“Of course.” Emma slung an arm around Molly’s shoulders. “Let’s go inside.”
The dogs followed. Emma shut the door. “I’m going to dash and take a quick shower. Why don’t you bring your bags inside?”
“I can stay at Mom and Dad’s, you know. I’m sure you and Luke want to be alone.”
Emma was headed toward the hall. “Luke and I have a lifetime of being alone. You’ll only be here a short while, so I want to see you as much as I can. Besides, you’re my maid of honor, and we have so much to catch up on with the wedding plans.”
“This is true.”
“Plus, Luke and I have a long vacation in Hawaii coming up after the wedding. So we’ll have blissful alone time.”
“Yeah, how did you manage to swing that, being the sole owner of the vet clinic?”
“One of the docs I know who works at a clinic in Tulsa is going to cover for me. He’s a great guy who’s been out of school two years and works with a large group. He’s looking to buy his own practice, so he wants the solo experience.”
“That’ll work out well for both of you.”
“I know, right? I’ll be back in no time. Make yourself at home. There’s iced tea in the fridge.”
Emma disappeared, and Molly exhaled. She loved her sister, loved seeing her. Usually it was Emma who came to visit her, at least once a year, and they talked on the phone quite a bit, although definitely a lot more recently as they planned the wedding together. Molly felt like a horrible sister for not coming home sooner to help with the ceremony and the other celebrations surrounding it, especially being the maid of honor. She’d told Emma she wouldn’t mind if she wanted one of her friends to handle that responsibility, but Emma had insisted, and fortunately Molly was good at organizing, even long-distance.
But she did have to come home for the wedding. That part she couldn’t handle from afar.
So now here she was—back in Hope, after all these years. Despite her best efforts to stay away forever, she knew someday she’d have to return, so she’d just have to suck it up and deal with it.
Deal with him. And all the bitter, painful memories.
Shoving unwanted thoughts of the past aside, she grabbed her bags—plus the box of baked goods—and brought them inside. She put the box on the counter and laid the bags near the door to the hall, then went into the kitchen, found the cupboard where the glasses were located, and pulled the iced tea from the fridge, pouring herself a glass to drink while she waited for Emma. In the meantime, she wandered and took a look around the house.
It had been a long time since she’d been here, but all the details of the place were etched into her memories. The yellow wallpaper in the kitchen had been replaced by bright new paint, and the old linoleum with new tile. The countertop was new as well, as were the cabinets. But the wood floors in the living room were the same. They’d been refinished and restained, and they looked good. The dark wood pillars holding up the archway leading into the hall were still standing as well.
Emma had brightened and renewed their grandparents’ home, but still managed to retain the old charm. Leave it to her sister to manage to retain the memories while bringing the home into the twenty-first century.
The front door opened, and Emma’s fiancé, Luke, stepped in. He gave her a wide smile. “Molls. You made it.”
“I did.” She’d met Luke last year when Emma brought him to Little Rock. Molly had instantly fallen in love with his quiet strength and infinite charm. Emma and Luke were perfectly suited to each other, and it was clear how much he loved her sister. “I hear you were sent on a taco mission.”
Luke passed her, giving her a peck on the cheek as he made his way into the kitchen. “I was. Taco Bueno has become one of our favorite places to eat, especially on nights when we both have to work late.”
Molly inhaled the scent of flavored meat and beans. “I can’t tell you how many of those tacos and bean burritos I ate when I was in high school.”
That, at least, was one memory that wasn’t painful.
“Not as many as I did,” Emma said, coming out to greet Luke with a swift kiss. Her hair was still wet and she’d changed into yoga pants and a tank top.
“Did you go to a tanning salon?” Molly asked.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “No. But I’m trying out a spray tan. What do you think? Too orange?”
“No. Actually, it looks really good on you. I hate you for that.”
Emma grabbed plates and Luke poured tea for both of them, then they pulled up seats at the kitchen table. “I don’t know why. You’re tan. Have you been swimming or something?”
“There’s a pool at my condo. It’s my leftover-from-summer tan.”
“Oh. Perfect. You have that sun-kissed look. Not surprising since you live down south now. The weather must be great in Austin.”
“It’s good there. I like it.”
Emma grabbed a taco. “For now, right?”
Molly shot her an enigmatic smile. “For now. I have a great job doing accounting and marketing for a music company. You should visit. It’s an amazing city.”
“We should. When the dust settles post–wedding and honeymoon, we’ll take a road trip. If you’re still there.” Emma winked.
“Great.” It was a known fact that Molly never spent more than six months to a year in one spot. Then, wanderlust or an uncomfortable itch to move on set in—she tried to never put a label on it—and she’d find yet another job in another city.
It made her parents crazy, and it worried Emma. But for Molly, it had become the norm. She liked moving around. It gave her a chance to see different parts of the country. What was so wrong about that?
She bit into the burrito and rolled her eyes heavenward. After she swallowed, she looked at Emma and Luke. “I missed these—so much.”
“I imagine you get some great burritos in Austin,” Emma said.
“Oh, definitely. And I know these are from a fast-food chain and all, but Taco Bueno has memories associated with it.”
Emma grinned. “Stopping for a taco after school.”
“And on Friday nights,” Molly said with a grin. “It just reminds me of home.”
“You wouldn’t miss them if you’d come home once in a while.”