Places in My Heart

by Sheryl Lister

  “Probably research some psychology programs.”

  “Cool. You can join me out here.”

  He retrieved his laptop and took the other lounger. In between his searches, he stole glances at Morgan as she pored over some photos. He studied her rotating a particular picture one way first, then another while frowning. Omar refocused his attention on the computer screen. He didn’t know how much time passed before he looked up to find her frowning again and typing on her phone. “Something wrong?”

  She turned her head in his direction. “Just going over the pictures from a case I’m handling at work and sending an email.”

  “I read about the lawsuit.”

  Morgan released a deep sigh. “I don’t know why my father decided to make this my first case.”

  “Maybe because he sees the same thing I do—a beautiful, intelligent woman who can handle anything thrown her way.”

  “Thanks. How’s your search going?”

  “Not too bad. I found a few colleges that offer distance learning programs. That’s the only way I’ll be able to juggle school with football, and even then, it won’t be easy.”

  “No, but I’m confident you’ll be able to do both very well.”

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence.” They shared a smile and went back to their respective tasks. Morgan was the first woman he’d dated who didn’t need to fill every moment with conversation, and he found himself enjoying the easy rapport they were building.

  Two hours later, he’d made notes on four prospective schools. He shut down his computer, crossed the short distance and sat on the edge of Morgan’s lounger. “How much longer do you plan to work?”

  “I can stop whenever. What time are we going to dinner?”

  “I made reservations for six, but I wanted to go a little earlier so you have a chance to see some of the village shops.”

  “I didn’t bring anything dressy.”

  “You don’t need to dress up. If you have a pair of long pants, I’d wear them because it’ll be much cooler when we come back.” He stood.

  Morgan rubbed her arms. “The temperatures are already starting to cool.” She put everything back into her folders, and Omar helped her up. “It’s four o’clock now. I can be ready in half an hour. I want to take a quick shower.”

  Omar wiggled his eyebrows. “We can shower together and save time.”

  She laughed. “Save time? Right. Mmm-hmm, and we won’t make that six-o’clock reservation.”

  He placed his hand over his heart. “You doubt my intentions?”

  She poked him in the chest. “You can cut the innocent act, Drummond.” She pressed her body close to his and slid her arms around his waist. “But we can shower together later.”

  The feel of her so snugly against him tested his control, and he groaned. “You can’t just rub your body against me like this and leave me hanging.”

  “I’m not leaving you hanging. I said later.” Morgan dropped her arms, picked up her belongings and went inside. She paused. “You coming?”

  “Yeah,” he grumbled and followed her in and upstairs to his bedroom.

  She gathered her clothes and went into the bathroom.

  Rather than wait, he used one of the downstairs bathrooms to shower. Afterward he tied a towel around his waist and went back to his bedroom for clothes.

  “Well, well,” Morgan said, coming out of the bathroom.

  “See something you like, Ms. Gray?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. Liked it from the moment I saw you on that commercial.”

  Omar chuckled.

  “Wondered what was beneath the towel, too.”

  His hands went to the towel. “I’ll be glad to give you a private show.”

  “We’re going to be late.”

  “Yes, we are.” He dropped the towel, closed the distance between them and covered her mouth in a hungry kiss. “Very late,” he murmured against her lips while undoing the buttons on her top. In his estimation, they might not make dinner at all.

  Chapter 13

  They finally made it to dinner two hours later. Morgan stared at the pleased look on Omar’s face over the rim of her glass. “You really need to practice a little self-control.”

  “Me? I’m not the one who was talking about wanting to see what was beneath the towel.”

  “Yeah, you. You’re the one going around tempting folks, wearing nothing but that towel.” The moment she’d seen him, visions of him naked and straddling her body rushed back to her, and she hadn’t cared one iota about dinner. Only him.

  “For your information, I have a lot of self-control. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be sitting in this nice restaurant.” Omar lifted his glass in mock toast and took a sip of his lemonade.

  The upscale restaurant, with its dim lighting, soft music and candles, was perfect for lovers. The weekend had been magical and she wasn’t ready for it to end, but tomorrow they would have to go back to the real world. After two days of being openly affectionate, it was going to be hard to pretend otherwise the next time they saw each other in public.

  As if reading her thoughts, he reached across the table and grasped her hand. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to go back to keeping us a secret, Morgan.”

  “Me, either, but...” She trailed off, and her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

  “I know, baby. We’ll make it work.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s just enjoy ourselves and deal with the rest later.”

  “Okay.” They dined on excellently prepared crab-stuffed salmon, seasoned rice and sautéed vegetables while laughing and talking.

  When they were done, Omar asked, “Do you want something else, more tea?”

  “Maybe some dessert to go.” Morgan picked up the menu the hostess had left and viewed the selections. “Are you getting something?”

  “I haven’t decided. Although I didn’t eat too badly during the off season, I need to get my eating back on track. But this Grand Finale Chocolate Cake looks good.”

  “It does.” The three-layer dark chocolate cake with chocolate frosting would be the perfect end to the meal. “If we share a slice, we can cut our calories in half.”

  “I like the way you think.” He ordered the cake to go and settled the bill, and they strolled hand in hand back to the truck.

  They spent the evening enjoying the dessert, watching movies, laughing and making love. It was as if they both knew this would have to sustain them for a while. Omar made love to her with a tenderness that brought tears to Morgan’s eyes, and she fell a little harder.

  The next morning, she helped him pack up the leftover food and supplies they’d brought and close up the house. She took one last look around, letting the memories fill her heart, and followed him out to the truck.

  Omar started the engine and drove them to the gas station. He filled the tank and got them on the road. “As soon as our schedules permit, we’ll plan another trip, though it might not be until the first of next year.”

  She didn’t see that happening until the football season ended, and he implied they would still be together. She tried not to think about the future because there was no guarantee their relationship would last that long. Omar had said he would be faithful, but then, so did Jabari in the beginning. Watching the passing scenery, she decided to focus on the here and now.

  “Do you have a busy week?” Omar asked a while later when they stopped for lunch.

  “I do. Between a couple of important meetings at work and getting ready for the dance show and reception on Friday, it’s going to be crazy.”

  “Brooke mentioned it being a fund-raiser.”

  “Yes. She wants to be able to offer classes to more students, especially those who can’t afford it. The money will go to hiring instructo
rs and expanding the studio. The building next door became vacant a month ago, and Brooke wants to make an offer before someone else does.”

  “Don’t forget to get me a brochure for my niece.” They disposed of their trash and got back on the road.

  “I won’t,” Morgan said, continuing their conversation. “I’ll get it Monday night and drop it off to you on Tuesday during my lunch.”

  “I’ll be at the practice facility. Can you come there or do you want me to meet you somewhere?”

  “No, it’s fine. Might be a good time for a face-to-face introduction with management anyway.” Up to this point, everything had been conducted through email, but seeing them in person would make it real. “Are you starting practice early?”

  “Nah. Going to help out some of the newer guys.”

  “Any competition I need to be worried about?”

  Omar looked offended. “Competition? For my job? Please.”

  Morgan rolled her eyes. “Oh, silly me. Forget I asked.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Be careful that your head doesn’t explode from being so full of yourself,” she said with a laugh.

  “I’m not foolish enough to believe that someone won’t come along who is better than me, but for now...” He shrugged.

  “Just drive, Drummond.”

  His laughter filled the truck’s interior.

  They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and Morgan dosed off. When she awakened they were about ten miles from home. She stretched. “Wow, I didn’t realize I slept that long. Sorry.”

  “No problem. You must have been tired.”

  “Well, I didn’t get much rest this weekend, thanks to you,” she said, trying to hide her smile.

  Omar opened his mouth to answer, but his cell rang. He engaged the vehicle’s Bluetooth. “Hello?”

  “Omar, it’s Serena. Something happened with Rashad and he took off. He just snapped and left. I’ve never seen him like this.” His sister-in-law’s frantic voice came through the speakers.

  “Slow down and tell me what happened,” he said calmly.

  “I don’t know. We were sitting in the family room watching TV, and all of a sudden he bolted upright in the chair and started shaking.”

  “What was on the television?”

  “Baseball highlights, I think.”

  “Where were the kids?”

  “Brianna was in the kitchen cooking, and RJ was in his room. I went over to the trailer and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t open the door.” She started to cry.

  He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Don’t cry, sis. I’ll go by and try to talk to him.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry for interrupting your day.”

  “You’re not interrupting my day. After I check on him, I’ll be over. Hang in there, Serena.”

  When Omar ended the call, Morgan ran a comforting hand down his arm.

  “Do you mind if I stop to check on my brother first? I just need to make sure he’s okay.”

  “Of course not.” She felt her own emotions rising and couldn’t imagine what Serena was going through. Her father had been one of the fortunate ones who didn’t show any lasting effects of his time in combat, but she remembered hearing her parents talking about Uncle Thad’s struggles. She glanced over at Omar, and her admiration for him went up another notch.

  * * *

  Omar tried to keep his emotions in check but had a difficult time. Rashad hadn’t had an episode like this in a while, and Omar hoped this wasn’t a sign of regression. The Sunday congestion on the freeway didn’t help his mood, and by the time he pulled into the trailer park, he was a wreck. He reminded himself that he couldn’t help Rashad in his current state and drew in several calming breaths.

  Morgan grasped his hand. “It would be better if I waited out here.”

  “Yes. I appreciate your understanding.” He brought her hand to his lips and placed a lingering kiss on the back.

  “I’ll be saying a little prayer that he’s okay.”

  “Thanks.” He got out, crossed to the trailer and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, he stuck his key in the lock and entered cautiously. “Rashad, it’s me.” He rounded the corner and stopped short at the sight of his brother sitting on the floor against the sofa, knees to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his legs, with his head bowed. Omar eased himself to the floor a short distance away and waited.

  After about twenty minutes, Rashad finally looked up. “Serena call you?”

  He nodded.

  “She upset?”

  “She’s concerned, yes. Want to talk about it?”

  Several minutes passed before Rashad spoke again. “It was the smell...reminded me of burning flesh.”

  Omar frowned. “What was the smell?”

  “Eggs...eggs.”

  He remembered Serena mentioning Brianna was cooking and wondered if she had burned them. “Did you say anything to Serena about it?”

  “No. My hands started shaking, my heart was pounding and I couldn’t breathe. Do you have any idea how that made me feel, to have my wife see me that way? I’m supposed to take care of her, not the other way around. And my kids...what kind of man can’t be there for his kids?”

  “You’re supposed to take care of each other, bro. It’s a partnership. And you are there for Bri and RJ. Are there any other smells you know of that trigger the response?”

  He rattled off a list of four other things. “But when I know Serena is cooking those foods, I go outside until it’s ready. I never know when the other things will set me off.”

  “Don’t you think she’d stop cooking them or at least let you know they’re on the stove if you told her? Rashad, Serena isn’t a mind reader, and she loves you, man.”

  “I know, and I love her more than my own life,” he said emotionally. “I just can’t... I don’t know how to...”

  Omar scooted closer and placed a hand on Rashad’s shoulder. “You don’t need all the answers today. Start with one step at a time, like calling Serena to let her know you’re okay,” he suggested gently. “If you’re up to it, maybe explain what happened and share with her what you told me.” They talked awhile longer about what Rashad wanted to tell Serena.

  Rashad nodded. “Yeah, okay. But I don’t have my phone. Since I left without saying anything and wouldn’t open the door when she came by, do you think she’ll talk to me?”

  He handed over his cell. “I know she’ll talk to you. I’ll bet she’s just waiting for your call.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll go outside until you’re done.”

  Morgan glanced up at his approach. He opened her door and leaned against the frame. “Sorry it’s taking so long.” He had been inside for close to an hour.

  “It’s no problem. This is important. Is he okay?” Her concerned gaze searched his face.

  “As much as he can be right now. I convinced him to call Serena. He’s using my phone, so when he’s done I’ll drive you home.”

  “Take your time, baby.”

  Omar bent and placed a tender kiss on her lips. He didn’t have the words to describe how much her support meant to him. And hearing her call him baby... All the places in his heart that he’d purposely closed off were starting to open, one room at a time.

  “I think your brother is finished,” she said.

  He turned to find Rashad standing outside his door with a questioning look. “Hang on.” He walked over and took the phone in his brother’s outstretched hand.

  “You didn’t tell me you were with someone,” Rashad said. “Who is she?”

  “Morgan Gray.”

  Rashad’s eyebrows shot up. “Your agent?” At Omar’s nod, he added, “And your new woman.”

  “Yeah. We were on our way back from the cabin when Serena
called.”

  A look of panic crossed Rashad’s face. “Does she know?”

  Omar didn’t want to lie to his brother. “Yes, but she understands. Her father and uncle are veterans. I would like for you to meet her.”

  “Okay. But not today, though.”

  He turned toward the truck and Morgan smiled. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  “She looks too pretty to be running around with a bunch of football players. You sure she knows what she’s doing?”

  He thought back to how she had beaten him at “Madden,” and Marcus’s comments. “Believe me, she knows the game. Are you going home today?”

  “Yeah, but I think I need a little more time. And I told Serena about the other stuff.”

  “I’m proud of you.” They shared a rough embrace. “You’re my hero. Always will be,” Omar said with emotion clogging his throat. “I’ll see you later.” Now that he knew some of the triggers, he and Serena could figure out ways to help minimize Rashad’s exposure. He climbed into the truck, and Morgan laid a hand on his arm.

  “How are you doing?” Morgan asked.

  “I’m good now.” His brother seemed to be making baby steps toward healing, and he just spent forty-eight hours with an incredible woman. Yeah, he was good. It took another twenty-five minutes to reach Morgan’s condo, and he was reluctant to end their time. He carried her bags to the door and set them inside.

  Morgan faced him. “Thank you so much for the weekend. I really enjoyed myself, especially breakfast in bed for two days,” she added with a sly grin.

  “Well, rest assured, next time you’ll be doing the cooking.” Omar drew her into his arms. “I enjoyed this weekend, too. I’m going to have a hard time keeping my hands off you the next time I see you.” He leaned down and captured her mouth in a long, drugging kiss. “I gotta go, sweetheart.”

  “Be safe and let me know how Serena is doing.”

  “I will.” He kissed her once more, then headed back to his truck.

  Serena was waiting when Omar arrived and greeted him with a strong hug. “I don’t know how to thank you for always being here for us,” she said with tears in her eyes.