happy and shut up.”

She scanned the scene, the faces of the people she loved most in the world. She turned around to face the shop. Eden stood in the doorway with her arm around Louise. Damon sat beneath them on the step.

The sight of them brought it all home.

They were wanted. The town was willing to stand up and say so. And that meant the shop was staying put. She’d get up the next morning and come in to work. And every morning after that. She’d hang the photo of herself and her dad back on the wall.

She walked to the corner of the group and threw her arms around Mr. Jeffries, who stood stock-still before softening and allowing her to hug him. “I can’t believe you did this,” she told him. “I won’t let you down.”

“Don’t go getting all mushy on me. You got a business to run, girlie. Look alive.”

She stared down at the envelope in her hands, and then looked to her father, who beamed at her proudly, his arm around Jordan. The Tuscanas stood a few feet away, holding a box of pastries purchased from inside.

They were all there.

She decided she better say something. “Thank you so much, everyone. Um…I guess as it turns out, we’re not closing down after all.” She lifted a shoulder and let it drop.

The announcement was met with applause and cheers from the more boisterous individuals. As she moved among the crowd, she was met even more with pledges of support and vows to patronize the shop every day. Wes Broll even offered his Web design services to get her set up for online orders for MollyDollys. She planned to take him up on it.

“Plenty of coffee and cinnamon rolls inside. Step right up!” Eden called out loudly from the steps. Needless to say, the line eventually worked its way down the block.

Molly found her way back to Jordan. “Can you believe this?”

“I can. I told you. You’re the heart and soul of this town, Molly. These people aren’t letting you get away that easily.”

“I guess not.” She surveyed the line happily, full of excitement. She could do cartwheels down Main Street she was on such a high. “I better get in there and get some trays in the oven. We’re going to need more food.”

Jordan gestured with a tilt of her head. “I guess I better get in line.”

Molly tugged on her arm and pulled her into the shop. “Like I’d ever make you wait.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

Jordan stole another glance down the aisle at the faces of her audience. It was absolute torture to sit in a theater while her friends and family watched her film for the first time.

The word nervous was too basic a term.

Sure, it had already done well at the festivals, even picking up a couple of awards here and there, but this was different. Crazy different. These were the people who mattered, and it was their stories she was telling up on that screen.

And, might she add, sitting still for eighty-eight minutes while the thing ran was virtually impossible. What she really wanted to do was pace, get out all of that extra energy coursing through her. Or better yet, get a drink and see them all once the whole thing was over.

Picking up on Jordan’s restlessness, Molly placed a calming hand on her knee and offered her a smile. “Relax,” she mouthed.