MORGAN

by Lori Foster

  "You got off work at three o'clock, Malone. I watched you leave."

  Yes, he had. She shivered just remembering. Morgan had been watching her with a brooding frown as she'd gathered her things. He was stuck talking with an elderly woman who claimed her neighbor mowed his grass too early in the morning to suit her. Misty had known by the look on Morgan's face that his patience was about at an end. If she hadn't been required to be elsewhere, she very well might have hung around just to see what he'd do. "I left the station at three o'clock. But then I went to the diner."

  "To meet someone?"

  Her temper snapped. Did he always have to think the worst of her? "That's none of your concern."

  She kept walking, but he had stopped. She didn't mean to, but when she turned to face him and saw his expression, her heart almost melted. He looked angry and frustrated and...hurt.

  She'd never thought she'd see a look like that on the inimitable sheriff's face.

  She didn't like it at all.

  She stomped down the hall to glare at him, thrust her chin up and said, "No, I wasn't meeting anyone. I went there to work."

  His confusion was almost laughable. "You're working at the diner? Since when?"

  "Since yesterday. Ceily hired me." His mouth opened and she said, "Before you ask, yes, I told her about my record."

  "Misty." He said her name so softly, like a reprimand, and she felt a lump gather in her throat. He took both her arms, his thumbs rubbing just above her elbows. "I hadn't even thought of that."

  "Bull. You had that look on your face."

  "What look?"

  "The one that's full of doubt."

  "That was just me trying to figure you out." His mouth tipped in a small smile. "What did Ceily have to say?"

  "I told her the truth, that I was innocent but couldn't prove it and that the whole thing had cost a lot so I needed to save up more money now. She believed me." Misty twisted her hands together, once again caught in a worry. Ceily was a very pretty, petite woman with long golden brown hair and big brown eyes. She looked to be around Gabe's age. She'd been very warm and welcoming to Misty from the onset. "She didn't strike me as the type to carry tales. She even warned me about telling any secrets to Howard or Jesse. She said they're both horrible gossips."

  Morgan laughed. "She would know. Jesse is her grandpa."

  "I hadn't realized. They don't look anything alike."

  "Considering Jesse is old and cantankerous and Ceily is young and cute, I'm not surprised you didn't see the family resemblance. But you're right about Ceily, she doesn't gossip. You don't have to worry about that."

  Without meaning to, Misty frowned at him. "You know her well?"

  He shrugged. "As well as I know anyone here. Ceily and Gabe went through school together, and she used to hang out at the house when they were younger. They're both water fanatics. She's a good kid."

  Misty relaxed the tiniest bit. It appeared her secrets were safe with Ceily, which had been her only concern.

  Morgan asked, "Do you mind telling me how you figure on doing both jobs?"

  "I knew you wouldn't understand," she muttered. He was strong and capable and respected...and it would have been so easy to lean on him and let him help her, to follow suit with the entire town and let Morgan handle her problems. But she wanted to regain what she'd lost on her own. It was the only way she could think of to restore her self-respect.

  He let her go reluctantly and fell into step beside her as she headed for her room. "Tell me what I don't understand, babe."

  She shook her head. "What I do for you can barely be considered part time, Morgan. It's only six hours a day."

  "I didn't want you to overdo."

  Why, oh why, did he have to say things like that? "I'm not, breakable, you know."

  "I would never suggest such a thing." He kept pace with her easily, then paused when she reached her door. "No one would ever doubt your strength or determination, Malone. If that's what this is about..."

  Flustered, Misty shrugged. "There's no reason I can't work for the diner in the evenings, right? Ceily agreed to put me on at four. That gives me time to grab a bite to eat and then get in four or five more hours. Last night, I made fifty bucks in tips. It's a good job."

  Morgan propped his hands on his hips, dropped his head forward and paced several feet. When he finally faced her again, he looked grim. "I'm going to let all that go for now."

  "How magnanimous of you."

  He didn't appreciate her dry wit. "I want to talk to you about something else. Will you ride into work with me?"

  She regretted the need to refuse him. "I can't I'll be going to the diner again after we finish at the station. I'll need my car to get home."

  "I'll pick you up when you get off."

  "That doesn't make sense, Morgan. You never know when you might get a call, and I don't want to interrupt things for you."

  He did a little more jaw locking. Misty wondered why he didn't have a perpetual headache.

  "All right. Then let me take you to my house tonight. I've been wanting to show it to you, anyway."

  The idea was tempting. From afar, his house looked wonderful. It wasn't quite as large as the house he shared with his brothers, but it had just as much character. The exterior appeared to be cedar, and few of the mature trees had been displaced during the building. Every morning when she went to the lake, she looked at his house. Its position on the hill would prove a stunning view. "Why do you want to go there?"

  He shrugged. "I just want your opinion, to see if you like it. No other woman has seen it yet, except for Honey. But the two of you are so different, I thought it'd be nice to get your reaction, too. The house will be done before much longer. Gabe works on it off and on, and I get up there whenever I can. All the major stuff is done, now it just needs the finishing touches."

  Misty chewed her bottom lip. She wasn't stupid; she knew if she was alone with Morgan for any length of time, they'd probably end up making love. She'd honestly believed no man could ever tempt her again, but she hadn't counted on a man like him. She'd thought him incredibly sexy from the moment she saw him, and since then, she'd also discovered what a wonderful man he was, inside as well as out.

  He was always honest with her, and she knew deep in her heart she'd never meet another man like him. She was through with lasting relationships, and as soon as she could save up a little money, she was going to move away. By the time she returned for a visit, Morgan might well be married and on his way to having his own children.

  She shook her head, saying mostly to herself, "I don't know...."

  His hands cradled her face. "I won't lie to you, Malone. I want some time alone with you. I want to be able to talk to you without one of my damn brothers nosing in, or someone at the station staring at us." He looked at her mouth. "And I want to kiss you again. We've barely seen each other all week. At this rate, no one is going to believe we're involved. Already I've had people questioning our relationship."

  He said the last with a growl, and she almost laughed at him. "What people?"

  His frown deepened. "No one you need to know about I made it clear you weren't free – like we agreed, right?"

  "Uh, right." Morgan was in a very strange mood, she decided. It was almost as if he was...jealous.

  "It's Nate's fault. He's running around telling people we hardly talk, much less act involved."

  "Nate, your deputy?"

  "Yeah." Morgan looked suspicious. "And that reminds me, has Nate been flirting with you?"

  Startled, Misty shook her head. She'd met Nate her first day on the job. He was a good-looking young man, not a whole lot taller than she was, with brown hair and green eyes and full of smiles. He'd asked her to lunch during her break, but she'd declined, choosing instead to eat at her desk – an apple and a peanut-butter sandwich she'd packed. After that, Nate usually brought a bagged lunch, too, and visited with her while they ate.

  Morgan generally had appointments during that time and ate
on the road. The amount of community work he did astounded her.

  Morgan gave her a long sigh. "Are you sure?"

  She scoffed at him. "He's only a boy, Morgan."

  "He's twenty-two years old, Malone, old enough to be my deputy, and only two years younger than you." Morgan's tone was exasperated. "Would you even realize it if Nate was flirting?"

  "Well, I assume so."

  Morgan put one arm on the wall beside her head. "For some reason, I think you're just oblivious to the way you affect men."

  "Maybe that's because, so far, you're the only one claiming to be affected. That only makes you the oddity, Morgan, not the norm."

  He didn't look at all insulted by her comment. His large hand spread out over her middle, making her suck in her breath as a shock of awareness rolled through her. His fingertips, angled downward, nearly touched her hipbones. His palm was hot and firm against her.

  Very softly he asked, "Now, how can that be true, when I know for a fact at least one other man chased you down? You didn't get pregnant all by yourself."

  She couldn't reply. So many feelings swamped her at once, it was difficult to sort them out. In the past, every relationship she'd shared had started because she wanted someone to call her own, because she'd believed women were supposed to share their lives with men. It wasn't because she found a man irresistible and craved his company.

  She no longer felt she needed or wanted a man in her life, and she'd decided she was better off on her own. But how she felt around Morgan was so different from those other relationships. She did crave him, and ignoring Morgan was like trying not to breathe – impossible.

  By reflex, she put her hand over his, intending to pull it away, but instead, she held it tighter to her. "Kent...Kent was like most men, saying the right things to get my attention. I wanted to believe that he cared, so I did. But he never really wanted me, not like—" She stammered into silence and blushed.

  Morgan gave her a satisfied smile. "You mean, like I do?"

  How could he expect her to answer that? "All he really wanted," she said, ignoring his question and her embarrassment, "was the convenience of being with one woman. He never really cared about me."

  "He was obviously a goddamned fool."

  She looked up at him, then felt snared in his gaze. "Men flirt by nature. It doesn't mean anything. And it doesn't matter who the woman is or what she looks like."

  "There's flirting, and then there's flirting." Morgan gave her a small smile. "You can believe I've never disabled another woman's car, or dragged her into a gazebo."

  Misty managed a laugh. "No, probably it was the women dragging you into private places."

  Morgan's fingers on her abdomen began a gentle caress that made it difficult for her to remain still. "Let's try this from another angle, okay? Forget Kent – he's not worth mentioning. And he's hardly a good example of the male species. Agreed?"

  "Agreed."

  "So. Has Nate been hanging around your desk? Talking to you a lot? Has he asked you out?"

  She could barely think with his palm pressed so intimately to her body. Her khaki slacks weren't much of a barrier. And she could feel his breath on her cheek, could smell the delicious scent of cologne and soap and man. His wrist was so thick where she held him, her fingers couldn't circle it completely. "Um, yes, yes and no."

  He nuzzled his nose against hers. "Yes and no what?"

  "Yes, he talks with me, and yes, he stops by my desk. Just about everyone who comes into the station does."

  Morgan dropped his forehead to hers. "I need to put a paper sack over your head. I hadn't realized it, but I'd have been better off hiding you away here at the house."

  Misty couldn't help but smile. "No, he hasn't asked me out. He invited me to lunch once, but that hardly counts as a date. That was just a friendly visit between employees. I think he gets lonely at lunchtime, because now he usually eats at the station with me."

  Morgan looked at her like she was a simpleton. "He's flirting, Malone."

  "No, he's not."

  Morgan drew an exasperated breath and shook his head at her. "I'm going to put a stop to it."

  "Jesse and Howard are always there. And don't you dare suggest they're flirting, too."

  He tipped his head back and groaned. "I'm surprised every single male in the area isn't there hanging on your damn desk. From now on, I'm going to make sure I'm around to take you to lunch. And stop shaking your head at me!"

  "Morgan, you're being unreasonable." But deep inside, she was pleased by his jealousy. She had to admit that maybe, just maybe, she was fighting a losing battle.

  "I want to make sure you eat right."

  "Uh-huh. I can tell that's your motivation." Misty quit denying him. "If you want to take me to lunch, that's fine with me."

  "Then it's settled." Triumph shone in his gaze. "And about damn time, too."

  "You know, Morgan, if everyone found out I was pregnant, that'd likely put an end to any interest – imagined or otherwise."

  Morgan kissed her brow, then her nose. "Don't count on it. It didn't do a damn thing to make me want you less."

  He was about to kiss her again, and she was about to let him, when Sawyer emerged from his bedroom and glanced at them.

  "A little rendezvous in the hall?" he asked.

  Misty felt like kicking Morgan. How did she always end up in these awkward situations when he was around? "Did we wake you?"

  "Nope, I had early appointments this morning. The honeymoon is over now that a flu bug has started making the rounds."

  That sounded innocuous enough, and Misty sighed. "Well, I need to get going, anyway. I was just on my way out."

  Morgan tipped his head. "Didn't you need something from your room?"

  She closed her eyes. She'd come to her room just to escape him, but she wouldn't admit that in front of Sawyer, who showed no signs of giving them any privacy. With a weak smile, she said, "Whatever it was, I've forgotten."

  She darted around Morgan and made a beeline past Sawyer. She was almost out of hearing range when Sawyer said, "You've got her on the run, Morgan. I just wonder if that was your intent."

  MORGAN GLARED AT HIS brother. "I know what I'm doing."

  "And what exactly is that?"

  They both left the hall in the direction of the kitchen. The smell of coffee was tantalizing, and Morgan needed a shot of caffeine to boost him. Unfortunately, Jordan was still there, the cat on his lap.

  "You," Morgan said, effectively distracted, "were ogling Misty when I walked in."

  Jordan shrugged, then said to Sawyer, "She'd climbed under the desk to get the cat for me." His grin was unholy. "She has a damn fine bottom."

  Morgan felt ready for murder. "Keep your eyes off her bottom."

  "Why? You sure didn't." He rubbed the cat and said in an offhand way, "Sawyer, I meant to mention it to you earlier. I think there's something wrong with Morgan."

  Sawyer filled his coffee cup then sank into a chair. He blew on the coffee to cool it, showing no interest in Jordan's gibe. Which of course didn't stop Jordan. "Yep, I think he must be sick. Half the time I see him, he's got this glazed look in his eyes. And once or twice, I've actually caught him smiling."

  Sawyer laughed. "No! Morgan smiling? That's absurd."

  Morgan came half out of his seat, and Jordan held up a hand, grinning. "No, don't throttle me. I'm on my way out the door right now. I just hung around to tell you...goodbye." He stood, the cat tucked under his arm, and grabbed his keys hanging by the door. "I'll see you all later."

  As the door closed behind him, Morgan muttered, "Good riddance."

  "Quit being such a grouch, Morgan. I survived, so I'm certain you will, too."

  "Survived what? I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Falling in love." Sawyer added quickly, "No, don't give me all your excuses. I've heard them all and even made up half of them. It'll do you no good."

  Morgan felt like an elephant had just sat on his chest. He wheezed
, then managed to say, "I am not in love."

  "No? Then what would you call it? Lust?"

  "What I'd call it is no one's business but my own."

  "I think Honey might disagree with you there. She loves her sister more than you can imagine. I think they spent the longest time with no one but each other. Right now, Honey's convinced you're an honorable, likable gentleman. But if you hurt Misty, she'll take you apart. And I can tell you right now, there's not a damn thing I could do about it."

  "I keep telling you that you should control your wife."

  "Spoken like a true bachelor."

  "Besides, I'd never hurt Malone."

  "Oh? You think having an affair with you won't hurt her? She's been through enough, Morgan. Did you know she went to her father and he offered not an ounce of comfort? Honey told me about it. It seems he was more disappointed with her than anything else."

  Which, Morgan assumed, pretty much guaranteed she wouldn't bother him with her arrest and conviction. She'd known without asking that her father wouldn't assist her, or even take her side. Morgan shook his head, feeling that damn pain again. Misty had come to the only person she could really count on: her sister. And thank God she had.

  Sawyer frowned at him. "She needs some stability, Morgan, not more halfhearted commitments."

  Morgan downed half his coffee, burned his tongue and cursed in the foulest of terms. Sawyer never said a word. "Look, Sawyer, she doesn't want a commitment, all right? She told me that herself. She's sworn off men."

  "Hate to break it to you like this, Morgan, but you're a man."

  "That's not what I meant! What we feel – well, it's mutual. Only she doesn't want to get overly involved." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Any more than I do."

  "I thought you wanted to get married?"

  He shook his head, wondering if Sawyer was rattling him on purpose. "I want a wife like Honey."

  Sawyer spewed coffee across the table. Morgan gave him a look then handed him a napkin. "I said a wife like her, not Honey, herself. I want someone domestic and settled and sweet...."

  "You don't think Misty fits the bill? What, she's not sweet? She's got a nasty temper?"