Identity

“Miles told you?”

“No, he hasn’t said anything. But I know you had a family meeting yesterday, so I guess it came up that Miles and I are seeing each other.”

“That’s just the term he used. Isn’t that interesting?”

“We’d better sit down. Why don’t we go to the great room? I can make coffee.”

“That’d be good. I have to say you can tell three women live here—and I mean that in the best possible way. It just looks feminine. Smells feminine. And oh, your yard! So pretty. I love the bird feeders.”

“Me, too. Coffee, latte, cappuccino—your choice.”

“I’d love a latte.”

“We’ll make that two. Have a seat.”

“There’s something so artistic and soothing about your backyard. I talked myself out of an apartment and bought a small house. Small enough, I told myself, so I could maintain it myself, with a yard small enough I could do the same.

“I failed.”

“I’m going to say that’s hard to believe.”

“Something always got neglected or put off. I’ll get to that tomorrow, or next week, and I know when you do that it’s just going to pile up. So I told myself I’d be more efficient if I hired someone to maintain it.”

“You’re giving people jobs that way, and paychecks,” Morgan pointed out.

“There’s that. And still, your backyard is so much more appealing and creative than mine. Is that wind chime from Crafty Arts?”

“It is.”

“I’m going to stop by there on my way to work and get one. Do you mind if we sit out on the patio?”

“One of my favorite spots.”





Chapter Twenty



When they sat at the patio table, Nell looked around one more time.

“I’d want to live out here. Do you drink your coffee-flavored milk and sugar out here every morning?”

“Usually.”

“Miles has a Zen place like this, and actually makes time to work in the garden every week unless he’s really slammed. I guess you know.”

“Yes, it’s beautiful.”

“Okay, well.” Nell tucked her hair, loose today, behind her ear. “I don’t want this to be awkward.”

“Too late.”

Nell made a small sound of agreement. “I guess there’s no avoiding the awkward. I wanted to talk to you here, your turf, your home, and not my office, so you’d be as comfortable as possible.”

“I appreciate that. I do. Can I cut to my personal end of the line and ask if you’re firing me?”

“What? Jesus, no! No. Toss that out right now.” As she spoke, Nell shot a hand in the air as if winging something away.

“Okay then.” Morgan breathed out. “I’ll throw out the worry and we can just stick with the awkward.”

“I wish it wasn’t awkward, because this is about your comfort, Morgan. I know Miles, obviously. I love Miles, but I stand—or sit right now—as your direct supervisor, and your support. I understand you and Miles now have a personal relationship, and I want you to tell me, to feel absolutely secure and safe in telling me, if you felt in any way pressured to enter that relationship. Even if Miles didn’t—”

“You can stop there because that’s a big, solid no. He didn’t pressure me, I didn’t feel pressured. He didn’t make any moves. I did, and I thought that’s why you might fire me.”

“Oh. A minute?” She lifted her coffee, drank. “He didn’t share that part, and of course he wouldn’t. He’s Miles. It would’ve been helpful. We’d still have had this conversation, but it would’ve been helpful.”

“I can be helpful. He was more than kind to me after I had the incident Friday night—a week ago on Friday night. You’d know about that.”

“Yes, and I’m sorry it happened.”

“So am I. I also felt, even prior to that, he might be interested in me. He never said or did anything, but— Oh hell, Nell, you know, right? When a man’s interested. You might misinterpret, but you get a sense.”

“All right, yes.”

“I wasn’t going to act on the fact I was interested back because I love my job, and I need it, but I baked him cookies.”

“Seriously?”

“My mother’s idea.”

“Oh, I get that, too.” Now she laughed, shook her head, drank more coffee. “So you baked him cookies.”

“With a lot of help, but yeah, then I was going to drop them off at his house, but I saw the turrets.”

“It’s a great house.”

“It really is, and then Howl came running out, and I was so charmed, and Miles looked so baffled. I asked to see inside the turret. I still wasn’t going to act on the attraction, I just really wanted to see. Then I was leaving, and…”

“Oh, don’t stop now.”

“And I just felt what I felt was mutual, so I asked if he was attracted or interested, and he was so careful I figured I’d misinterpreted. But then he said I hadn’t, and we sort of talked through the situation and how to put that whole thing aside—mutually. Then I made my move, and one thing led to another.”

Morgan shrugged. “Is that helpful enough?”

“He’d never have told me all that. I’m glad you did.”

“If this is going to cause any problems … I don’t know what to do. The job, living here with my ladies, now Miles? It all makes me feel more myself than I have in so long. I don’t want to give any of it up.”

“Why would you? You’re an excellent manager, this is a lovely home that feels happy with it. And though as my brother, Miles can irritate the crap out of me, he’s an interesting man, with a strong moral code. I needed to know where you stood and how you felt, and why. Now I do, and can say this now sits as your personal business.”

“Good. Thanks. And whew. I know I’m probably not his usual type.”

“I don’t think he has one.”

“Well, I mean like that woman he was seeing not that long ago.”

“Carlie Wineman? Please.” Nell rolled her eyes. “I know a ladder-climber when I see one, and okay, I didn’t see it for a while. And I shouldn’t say any of this, but the hell with it. I’m now Miles’s sister, not head of Hospitality, and I’m going to say this. She’s gorgeous and knows how to show off her looks. She knows art and wine, skis like a champ, speaks French like a native.”

“None of this inspires self-confidence.”

“I’m not done. After a while—it took awhile, because she could be very charming—I realized Miles was a step up for her. Socially, financially. And more, she just liked the way they looked as a couple. Everything about her is about as deep as a rain puddle, except her vanity.”

“All right, maybe a dribble of self-confidence coming back.”

“I like you. I like you for Miles. I don’t know if this is just a sex thing, but—”

“I don’t know either.”

“Understandable. Once I got to know Carlie, I didn’t like her. And I really didn’t like her for Miles, and was thrilled when he broke things off. I do love my brother even when he pisses me off, which is with some regularity. I also piss him off with some regularity.”

“Because you’re so much alike.”