CHAPTER 14

Her timing really was incredible. It never ceased to amaze him. That woman ruined everything. Sitting low, peering over the ledge of the rear hatch, the couple watched Evelyn make her way to the rear entrance of Ben’s Brakes & BBQ. Evelyn paused at the door, sweeping the lot with a quick glance before stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

Seth and Molly stalled for only a moment while surprise settled in. They actually caught her. They caught the elusive evil one…Evelyn freakin’ Shirley. The only thing they still needed to figure out was what they just caught her doing. Several minutes passed and Evelyn was still inside. It was time to move in. It was time to bury this once and for all.

Seth stood at the rear entrance of Ben’s, back against the wall with Molly to his left. He checked the door and found his tape trick had held — another quick win for Seth and Molly. It seemed this was their night, and they were on a roll. They moved inside, their clandestine skills well-polished. Score three for team Seth and Molly!

Muffled voices could be heard in the distance as they entered the building. One was male, one female — the rest, they couldn’t make out. Slowly moving toward the sound, the voices grew louder, nearly clear enough to understand when they suddenly stopped. Seth and Molly leaned flat-backed against the wall in a rear hallway, across from the bathrooms. They waited, hoping the silence wasn’t a sign they had been detected. If they had, there was a window in the bathroom across from them and Seth was prepared to launch Molly through it and take one for the team if needed.

The storefront and dining area were at the opposite end of the hallway. It was dark and not likely where they were going to find their person of interest. The chatter had to be coming from the lit hallway only a few feet ahead. If memory served, Seth believed that hallway ran behind the dining and kitchen straight to Ben’s office. It also led to the double doors that opened to the shop where Ben serviced vehicles. The couple crept to the lit hall, checking for anyone in the open hall before rounding the corner. Not a soul could be seen, but a light cast along the area. It was coming from the office.

“They must be in there, the office,” Seth whispered, barely audible.

“This is it, isn’t it? We’re about to find out what she has on Ben!” Quiet excitement rushed through Molly. Revenge sat just a few feet away. “This is like one of those old organized crime movies where the mob boss collects tax for protection.”

“It’s Evelyn,” Seth replied. “Pretty sure she’s collecting blackmail money, not offering protection.”

Molly choked on a laugh, covering her mouth. They were too close to blow it now. When she struggled to tamp down the snorting, Seth took control of the situation by distracting her. With her back flat against the wall, Seth took her mouth and kissed her until she didn’t remember where they were or why. When he broke the kiss, Molly’s unsteady balance let him know his plan worked. No snorting laughs.

Their excitement grew to a near giddy as they crept along the quiet hall nearing Ben’s office. Molly quickly grabbed Seth’s arm just before the door, stalling their effort ever so briefly so she could hand him her cellphone, camera ready to capture the big moment. She wanted to document the surprised look Evelyn was certain to display when she realized she was had. Seth nodded, and they moved in on Evelyn’s secret.

Seth smiled and winked at Molly over his shoulder just before proceeding the final few feet to where all hell was about to break loose. The office door wasn’t completely closed, but still too much for them to get a good look inside.

Dancing shadows and the shuffling sound of feet was all they had — nothing to snap a picture of. Seth gently opened the partially closed door to expose the view they were seeking. Side by side, anxiety was high, when they finally burst through the door.

Seth began snapping as many pictures as his thumb could manage on the trigger. Pictures they wished they could unsee. Pictures that would haunt them for days to come. Pictures that told a much bigger story than either had anticipated. They caught Evelyn all right…in the passionate embrace of Ben, who was branding her as his — with his mouth. Ewww.

Awareness among Ben and Evelyn dawdled because they were too consumed by each other to notice they weren’t alone. It was only when the loud gasps of surprise escaped the young couple that Ben noticed Seth and Molly out the corner of his eye. Ben went rigid, attracting Evelyn’s concerned attention. She followed Ben’s gaze, looking over her own shoulder, where she found Seth and Molly, stunned, watching the jaw-dropping sight. Crusty, cranky Evelyn Shirley was making out with Ben at the Brakes & BBQ. Score one for Evelyn — nobody saw that coming.

“What on earth!” Evelyn shrieked, not missing the cellphone directed right at her.

“W-W-We can ask the same thing!” Molly stuttered before finding her confidence to question Evelyn right back.

“I beg your pardon, young lady!” Evelyn fired back, dark, soulless eyes pinned on Molly. “Well, start talking, you hooligans!”

If this didn’t play out right, it was clear Molly would have to leave town. This woman was pissed.

“You’ve been harassing Molly for months now on Facebook,” Seth started. “You have lied about her, smeared her name, and for no reason at all,” Seth defended Molly. She wasn’t in this alone. This was one encounter Molly got to win.

A maniacal chuckle seethed through partially gritted teeth as Evelyn responded, “Please, I’ve only shared my findings, like I do about everyone!”

“Lies, Evelyn,” Seth retorted. “You spread lies!”

“So, Evelyn, we know you sneak out nearly every night after dark,” Molly said, finding her voice. “We know why now.”

Molly abruptly took the cellphone from Seth and turned the screen toward Evelyn so she could see the picture Molly had Facebook ready. One click away from revenge, Molly said, “Lucky for Ben, your face is really the only one I managed to get in this shot, Evelyn.”

Molly took pleasure in revealing her plan in such a way and sealed it with a wicked grin and ornery wink. Oh, this felt so good. Whoever said revenge wasn’t the answer to anything didn’t know Evelyn Shirley. Now, the guy who said paybacks are a bitch had it right. Molly was the payback bitch and loving it.

“Well, I… I…” It seemed Evelyn was at a loss for words for a change. A lone tear streamed down her cheek. “I never meant to hurt anyone. I just…I don’t even have an excuse.”

“Then why?” Molly almost felt bad for the old broad. Almost.

“Well, I have buried two husbands in my life, but had three loves,” she admitted, turning to look at Ben, clearly the third love. “People deserve to know the truth about everything. I’m saving them…from fantasies and fairytales.”

“Three loves?” Molly looked from Evelyn to Ben several times, waiting for her to elaborate. She started to assume this was one of those gut twisting stories that would make her feel guilty and change her mission. Man, she hoped not. She was one button push away from Facebook glory.

Ben smiled sweetly at Evelyn, swiping the tears slowly dribbling. “Evelyn and I, we were sweethearts once upon a time. We planned a life, but the war happened. I was gone for a long while.” He looked to Evelyn again. “Too long. I came back, and Evelyn was married, had just had a child.”

“Oh my,” Molly replied. Evelyn was a mother?

“Since we’re sharing,” Evelyn snorted, finding it hard to be as sharp toned as she wanted. “My first husband and our son didn’t make it…” She paused. “They didn’t make it home to me one night. I was a young, childless widow.”

Molly and Seth looked at each other, guilt settling in. This wasn’t going to end the way they wanted.

“By then, Ben was married, had a family of his own.” Evelyn looked at Ben with a forced smile. “I was happy for him.” Evelyn patted Ben’s hand, that fake smile still intact.

Not that treating people as horribly as Evelyn had was excusable, but Molly and Seth couldn’t help but understand. She was bitter, hardened…sad. Just when they thought they knew it all, Evelyn continued with her heartbreaking story. Of course, it was worse than they thought — much worse.

“Then my Harvey came along,” Evelyn said, staring off. “We didn’t have any children, but we had each other. Those were some of the best years of my life. Then he passed suddenly, just a few years back. Age, they said. When you get to be our age, it seems there doesn’t have to be a reason to pass on and leave people behind. It just…happens.”

And there it was. More guilt. Seth and Molly felt an inch tall. They wanted to believe this was all a hoax, a means to stay off Facebook, but not even Evelyn could be so low as to tell such a tear jerker. Evelyn Shirley was an asshole — but now they knew why.

Ben picked up Evelyn’s story where she left off and filled in the blanks. “We were both widowed by then. We first rekindled a friendship, helped each other through the hard days.”

“Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays that would otherwise have been spent alone,” Evelyn finished, as if they could read each other’s minds. “We don’t have to be alone — most of the time.”

Tears streaked Molly’s face. Hearing their story was so heartbreaking, but equally breathtaking — the kind you read about. “You’re in love.”

Ben chuckled, pulling Evelyn into a tight embrace. “So it seems!”

“Why hide it?” Molly asked. “Why all of the Facebook stuff?”

“Oh, it would be indecent to carry on like a couple fools,” Evelyn replied

“Why? You’ve waited a lifetime — what’s indecent about that?” Molly reasoned. “Everyone deserves to love and be loved.”

“Perhaps. Well, there you have it. My big scandal to go with that picture.” And ornery Evelyn was back.

“Evelyn…” Seth said.

“No, no…do what you set out to do. Do you think I didn’t know it was you with the toilet paper? That I didn’t see you parked down the street that night, or any of the other nights? Who do you think called the sheriff?”

It was all coming together for Molly. “That’s why you were home, not at the garden club meeting with Cady.”

“Well, that isn’t entirely true. We went out of town ourselves that night,” Evelyn admitted. “Hiding in this office gets a little…claustrophobic. We just get away when we can where no one will recognize us or our vehicles, and no one here misses us.”

“Ahhh, you come here because your car blends in. It’s a service station and always has a handful of cars around,” Seth offered, pieces all falling into place for him too.

“Facebook,” Molly added. “It’s to throw everyone off. Why would they suspect anything when you’re so—”

“Harsh?” Evelyn finished. “I’m just being neighborly and letting the people of Pine Valley know what’s really happening in their town since the Gazette doesn’t breathe a word of it.” Evelyn took pause before admitting her truth. “And maybe so nobody suspects anything…”

Ben chuckled, offering a sweet smile like he always did. “Whelp, seems you blew our cover!”

Seth grabbed Molly’s hand. “We should go.”

The young couple turned to walk out the door, not sure how to reconcile all they learned. Molly stopped, having one last thought on the topic to share.

“Evelyn? You can have love again. My mother died of a broken heart, never getting another chance at love. You have a chance at it again when not many get to know love once, much less three times. It’s standing right next to you. You…deserve it.” And she walked away after leaving them with a sweet smile and her sincere thoughts.

The ride home felt long, even if it was only a handful of minutes. There were so many emotions to consider — too many new realizations. Molly and Seth had their own epiphany only hours before, but that felt like old news given what they just learned about Evelyn and Ben.

Evelyn may be wicked in nature, but her bitterness was born of heartache and loss. It certainly didn’t justify her behavior, but it absolutely explained it. Love, a love like that, was rare.

Molly saw its power through her parents and had wanted that all-consuming passionate love herself. It was what brought her to Pine Valley in the first place. She was chasing the past, seeking her own happily ever after like her parents once had, and like Evelyn had a chance at again, not that Molly wanted to mirror the mean old lady.

“You okay over there?” Seth asked softly, grabbing Molly’s hand in his.

She smiled back at him, giving his hand a squeeze. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“What’s next?” he asked, full of hope.

“I don’t know, but I think this is a start.” Molly pulled up the pictures of Evelyn and Ben on her phone and deleted every last one of them. “We can’t post these. It needs to be their decision.”

“Agreed. It wouldn’t change a thing, and hey…she brought us together.” He pulled her hand to his lips and dropped a sweet kiss across her knuckles.

“Yeah she did.” Molly sighed with relief.