Grave Secrets

by Trout, Linda

  “Too old to be sitting on a stupid bucket of ice while someone slowly cranked the handle. I thought I was a grown man at fourteen, but he still made me take a turn.” He chuckled at the memory, then sobered at her expression.

  She had no idea what he was getting at, but she had to clear the air about a few things before the conversation went further. “I have to know, Morgan. Did the police tell you about Leo? Is that why you came looking for me?”

  “No. Before we realized Leo was behind it all, I’d already made up my mind. I didn’t care about the evidence, I knew you weren’t guilty.”

  She furrowed her brow, studying him, trying to figure him out. “You didn’t care? Then how did—”

  Morgan twined his fingers with hers. “I told myself it was my gut, or simply my dick talking.”

  She laughed nervously at the memories of their one night together.

  “Then I realized it was my heart. How could the woman I love be guilty of murder?”

  “You—you love me?”

  “Oh, God, yes! I’m so crazy in love with you it hurts.” He squeezed her hand.

  She didn’t know what to say. Her heart, on the other hand, began to sing.

  “Look. I know you have a lot to deal with. Jason’s death, his betrayal, losing then finding kiddo here, discovering Leo was behind most of it. Hell, it would knock most people on their butts. But look at you, stronger than ever.”

  Desire, love, pleading, and what she could swear was fear, radiated from his eyes. She still didn’t know how to respond.

  “Listen. My parents didn’t display love or affection. It’s one of the reasons I got into so much trouble after my mom died. Then Pete and Nona took me in, and I saw that love was not just devotion, but a total commitment to each other. During the good times and bad. And trust me, I gave ’em some pretty bad times. They never kicked me out, though.”

  It was her turn to squeeze his hand.

  “Guess that’s what I’ve always wanted deep down here.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I want what they have. I want to live a simple life out in the country with lots of fresh air and laughter.”

  Sara froze, afraid to hope. “What are you saying?”

  He visibly swallowed and for the first time since she met him, big, tough, cold as granite Morgan looked unsure of himself.

  “It’s still early in the game. I know that. But you aren’t getting rid of me. Not now, not ever. I’ll give you all the space and time you need. I’ll wait as long as I have to, because there’s a future for us, Sara. For you and me and little bit, here.”

  Leaning over the baby’s head, he touched his mouth to hers. The soft heat of his lips sent goose bumps of pleasure down her arms. Sara scooted closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

  Until a small foot came up and connected with Morgan’s chin.

  “Umph!” Instead of becoming upset, he smiled at the baby. “Hey, there, punkin. Think I ought to hang around for awhile. Like until your mom and I are both old and gray?”

  Kaycee peered at him intently, as if she understood what he said. Kicking her legs, she smiled a big toothless smile, slobbering on him some more.

  Sara and Morgan looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

  His smile transformed the hard features of his face to soft, sensual, and wickedly handsome. A face she thought she could wake up next to every day for the rest of her life.

  “It looks like she approves,” she said as she leaned down to kiss her daughter’s silky blond hair, almost bumping his chin again in the process. Her hand came to rest on his chest. He might be sitting there all calm and collected, but his heart beat a mile a minute. Knowing she had that effect on him gave Sara satisfaction. She raised her head, met his steady gaze.

  “Good. Cause I figure that would be a deal breaker if ever there was one. However, I have it on good authority I’m good with the ladies so I’m sure I’d be able to win her over.” He tickled Kaycee’s tummy, and she squealed in delight.

  “Oh, yeah? Whose authority?” Sara didn’t feel jealous. Really she didn’t. She simply wanted to know. Uh-huh.

  “Charlene.”

  “Oh.” Well, okay, then.

  He turned serious again. “Sara, Uncle Pete showed me that being a dad doesn’t have anything to do with biology. I want to be Kaycee’s father. I want to teach her how to ride a bike and play ball, how to dance and how to punch a boy’s lights out when he makes a pass at her.” He took a breath. “I also want to give her lots of brothers and sisters to play with.”

  “Oh, Morgan.” She was overwhelmed. When he’d shown up at her door, she thought it would be a quick visit, some paperwork from the insurance company, then he’d be out of her life. Only he’d surprised her.

  “When you’re ready, and if you’ll have me, I know of an older but sturdy farmhouse that will be going on the market before too long, where there’s lots of room for Kaycee and her siblings to run and have a puppy and lots of fresh air and—”

  Sara laughed, then kissed him, picturing Uncle Pete and Aunt Nona’s farm, where love and laughter already abounded. When the time was right and she’d gotten her life together again—gotten herself together—she’d welcome Morgan with open arms.

  The perfect ending that led to the rest of their lives.

  A word about the author…

  Linda Trout is a true romantic at heart, living with her real life hero and various dogs and cats in northeastern Oklahoma. She counts herself lucky to have grown up in a small farming town with small town values.

  Getting lost in a good book is one of her favorite pastimes, so it was natural that she turned to writing, wanting to create intriguing stories of her own.

  She finds the greatest stress relievers in life are writing a really good scene, and riding her Harley down the highway at 70 mph, plotting her next book.

  Be sure to visit Linda’s website at

  http://LindaTrout.com.