I reached out to take her hand and felt Morgan’s fingers interlock with mine. “I’m glad you’re here now.”
I sensed the expectant tension in her hand as she held mine, and I thought again about kissing her. Her eyes were half closed, her mouth partly open, but just as I leaned toward her, a phone began to ring, faint but insistent. When she realized it wasn’t my phone, she let go of my hand and rose from the couch. After disappearing into the hallway, she peeked out, ringing phone in hand. She seemed uncharacteristically flustered.
“It’s my mom,” she explained, her tone sheepish. “She’s called a couple of times and I haven’t gotten back to her.”
“You should probably answer, then.”
She reluctantly hit the appropriate button and put the phone to her ear.
“Hey, Mom,” Morgan said. “What’s up?…Yeah, sorry. I know I haven’t called, but we’ve been having a fantastic time…. Nothing much. What’s that?…Is he okay?”
Turning to me, she mouthed something like Our dog got sick.
“What did the vet say?…Okay…Yeah…That’s good to know. How’s Heidi doing with it?…Uh-huh…Uh-huh…”
She said nothing for a while, then: “Well, let’s see. We rehearse in the mornings, then usually hang out at the beach or the pool. We’ve been going to hear some live music and checking out downtown St. Pete…. Yeah, they’re having a great time. It’s Holly and Stacy’s first trip to Florida, so it’s been fun showing them around….”
I remained silent on the couch, not wanting to distract her.
“Uh-huh…No, we haven’t been there yet. Maybe in a day or two. We went to Busch Gardens, though. Over in Tampa?…Yeah, it was fun. The lines were short, so we were able to ride just about everything…. No, not tonight. We’re going to order room service and watch a movie. It was a superlong day,” she said, making a guilty face at me.
I stifled a smile.
“Yeah, they’re here. We got some photos from the beach right after we arrived. Oh, and I also saw two manatees…. At one of the parks, but I can’t remember the name…. We rented kayaks and went through the mangroves, and they were right there when we turned around…. No, actually, they didn’t go. I went with someone I met here….”
My ears couldn’t help but perk up.
“Yes, Mom. He’s nice…. He’s a farmer from North Carolina…. No, I’m not kidding…. Colby…. Twenty-five…. We heard him singing at Bobby T’s. He’s here on sort of a working vacation….”
She turned her back to me, lowering her voice. “No, he didn’t go to college, but why does that matter?…Mom…Mom…It was just kayaking. Don’t make a big deal about it. You seem to forget that I’m an adult now….”
I could hear a hint of frustration creeping into her tone. On my playlist, one song ended and another began. I watched as she ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the roots.
“I haven’t had time to check that yet. I’ll call the apartment manager as soon as I get home, okay? I’m sure it’s not a big deal getting utilities turned on. I can figure it out…. I haven’t had time for that, either…. How many times have I told you that I’m not interested in a job teaching music?…Yeah…Uh-huh…I know…Sorry, I’m tired and I should probably go. They’re motioning to me that they want to start the movie…. Tell Daddy and Heidi that I love them…. Love you, too.”
She hit disconnect and simply stared at the phone. Rising from the couch, I walked over to her and placed a hand on the small of her back, caressing the smooth skin beneath the fabric.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. But sometimes she interrogates me—it’s not always a conversation, you know?”
“I’m sure she was just checking to see if you were having a good time.”
“And making sure I’m not getting into trouble.” She sighed. “But I don’t know why her mind even goes there. Especially when compared to other college kids. It’s like she can’t accept the fact that I’m an adult and am old enough to make my own decisions.”
“Parents worry.” I shrugged. “It’s in their DNA.”
A brief but uncertain smile flashed across her lips. “It’s so much easier speaking with Dad sometimes. I mean, he’s nervous about me going to Nashville, and I’m sure he’d prefer that I get a job teaching, too, but at least he understands why I want to go, and he’s always been my biggest fan. My mom, though—she always reminds me about how tough the music business is, how thousands of people have the same dream I do but never make it….”
When she trailed off, I used a finger to brush the hair from her eyes. “They want to protect you from disappointment.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have answered. It’s why I didn’t answer the first two times she called. She keeps talking about this opening at one of the private schools in Chicago, and it doesn’t matter how many times I tell her that I’m not interested. It’s just…hard sometimes.”
She turned to face me, leaning in. I wrapped both arms around her.
“Of course it is.”
On my playlist, another song began. Morgan put her arms around my neck and I held her close, thinking how naturally her body seemed to fit with mine. Unconsciously, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, our bodies swaying in time.
“I remember you singing this song,” she murmured, “the first night I heard you play. I was spellbound.”
Outside, the wind continued to howl, and the rain continued to blow. The candles bathed the room in a golden glow. I caught the scent of Morgan’s perfume, something musky and alluring.
Morgan pressed into me, and when she lifted her gaze to meet mine, I traced the outline of her cheekbone with a finger. Our faces drew closer, our breathing slightly ragged but in nearly perfect harmony.
I kissed her then, hungry and nervous, and when our tongues came together, I felt a jolt run through me, electrifying every nerve. One of her hands trailed down my back and around my side, her touch so light it almost seemed as though it wasn’t happening. Her fingers eventually found the bottom of my shirt, and after a quick tug on it, her fingernails skimmed across my skin, the sensation making it almost impossible to breathe. Slowly, she traced the muscles of my abdomen and chest, even as her tongue continued to flicker against my own. Her breaths became shallow; her eyes were half closed, and I could only stare, in thrall to her sensuality. One by one she undid the buttons of my shirt, until it fell open. Pulling the shirt over my shoulders, she locked my arms in place, holding them there for a moment, as though teasing me, before finally allowing my shirt to fall free to the floor. She leaned in and kissed my chest, her mouth trailing upward to my neck. Her heated breath on my skin set my body to trembling, and I reached for the strap on her dress. She bit my neck softly before raising her mouth to mine again. I slid one strap down, followed by the other, then reached for the hem of her dress. Lifting the hem with my finger, I traced the inside of her thigh. I heard her gasp and felt her hand grip the back of my head. She began kissing me with even more passion then, and I found myself slipping away to the place I suddenly knew I was always meant to go. Slowly lowering the top of her dress, I slid it down her body and separated from her then, reveling in her beauty. When the dress hit the floor, I cupped my hands around her small waist, helping her step out of it, knowing I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything. Without another word, I picked up a single candle and led her to the bedroom.
Afterward, we lay beside each other without speaking for a long time, her body warm against my own, until finally she rolled to her side and we fell asleep spooning in the tangle of sheets.
Waking in the gray twilight of dawn, I kissed her tenderly, unable to hold the words inside any longer.
“I love you, Morgan,” I murmured into her ear.
Morgan merely smiled before opening her eyes and staring into my own.
“Oh, Colby,” she said, reaching up to touch my mouth. “I love you, too.”
The man in the truck had returned.
She tried to slow her breathing as she ducked behind the barn. What would have happened had he arrived ten minutes earlier, while she was in the house? Would he have seen her through the windows? Would he have opened her door? And what if she’d actually entered the barn and been discovered in the place she shouldn’t have been?
The burst of adrenaline made her stomach flip. She leaned against the plank siding and closed her eyes, thanking God she hadn’t been that stupid, that she’d decided to avoid the barn before it was too late.
I need to calm down so I can think, she told herself, closing her eyes. She hoped he hadn’t seen her, hoped he would believe she wasn’t home, so he would leave like he had the last time. She hoped he would leave before the school bus arrived….
Oh God…