Molly had meant a lot to her and still did.

Yet another thing that hadn’t changed.

Chapter Four

The next day was about as beautiful as they came. It was April, and in Applewood that meant an even seventy-one degrees with a pleasant breeze moving the trees in delicate patterns. Jordan looked forward to spending the next hour or two outdoors. Already she could tell it was going to be a great day. There was just something about it.

She set out for Molly’s house just after four. While she’d never been there before, she knew the neighborhood well enough, so it didn’t take long to locate Molly’s block. The quaint street felt lived in, comfortable, and screamed of backyard barbeques and block parties. She kind of liked it. Along her route, she passed overturned tricycles beneath shady oak trees, sturdy houses with colorful doors, and more “welcome” signs than she thought to count. It was a happy place and it fit Molly to a tee.

Upon arrival, she didn’t knock immediately and instead took a moment to study her task. The dilapidated shutter, while a pretty powder blue, sadly needed more than just a re-hanging, as did its three neighboring counterparts. The finish was cracked on all four and there was evidence of sun bleaching. Not to mention the fact that the hinges were rusty and would need to be replaced entirely.

“So what’s the verdict?”

Jordan turned to see Molly standing on the porch behind her. “I don’t think I have the heart to break it to you.”

Molly sighed. “I can be big about this. Give it to me straight.”

Jordan walked to the nearest window and ran her hand across the wooden shutter. “I think if I just re-hang this one, you’ll be right back here again in a few months.”

“So they have to be replaced entirely?” She sat in defeat on the steps of the porch. “I lied. Not feeling big about this at all. How much is that going to cost, do you think?”

Jordan could sense Molly’s immediate hesitation when money became a question, confirming her suspicions. “You know, I think we could save a few dollars if we just did a little rehab on these guys. Save their little shutter lives. It seems the humane thing to do. What do you think?”

“I think a pardon’s in order. So we can actually do that?” Molly asked in an adorably hopeful voice. “The rehab thing?”

Jordan took the spot next to her on the steps. “We can. Well, I can at least. You can tell me jokes that aren’t exactly funny and I’ll feign amusement at your attempts.”

Molly shot her a look of outrage. “I’ll have you know that I’m incredibly funny and half this town will back me on this.”

“They’re laughing because they like you and you do this thing where you light up on the punch line. Regardless of the bad joke, it’s kind of cute.”

Molly considered this scenario before seeming to reject it entirely. “Uh-uh. I’m funny. You’re jealous. End of story.”

“See? You’re even kind of cute when you’re angry. Well done.”

Molly slugged her hard in the shoulder. “Stop patronizing me.”

“Ow. I’ll definitely try. Color me intimidated.” She rubbed her upper arm.

“Thank you.” She paused and floated back down to sincerity. “But back to the shutters. It sounds like more work than you originally agreed to. I don’t want you to feel obligated to—”

Jordan pointed at her. “Back alley agreement, remember? Don’t you dare renege now. I don’t know how we’d get past it.”

Molly nudged her shoulder playfully with her own. “You’re right. We wouldn’t. But how much work are we talking about?”

“Not as major as you’re probably projecting. I’ll pick up some supplies today and see how far I get before dark. I can always come back tomorrow to finish up if need be.”

Molly nodded. “I guess I should be honored. Once the news that you’re back in town hits the masses, I won’t have you to myself anymore. Everyone loves you, you know. It’s kind of annoying.”

“Nah, I’m pretty boring. No one will pay me much attention.”

“Are you kidding? Attention is one thing you’ll never be without. People notice when you walk in a room, Jordan. You must know that. Then you turn on the charm and they’re gone forever. It’s always been that way.”

“Those were my wild child days. Things are different now. I’m different.”

“If you say so.” They stared out at the street and watched as an elderly woman walked her Yorkshire terrier past the house. “So…are we going to talk about it?”

Jordan squinted. “I think you’re going to have to be more specific.”

“This used to be easier.” Molly turned to her more fully and took a moment to study her, her soft brown eyes full of concern. “How are things really ? And please remember who you’re talking to.”

Jordan pulled her eyes from Molly’s and stared hard at her hands. She could still see right through her and whether Jordan wanted it to be or not, her guard was now officially down. Molly had a way of doing that to her. She broke through all the barriers to just…her. “So things have been a little all over the place. Not so great, actually.”

Molly leaned back on her hands patiently as if she had all the time in the world. “Okay, tell me.”

And she would because that’s what she did with Molly. “The short version of a long story is that I feel a little, what’s the word…lost? God, that sounds so cliché that I can’t believe I just said it. Erase the word lost from this conversation. I guess I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” She raised her hands in helpless wonder and let them drop, then sat quietly for a moment thinking how to best explain. “I work day and night because that’s what it takes. Shooting schedules, contracts, location scouting, talent management, and long hours on set. But I’m not shy about putting in the time. I’ve ascended the studio ladder ahead of schedule, which should feel great, but it doesn’t and I don’t know why. I should be reveling.”

“So revel. What’s stopping you?”

She shook her head. “It feels hollow. I have friends that I tolerate, and women…well, let’s just say the revolving door’s had quite a workout, and you know what? I’m too old for that. What exactly is my purpose in life? Because it’s all wearing a little thin.”

Molly grinned in amusement and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re twenty-seven.”

“What?”

“You’re only twenty-seven years old.”

“Exactly. And what do I have to show for it?”

Molly laughed. “A pretty impressive résumé to start with.”

“Yeah, well, the studio has placed me on a temporary leave of absence. Did I forget to mention that particularly flattering part?”

“Okay. Wow. What prompted that?”

Jordan hesitated, not sure she wanted to share what had been a tragically weak moment for her. “They might have taken issue with the fact that I poured a pitcher of ice water over a high profile actor’s head in front of an entire working set.”

Molly covered her mouth, though the smile was hard to hide. “Jordan, you didn’t. You can’t do things like that.” But she was now laughing, which only made Jordan laugh too.

“Listen, that guy had it coming. He’d been hitting on me since day one of the shoot, and no matter what I did or said, politely I might add, he wasn’t getting the message. It was time he learned to keep his damn hands to himself.”

“And you thought the ice water would—”

“Make it a bit more clear. Trust me, it did.”

Molly shook her head, trying to regain composure. “You could have gone to movie jail.”

“I still might.”

“Will this hurt your career long-term?”

Jordan considered this. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’ll definitely be hot gossip for a few weeks.” She stood, strolled to the suicidal shutter, and turned back. “If I apologize profusely and fall on my sword, that kind of thing, I should be able to get back in the studio’s good graces. I would just have to, you know, find the motivation to actually do that and I’ll be honest, it’s eluding me in this moment.”

Molly shook her head in amazement. “Only you, Jordan, only you.”

“I’m a work in progress. This is not news to me.”

“And thus, you’re here. To regain your bearings, to steady the ship—”

“To spend time with the people who are important to me,” she said seriously and inclined her head to Molly as an example of that. “Whom I never should have stayed away from for so long.” She hesitated before pressing forward because it was a delicate subject matter for both of them. “When her plane went down…I didn’t know how to be here anymore. Nothing felt right.” Molly nodded solemnly, her eyes a little haunted at the topic shift. “I think it was a way to cope with losing my sister, but in hindsight, it was so incredibly selfish of me that I can’t stand myself for it. I mean, my parents, you.”

Molly got up and moved toward her. “Don’t do that. Everyone deals with grief differently. I stopped eating for eight months. Your brother felt the need to fix every broken appliance in a twenty-mile radius. And the town erected a commemorative plaque. So you took some time away from us all, I don’t think anyone holds it against you. I, for one, don’t. There’s no manual for dealing with loss, and we all had to find our own way through it. But you know what? You’re here now and it’s pretty great. Why don’t we leave it at that?”

The sentiment alone, the fact that Molly understood, infused her with such gratitude, such relief that it was all she could do to nod mutely and fight the damn lump in her throat. They stood in silence for several moments, each lost in thought. Finally, Molly looked at her tentatively as if trying to make a decision. “Can I tell you something?”

Jordan tilted her head. “You can tell me anything.”

“I’ve decided to start dating again.” She ran a nervous hand through her hair. “What do you think about that? And you can be totally honest. Even if it’s to tell me I’m insane.”

Jordan paused with the information before offering Molly her most encouraging smile. “I think that’s great, Mol. Sincerely.”

“You do? You’re not just trying to make me feel okay about it? Because the prospect of telling your parents is more than I can process at this point, and it was one thing in theory, but now that the day is here, I’m having all kinds of doubts and thinking maybe I should just call her and—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, tiger.” Jordan grabbed Molly by the shoulders and steered her back to the steps where she sat them both down. “First of all, breathe. That would be step one.”

Molly took a deep inhale. Probably more than she actually needed which was endearing.

“You good?”

She nodded. “Better.”

“Then let’s back up a little bit. When is this date you speak of?”

“Tonight. Eden’s friend set it up. I work with Eden at Flour Child. I don’t think you’ve met her yet. She’s pretty wonderful. And Southern. Totally Southern. I’ll introduce you.”

“I can’t even wait. Stop stalling.”

“You’re good.” A pause. “So…I’m supposed to meet this woman .”

“Your date.”

“Right, my date, for dinner tonight. She sounds incredibly accomplished, put together, and from what Eden says, attractive, so I’m pretty sure she’s going to hate me.”

“Because you’re the opposite of all of those things.”

Molly narrowed her gaze. “I see what you did there. Very slick.”

Jordan took Molly’s hand. “Just try and have a good time. Keep it simple. You never know.”

Molly seemed to mull things over. “When did you become the smart one between us?”

“Can I have that in writing?”

Molly briefly considered this. “Definitely not.”

She headed inside and Jordan spent the next hour gathering the supplies she needed from her parents’ garage a few blocks down and set to work power washing, then sanding down the shutters to remove any chipped paint. She was losing light and contemplated calling it a day when Molly emerged from the house once again, and the image sucked all the air from her lungs. Molly stood there in a simple midnight blue cocktail dress, nervously clutching a handbag. Her hair was partially clipped back and the rest shimmered loosely down her back. She wore subtle heels and a small solitaire necklace. She looked, in a word, beautiful. No. More than that. As Jordan stared, time seemed to stand still, which was strange, and at the same time ridiculous, because when did time ever stand still?

*

Jordan was staring at her oddly, which made Molly start to doubt the evening all over again. Clearly, the dress was all wrong, and who was she kidding? She was trying too hard. She wanted to turn back around and call the whole thing off, but that would be rude and she hated to be rude. “Is it too much? You should just tell me if it is. Say it. Say it’s too much.” Damn it all. Why was she so nervous?