MVP

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Morning.” He her gave a lazy smile.

  She winced. “Please don’t shout.”

  “I’m not. It’s that damn whiskey you drank last night.” Seth held up the jelly jar that was on the night table.

  “Why didn’t you take it away from me?”

  “I did. You grabbed another one on the way back to the house. Then you threatened to divorce me if I took it again.” He shook his head and chuckled.

  “And you believed me?” She laid her pounding head on Seth’s shoulder.

  “There was a lesson waiting to be learned. Listen to your husband and you won’t get hangovers from illegal whiskey.”

  Morgan ran her hand through Seth’s hair. “Why do I still have my boots on?”

  “Because you gave me the ride of my life last night.” Seth flashed a devilish grin.

  She groaned. “I don’t remember what happened after we left the bonfire.”

  “Did you, by any chance, take any gymnastics classes when you were in school?”

  “Two semesters in high school. Why?”

  “I’d like to make a donation to your high school’s athletics program. Your dismount is of an Olympic caliber.” He leaned in to kiss her.

  “Exactly how much fun did we have last night?” Morgan moved away, shooting him a suspicious look.

  “Well, we stopped short of you taking pictures of my ‘hot body’ and sending them to Michelle.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “I don’t care how drunk I was, I never would have done that.”

  “Don’t worry, baby, your super freak status is safe with me.”

  Morgan gasped as she spied bruises on his chest. “Oh my goodness, did I bite you?”

  “Yes.” He laughed. “This one is my favorite.” Seth turned over onto his side, displaying his back.

  Morgan searched his back, arms, and shoulders. “I don’t see anything.”

  “That’s because you’re looking for New York when you should be looking for Florida.”

  Morgan’s eyes drifted lower until she reached his ass. There were two distinct bites marks. “Why did you let me bite you?”

  “We were trying something new. I went with the flow. You don’t hear me complaining. Any other sports you took up in high school?”

  “Fencing.” She smirked. “Let’s see you turn that into something dirty.”

  “I can lunge at you with my saber any time you like.”

  “You know fencing?”

  “Good for hand-eye coordination. I like to watch if I catch it on TV. Besides, you never know when sword fighting will come back in style.”

  She laughed while rubbing her temples. “Do you have something for a hangover?”

  “I don’t know if you deserve it.” Seth tickled her sides.

  “Ouch! Don’t make me giggle, it makes my head hurt.”

  “Damn. I suppose I can mix up something I call the Morning after Mixer. I make it for the guys when they party too hard when we’re on the road.”

  She peered from behind the pillow. “What’s in it?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  “Raw eggs?” She shuddered, remembering the concoctions he made daily.

  “And tomato juice, some lime, a little cooking lard—”

  Morgan clamped her hand over his mouth. “Just bring the drink.”

  * * *

  Seth kissed his mom when he entered the kitchen. “Good morning, my beautiful mother.”

  “Good morning, baby. Where’s Morgan?”

  “Upstairs. I have to whip her up a patch of my hangover cure. She drank some of Bo’s paint thinner last night.” He looked through the window and saw the landscaper outside looking at sketches. “What’s going on out there?”

  “I was thinking Morgan might like to change some of the flowers. Maybe we can plant some things she likes.”

  “That’s a great idea. Thank you for making her feel at home.”

  “I like Morgan. She’s not one for wasting words. She says exactly what’s on her mind.”

  “Reminds me of another woman I know.” He chuckled.

  “I always knew you’d end up with a fireball. But can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.” Seth perused the fridge for the ingredients for his hangover concoction.

  “Did you tell Morgan about Penny?”

  Seth froze while moving aside a carton of milk. He hadn’t thought about Penny in a long time. The day he had seen Morgan on that island, his daily thoughts of his high school sweetheart had diminished. I want to be more than Mrs. Seth Blake, were the last words she had ever said to him.

  Seth continued his rummaging. “Not much to tell.”

  Teri-Lyn sighed. “You are a generous man but now it’s coming back to bite you on the ass no matter how noble it was.”

  “Momma…”

  “Don’t Momma me. You wrote a pretty big check so Penny could start that clinic. How are you going to explain that to Morgan?”

  “Penny and I went our separate ways when being with Seth Blake became too much for her. The money for the clinic was a friendly gesture and a sound investment.”

  “But you were still hung up on her for a long time.”

  “Penny was my first love.” He shrugged.

  “And you thought she’d be your last.” Teri-Lyn raised an eyebrow. “A part of you was biding your time with those skinny celebrity hussies until Penny decided she wanted you again.”

  “No, I did not.”

  “Sure you did. Take my advice, son. The quicker you rip this Band-Aid off, the less Morgan will feel like you were hiding it from her. Or even worse, think that you still have a torch for Penny.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Seth put together his drink and walked back upstairs, trying to figure out his options. His mother was right about his motives for the clinic. He just hoped he could explain it to Morgan.

  * * *

  The Cinnamon Festival was in full swing by the time they arrived. Morgan had to admit Tate didn’t exaggerate about the numerous food vendors who attended each year. There were rides and games that seemed to span for miles. She didn’t have guts for the wilder rides but when she saw the Ferris wheel, she grabbed Seth’s hand and dragged him over to it. He helped her into the seat and nestled close to her.

  The view of the fairgrounds from the Ferris wheel was spectacular. Morgan could see the stage that Tate was to perform on in a few hours. It was a beautiful day and Seth was showing her a great time, but she could tell something had changed in him this morning. The drive there had been nearly silent, with him occasionally glancing over at her.

  The wheel stopped, and Morgan could see the attendant letting more people on the ride.

  Their seat moved a little bit, and Seth put his arm around her. “They’re just letting some people on.”

  “I know. I wasn’t scared.”

  “Then maybe I just wanted to put my arm around you.” He kissed her.

  “Are you pulling out your cheesy high school moves on me?”

  “Is it working?”

  “Maybe.” She laughed, caressing his cheek. “You want to tell me what’s going on with you?”

  “Why do you think something’s going on with me?”

  “You can flash that superstar smile at everybody else, but I see can past that particular defense mechanism.”

  Seth sighed and shifted in his seat. “I have to tell you something that I don’t want to and I need to tell you now.”

  “Why the urgency?”

  “Because part of what I need to tell you about is right there. I am one of the chief contributors of the Main Street Clinic.” Seth pointed across the fairgrounds at an RV with a big banner on it advertising free wellness checkups.

  “OK.”

  “The person who runs it is Penelope Winterbourne. She’s a doctor…”

  “Your high school sweetheart.” Morgan bit her lip. Seth’s jaw had tensed, his brows furrowed. A feeling of melancholy suddenly washed over her. S
he didn’t want to hear what he was about to say.

  “We dated in high school and through college.”

  “So what happened?”

  “When I went pro, Penny and I split up for good. Fame was too high a price for her. She said if she stayed she would always be in my shadow. That nothing she would accomplish as a doctor would mean anything because she would be the quarterback’s wife.”

  “How did you feel about her leaving you?”

  “She made her decision. I went on with my life. It’s all in the past.”

  Morgan’s heart sank. “Why do I get the feeling it’s not that simple? She dumped you and you gave her money to help her dream come true. That doesn’t sound like the past to me. It sounds more like the future deferred.”

  Seth clenched his jaw. “The clinic was a good cause. I knew it meant a lot to the community.”

  “It meant a lot to Penny. You sprang into action to help her because you still have feelings for her.”

  “No. Penny meant a lot to me at one time—”

  “You didn’t want to talk about her when Tate mentioned her the other night.”

  “No, I was more focused on having a pleasant evening with my wife.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “We both had a past before we found each other. I don’t want to look back. I want to move forward. With you.”

  “Your past is filled with glamorous women and a high school sweetheart that you helped to start a clinic. Maybe if mine were more colorful this wouldn’t be an issue.”

  The ride came to a stop. The attendant asked if they wanted to go again but Morgan blurted out, “No,” and tried to climb over Seth to get out of the seat.

  “Want to get something to eat?” Seth helped her climb down.

  “No. I want to be alone for a little while. I’ll meet you at Tate’s concert.” Morgan started to walk away.

  “I’m not letting you wander around by yourself.” He reached for her arm.

  “I’m a big girl. I think I can manage my way around a fair ground.” She tried to get out of his grasp.

  Seth didn’t let go. “I’m not going to let you out of my sight.”

  “Can you just give me some time to myself?” Morgan reached up and pried his hand off her arm. She didn’t want him to touch her or for her to get roped into hearing him explain his actions to help Penny. Right now she just wanted to work through the waves of anger rolling through her.

  “Morgan.” He reluctantly let her go.

  “I’ll see you later.” Morgan disappeared into the crowd.

  * * *

  Seth called Tate and told him to look out for her, so Tate was able to catch up with her by the tilt-a-whirl. Seth could have made a big deal about it, but he opted to give her the space she said she wanted. Trying to explain about the clinic sounded cut and dry when he said it in his mind, but when the words came out he had no easy defense for giving Penny the money she needed to start the clinic. He was grateful she hadn’t asked how much he’d donated, knowing the amount seemed enormous, but it was just a drop in the bucket to him. Knowing Morgan was in the capable hands of Tate did not ease his mind. He wanted to settle this Penny business once and for all.

  Penny leaving him had nearly killed him. Seeing her every once and a while normally stirred up feelings, both the good and the bad, but he didn’t feel that way today. He felt surprisingly neutral about it all and a little pissed he even had to bring it up to her.

  The last thing he wanted was for the ghost of a dead relationship interfering with his marriage. Seth glanced at his watch, wondering if enough time had passed so Morgan wouldn’t think he was being pushy. He wasn’t good with sitting around stewing about a problem. He was a fixer. He got paid very well to be a fixer on the field. Damnit. He missed her already and it had only been an hour. He had a feeling that coming to the festival was a bad idea but Morgan got excited about the prospect of cotton candy. Seth headed toward the stage. An hour was long enough to give her time to get her thoughts together.

  * * *

  Morgan didn’t believe for a minute that, while standing in a massive crowd talking to some of his fans, Tate just happened to run into her. After talking for a few minutes she tried to make a run for it, but he offered to buy her a lemonade. Once her drink was gone, he took her to a corn on the cob vendor, then to a hot dog truck, all the while telling her stories about his and Seth’s boyhood escapades. Every time she tried to leave, he’d give her something else to eat. Tate was a nice guy, and she liked how surprisingly down to earth he was despite his musical success. He and Seth were best friends, and she wasn’t surprised when Seth told her that Tate had a cabin on the ranch. But at the rate he was going, she’d gain ten pounds going down memory lane with him.

  “Tate, how long are you going to keep me busy? We’ve stopped at every food vendor at this fair.” Morgan eyed him suspiciously.

  “Until I’m sure you won’t bolt.” Tate handed her some cotton candy on a stick.

  “Shouldn’t you be rehearsing?”

  “I will do a sound check after you eat that cotton candy.”

  “I know you’re trying to be a good friend to Seth but—”

  “He’s my best friend and I would do anything for him.” Tate furrowed his eyebrows at her.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “So this is the kind of interference you used to run for him when you were kids?”

  “Yep.” Tate tipped his hat at her. “You know he called me and told me about meeting you on that island. He told me he knew that you were meant to be his wife.”

  Morgan took a deep breath and exhaled. “You were there, Tate. How was it between Seth and Penny?”

  “You know how first loves are.”

  “Actually, no I don’t. Seth…” Morgan closed her mouth to force herself from continuing the embarrassing truth.

  “Oh, Morgan.” Tate put his hand on her shoulder.

  “I sound like a naïve idiot, don’t I?”

  “No, not at all. As a matter of fact I think that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. How often can a man find a woman who hasn’t loved anyone else but him?”

  “It never occurred to me to ask if there was someone out in the world he still loved.”

  “If you don’t mind me saying so, Seth and Penny was a million years ago.”

  “Tate,” she sighed.

  “Now just hear me out. Penny always had a way of yanking his chain, even back in high school. She had these dreams of being this big time doctor and, in my opinion, she never believed Seth would go pro.”

  “There you are,” said someone from behind them.

  Morgan turned to see Seth walking toward them.

  She whispered to Tate, “Please don’t tell Seth what I said.”

  “Your secret is safe with me.” Tate winked at her, then patted Seth on the back. “I’ll see you two at the concert.”

  Morgan turned to Seth. “What part of I’ll see you—”

  Seth took Morgan’s face in his hands, but she pulled back. It felt unnatural not wanting to kiss him. What the hell had she gotten herself into? A few months ago she could live without a man for the rest of her life, now she was at a fair grounds in Texas conflicted because she was denying herself the pleasure of being kissed by the man she was pissed with right now.

  “You’re not kissing your way out of this one, Blake.”

  * * *

  Tate’s concert turned into a reunion of sorts. Every time Morgan turned around, out sprang another person who’d known Seth his whole life. The group moved their impromptu party to the Bright Star saloon, a bar the gang used to frequent in college. Morgan slid into the booth; Seth sat next to her and grabbed her hand. She tried to pull away a few times but his grip would grow tighter.

  After yet another old friend piled into the already cramped booth, Morgan excused herself to go to the ladies room. She washed her hands twice, checked her phone messages, and contemplated calling Michelle. Finally she opted to sit at the bar. Peop
le were dancing, the music pounding, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Morgan ordered a beer but when she tried to pay the bartender leaned over and said, “Your husband has already taken care of it.”

  “Well, I can at least tip you.”

  The bartender refused, shaking his head.

  “That’s one of the perks of being Seth’s girl, you never have to pay for anything,” a voice said behind her.

  Morgan turned as a woman slid onto the stool next to her. She didn’t need anyone to tell her that was Penny. She had noticed the woman had been watching her and Seth from across the room for the last hour.

  Penny Winterbourne was a beautiful woman. She had long, flaming red hair tucked neatly under a cowboy hat. Her eyes were green, just like Seth’s, and she had a near perfect smile that revealed every straight tooth in her mouth. She was five foot six but the heel on her boots added another inch or so. Seth would have no trouble kissing her. Morgan wondered if it was a coincidence that Penny picked today to wear what were probably the tightest pants in her closet. Blue designer jeans gripped every curve and turn of the good doctor’s body and the blouse she wore tied at the midriff left little to the imagination.

  Morgan took a sip from her beer. “Sounds like you’ve had some experience.”

  “You could say that. I’m Penny Winterbourne.” She extended her hand. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  Morgan shook her hand. “Morgan. I hear you’re still reaping the benefits by way of past association.”

  “So Seth told you about the clinic.” Penny flipped her hair over her shoulder.

  “The man is honest to a fault. That’s one of the things I love about him.”

  “He does have a way about him.” Penny let out an exaggerated sigh. “I can say I am surprised our Seth got married. He was dating glamorous models, partying all the time, and jet setting around the world. I thought for sure he’d be an eternal bachelor.”

  “Did you really? Beneath that confident, playboy exterior, I’ve found that our Seth is a nice guy who just wants someone to love him. Not all the things he can give them.”