If she stayed, she'd hope to do things she couldn't handle. John Morgan was larger than life, and not for a farmer's daughter. "I can't. They will want to see I'm okay."
"Why not?"
Because she wanted him to take her to bed. She coughed and said, "It's not right, but I still remember how weak my dad was the day he had his heart attack. I can't cause anything like that to happen to him."
His hand feathered up and down her arm, making her feel important. If he kissed her, she'd melt. All he said though was, "If we stay here, it's closer to where you intend to move."
She took her hands back and pushed her hair out of her face. "This is your house."
"I've never lived here before."
He'd told her that already. Her lips ached for another kiss. She averted her gaze. "Why do you want me to move in so bad?"
"I don't want you hurt because of me."
Her body cooled down. He didn't say he had to have her. That he desired her. She should have expected she was a responsibility. "I'll be fine."
"I need you here."
Her face heated as she dared to hope. "Why?"
"They're reading my father's will tomorrow. Now that I quit the FBI and plan to move back here, I need to keep the people I trust close."
Her heart soared at the fact that he trusted her, which was silly. She tried to sound calm and rational. "Sounds like you have big decisions to make."
His blue eyes melted her the second she stared into his gaze. "All I'll think about is you if you go. If you stay, then I'll know you're safe and I won't have to worry."
She sighed. She'd do whatever he wanted. He had to know that. "Do you want me with you because you need a friend, John?"
He sat back in his chair like she was the bee that stung him. He mumbled, "I guess. Is that bad?"
She poured some orange juice, wondering what she'd done to bring his guard back up. "No, but why me? You have your choice of women—you always did."
He leaned closer. Alice smelled the cedar and pine of his aftershave. "I'm comfortable with you."
She'd comfort him? She'd drink in the sweet nectar of his kiss and then crave so much that she'd lose herself in him. "So I'm like a worn tennis shoe that's been around the House of Morgan so you know I'll survive if something explodes?"
His brow wrinkled as if she said the craziest thing he ever heard. "You're neither old nor a tennis shoe, but I like you here."
Like. The word reverberated in her ear. They were friends. Just friends. Alice wouldn't let her crush get away with her better judgment. She'd be fine. Alice swallowed and then stared into his open, clear blue eyes. "Okay, but this is just for the week. I need to go to my own place after the closing."
His dimples appeared as he smiled. "You'll stay here, then."
She ran her hands through her hair to cradle the back of her skull and massage her scalp. "If you take me home, bring my car here for later, and somehow we explain to my mother that you're not after my virtue."
He laughed and picked up his milk. "Virtue?"
She sighed. John Morgan would never understand. "Mom is old school."
He licked his lips and the fire inside her grew again. He said, "I promise to behave."
She buried her feelings and held out her hand with her finger outstretched. "Pinky swear."
He stared at her hand and her. "What?"
She met his gaze with as much steel as she could muster in hers. "Pinky swear. We were friends once."
He took her hand and kissed her finger. "That was my sister and you."
She would never forget his tenderness. "So we're not friends now?"
His voice had a gravely sound that etched itself in her heart. "I don't know what we are, but ‘friends' sounds way too innocent."
He lifted their hands and she locked her small finger with his and waved their hands up and down in a handshake. "It's a deal."
Lying to herself, she repeated that she was an adult and one day she'd get over her crush on John. The thought didn't ring true, but there was nothing else to do without possibly putting her family in danger.
Chapter Fifteen
John's five o'clock shadow tickled his face as he started the car toward her family farm. He should have shaved this morning. He grimaced as he realized his Mercedes wouldn't like the dirt roads, but he kept that to himself. If he had his car in Atlanta, he'd have his shaving kit with him.
Alice sang along to the radio, and his heart grew lighter. Twenty-four hours with most women was torture, but Alice was unlike every other woman he'd met.
She wasn't needy and was generally happy.
The song changed and she adjusted herself in the seat. "My mother will want to hug me, and I'll grab a few personal things. Try not to speak to her if possible, but don't be rude. I won't leave you alone with her for too long."
Her big blue eyes implored him as he turned down a side street. He'd do what he could to ensure that her mother approved. "I can handle your mother."
She shrugged, but then bounced in the seat to the new song. "You have no idea what you're saying. We'll be fast."
Unlike most people he met, Alice clearly loved her family and worried about them. He drove along a paved road bearing a sign for her family farm. "I can bring down major criminals. Your mother won't be a problem."
"My mother is dramatic and over the top. Just remember her opinions have never been mine or Colt's."
He smiled. Colt had been the star of the high school football team. "Your brother was the quarterback of the team."
She nodded. "And you were a lineman. We were at your games. My mom, in time, will remember that about you. She isn't always a hater."
"Hater?" He faced her as his jaw ticked. Hate wasn't something easily brushed aside. His gaze narrowed. "How?"
She closed her eyes as if carefully choosing her words. "She resents your family. Told me to kick over your father's casket at the funeral."
A laugh escaped his lips and then he turned onto a dirt road toward her farm. "I'd have kissed you if you had."
Her cheeks turned red, as if she was embarrassed. "Stop. That's not helping."
He reached out with one hand and squeezed her arm. "Your mother will like me."
Her pretty mouth parted and she shook her head. "You're part of the House of Morgan."
"That's the stupid way we were taught to say family."
Alice sat up straight in the leather seat. "It's intimidating."
He clutched the wheel tighter. "Just imagine if your father drilled it in your head."
"That would have sucked."
John nodded at the white house with blue trim in the distance as the Mercedes bounced along the dirt road. Debris flew in the air behind them. "Doesn't matter. Is this your place?"
She scooted forward. "Yeah, this is the local base of the Collins Organic Farm. Our orange trees are up north."
He replayed all the houses of all the people he arrested in his mind as he sniffed the orange scented air. He had never arrested anyone on a farm. The few plantation style homes in the South he'd been on didn't grow anything. John parked the Mercedes behind a pickup truck. Alice frowned. "Colt's truck is gone."
They had been teammates but Colt had never been his friend. John remembered her brother as a good leader. He also remembered the brown-haired, brown-eyed intensity Colt had used to intimidate the other team. "Does this mean your brother is back from the Marines?"
She opened the car door and got out. "He was due back. Let's go see."
Alice eased as she spoke about Colt. Her family might like to know his intentions. John's plan became more tangible and palatable. He'd reassure them that he'd keep her safe. Clouds gathered in Alice's eyes. He reached over to touch her shoulder. "Alice, don't forget—you are going home with me as you promised."
She turned on her heel and didn't smile at him as she stepped onto her patio. Her hair blew in the warm breeze, making her even prettier as she called over her shoulder, "Let's go, John."
He followed the sway of her hips. "Other than my family, you're the only person who calls me that."
She blinked as if he'd said something stupid. "It's your name."
He caught her elbow to stop her. "Morgan is the label. Take my hand."
She let him lead her as her other hand fell to her side. "My mother—"
He squeezed her arm. "Is not your keeper anymore, Alice."
Her small hand slipped into his, and her face flushed. Without another word, she turned and guided him into her house. At the door she called out, "Mom, we're here."
Her hand stayed in his and she didn't let go. John gazed around the empty farmhouse, saw how spacious and warm the empty walls felt. Outlines remained where pictures had recently hung. The windows still held yellow curtains, though most of the house was packed into piles of boxes along the walls.
He had never been here to see what her home looked like before, but his mind noted the difference between a real home and a show house.
A moment later, an older lady with Alice's nose and profile walked in the room. She stopped and placed a hand on her hip. "We?"
Alice's face paled, but she eyed her mother. "Yeah, we. John brought me home."
Her mother's arms crossed. "You have the SUV."
John stepped forward. Alice looked weather-beaten. "She does, ma'am."
"I'm Mrs. Collins to you." Her mother shook her head. "Don't pretend to have manners. It's doubtful anyone in your family taught you any."
Manners ensured that his father made a business deal. He bowed but stayed next to Alice. "True."
"Mom, your name is Ellie, and that was so rude." Alice's voice shook.
Ellie Collins tapped her foot on the floor. "And don't pretend to agree with me."
Alice had been one hundred percent correct in her description of her feisty mom.
"Mom, where are both trucks?"
John turned toward her with a grateful smile. She'd changed the course of the conversation.
Her mother fisted her hands on her hips and looked out the picture window. "Your father will be here shortly. He went to the doctor. Colt took Clara north to check on the orange crops."
"Colt made it home?"
"Yes. He flew in yesterday, as he knew how worried we were about you."
"Was Clara glad to see him?"
"Of course."
Alice smiled, dropped his hand, and took a step forward. "Great. I'll just go pack a few things, so we can get going."
"We?" Her mother practically jumped in her way. "Pack? This is your home."
Alice walked around her. "Yeah. We're moving anyhow, so I'm staying with John for the next few days."
Her mother made the sign of the cross even though she was never religious. "Excuse me."
Alice's hands clenched and she met her mother's gaze head-on. "Did something happen to your hearing?"
She didn't need to get defensive. John coughed. "Mrs. Collins, I need to make sure Alice is safe."
Her mother held her head high. "We look after our own here."
Then she reached over and patted her daughter like a trained nurse as she searched for battle wounds.
"The shooter might be after your daughter personally." His gaze went toward Alice who took a deep breath. "This is bigger than hating me."
"We'll keep her safe."
"She's safest with me until we locate the shooter."
Alice went to her room. This time her mother didn't stand in the way. Instead Ellie came toward him, and her hand went to her hip once again. "How? My husband was in the Marines and my son is fresh out. We can handle things just fine without a Morgan as our overlord and master."
At her door, Alice called out behind her, "Mom. Dad has a heart condition, and you are so out of line."
She half-turned around, but then John said, "Mrs. Collins, I intend to marry Alice."
"What?" both women said in unison. Alice came out of her room as her mother's eyebrows lifted.
The words flew out of his mouth, unplanned, but he recognized the truth. Alice would be his forever. John pressed his lips together, nodded, and stared into Mrs. Collins' brown eyes.
He'd marry Alice. It had more appeal than years in the FBI. Alice's blue eyes misted. Her mother's brown eyes held streaks of fire in them. "Alice Collins will make a beautiful bride."
Her mother shouted, "She's not a toy you just pick up and then toss away when you're done. Her life is valuable and far more than you deserve."
Dramatic and powerful. He'd have paid to see Mrs. Collins tell off his father years ago. If he had known she existed, he might not have joined the FBI. He swallowed. "I agree."
Then her mother stared back and forth between them. She sniffed the air as if smelling for the truth. "My daughter doesn't have a ring on her finger."
Alice took a step closer. "Stop, Mom."
John breathed deep and nodded. "She hasn't said yes, yet."
This all had to be a cruel joke. Her insides quaked that he might hurt her mother with this wordplay. Alice shouted at him, "John, I told you not to tell her."
Her mother spun to greet her with her arms crossed. "You knew he intended to marry you."
Alice threw her hands in the air, but her eyes still held shock and disbelief. "Be right back. I'm getting my bag."
Alice stormed off. Her mother stayed right on her heels into her bedroom. "I'll help you." She shut the door.
John realized that his heart wasn't racing. If he married Alice, then he'd have what he always wanted, a place where he belonged with someone who made him feel warm as he started his own business.
Alice would make a perfect wife.
Chapter Sixteen
Alice's mother slammed the bedroom door. "You cannot marry him."
She found her suitcase in the closet and kept her gaze on the bag. "Mom, you're being overdramatic, as usual."
Ellie walked in front of the dresser drawers, so Alice returned to her closet to get her dresses for the bag. "I'll die right here, in this very spot. My daughter is marrying the enemy."
Alice wasn't really engaged, but that wasn't the point. She threw her clothes in the bag. "John is not my enemy, and you're healthy."
Alice turned around and glared at the dresser with her stuff. She crossed her arms until her mother stepped aside. "Alice, the Collins’ and the Morgans should not mix. You're my only daughter. I can't lose you too."
Alice stormed past her and opened the drawer with her bras and underwear. Luckily most of her stuff was already in storage for her move next week. Colt officially took possession of the house as soon as the rest of them moved out. She scooped up the last of her clothes and huffed by. "Mom, I'm an adult. You haven't lost any of us, and you have to trust me at some point in my life."
Her mother shook her head, not hearing a word Alice had said. "If you marry him, then you will destroy us all."
"Why, Mom? How will my marriage destroy you?"
"Mitch Morgan almost ruined us."
Her mother's flair for the dramatic made her impossible. The past was over, and the man was dead. "You didn't answer the question, Mom."
Her mother's voice became soft and it sounded like she would cry. "I can't answer that, sweetie. I need you to trust me that the House of Morgan is too big for us and that you can't get involved."
Ellie Collins would always be irrational when it came to the Morgans. Alice closed her eyes and tried to sound reasonable. She probably should tell her that it was a lie, but her mother should respect and accept her choices, whoever he might be. "John makes me feel special."
Her mother reached out to stroke Alice's hair. "You are special, but your head is being turned from the size of his bank account. John is not good for you."
"At least you remembered that his name is John, not Mitch Morgan reincarnated." Alice stepped back and refused her mother's touch. Her temper soared. "And I'm not a gold digger. Have some respect. We didn't stay at the mausoleum. John has his own house."
"I don't care if he lives on t
he farm next to ours." Her mother paced the room and threw her hands in the air. "He's his son, and wrong for you."
Her bedroom used to be full of all her worldly possessions, but now all that was left was an empty room with a bed. Her things were packed and gone, which told her she should pack her necessities and go too. Alice ground her heels in the floor and calmed her tone. "Mom, John's been in the FBI. He had an honest job that doesn't pay millions."
Her mother sighed. "He is young and sought adventure."
Alice rolled her eyes. Reason was not a good option. Then she took a deep breath and tried to keep the steam out of her voice. "I doubt that."
"And now you claim Victoria is alive."
Alice squared her shoulders. "She is alive. I saw her."
"I can't take this. No one comes back from the dead." Her mother shook her head. "And if that's true, then that's more trouble for our family."
Vicki had spent years in this house, with her family, away from the House of Morgan. Her mother cooked dinners for them all, right in this kitchen. Alice shouted, "She was my best friend."
"I thought you outgrew your childhood fantasy to be a part of the House of Morgan."
Alice zipped up her bag and rolled it on the floor, heading toward her door. "Mom, this conversation is over."
Her mother's plea clung in the air like the heavy weight of humidity outside. "Are you leaving with him?"
Alice refused to turn back. "Yes."
"Then you are not welcome back in my house."
Alice stopped and turned. Inside every part of her wanted to shake and she'd probably cry the second she was alone. She lifted her chin to not let her mother see. "You're kicking me out of the family?"
The corner of her mother's lip ticked. "You left me with no other choice. I have to protect the rest of us."
"I'm not the enemy." Alice gripped the suitcase handle like it was a lifeline. "You can respect my choices."
Her mother's eyes misted like she was about to cry. "You don't know what you ask."
Crocodiles used tears to manipulate people, and Alice was tired of the dramatics. It was not nice to strike out like she did when upset. "And you don't explain, so there is nothing else to say."
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