Marvin and Trevor had shown up that night, after I had set my past on fire… They had showed up demanding answers and I told them everything. The good, the bad and the ugly. Marvin had left with a sly grin on his weathered face, but I didn’t think I had won Trevor over so easily.
Every time I walked away from her, it tore something up in me, but when I left that morning after introducing myself as Declan… my wife had a little blush on her cheeks and looked flustered. That gave me hope, hope that even though Clutch and Bex were gone, that Molly and Declan stood a chance.
To say I had never dated anyone properly… I was seventeen when I joined the Dawnbreakers, I didn't need to date, women were always accessible. It wasn’t until I met Bex that I ever considered a traditional relationship and the more I knew her the more I knew that she was the only woman I wanted. But to say we dated or that I courted her… as Ledger suggested. I told her what I thought she wanted to hear and folded her into my life. I expected her to fit in my world.
When I sat with that realization, I decided that I needed to earn Molly’s love the good old fashioned way and even if it made me uncomfortable, even if it made me feel exposed and vulnerable in ways I never allowed before. I would do it.
I gave myself until the next morning when the only flower shop in the vicinity opened to start courting my wife, because no matter what any law said… She would always bemy wife.
But when I walked in an unsettling reality had hit me, not only had I never bought flowers for a woman before… I had never bought flowers for Bex before. But for Molly… she would get all of me. So I went up to the florist and told her my idea.
With the oversized bouquet in the passenger seat I took off for the farmhouse and with butterflies in my stomach I walked to the front door and knocked. Hoping my wife would agree to go on a first date with me.
Molly came running around the corner in cut off jean shorts and a white tank top, her bare feet on the wooden floorboards, her hair wild around her. Clear blue eyes locked onto mine when she came to an abrupt stop at the screen door.
“Hi,” was all I could get out at first, she looked like a weight had been taken off of her shoulders, something that I had never really known she was carrying.
“Hi,” she whispered back and then to my surprise she stepped out onto the porch with me. Looking up at me with curious, but still guarded eyes.
We stood like that for a moment before she finally looked at the flowers in my hand and then back up at me.
“Oh… ya.” Fuck she was beautiful. “I brought you flowers.”
“Flowers?” She asked, like it was the strangest thing to ever happen. She looked confused and that made me feel like shit, but this was important.
“Uh… yes. I wanted to bring you flowers.”Did I look as awkward as I felt?
I handed them to her and the bouquet looked ridiculously large in her small hands. She studied them for a moment and looked up at me with a confused look, but a soft smile.
“It looks like you got one of every flower…”
My cheeks heated, crap was I blushing?
I cleared my throat and smiled at her, trying to hide my nerves , “I realized I didn’t know what your favourite flower is. So I thought I would get all of them and you could decide.Maybetell me what you like.”
Her eyes went wide for a moment and then she looked down at the bouquet pulling her bottom lip into her mouth and biting it softly. When her eyes finally came back up to meet mine they were slightly glassy and she had a vulnerable look on her face.
“I… I don’t know. No one has ever bought me flowers before.”
I swallowed the shame that was bubbling up and gave her a smile, “I know, baby. And you don’t have to tell me now. You can take your time and figure it out.”
A genuine smile broke out across her face and the warmth that flared in my chest felt so good. Then she said with a soft content voice, “Thank you Declan, they are beautiful.”
Hearing my name on her lips after so long…
You can not jump her on the porch. Down boy.
I felt someone watching me and I looked into the house to find Trevor standing just in my line of sight, his arms crossed over his chest and an unhappy look on his face. I knew he wasn’t thrilled with mebeing around, I knew he was mad at Marvin for allowing me in their home. But that wasn’t going to change that I had every intention of doing anything and everything to earn her love again.
I looked back at Molly who was still smiling at the flowers, “I wanted to ask you to go on a date with me.”
“You did?” She asked.
I nodded, “There is a small family run Italian restaurant not far from here, I thought maybe we could go this weekend.”
She studied me for a moment, I didn’t want to rush her. But I was terrified she would say no. I pushed down the panic and gave her the patience she deserves. Finally she answered me with a quiet, “Ok.”
“Ok?” I wanted to celebrate, but I didn’t want to scare her off. “Saturday work for you?”