“And what, Nate?” she asked when his words stopped.
“We become friends with benefits.”
She laughed, the sound bubbling up from her throat. “It’s only been two days. Why are you changing your mind?”
Nate released her wrist. “There’s something about you that makes me crazy. You’re beautiful, intelligent, sexy, and you make me laugh. Going to the Happy Hour with you told me I could have a normal friendship with a woman. I’d only agreed not to sleep with you because that’s what you want.”
“I said that because I don’t want sex without dating.”
“Is that what you want, Mo? You want me to date you?”
She closed her eyes for several seconds. Why did he make it sound as if he was going to do her favor? “I can’t afford to get caught up and get so involved with you that I’ll lose focus on the restoration project.”
“That doesn’t have to happen.”
“Because you say so?” she asked. “I’ve waited a long time for something like this to come along, and having a sexual relationship with you will complicate things. Remember we have to work together, and if we break up we’ll still have to interact with each other. You know that will be uncomfortable.”
“Why are you putting up roadblocks even before you give me a chance to prove that I want to date you and only you? It’s not about sleeping with you as much as it is getting to know you better, to see where things could lead.” A wry smile twisted his mouth. “There will be no other women, I promise, Mo.”
A beat passed. Resting her hands over Nate’s heart, she leaned into him. “Okay, but it has to be on my terms. Which, by the way, are nonnegotiable.”
Staring at her under lowered lids, Nate said, “What are your terms?”
“If there comes a time when we do sleep together, you must use protection.” Francine’s baby prediction had become a permanent tattoo on Morgan’s brain. “And if we decide to end it there can’t be any histrionics.”
Nate successfully curbed the urge to laugh at Morgan. Since becoming sexually active, there wasn’t a time when he hadn’t used protection, except when he was with his wife. He also wasn’t opposed to an amicable split. “That’s easy. Is there anything else, boss lady?” He did laugh when she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“That’s it.”
“That’s it,” he repeated. “All wrapped up with pretty paper and a bow.”
“I’d like to believe we’re being very adult about everything.”
“Adult or anal, Morgan?”
“Adult,” she insisted. “We live in the same town and will be working together on several projects, so I think it’s important we establish the ground rules beforehand.”
Nate saw Morgan in a whole new light. She exhibited a maturity usually not seen in a woman her age. Establishing the ground rules was something he and Kim had neglected to do, and in the end it was as if they couldn’t agree on anything.
“It is very important.” His arms went around her waist. “You’re quite the businesswoman—”
“Businessperson, Nate.”
He inclined his head. “I stand corrected.”
“I’ll forgive you this time, baby.”
Attractive lines spread out around Nate’s eyes when he smiled. “So now I’m your baby?”
“Don’t you play yourself, Nate. I should’ve called you on it the first time you called me baby.”
An expression of unadulterated innocence crossed his features. “I did?”
“Yes, you did, and you know it. Do you call every woman baby?”
“Nah,” he drawled, winking at her. “Just the ones I like.”
Morgan patted his stubble. “Enough talk about who likes who. I need you to think about how you want to decorate your house. Do you plan to paint the walls and ceilings? And what style of furniture, rugs, and artwork do you prefer?”
Nate studied Morgan, unable to believe she could go from talking about their sleeping together to furniture and knickknacks. But she had reminded him more than once of remaining focused. “I don’t know,” he said. “You make the selections and I’ll let you know if I like them.”
Pushing against his chest, she forced him to release her. “Okay. I need to know if you want it to look like a bachelor pad or if you would prefer a style that’s more family-oriented.”
He lifted his shoulders under his T-shirt. “Family sounds good.”
Morgan crossed her arms under her breasts, bringing Nate’s gaze to the soft swell of flesh rising above the neckline of her top. “Do you have a budget for what you want to spend?”
“No.”
“Not even an estimate?”
“Nope.”
She exhaled an audible breath. “You’re not making this easy for me.” A beat passed as they stared at each other. “Did you make any modifications to the blueprints?”
“Not structurally,” Nate replied. He’d built a half bath with a slop sink next to the shed and installed soundproofing throughout the entire first floor.
“I’ll need to see the prints to verify the dimensions. I’ve downloaded a design program and decorating catalogs on my computer, so all I have to do is click and drag the furnishings and accessories onto the floor plans. I should have several of them completed in a couple of weeks.”
Nate nodded. “I’d like to be in a bed by the end of the summer.” Right now he was sleeping on an air mattress, which he stored in the walk-in closet along with several changes of clothes.
“I’ll work up the bedroom first.” Morgan lowered her arms, glancing at her watch. “I’d better get home. I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow.”
“After I get you the blueprints, I’ll drive you home.”
As promised, Nate drove Morgan home. They stood together on the porch, his arm braced over her head as she leaned against the door frame. “When am I going to see you again?”
Morgan lowered her eyes, staring at his chest. “Wednesday. I’ll call you after I return from my bike ride and invite you over for breakfast. Which do you prefer? American or continental?”
He moved closer, her moist breath feathering over his throat. “Come on now, Mo. I’m Gullah. You shouldn’t have to ask me that.”
“American,” she said in singsong.
His large hands cradled her face, holding it gently as his head came down as if in slow motion. Nate’s lips brushed against Morgan’s. He continued to nibble at her lips as if she were freshly whipped sweet cream until the sound of scratching shattered the quiet. His head came up and he saw Rasputin with his front paws pressed on the window screen.
“Pardon the pun, but Rasputin is a Peeping Tom.”
Morgan giggled. “He knows I usually give him his snack around this time.” She kissed Nate’s chin. “Good night. I’ll call you,” she said over her shoulder as she walked to the door.
Nate stared at her retreating back. Despite his bad luck in the past, he looked forward to dating Morgan. He hoped this time would be different.
Chapter Eleven
Morgan was relieved when Francine called to cancel their bike ride. She wanted to sleep in late. The Beauty Box’s summer hours were now in effect, so the unisex salon and spa was closed on Sundays and Mondays. Most of the businesses on the island kept summer hours, too, because of the extreme heat, and were closed between the hours of twelve and two.
Sitting at the makeup table in a corner of her bedroom and wielding a sable makeup brush, Morgan applied a light dusting of powder to her face. Adjusting the light coming from the tiny bulbs circling the mirror, she looked closely at her handiwork. Eyeliner and mascara brought out her eyes, and a coral lip gloss accentuated her mouth. Using her fingertips, she fluffed up her short curls. Standing, she walked over to the walk-in closet, selecting a long, loose-fitting slip dress in coral and a pair of straw-colored espadrilles. When she’d gotten up earlier that morning and turned on the television, the meteorologist had predicted temperatures in the midnineties. Morgan decided not to wear her usual
office attire, which consisted of a pencil skirt or tailored slacks with her ubiquitous stilettos. She added a pair of silver hoop earrings and three matching bracelets, completing her bohemian look for her breakfast meeting with Kara.
Rasputin lounged near the closet, staring at her feet. “Yes, baby, I’m going out.” Whenever she put on her shoes, the cat would eye her with what Morgan interpreted as contempt because she was leaving him alone. The cat meowed softly. “When Mama comes home for lunch she’ll play with you for a while.” Instead of eating in the office, she would come home for the two-hour island-wide siesta.
Picking up a straw tote, Morgan checked to see if she had her keys. Rasputin followed her to the door, his plaintive meows continuing even after she’d closed and locked it. In that instant she wondered if she should get another cat to keep her pet company. Then she thought about what Nate had said about his sister’s cat. Maybe she would ask Sharon if Rasputin could visit with her cat so she could see if he was able to get along with another of his species.
Getting into her truck, she backed out from under the carport and headed for Sanctuary Cove.
Punching a button, she increased the cool air flowing through the Cadillac’s vents. It wasn’t officially summer, but the temperature didn’t reflect that. The numbers on the dashboard displayed an outside temperature of eighty-eight degrees, and it was only 7:40 in the morning. There were days when as a child she would spend most of the day at the beach, cooling off in the water. She smiled. The beach was the perfect place to relax after she closed the office.
Morgan and Kara had agreed to meet at least once a month to confer about the progress of the restoration. Kara and Jeff had gone up to Myrtle Beach for what they called a mini-honeymoon. Jeff wanted to wait until after the fall elections before he took his bride away on an extended honeymoon to somewhere exotic. The newlyweds divided their time between Jeff’s grandmother’s house and a guesthouse at Angels Landing. This morning she would meet Kara at Corrine Hamilton’s house.
She drove along the road connecting Haven Creek to Angels Landing, then maneuvered onto the new two-lane road connecting the Landing with the Cove. Morgan and practically everyone else on Cavanaugh Island had breathed a collective sigh of relief once the county had built the road connecting the two towns. Very few were brave or foolish enough to travel on the foot trails, which were surrounded by swamps filled with poisonous snakes, alligators, and quicksand.
Local environmentalists opposed the draining of the swamp because it would upset the ecological balance, yet after years of debate they were willing to compromise. The South Carolina Department of Transportation drained enough to build the road without disturbing the wildlife’s natural habitat. It had taken Morgan a good three months after the road was paved to get over her fear of seeing a snake or a gator.
She entered the town of Sanctuary Cove. Many of the businesses along Main Street were closed, with the exception of the supermarket. She drove past the bookstore and the Muffin Corner, slowing and rolling down the window. She waved to Lester, who was hosing down the sidewalk outside the bakeshop. “Good morning, Lester,” she called out. He glanced up, smiling.
“Mornin’, Mo,” the pastry chef called back.
Raising the window, she turned onto the road leading to Waccamaw Road. A few of the older residents were sitting on rockers on their porches, catching the morning air before the heat chased them indoors. When her grandfather was alive, a lot of the older folks were reluctant to install air-conditioning units in their homes. Ceiling or box fans were enough for them. That all changed when eight elderly residents died from dehydration after a heat wave that lasted more than a month. An island-wide fund-raiser produced enough money to purchase air-conditioning units for any island resident over the age of seventy who couldn’t afford to buy one. The electricity in a few of the homes had to be updated to accommodate the additional wattage.
Morgan parked in front of a house with white vinyl siding and dark green shutters. Corrine Hamilton sat on the front porch reading a newspaper. She set the newspaper on a side table and rose to her feet with Morgan’s approach.
“Good morning, Miss Corrine,” Morgan said. The seventysomething former school principal was still a very attractive woman. She was tall and slender, with smooth skin the color of café au lait and short silver curls. The Yorkshire terrier sharing the rocker with Corrine raised his head briefly, stared at Morgan, and then rested his muzzle on his front paws.
“Good morning to you, too,” Corrine said with a warm smile. “Look at you.” She patted her own curls. “We have the same hairdo.”
Morgan nodded before leaning forward to hug Jeff’s grandmother and kiss her soft cheek. “How have you been?”
Corrine met a pair of eyes as dark as her own. “Can’t complain. Jeffrey’s married and Kara is the granddaughter I always prayed for. Go on in. You’ll find her in the kitchen.”
Morgan opened the screen door and walked into the house, where everything appeared to be in its place. Throw pillows were positioned at the correct angle, tabletops and wood floors were spotless, and mouthwatering aromas wafted in from the kitchen.
She stood at the entrance to the modern kitchen, watching Kara as she cracked eggs with one hand. The newlywed’s usual tawny complexion was several shades darker. “I’m impressed.”
Kara turned, her hazel eyes shimmering with amusement. She’d pulled her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail. Light from a hanging fixture reflected off the diamonds in the engagement ring and wedding band on her left hand. “I learned that trick from watching the cooking shows.” Wiping her hands on a towel, Kara came over and hugged Morgan. “You look so cool in that dress.”
“If you don’t have to go out, then don’t. The weather’s brutal.”
Kara pulled the oversized T-shirt she was wearing away from her chest. “I’ve been wearing Jeff’s tees because my shorts and slacks are too tight. Please sit down.” Waiting until Morgan pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table, she went back to cracking eggs.
Morgan noticed a mysterious smile playing at the corners of the former New York City social worker’s mouth. Kara had come to Cavanaugh Island after the reading of her late father’s will and never left. She’d been as shocked as everyone to discover she was the biological daughter of Taylor Patton. The late owner of Angels Landing Plantation had left his secret love child the historic house, two thousand acres of prime property, money, and worldly goods worth millions. However, Kara’s unexpected fortune had come with a proviso: She was required to make Angels Landing her legal residence for five years and restore the property to its original condition. Not only had Kara stayed, she fell in love with the island’s sheriff and married him after a whirlwind courtship.
“What aren’t you saying, Kara?”
“Jeff and I are expecting our first baby early next year. We decided to start trying before the wedding because we’re both getting older and want to have another child soon.”
Morgan nodded. So that’s why Kara had mentioned her too-tight slacks and shorts. “Congratulations to the both of you.”
Kara shared Morgan’s smile. “Thank you.”
“Jeff disappointed a lot of the single women around here when he announced he was marrying you.”
“I’m sorry about that. But not really,” Kara said quickly, grinning from ear to ear. “He grew up here, went away, and then came back to live. What’s the expression? ‘When you’re slow you blow’? It’s apparent they were slow, so when I realized that he was one of those special men you don’t meet every day, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“He’s one of the good guys. Even though we didn’t grow up in the same town, I’ve never heard anything bad about him. His high school record of sacking opposing teams’ quarterbacks still hasn’t been broken to this day.”
“He rarely talks about that. If I have to be jealous of anything, then it’s the Marine Corps. Hardly a day goes by when one or two of his buddies don�
�t call him. They were planning a getaway for the Labor Day weekend until I told him about the baby. I insisted he go, but he claims he doesn’t want to leave me alone until after I give birth.” Kara shook her head. “I don’t understand men, Morgan. I’m going to need him more after the baby than before.”
“You’re lucky you have Miss Corrine.”
“Gram is a gem. I think she was more excited than Jeff when I told her about the baby. Enough about me. What about you, Morgan? Are you still seeing David?”
Morgan gave Kara a prolonged stare. “Why does everyone think I’m going with David?”
Kara returned the stare, her gold-green eyes appearing lighter in her sun-browned face. “Didn’t you guys come to my wedding together?”
“Yes, but we’re just friends. Don’t get me wrong, Kara. David is a wonderful catch, but he’s still hung up on his ex.”
“I thought he was over her.”
“No; he’s still hurt by the situation. Besides, I’m just not interested in him in that way.”
“What if you saw each other as friends?”
Morgan already had a male friend: Nathaniel Shaw. “I don’t think that would work.”
“You don’t want to get married?”
“I’m not saying I don’t want to be married or have children.”
“What are you saying?” Kara asked.
“It can’t be now,” she replied after a pregnant pause. Morgan thought about her wish list. “I have too many things I’d like to accomplish before becoming a wife and mother.”
“I’m going to say what you just told me about Jeff. David is one of the good guys. And I’m not saying that because he’s Jeff’s cousin.”
“When are you and Jeff going to tell everyone about the baby?” Morgan asked, smoothly changing the topic.
“We’re waiting until the Island Fair, and then we’ll make the announcement.”
The annual island-wide celebration began July 1 and ended with a spectacular fireworks show at midnight on July 4. The carnival-like events included amusement park rides, picnics, and fun and games for all ages.
Haven Creek Page 16
