Leaning in to see if they were as soft and sweet as he imagined would be so easy, and he really wanted to. It wasn’t the first time the thought crossed his mind. But—no.
He met her gaze. “I would have come up to the door, like the gentleman my mother taught me to be.”
“I was ready and waiting. Wanted to save you the trouble.”
It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was setting behind the big house, putting them in shadow. Still, Morgan was almost sure her cheeks turned pink and her voice was a little too perky, even by Erica standards. “You didn’t want me to come inside, say hi to the family.”
She stared at him for a couple of beats, then sighed. “I’m protecting you. They’ve got some stupid idea that you’re pretending to be interested in me because you want to take advantage of me somehow.”
That burned because it was so off the mark. But showing anger wouldn’t help, so he deflected with a smart-ass comment. “They’re right.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m using you. Before you, I was just a misfit outsider. Now I’m a misfit outsider who’s taking the prettiest lady in Bronco Heights to the Harvest Festival.”
“I’m taking you to the Harvest Festival, remember?” Her wariness slipped away and she grinned. “You, sir, are a sweet talker.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
“Well, I’m using you right back. It’s way past time my family gets the message that I’m a grown woman. Strong and independent. They can’t tell me who I can or cannot see socially.” She caught herself and added, “Or who my friends are.”
“So I’m your rebellion guy?” He couldn’t help smiling.
“I know I’m a little old for that, but now that I’m back, ground rules need to be set,” she said firmly.
“Hey, I’m just glad you called.”
“It’s not much,” she said, “but I really want to thank you. I’m very grateful not to be the only woman in that birthing class without a coach.”
“Happy to help.” He closed the door and went around to the driver’s side, then got in. “So, how are you?” he asked as he drove away.
“Still unemployed and guilt ridden.”
“You might want to give me some context for that statement.”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I had three interviews and got zero job offers. They take one look at me and it’s game over.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” And he wanted badly to fix her situation but kept that to himself. “And the guilt?”
“Mel reminded me I haven’t been to see Gramps yet. It’s no excuse, but I’ve had a lot to do since I moved back.”
“That’s the truth.”
“Mel thinks seeing me might shake him up, provoke a lucid moment so he’ll give up something that will help us find his daughter.”
Morgan shook his head. “I can’t imagine having a child and not knowing where they are, or anything about them.”
“That child would be in her seventies now,” Erica said. “Mel wants to find her and bring her to her mother so that Winona can see her daughter and know she’s all right. But Mel is getting discouraged about finding a lead.”
He happened to glance over and saw her put her hands protectively on her belly. Erica was already shielding her child. No way she’d give it up, and he deeply respected her commitment.
“I’d sure like to help find her,” he said. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“Thanks, Morgan. I wish there was. But aren’t you getting tired of doing me favors?” she teased.
“No.” It’d be another reason to be with Erica, and he relished that. In fact, it was getting harder to think the time would come when she wasn’t in his life anymore.
A short time later they arrived at the Bronco Fairgrounds. Local law enforcement was directing traffic, and Morgan followed the line of cars to an unpaved field where vehicles lined up in rows.
He parked the truck and looked over at her. “You ready to do this?”
“Yes. I haven’t been to one of these since before I went away to college. I used to love it.”
The sun had gone down, but large spotlights were strategically placed around the big, open field. The parking area was on a rise, and as they walked toward the festival entrance, the expanse of activities was spread out before them. There were carnival rides, booths with games and a bouncy house for the kids. Strings of white lights were hung around the whole area.
“This is bigger than I remember,” she said, eyes wide.
“It’s my first time, so I have nothing to compare it to.”
Just inside the entrance there was a temporary enclosure holding animals. Daphne Taylor was in the middle of it surrounded by a sheep, a baby goat, a pony and the pig—Tiny Tim. She was supervising children as they petted the docile creatures. In the line of kids awaiting their turn, he recognized his brother, Holt, with Amanda and Robby.
“Hey, you guys.” Morgan squatted down to eye level with his nephew. “Hi, dude. Haven’t you had enough of the animals yet?”
“No.” The little guy vigorously shook his head. “There are dogs and cats here, too. For adoption.” His blue eyes were big, bright and eager.
Erica said hello and looked up at his brother. “We haven’t met. I’m Erica Abernathy.”
“Nice to meet you.” If Holt was surprised about the pregnancy or the fact that Morgan was with her, it didn’t show.
“Daddy, I want to adopt another dog,” Robby said. “They need a good home. It says so on the sign.”
“Whoa, kid.” His father held up his hands. “We’re here to pet the animals. That’s all. Remember?”
“Yes.” But the boy pointed to the separate enclosure, where several pudgy puppies were running around and tumbling over each other. “There’s a black-and-white one over there, and he keeps lookin’ at me.”
Erica laughed. “You’re in trouble now, Dad. If you can figure out how to say no to that eager little face, I’d appreciate you sharing the secret.”
“Start practicing now.” Holt grinned. “So, what are you two going to do?”
“Not sure yet.” Morgan looked down at her. “We just got here. I figured we’d just browse and then see what grabs us.” And then he couldn’t resist saying, “Hey, Robby, that black-and-white pup is really cute. I think he’s smiling at you again.”
Holt gave him a look that could laser paint off the barn. “There will be retaliation. You won’t know when or where, but it will happen.”
Morgan laughed. “Bring it, brother. See you later, guys.”
He put his hand to Erica’s back, guiding her through the crowd. But with all the people moving every which way, they kept getting separated. So he took her hand in his. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“And I don’t want to be lost.” She squeezed his fingers and smiled up at him.
They meandered up and down the rows of booths containing food and games. She stopped by a giant ring toss game and admired the stuffed bears it had for prizes.
“Let’s win one for the baby,” he said.
She eyed him skeptically. “It might be less expensive to just buy one at the store.”
“You doubt my skill?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Not in so many words.” He walked over to the woman taking money and bought five rings. Three out of five would win a prize. “I never back down from a challenge.”
“You could light that money on fire and have just as much fun,” she teased.
“Oh, ye of little faith...”
He turned back and tuned out distractions as he lined up his shot. With a flick of his wrist the first ring landed successfully around the neck of a bottle. Erica gasped in surprise. But his second and third ring missed their mark.
“Come on, Morgan. Just two more and the b
aby gets a bear. Baby needs a bear. No pressure.”
He grinned, then cranked up his concentration. The shot was successful. One more and he’d have it made. Taking his time, he did a couple of flicks of his wrist, testing. Then he let the ring go. It wobbled and nearly slid off before firmly settling around the bottle’s neck.
“You did it!” In her excitement Erica threw herself into his arms and hugged him.
He pulled her close and breathed in the fresh scent of her hair. Nothing had felt so good in a very long time as this woman did in his arms. He could have held her all night, but too soon she moved away.
“I was wrong about you and not too proud to admit it.” She picked out a fluffy brown bear with Harvest Festival embroidered on his paws. Hugging it close she said, “I love this. The baby will, too.”
“Maybe mama needs one.”
“You’re pushing your luck, cowboy.”
“Another challenge.” And it was a gamble he couldn’t back down from. Maybe there was more of his father in him than he wanted to admit. “One more time,” he said to the woman, handing over his money.
Five tosses later, Erica was picking out another bear. He carried it as they walked away. “What do you have to say now?”
“You are the king of the carnival games.”
“Okay, then.”
At the end of the row of booths he stopped and pointed to a sign. “Hayrides. What do you say?”
“I think that sounds like fun.”
Her happy smile hit him squarely in the gut and nearly dropped him to his knees. What was it about this particular woman that made him want to be her hero? She’d said more than once that he was making a habit of bailing her out. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. He should be bothered by that and probably would be in the middle of the night when thoughts of her made him toss and turn.
But right now, he was going to sit close to her in a wagon with the moon shining down on them. Playing with fire was dangerous but he couldn’t find the will to resist. And if he had the chance to kiss her he wasn’t sure he could stop himself.
Chapter Eight
Erica waited a short distance from the hayride while Morgan took the bears he’d won back to his truck. He didn’t want them to get mangled or dirty, which was incredibly sweet. And that level of sweetness after a fairly impressive ring toss performance made her realize, not for the first time, that he was a pretty impressive man in so many ways. If things were different maybe...
Nope. Not going there. Wondering “what if” was a waste of time and energy. She was going to be a mother. All the responsibility of taking care of this child would be on her, and she’d reconciled herself to that. Until Morgan, she’d never felt wistful about taking this road alone. She needed to focus on being grateful to be traveling this road at all, because it was impossible to imagine her life without children in it.
“You’re still here.” Morgan walked up beside her.
Erica had been so lost in thought, she hadn’t heard him coming. “I told you I would be.”
“One never knows. You hear those stories of an evening gone wrong when a woman heads to the ladies’ room and never comes back.” His look was wry. “Poor schmuck just sits there until he finally gets it that he’s been ditched. And hopes no one noticed.”
“First of all, you were the one who left me,” she retorted. “Second, I can’t wrap my head around any scenario where that has actually happened to you.”
“Nope, never has.” His expression was casually innocent. Maybe a little too casual?
She put her hand on his arm. “This will either reassure you or feed your ego. But what woman in her right mind would ditch the Harvest Festival ring toss legend?”
“Legend, huh?”
“And ego wins.” She tsked. “Don’t let it go to your head, cowboy. Your Stetson won’t fit.”
“Can’t a guy just enjoy the moment?” he teased.
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. You’re enjoying it quite a lot.” She grinned. “But, seriously, that was a pretty awesome accomplishment. My little Ichabod or Ingrid will be very impressed when he or she is old enough to hear this story.”
“Shucks, it was nothing, little lady.”
“Not so little, actually. And enough with the B Western cowboy imitation.” He was the real deal, not an actor and way more exciting than any of them, she thought. “I was under the impression that we were going on a hayride. But here we are, standing around and talking about you.”
“But that’s my favorite subject—” He laughed when she playfully slugged him in the arm. “Okay. Let’s go. Are you warm enough?”
She had on fur-lined boots, black leggings, a big sweater and a tightly knit fringed poncho over that. “I’m good.”
Morgan offered his arm and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, liking the feel of him. He was tall and muscular and made her feel feminine and protected, even if it was just for tonight.
Her heart tilted a little and she didn’t mind. For right now she wasn’t going to question her attraction to him. Or the fact that she wasn’t ready to stop touching him when they arrived at the hayride. Over her protest, Morgan paid the man for two tickets.
“A group went out a little while ago,” the old guy said. “Should be back any minute. So if you’ll just wait over there, I’d be obliged.”
“Sure thing.” Morgan took her arm and gently steered her to the side. “Don’t want to get run over.”
“That could ruin a perfectly wonderful evening,” she agreed.
“So you’re having a good time?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so carefree and content. And just plain happy.
Just then the sound of an approaching tractor drifted to them. The machine rumbled to a stop. It pulled a big wagon with hay bales for seating. The old guy put out a step stool, and once the riders disembarked, he waved the waiting group on.
Morgan jumped up first, then held a hand down to help her. They took their seats and squeezed closer to make more room as others joined them. When the tractor slowly moved forward, it lurched enough to knock Erica into Morgan. He put his arm around her, holding her securely. It felt good, right somehow, and she sighed a little when he didn’t let her go.
Smiling up at him, she said, “This is it.”
“Ready or not.”
She took out her cell phone to snap some pictures of the pumpkin patch they passed. Then the road curved to the right, taking them past Pine Lake, where a nearly full moon left a trail of silver light on the water. It was so beautiful, and she couldn’t help thinking romantic, too.
She lifted her phone and snapped another series of pictures, trying to take a selfie of her and Morgan. Since his reach was longer, he managed to get one.
“Let’s see if we broke my camera,” she said laughing.
She opened her pictures on the phone. The first one was of the lake, which came out pretty well considering the circumstances. Then she noticed something strange.
“What’s this ball of light?”
“Probably just photographic artifact from the flash.” Morgan took her phone and looked closely. Then he scrolled to the next picture and said, “Whoa.”
Erica gasped. “Now there are three of them. I think they’re called orbs. If it’s from the flash, why did they multiply?”
“Good question.” He scrolled to the next picture and there was just one again. “There’s no reason for the change. We’re not moving that fast so everything should be about the same.”
“I’ve heard that unexplained lights can be orbs from the spirit world. Light energy. And they often collect around water.”
“It’s weird for sure. Could just be a coincidence, but—”
“What?” In the moonlight she could see the uneasiness on his face. “Morgan?”
&n
bsp; “Daphne Taylor’s place is just across the lake.”
“The animal sanctuary with resident ghosts?” she clarified.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Cue the spooky music. Evan Cruise would love this.”
“Who’s he?”
“A guy in town who runs ghost tours.”
“He should talk to Daphne about her haunted barn.” She stared at the pictures. “Maybe these orbs should zip over there, too, and keep her ghost lovers company.”
“Are you creeped out?” he asked.
“Yes.” She shivered and leaned into him a little more.
His arm tightened around her reassuringly. She looked up and saw an intensity in his eyes that she sensed wasn’t about spirit orbs or unexplained phenomena. It had everything to do with her, and their eyes locked in a moment of acute awareness. Everyone around them faded away. It was just him and her.
Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her. The touch was sweet and almost tentative at first, until she moaned softly so that only he could hear. Then it turned into something more, an explosion of attraction that burned away rational thought. She strained for more and he was eager to oblige.
Erica had no idea how long the kiss lasted but suddenly became aware of the steady movement slowing and people around them in the wagon starting to stir.
Morgan lifted his head and glanced around. “I think we’re back.”
“Yeah—” Erica was in sort of a haze as the tractor slowed even more and came to a stop right where they’d started. “I guess they’ll want us to get off.”
The other passengers stood there waiting patiently to disembark. In front of her, a woman about her mom’s age turned and smiled indulgently at them.
When she noticed Erica looking, she said, “I’m sorry. Don’t mean to stare, but you two are just the cutest couple.”
“Oh—” She shook her head. “We’re very good friends—”
“Even better. Marrying your best friend is a solid foundation for life together. And now you’re starting a family.” Her gaze dropped to Erica’s belly. “And look at you so pregnant and cute. Beautiful expectant mama. Doting dad. And both of you so good-looking. That baby is going to be beautiful.” It was her turn to get down from the wagon, and she apologized for holding them up. “Have a good night.”
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