Listen to Your Heart

by Mona Ingram

  Heat coursed through her veins and then just as suddenly, reality made her reel back. He’d probably been saying the same words to that woman just moments ago. It was so ridiculous, she laughed. She had no intention of being a notch on Rob Taylor’s belt. She picked up her glass and took a long drink.

  Her laughter angered him. He turned on her and for a moment she saw beneath the suave, sexy exterior. “You lose,” he said with a snarl. “You and that wuss boyfriend of yours. He probably couldn’t get it up if he tried.” He stalked off and she watched him leave, relieved and angered at the same time.

  “Are you okay?” Karen asked.

  Morgan looked up, surprised to see Karen and Tyler still there. People from the other tables were moving about, their casual conversation punctuated by laughter. Nobody seemed to realize that her silly, romantic dreams had just been shattered.

  “I’m fine.” She looked into her glass and frowned. It was empty, and she held it out.

  Karen watched while Tyler poured. “Better be careful with that stuff. It has a way of sneaking up on you.”

  “I’m fine.” Morgan emptied half of her glass and followed Rob’s progress across the patio. “Did you hear that?” Without warning, tears started to run down her face. “He’s unbelievable!” She drained the glass and sat down with a thud. “Wow! You’re right. That stuff is powerful.” Tyler and Karen were starting to blur.

  Karen came to her side. “What have you had to eat today?”

  Morgan heard Karen’s voice. It was coming from far away. She was asking something about food. “I had a couple of spoons of soup at lunch,” she said, surprised that her lips could form the words. They were getting numb, and she raised a hand to touch them.

  Karen looked at Tyler, who was none too steady himself. “I’d better take her down.” She paused. “Then I’ll come back for you.”

  Morgan almost made it to the gondola before she threw up. Karen rubbed her back as she heaved.

  Morgan pointed to her purse. “Tissues,” she said. Karen retrieved them and she wiped her lips, then her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m crying,” she mumbled. “He’s not worth it.” Laughter bubbled up in her throat and it was interrupted by hiccups. “I do know why I’m throwing up, though, and I should seriously know better.” She frowned and tried to concentrate as they stumbled into the gondola. “I think I’d like to go home now.”

  * * *

  By the time they reached the bottom, Morgan was slumped against Karen. The narrow benches across either end of the gondola weren’t made for comfort, but the room clerk had managed to keep her upright.

  Adrian ran from the shadows when he spotted Karen trying to revive Morgan. “I’ll take her from here,” he said, supporting her with an arm around her waist.

  “Have you been waiting long?” Karen gave him a curious look. “It’s cold out here.”

  Adrian grinned and stamped his feet. “I’m used to the cold.”

  “Well.” She stepped back awkwardly. “I’d better go back up top and see if I can talk Tyler into closing up.” She nodded toward Morgan. “He’s getting that way himself.”

  “Karen,” he said. “Thank you.”

  The room clerk smiled. “You’re welcome, Adrian. You’re a good guy.” She stepped onto the next gondola and waved.

  During the walk to the hotel parking lot, Morgan raised her head and tried to focus. “Where are you taking me?” she asked.

  He manoeuvred her down the ramp into the parking lot. “I’m taking you home.” He struggled to keep her upright while he unlocked the passenger door. “Come on, almost there.”

  She crawled into the passenger seat and sat placidly while he fastened her seat belt. By the time he went around and got into the driver’s seat, her head had fallen back onto the headrest and she appeared asleep.

  Adrian pulled out and headed for the Lodge.

  “It wasn’t a date,” she said dreamily, turning to face him. In the lights from the oncoming cars he could see that her mascara was streaked. A fist closed around his heart when he realized she’d been crying.

  “It wasn’t?” He didn’t care; he just wanted to keep her awake.

  “No. I feel so foolish.” She dabbed at her eyes and then frowned as a thought struck her. “Where did you come from? I didn’t see you there.”

  “Karen came down with you on the gondola and I just happened to be walking by.” She seemed to accept this explanation. “So I offered to drive you home.”

  “Oh.” She turned her head the other way and stared out the side window. “I think I’m going to be sick again.”

  “Hold on, we’re almost there.” They were pulling into the parking lot.

  She was fumbling with her seat belt and as soon as the car stopped, she opened the door and slid out, crumpling onto a pile of snow. Adrian came running around to help her but she waved him away. With nothing left in her stomach, she heaved several times, then reached for the door handle and pulled herself upright.

  “Come on.” He dabbed at her mouth with a soft handkerchief. “Let’s get you up to your room.”

  The lobby was empty when they entered and they managed to get up to her room without anyone seeing her. “Room key?” he asked.

  “In there somewhere.” She braced herself against the wall and looked down at her purse. “It’s tucked into a little pocket.” She giggled. “Tucked into a little pocket. That sounds funny.”

  “I’ll find it.” It was where she said, and he opened the door, flicked on the light and guided her inside.

  “Which one is your bedroom?” Adrian asked.

  “That one.” Morgan pointed to the far door, but headed for the bathroom. “I don’t feel well.”

  “I’m not surprised,” muttered Adrian. He checked the refrigerator and the cupboards, ran some water in the kettle and placed it on the stove. “Tea,” he said to himself. “I’ll see if she’ll drink some tea.”

  He walked to the door of the bathroom and listened. “Morgan?” When there was no reply he pushed the door open. She was sitting on the floor with a facecloth in her hands and looked up at him as he entered, a quizzical look on her face.

  “What are you doing here?” The front of her blouse was drenched with water.

  “I brought you home.” He took the facecloth from her and helped her up. “Come on, you need to be in bed.”

  “But we scarcely know each other.” She giggled.

  He tried to hide a smile. “No offence, but I didn’t mean it that way.” He guided her to the bed and she sat down heavily. “At least not tonight.”

  She closed her eyes, but opened them again right away. “The room is spinning,” she said, and looked down at her blouse where he’d managed to undo several of the buttons. “Are you taking advantage of me?”

  He stepped back, and a flash of annoyance crossed his normally placid face. “No. You’re soaking wet.”

  She looked down. “Oh.” She tried to undo the rest, but her fingers wouldn’t co-operate. “Would you do it, please?”

  He complied, and removed her arms from the wet garment.

  She frowned as he knelt down and removed her short winter boots and her socks. “At least I have my nice bra on.”

  He kept his head down.

  “Women worry about stuff like that, you know. When we put our old underwear on, we always hope we don’t get into a car accident or something.”

  He looked up sharply. Her bra was a lacy white confection and he felt an immediate stirring in his groin. He stood up, pulled down the duvet and managed to get her to swing her feet up. He was greatly relieved when she sank back against the pillow and he could cover her.

  “I’m making some tea,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep from touching her. “Do you think you could drink some?”

  She smiled up at him. “That would be lovely, thank you. I don’t know why you’re being so nice to me.”

  He looked into her eyes and saw the moment realization dawned. This was not the way
he wanted it to be. He’d envisioned some romantic setting when he told her that he cared about her. Funny how things like that rarely worked out. “I’ll get that tea,” he murmured, and turned to leave.

  “Adrian?” He turned at the tone of her voice. It was tentative and shy. “Why is it complicated?”

  He searched his mind, but had no idea what she was talking about. “Why what is complicated?”

  “When I asked you if you had a girlfriend the other day, you hesitated. Then you said it’s complicated.”

  The kettle whistled, startling him.

  “You don’t owe me an explanation, but I’d like to know,” she said softly.

  He nodded. He wasn’t sure if he could bare his soul to anyone, but if he did, it would be to Morgan. “Let me get you that tea first,” he said. “And then we’ll see.”

  Deep in thought, he dunked the teabag in two mugs of hot water and poured milk into hers, the way he’d seen her fix it at the restaurant. He wanted to tell her in the worst way, but was now the right time? Tonight she’d gone through emotional trauma of her own. No, he decided. He’d tell her eventually, but not tonight. He’d choose a time when they were both seeing things more clearly. He tucked a bag of cookies under his arm and went back into the bedroom with the two steaming cups.

  Morgan had rolled over onto her side and was snoring softly. So much for his big decision. He smiled to himself, placed the cups and the cookies on the bedside table and pulled up an easy chair. He didn’t want to take a chance that she would be sick again during the night. Cradling the hot mug in his hands, he sat down to wait.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “So...you’re thinking you’d like to go ahead and get some financial advice?” Dale and Chance had finished dinner and were lingering over coffee. “It sounds like you’ve decided that you’d like to take him up on his offer and buy the place.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “I would, yes. What do you think?”

  She lowered her eyes to their joined hands. “I think it’s an opportunity that might not come along again.” She waited for panic to set in, for the urge to pull her hand away, but it didn’t come. She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I say go for it.”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the server.

  “Anything else here, folks?”

  “Not for me, thanks.” Dale resented the intrusion, and was surprised to find that she wanted to know what Chance had been about to say.

  “I’m fine as well. Just the check, please.” Chance offered his usual bright smile. “Then that settles it,” he said, returning his attention to her. “The lease is coming up for renewal soon, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.”

  She thought back to earlier that evening. “The whole complex must be on the same schedule. Adrian was saying that the restaurant lease is up for renewal.”

  Chance cocked his head. “How would he know that?”

  She hesitated. “Can you be discreet?”

  He pulled back. “I’m offended.” His grin belied his words. “I think so, yes.”

  “Well, Adrian’s last name is Zimmerman. His family owns the Zimmerli hotel chain.”

  “Ah.” Chance nodded to himself. “You know, I thought there was something different about him. He’s...oh, how can I put it...he’s restrained and quiet, but there’s something confident about him.”

  She thought for a moment. “I haven’t seen all that much of him, but that’s a good description. He seemed concerned about Morgan earlier. I think he was going to wait around to make sure she got down all right.”

  He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of which, I’d better get us home. You work tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes,” she said, rising from the table. “I have a feeling you’re going to be pretty busy from here on.” He held her coat and she slipped into it. “We’re never going to get out skiing at this rate.”

  He pulled on his jacket and they walked out into the crisp night air. “We’ll find time, never fear.” He stopped in a pool of light and touched her face with one large, gentle hand. “I think it’s only fair to warn you, Dale Lewis. I’m falling for you in a big way.”

  “You are?” she asked, just before his lips came to rest on hers.

  He groaned and pulled her into an embrace. She leaned against him, safe in his arms. “I think I’m falling for you, too,” she murmured, then pulled back to look up into his eyes. “I don’t know how it happened so quickly, but it has.” She raised her lips for another kiss.

  * * *

  Back at the Lodge, they’d stopped outside her room for one last kiss when Chance looked down and frowned.

  “What?” she said, following the direction of his gaze.

  The room card was stuck in the slot of the door. Dale removed it, slid it back in again and the green light came on. They entered quietly. The light was on in the small kitchen area and soft light came from Morgan’s bedroom but there was no other sound.

  Dale put up a cautionary hand, walked to the bedroom door and took in the scene with one glance. Adrian had fallen asleep, his head resting at what looked like an uncomfortable angle on the back of the easy chair. She smiled and motioned for Chance to come. They stood for a moment, observing the tableau and her hand crept into his. “It’s a good thing she’s working the afternoon shift tomorrow,” she whispered. “I’ll bet she’s going to have a massive hangover.”

  Adrian lifted his head and massaged his neck. When he saw them standing in the doorway, he grinned sheepishly and rose. “I brought her home,” he said in a low voice, following them out into the living area. “She was in pretty bad shape.” He glanced back toward the bedroom. “I took off her blouse and her shoes, but other than that she still has her clothes on.”

  Dale raised an eyebrow.

  “She was all wet. She threw up a couple of times and tried to clean herself up.”

  “Sorry. I should have known better than to question your motives. What happened, do you know?”

  Adrian shook his head. “I’m not sure. She wasn’t making much sense, but I got the impression that it was something to do with Rob; something about it not being a date. Karen brought her down on the gondola and I took it from there.”

  Dale gave him a knowing look. “And you just happened to be in the area, I suppose.”

  A blush crept up his neck. “Sort of.”

  “How fortunate.” She kissed him on one cheek, then the other. “Thank you, Adrian.”

  He wandered off and she turned to Chance. “Would you do that for me?”

  He circled her waist with his arms and pulled her close. “What, take off your clothes?” His eyes sparkled. “Gladly.”

  She gave him playful slap. “No, you goof. He obviously waited around when I told him she’d gone up top. Isn’t that sweet?”

  “Oh, I’d wait for you.” The playful tone went out of his voice and he searched her face. “But then I think you already know that.”

  She nodded. “I do. Now kiss me goodnight. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

  * * *

  Morgan had never had a hangover before, but she recognized it the moment she opened her eyes. The insistent throbbing was almost more than she could stand. She sat up slowly and looked down at herself. She still had her slacks on, plus her bra. Had she fallen asleep before she could finish undressing? She lowered her head and spotted her winter boots. One sock was tucked neatly inside each one and she frowned. She never wore her socks more than once and never, ever put them back in her boots.

  “How are you this morning?” Dale stood in the door, ready for work. “Would you like a glass of water and a couple of aspirins?”

  Morgan didn’t seem to hear her. “Look at my boots,” she said. “I never put my socks back in my boots like that.” Faint memories, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, started to come together, and she winced. “Did Adrian bring me home? He did, didn’t he?” She noticed the tea cups and cookies on the bedside table. “He was here i
n my bedroom?”

  Dale decided to put her out of her misery. “He brought you home, yes.”

  Things were coming into focus. “Good thing he was walking past the gondola and saw me.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  She looked up at Dale’s comment, but the movement sent stabbing pain into her temples. “What are you saying?”

  “Lord, Morgan. You can be so dense sometimes.” Dale took a breath. “He was waiting for you.”

  “He was?” She looked down at herself again. “Did he see me like this?”

  “He took your blouse off. And your boots.”

  “He didn’t need...”

  “Morgan, you were all wet.” She picked up the crumpled blouse, then dropped it again. “He was sitting here looking out for you when we got home.”

  “He was?” Morgan recalled the look on Adrian’s face last night as he looked down at her. There was something in that look beyond friendship and a faint smile played around her lips as she considered the possibilities. Maybe things weren’t looking so bleak after all. “That was nice of him.”

  Dale waited a few beats before she spoke. “So what happened with Rob?”

  Morgan gave a short laugh. “I think I’m cured of that particular ailment, and guess what? I don’t mind at all.”

  “Well then, something good came out of all this.” The doorbell rang and Dale checked her watch. “That’ll be Chance. Do you think you’ll be all right by yourself?”

  “I’ll be fine.” She stood up to prove her point. “I’ll be just fine.”

  * * *

  Karen was behind the front desk when Morgan arrived for her afternoon shift. The room clerk gave her a sympathetic smile as she went into the back room to hang up her coat and put on her shoes. “How are you feeling?” she murmured, checking to make sure that Mr. Wynn-Jones wasn’t around.

  “Better than this morning.” Morgan had consumed several cups of tea and a couple of pieces of toast, but that was all. “Thank you for helping me out last night.”