by Chris Taylor
“Really?” she asked, the single word full of emphasis and innuendo. “Do I know her?”
Colt bit back a curse. His mother wouldn’t let it go until she had an answer. He decided to go with the truth.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, you do. Morgan O’Brien’s back in town. She’s paying her father a visit.”
“Morgan O’Brien? As in the college girl you dated back when you were still in the Academy?”
“Yes, Mom. That’s the one.”
“You seemed to really like her, Colt. I never understood why things didn’t work out. Even though you didn’t go out for very long, I had a sense she was the one. I was very put out to discover my mom radar was so far out of kilter. You never did tell me why things didn’t work out.”
“And I’m not about to tell you now. That’s all in the past, Mom.”
“And yet, you were expecting her call. I’m very intrigued, Colt. It seems to me there’s more to this than you’re saying.”
Colt suppressed a groan. “Stop making this into something it’s not, Mom. Morgan and I are old friends. That’s it.”
“Well, good,” his mom replied. “Invite her to the anniversary party we’re holding on the weekend. It would be lovely to see her again and I’m sure your brothers and sisters would feel the same way. I seem to recall she met everyone once at a family barbecue. Yes, that’s right. It was a New Year’s Eve party. We held it in the backyard. Do you remember?”
“Yes, Mom. I remember,” Colt replied through gritted teeth. How the hell had he gotten himself here? As quickly as he could manage, he extricated himself from the conversation and ended the call.
Before he could return the phone to his pocket, it rang again. Tensing, and anticipating being on the receiving end of yet another conversation with his mom, he answered the call with a brusque, “Yes?”
“Oh, h-hi, it’s Morgan. Have I caught you at a bad time? It’s all right. I can find my own way home. I’ll just call a cab and—”
“Morgan, I’m sorry,” Colt hurriedly interrupted, gathering his thoughts. “My mind was on something else.”
“It’s okay, Colt. You’re busy. I’ll call a cab.”
“No,” he cried. “Don’t go doing that. I’m almost finished here. I’ll swing by and pick you up. You’re at your father’s place, right?”
“Yes, but only come by if you’re free. I don’t want to put you out.”
“Of course you’re not putting me out,” he protested. “Like I said, I was just finishing up.”
“Okay, that would be good. Thanks.”
He could hear the gratitude in her voice. He smiled. It felt good to be needed. “How about we go out to dinner tonight? I’m sure neither of us feels like cooking.”
She chuckled. “You’re right there. We could always go to the Pink Pub.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be there shortly.”
* * *
“So, how was your day?” Colt asked, taking a sip from his beer. It was cold and refreshing after the hot day.
Morgan set down her wineglass and acknowledged his question with a nod. After a quick shower at his condo, they were enjoying pre-dinner drinks at the Wicklow bar, while waiting for a table to come free.
“It was pretty good, actually. After reading Dad’s email, I calmed down a lot and enjoyed the time I spent with my uncle.” Her expression grew sad. “He had a terrible childhood, Colt. His adoptive parents were horrible. They wanted a girl and they got him. They never let him forget he wasn’t their first choice.”
Anger flashed in her eyes. Colt remained silent and let her continue. It was obvious she wouldn’t take kindly to a reminder from him that Leslie hadn’t set aside the trials of his childhood and lived a law-abiding life. Nobody had forced him to become a criminal, especially after he was an adult and well away from the influence of his parents.
“Can you imagine?” she continued, her voice rising in volume and strength. “Being told every day how worthless and unlovable you were? After awhile, you’d have no choice but to believe it. It was like that for my uncle.”
Once again, Colt wisely chose to remain silent, only offering her a slight nod before taking another mouthful from his beer. To his relief, her monologue was interrupted when a waitress told them their table was ready.
As Morgan slid off the barstool, Colt did his best not to let his gaze linger on her long legs. She wore a skirt that reached mid-thigh and left plenty of tanned skin on show. He wondered if she had any idea the effect she had on him – and on an ample number of the other men in the room, if their ogling stares were any indication. A couple of them had even approached her and asked if they could buy her a drink. He’d been sitting right beside her. Were they blind? Just because they were only friends didn’t mean he wanted other men hitting on her.
Colt frowned at the thought and was immediately annoyed by the surge of possessiveness that flooded his veins. It was like he’d told his mom – he and Morgan were friends, nothing more. He had no hold on her. He wasn’t even her boyfriend, let alone something more permanent and he was happy about that. He didn’t do commitment. It wasn’t his thing.
Still, he couldn’t help feeling protective of her. He wanted to keep her safe – whether it be from drunken men making unwanted advances, or an uncle who might not be all that he seemed. It didn’t mean that his resolve was weakening or that he had a soft spot for her. It merely meant he was behaving like a gentleman, in the way that he’d been raised. His parents would be proud.
“Colt Barrington! Fancy seeing you here!”
The throaty voice caught his attention and he turned in time to see Rachel Florence bearing down upon him. A moment later, he was enveloped in warm female flesh and spicy perfume that filled the air. She pressed herself against him in the guise of a friendly hug.
“Rachel,” he managed and did his best to extricate himself from her arms. “It’s nice to see you.”
Seemingly unperturbed by Morgan’s presence, she leaned in and kissed him full upon the mouth. “And you, too, you sexy thing! Where have you been hiding? It seems like forever since I saw you!”
Morgan watched the exchange with interest. A slight frown marred the smooth skin of her forehead. He cursed silently. Of all the luck, to run into one of his ex-girlfriends.
They’d split up more than six months ago, but Rachel insisted on trying her luck with him every opportunity she got. He’d given her the same story that he gave all of them when they started getting way too serious: He wasn’t into commitment. It was him, not them. He wasn’t the marrying kind. They were better off finding a guy who wanted the same things they did, settling down, having kids… Blah, blah, blah.
Rachel put her hand on his arm in a proprietary gesture and Morgan’s frown deepened. She caught him watching and immediately turned her head away. A moment later, she excused herself and disappeared into the crowd. Despite his best efforts, Rachel remained plastered to his side.
“It’s great to see you, Rach. You’re looking fabulous, as always,” he managed and extricated his arm.
She smiled widely and flipped her hair, her eyes beaming with satisfaction. She pressed herself even closer and opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, not wanting to give her the wrong impression.
“I’m sorry, Rachel, but…I’m here with someone else.”
Disappointment turned down her mouth and clouded her gaze. “Oh. I see. Well, anyway, it was good to see you again. Take care now.”
To his relief, she moved on without further ado and he hurried in the direction of the dining room. Morgan was seated at a table with the menu up to her face. He took the chair beside her.
“I’m sorry,” he began. “That was an old f—”
“Flame?” Morgan supplied, her gaze fixed on the menu.
Heat crept up Colt’s neck. “I was going to say friend, but okay, it’s true. We used to date.”
“For how long?”
* * *
Morgan heard the words fa
ll out of her mouth and instantly wished them back. Why should she care if they ran into one of Colt’s old girlfriends? She was an old girlfriend, too. They’d split up a decade ago. She had no hold on him. He dated who he pleased. It was none of her business.
And yet, she still wanted to know…
She tightened her lips in irritation. Colt Barrington was her past and that’s where he would stay. He’d been more than upfront with her about his future. It didn’t include a wife and child and they were the things she yearned for, that were important in her life. She wanted a husband and a family to call her own.
She couldn’t imagine having her family die with her, to be the last of her line. It was like it had been for Uncle Leslie. All of his life, he thought he had no one and then he’d discovered he had a brother. It wasn’t any wonder he’d been driven to find him…
She looked around at the crowd of people that filled the dining room. The Wicklow was fondly known by the locals as “The Pink Pub” because of the bright pink paint that covered its façade. It was a favorite hangout for college students and young professionals. It had undergone a substantial makeover since the days when she hung out there with her friends and it was now a stylish and modern place to dine and relax.
Too bad she was wired as tight as a guitar string. She only had herself to blame. It was the girl who’d thrown herself at Colt who had her out of sorts. No, that wasn’t fair. It had nothing to do with the girl, even though she was the type of confident, brash, sexy woman Morgan had learned to dislike on sight.
The fact was, she didn’t like the thought of Colt dating anyone and that was plain stupid. Just because he didn’t want to settle down, didn’t mean he was celibate. He was young and sexy and intelligent; he was fit and in his prime. Of course he’d date other women. It was just her stupid heart that wished things were different. Get over it, O’Brien. He isn’t the one for you. Accept it and move on.
“What looks good on the menu?” he asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
She looked up and offered him a slight smile. “I think I’ll have the scotch fillet,” she answered. “They always did a great steak here.”
His face filled with relief at her light conversational tone and she was pleased she’d let go of her tension. She vowed silently to enjoy the night. She was seated beside the sexiest man God ever put on the Earth. No matter what else they were, they were friends who got on well and she intended to make the most of it.
* * *
Colt drew in a surreptitious breath and eased it out on a quiet sigh of relief. He’d been worried that his run-in with Rachel would ruin the rest of the night. Morgan’s face had looked like a thundercloud when she’d turned away from them and he’d been nervous about what he’d find when he finally caught up with her.
But, once again she’d surprised him. There was no sign of her earlier disapproval or the irritation that had narrowed her eyes. Instead, she spoke as if nothing had happened; like they were two friends out to dinner, eager to enjoy the night.
Her mature attitude suited him fine and she grew in his estimation. A lot of girls would have flown off the deep end in a similar situation. But not Morgan. She was a great girl and would no doubt one day make some lucky guy a great wife.
He had a sudden image of her waiting by the front gate for the man in her life, surrounded by three or four kids. The picture filled him with an unexpected surge of yearning. It seemed so happy and joyful and right. What would it be like to come home to someone like Morgan? Someone who was happy to see him at the end of a busy day? He didn’t know and sure as hell didn’t have the courage to find out.
“I almost forgot to tell you!” Morgan cried, interrupting his thoughts.
“What is it?”
“It’s about Dad! He replied to my emails! He apologized for not telling me about Rusty. The poor dog had cancer. Dad didn’t want to upset me, seeing how Mom died that way. I guess he had to put him down.”
Colt smiled, relieved by the news. “That explains why Rusty had a bullet hole in his skull.”
“Yes. Dad’s owned a handful of guns for like, forever, including an old .22 rifle. I remember when he used to take me out to the rifle range on the weekends to get in some target practice. I must have been all of six or seven. At least Rusty didn’t suffer. Dad would have made sure of that.” She paused and then added, “Anyway, Dad’s on his way to Darwin and then he’s coming home. I’m so relieved everything’s all right.”
Colt nodded his agreement. He hadn’t wanted to tell her that his concerns about her uncle had been growing. The circumstances surrounding Rex O’Brien’s hasty departure were strange enough, but he’d been gone a month and from all accounts nobody along the way had seen or heard from him. As well as sending information to the police at Tennant Creek, Colt had taken the liberty of giving a description of Rex and his vehicle to some of the other stations he’d have passed through on his way. None of them could recall seeing Rex or his truck.
“Hey, that’s great news,” he said. Without thinking, he reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
It was meant to be a sign of reassurance and encouragement, but she reacted like she’d been burned. She snatched her hand away and concealed it under the table. He hid his embarrassment behind the menu.
What the hell was he doing? He had no right to touch her. They were friends. That was it. He’d best remember that. It irritated him that it wasn’t the first time he’d had to remind himself. In an effort to draw attention away from what had happened, he pushed away from the table and stood. “I’ll go and give them our order. You like your steak medium rare, right?”
She nodded and smiled and he was relieved that once again, she hadn’t turned an uncomfortable situation into a scene that would have ruined the night.
“Fries and salad, or vegetables?” he asked.
“Fries and salad,” she replied.
He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Lining up with the queue of people who waited to be served, Colt glanced back toward their table. Morgan had her iPad out and was staring at the screen. Many other patrons were playing with their phones, even ones who sat at crowded tables.
It was a sign of the times. He didn’t blame them. Technology was taking over. People spent more time communicating online than they did in real life. Whether it was a good thing, or bad, Colt didn’t know. It was just the way it was. Still, there was something to be said for socializing the good old-fashioned way. Out to dinner, talking across the table, spending quality time with friends.
He was reminded of his mother’s invitation and the anniversary party on the weekend. He wondered if he should invite Morgan and if he did, whether she’d come. She’d met his family years ago, when he and she had dated. His brothers and sisters used to like her, and so had his mom and dad.
She’d met his cousin Chase, before, too and although she hadn’t met Chase’s wife, Josie, Colt was sure they’d get on just fine. Josie also came from a big family, with five older brothers and a younger sister. She knew what it was like to be surrounded by people who loved and annoyed you at the same time.
It might be fun for Morgan to catch up with everyone again. It might get her mind off her dad and it would stop the endless questions from well-meaning relatives about when he was going to settle down. With Morgan by his side, all but his immediate family would assume they were together. It was a perfect solution. He silently thanked his mom for thinking of it.
An attractive college student with a coquettish smile and promise in her dark eyes stood behind the counter. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, Colt would have been interested in her unspoken offer. But tonight, her flirtations left him unmoved. After placing the order, he paid for their meals and returned to their table.
Morgan closed her iPad and looked up at him. “How did you do?”
“Good. There’s a twenty-five minute wait on the steaks. I hope you don’t mind a bit more old-fashioned conversation? Or per
haps we could pull out our phones and let them occupy us for a while. It looks like that’s what most people are doing.”
She laughed and the sound of it warmed him through. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh properly since she’d arrived back in town. He was pleased that the news she’d received from her father had finally set her mind at ease.
“So, your dad’s still traveling?”
“Yes.” A moment later, she frowned. “Darn it! I forgot to ask him about the laptop. I need to send him another email.”
“What about the laptop?”
“It’s the strangest thing. He left it at home. I saw it on his writing desk when I went around to visit Uncle Leslie. It’s where Dad always used it. I mentioned it to my uncle, but he didn’t know anything about it. He said my dad left in a hurry and must have forgotten to take it. I meant to email Dad and ask him how he’s been accessing the Internet.” She frowned again and shook her head. “It’s all a bit weird.”
Colt nodded and then said gently, “Everything about this thing with your dad and his brother has been a bit weird.”
“Yes, you’re right. When I think about all that’s happened, it feels a bit surreal. I’m glad Dad’s okay and enjoying his travels, but I can’t wait for him to come back home. I want to see him again. I want to see for myself that he’s all right.”
“I know what you mean. My family drives me nuts half the time, but I wouldn’t give any of them up. In fact, the whole family’s getting together on the weekend to celebrate my mom and dad’s wedding anniversary.”
Morgan smiled softly. “How many years?”
“Thirty-five. It took them a few years to start their family. Once they started, they didn’t know when to stop,” he joked.
“There are eight of you, right?”
“Yep. Five boys and three girls.”
Morgan shook her head and smiled a little wistfully. “Wow.”
“Yeah, it’s fun, I guess, although we’ve had our share of squabbles,” he added with a laugh.
Their meals arrived and they fell silent as both of them began to eat. Colt’s steak was cooked to perfection and Morgan appeared to be enjoying hers, too. She ate with enthusiasm and when she was finished, the only things remaining were three pieces of cucumber.
