by Chris Taylor
I can’t seem to hold onto things like I used to. My fingers just don’t want to work. I’ll have to go to the doctor when I get home and get checked out. Please don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing sinister.
You’re smiling now, aren’t you, because I know you better than anyone. Of course you’re going to worry. You worry about everything. And I love you for it.
You’ll be glad to know I’m nearly done with my travels and hope to return home soon. I’ve been warned about the wet season up here. I don’t want to get caught in a monsoon.
Take care, honey and know that I’m well. I’m looking forward to seeing you again and I hope this finds you the same.
That’s it for now. Dad xxx
Morgan swiped at a drop of moisture that had found its way into her eyes. She sniffed. It was good to hear from her father, but it only made her miss him more. It had been so long since she’d seen him, hugged him or heard his laughter ring through the house. She was glad he’d soon be on his way home. It couldn’t come quick enough.
“Are you nearly finished in there, Morgan?”
Colt’s question, accompanied by a knock on the bedroom door, broke into Morgan’s thoughts. Glancing down at her sheer, short robe, she quickly gathered her makeup supplies, hairbrush and blow dryer before responding.
“Um, yes. I shouldn’t be too much longer.”
His reply was muffled behind the closed door and she pulled it open a crack. He looked down at the pile of things in her hands with a quizzical expression on his handsome face.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you said,” she stammered, intensely aware of her near-naked state. He might have seen her without clothes on, but this was different and even more so after they’d both agreed their night together was a one-off and wouldn’t be repeated.
“I said, we’ll be leaving in fifteen minutes. It will take us an hour to drive to Tamworth and Mom will have my head if we’re late.”
Laughter glinted in the bright blue depths of eyes that seemed to see into her very soul. Her heart skipped a beat and then pounded fast, stealing her breath. Not for the first time, she wondered if accompanying him to the family gathering was a good idea. His friends and relatives might get the wrong impression, read more into it than there was. What if someone asked her if they were a couple? What would she say then?
Something of her growing panic must have shown on her face. Colt frowned in concern.
“What is it, Morgan? Are you all right?”
She shook her head and gave a helpless shrug. “What are we doing, Colt? We’re going to this party together. Assumptions will be made. I don’t think it’s fair on them or me to give them the wrong idea. Your family—”
“Will understand,” he interrupted. “I’ll be sure to tell them you’re here as an old friend. I’ve already made it clear to Mom. I’m sure she’s spread the word. Besides,” he said, smiling disarmingly, “would it be so terrible for my great aunts and uncles to think we’re an item?”
She stared at him in confusion. Anger stirred low in her stomach. “Of course it would! It’s deceitful and totally unfair! I like you, Colt. A lot. I always have. But we want different things and I’m not prepared to compromise. It’s not wrong of me to want a family of my own and I refuse to apologize for it. In fact, it’s completely normal for someone my age to have the urge to settle down. The fact that you feel differently is neither here nor there. Do I wish you wanted the same things I do? Of course, but you’ve made it quite clear it’s not going to happen and I’m through with wasting time. I—”
“Morgan. Stop.”
Once again, he interrupted her and this time, he pushed open the door. Intensely conscious of the sheer robe, she crossed her arms over her front and stared him down.
He cursed softly. “Okay, I get it. I’m being a prick. I’m blowing hot and cold like a teenage girl and it feels like I don’t know what the hell I want. I’ve told you how I feel and the kind of future I want. It all used to seem so clear.” He dragged a hand through his hair and grimaced like he was in pain. Morgan held her ground, refusing to show him any sympathy.
“The truth is, Morgan, ever since you arrived back in town, you’ve turned my life upside down. I thought I had it all planned out, my path well and truly laid out. Now, I’m not so sure.”
Her bark of laughter was devoid of humor. She shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, so you expect me to—”
“I don’t expect you to do anything.” His lips twisted again. “Shit, I’m not explaining myself very well.”
He looked at her and her heart skipped a beat at the frank emotion on his face. Still, she refused to be swayed by the unspoken plea in his eyes. She wanted to hear him say the words, to be upfront about how he felt. She sensed a change behind his words and though her heart wanted to leap with hope, she wouldn’t believe it until she heard him say it.
His shoulders slumped on a sigh. “I’ve spent almost all of my adult years believing I’d go through life on my own – and that’s exactly the way I wanted it. Too many times, I’ve seen marriage and long-term relationships go down the toilet and everyone involved suffers. I didn’t want to be the one inflicting that kind of pain, recovering from wounds so deep. It seemed easier and safer to avoid it altogether and forge onward solo.
“But now you’ve crashed back into my life and I can’t help but wonder if I have things right. I think about spending my life with you, having kids, being there for each other and the thought doesn’t terrify me quite like it used to. The difference is you, Morgan. I’ve never felt this way with anyone else and I’m pretty sure I won’t feel it again. It still scares the hell out of me and I’m still not totally convinced, but… Would you like to give it a go? See where it leads?”
As far as proposals went, it fell vastly short of her expectations, but Morgan’s heart still leaped with hope at the intent behind Colt’s words. She’d always been in love with him, even if she’d refused to acknowledge it and it seemed like he might feel the same way, provided they could overcome his ingrained reservations that every relationship ended in pain.
She smiled tremulously and nodded and was gratified when his face lit up with excitement and joy.
“You mean it?” he asked, still grinning. “You want to give us a go?”
She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. “You make it sound so romantic, Colt Barrington. How’s a girl to refuse?”
He had the grace to look embarrassed again, but his grin remained firmly in place. He put his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She made a grab for her flimsy robe, but the silky fabric gaped apart. Colt appeared oblivious to her wardrobe malfunction. Instead, he laughed and spun her around, before finally setting her back down on the floor.
His enthusiasm was infectious and Morgan’s heart took off in flight. She hadn’t come back to town looking for love, but she was more than happy about how things were working out.
As if only just becoming aware of her scanty attire, Colt’s gaze drifted slowly over her. Moving from head to toe and pausing noticeably at her heaving bosom barely concealed beneath the fabric of her robe, his eyes darkened with desire.
An answering jolt of need went through her, but they were very nearly running late. She didn’t want to be responsible for any sour looks from his mother because their tardiness had ruined her plans. So, as much as she longed to press herself against him, she tactfully took a step back.
“We’re leaving in fifteen minutes, remember?” she reminded him and softened her words with another smile. “There’ll be time enough for…this kind of thing after.”
Colt looked like he wanted to argue, but a moment later, offered a reluctant nod. “You’re right. Mom wants us there in plenty of time. She’ll have my head if we walk in late. It’s the first time in a long time she has all her children home. She means to make the most of it.”
Morgan accepted his comment calmly, but inside she was a bundle of nerves. It had been more than ten years since she
’d had anything to do with Colt’s family. A lot had happened in that time. Would she like them as much as she had a decade ago? Would they like her? It was impossible to know and there was only one way she was going to find out.
* * *
Colt snuck another look at Morgan where she stood on the other side of the crowded auditorium and his breath halted in his throat. She was laughing at something his sister, Ashleigh, said and her face glowed with warmth and natural beauty.
She wore a forest-green dress made of some kind of stretchy fabric that clung to her luscious curves. The plunging neckline revealed her generous cleavage. Her breasts bounced and jiggled with her mirth and he tensed, expecting them to burst free from their confines any moment, but it didn’t happen and then he was both relieved and disappointed.
Though they’d arrived together and he was sure the majority of the people in the room assumed they were a couple, he had yet to make any sort of announcement to his family or confirm the unspoken questions in their eyes.
He shifted his weight, a little uncomfortable with the direction of his thoughts. Of course, he’d meant what he’d said to Morgan… But the decision to take the headlong plunge into a relationship still filled him with unease. He needed time to get used to the idea. That’s all it was.
“Don’t tell me that’s Morgan O’Brien?” Beau murmured, his gaze fixed firmly on the woman that had kept Colt enthralled all night.
Dragging his gaze away from her, Colt frowned at his twin. “Yes. She came with me. What about it?”
Beau eyed him quizzically and Colt looked away. His brother knew him far too well. Beau would see something in Colt’s eyes that he wasn’t sure he was ready to acknowledge and then there’d be hell to pay. His twin would question him mercilessly and Colt wasn’t up to that either. Not for the first time that evening, he wondered what he’d been thinking when he’d invited Morgan along.
“You dated her for a while, back when I was still in college, didn’t you?”
Colt kept his tone disinterested. “Yeah, for a month or so. We were just kids. Things didn’t work out. We went our separate ways.”
“You never did share the details with me,” Beau replied.
“And I’m not going to share them with you now,” Colt replied, his voice brusque.
Beau raised his eyebrows, his gaze filled with curiosity. Colt cursed silently under his breath.
“It sounds like it’s a touchy subject,” Beau teased. “Don’t tell me she broke your heart.”
Colt made an impatient sound in the back of his throat and looked at his brother. “Don’t be stupid.”
Laughter glinted in Beau’s blue eyes – eyes that were identical to his. Colt braced himself for another sly comment. His brother didn’t disappoint.
“This just keeps getting more and more interesting,” Beau drawled. “How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
“I haven’t seen her since we broke up.”
Beau nodded, his expression calculating. “That was at least a decade ago and now you’ve brought her to Mom and Dad’s anniversary celebration. A party packed wall to wall with curious family and other relatives. You must have known this would cause quite a stir, especially among our sisters.”
Beau turned and directed his gaze meaningfully to where Morgan stood surrounded by Ashleigh and Darcy and Emily, all of them staring at Morgan with varying degrees of interest and curiosity.
Colt grimaced. “I guess I didn’t think it through,” he muttered. “We were having breakfast and…it was nice. The party came up in conversation. I invited her to come.”
Beau’s eyes widened in surprise. “Breakfast, did you say? You mean, like the-morning-after-the-night-before breakfast?”
Embarrassment heated Colt’s cheeks. He fixed his gaze on the floor. “Something like that.”
Beau pounced. “How long’s this been going on? I spoke to you a fortnight ago and you didn’t say anything about a girlfriend – certainly nothing about Morgan O’Brien. Now I find out she’s sleeping over and sharing breakfast. This sounds serious, little brother. I think we need to talk.”
Colt chuckled at the faux-serious expression on his twin’s face. With a sigh, he filled his brother in on what had happened since Morgan had arrived in town, though for some inexplicable reason, he held back the part where he’d invited her to be part of his life. When he finished, Beau stared at him and shook his head.
“Wow, that’s amazing! First of all, running into her like that after all these years and then that stuff about her father… A twin brother he never knew he had… Like… Wow.”
“Yeah and then her dad left before Morgan could even talk to him about it,” Colt added. “It’s all been a bit weird.”
“So the brother’s living in her family home on his own?”
“Yes. He’s looking after the place while Rex is away. I’m not sure what the guy’s plans are after Rex returns. Morgan didn’t say anything, but I could tell she wasn’t comfortable staying there alone with her uncle. She doesn’t know him or anything much about him. All the hotels are full with the visitors to the Lamb and Potato Festival, so I offered her a room.” Colt shrugged as if the matter wasn’t of consequence, but his twin wasn’t deceived.
Beau threw him a droll look. “Yeah, right. Don’t come over all innocent with me, Colt. You’ve never offered your house to anyone, not even for a week or two. And I’ve been watching you tonight. You haven’t taken your eyes off her all evening. There’s no point denying it. She’s special to you. I can see it all over your face.”
Colt compressed his lips and remained silent, wishing again that he hadn’t said anything to Morgan about the party. He’d invited her because he wanted to spend more time with her and after their night together, he’d wanted it even more. Morgan O’Brien had gotten under his skin and there was nothing he could do about it.
“You’ve got it bad, little bro,” Beau chuckled, punching Colt lightly on the arm. “So much for your vow to remain single for the rest of your life. This woman’s got you so twisted up in knots, you don’t know which way to turn.”
Colt frowned at his brother. “Do you think so?”
Beau’s expression sobered. “Yes, buddy. I do. I think you care a great deal for her and you’re not sure what to do. You were hell-bent on a certain course and now fate’s brought her back into your life and thrown you for a spin. At the moment, you’re like a rudderless boat, bobbing up and down on the ocean.”
Colt frowned. Beau wasn’t painting a very positive picture of his situation. His twin must have read something of Colt’s dark thoughts in his face, because he hastened to reassure him.
“It’s not all bad, Colt. I’m sure you’ll come through it. You’ll talk to Morgan and confirm that she’s been bitten by the love bug as much as you and the two of you will live blissfully happy from then until the end of time.”
Colt chuckled at his brother’s ridiculous antics and slowly shook his head. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” he said, giving his twin a fond smile.
Beau grinned. “Of course! Why do you think I’m still single? It’s not for want of trying! Unlike you, I don’t have an aversion to marriage. In fact, I’m quite looking forward to it. But alas, word seems to have gotten around the Sydney Harbour Hospital that the brilliant neurosurgeon, Doctor Beau Barrington, is not the marrying kind. I’m not sure what I did to deserve it, but there you have it. Nobody but females only looking for a good time will go out with me.” He shook his head and sighed dramatically. “Women can be so shallow.”
This time, Colt laughed loudly and drew his brother close for a hug. It felt good to be with his twin again, to be connecting on every level. He thought fleetingly of Rex and Leslie and for the first time, felt sorry that they’d lived half their lives apart. And not only apart, they hadn’t even known the other existed. The possibility of not having Beau in his life was unimaginable.
Colt gazed across the room and once again found Morgan. Still surrounded by
his sisters, she seemed oblivious to him. And then she lifted her head and turned slightly in his direction. Her gaze found his and locked and held. His heart thumped so hard, he could barely breathe. Perspiration dampened his palms.
She smiled at him and it was so happy and soft and intimate, his knees weakened. It was ridiculous how a woman could have such an effect on him, but there was no denying she did. Like Beau had said, he was in a bad way. Now, all he had to decide was what he was going to do about it.
“What are you two looking so chirpy about?” Chase Barrington asked, his lips twisting in a grimace.
Colt turned to greet his cousin, surprised at Chase’s surly mood. “It’s good to see you, too, cousin. What’s put you in such a bad mood?”
“Yeah, Chase,” Beau added. “We’re at a party. The beer’s free and flowing, the food is great and even the music’s passable. What do you have to complain about?”
Chase eyed the brothers with a churlish expression on his face. “Spoken by a couple of die-hard bachelors. Neither of you can understand the vagaries of women when you haven’t found the courage to take the plunge and tie yourself down.”
Colt frowned and his gaze sharpened on his cousin. “What are you talking about, Chase?”
“Trouble in paradise?” Beau teased.
Chase scowled. “It’s Josie. Lately, it seems like I can’t please her. It doesn’t matter what I do, it’s never enough. She complains I work too much, that I’m never around for our son. He’s two. He barely knows when I’m home. He’s in bed when I leave for work and in bed when I return. It’s not my fault I work twelve-hour shifts. That’s just the way it is.”
He glanced at Colt. “You know how it works, Colt. Being a cop in a country town is tough. There are never enough staff to go round. We do what we have to do. Sometimes it means working a double.” He shrugged.