by V. K. Sykes
Morgan opened her mouth to answer, but Sabrina cut her off. “You’ll tell me that our only choice is to sell, and I suppose you’ll be right.”
When Morgan got up and went over to hug her again, Sabrina stiffened and took a step back. That hurt, but she tried not to take it personally since her sister was clearly upset.
“Let’s not get discouraged, okay? After yesterday, I feel a lot more hopeful than I did before.”
Sabrina stared at her and then shook her head. “Wow, if that’s what getting laid does for you, then I really should work harder at getting some of that for myself.”
Under other circumstances, Morgan might have laughed at her sister’s comment. “Actually, I need to talk to you about some ideas Ryan’s been working on. He told me about them yesterday, and I think they’ve got real possibilities.”
Sabrina nodded cautiously. “Good, because we could use something positive right now.”
Morgan briefly explained about the fund-raising initiative and about Ryan’s idea for turning Golden Sunset into a destination center for kayaking in the islands. Sabrina was clearly excited about the fund-raising drive and the volunteer labor for repairing the building, but looked less thrilled about the proposed kayaking project. Fortunately, she perked up at Ryan’s offer to set the wheels in motion.
“Do you think that means he might stay?” Sabrina said hopefully. “I mean, after what happened with you guys last night, and now with him coming up with this idea, it makes me hope . . .” She trailed off.
How times had changed. A few weeks ago, Sabrina had tearfully blurted out her fear that Morgan would end up abandoning her for Ryan. Now, though, she was clearly hoping Ryan would stick around and be part of their lives.
But even in the hazy glow of yesterday’s amazing encounters, Morgan wouldn’t let herself hope that Ryan would stick around past Labor Day. Still, it was better not to completely shatter Sabrina’s hopes. Better to have her feeling optimistic about things.
“Honey, I just don’t know,” Morgan said. “We really can’t count on him being here for much longer, so we have to make sure you and I are able to do everything that has to be done. But let’s just take things one day at a time, okay? I know we can’t control a lot right now, but I’m definitely feeling better about the future.”
Sabrina dropped her gaze, obviously disappointed. “Yeah, well, at least you’ve got a future, Morgan. You’ll always have teaching. I’ve got nothing without this place.”
“Not true. If you didn’t have one single other thing in this world, my beautiful little sister, you’d always have me. That’s going to be true no matter what else happens.”
Sabrina grimaced, obviously edging closer to tears. “You’ve said that to me my whole life, and I’ve always believed you. But I’m not a kid anymore, Morgan, so please don’t say it again unless you mean it.”
Morgan reeled her sister in for a hug. “I mean it more than ever. Remember when we were little and you used to come running into my room in the middle of the night during big thunderstorms? You always came to me, not Mom and Dad.”
“You’d make a tent by draping a sheet over the bedposts, and I’d bring that little electric lantern. We’d stay up talking and making up stories until the storm passed,” Sabrina said, hugging Morgan back.
“Yes, and I’ll always be there to make us a little tent whenever we need one. Always, I promise.”
“Okay, then.” Sabrina sniffled, loosening her grip.
“Okay, then,” Morgan echoed. “How about we get our rooms squared away and then get to work on the kitchen? We’ve got a huge job ahead if we’re going to get this old pile back in shape anytime soon. Ryan and the rest of the guys are going to do amazing things for us, but in the end it’s up to you and me, right? It’s our inn and our home, and we’re going to make it work, come hell or high water.”
Ryan made one last note on his clipboard. “That should do it for now. We’ve got all the measurements we need so I’ll order the lumber, the truss clips, and all the other stuff later this afternoon. I really appreciate your help, Micah.”
The deputy leaned his big frame against the twelve-foot stepladder he’d been using for taking measurements in the attic. Both his T-shirt and his hands were grimy from handling blackened lumber and drywall, and his tanned face gleamed with sweat. “No problem. But I’ve got to head out. I promised Holly a long walk this afternoon.” He looked down at his soiled shirt and rumpled cargo shorts. “Gotta shower and change before I show up at her aunts’ store or they’ll think I’ve turned into a derelict.”
Ryan could barely suppress a smile. Micah had been doing his level best to make everyone think his attention to Holly was just that of a helpful cop assisting a local pal. Ryan wasn’t buying it, nor was anyone else close to him. In truth, the badass deputy was a total marshmallow when it came to Holly—although Micah would beat the crap out of Ryan if he dared to say anything close to that.
Unfortunately, the real problem with that gooey-sweet scenario was that Holly had a New York boyfriend, some rich Wall Street type. Ryan feared that Micah was in for a world of emotional pain.
“I’m going to do the same thing myself,” Ryan said. “Shower and change, I mean. Not show up at Holly’s.”
“Maybe you should. She’s bored, and she loves having people hang out with her. I’m doing my best, but I can’t take her for a walk every single day.”
You’re not fooling anybody, pal.
Micah always tried to act nonchalant about her when he was with the guys. They let him, mostly because it was the smart thing to do.
“I’d like to,” Ryan said, “but this is going to keep me busy.”
Micah nodded. “You’re doing Morgan and Sabrina a hell of a solid. This sure isn’t the way you figured you’d be spending your summer at home.”
At home. There it is again.
Ryan couldn’t count the number of times one or another islander had casually assumed that Seashell Bay was still home for him. “It’s no big deal. If we don’t do it, this place is going to close or be sold. I think that would destroy the girls, to tell you the truth. Can’t let that happen, right?”
Micah held out his fist for Ryan to bump. “Damn straight. But are you going to be able to stick around long enough to see it all through? Aiden told me yesterday that Double Shield is pushing you to sign a new contract.”
Ryan hadn’t even mentioned that problem to Morgan and didn’t plan to. It would just upset her. He’d only told Aiden because his friend had overheard part of his phone conversation with his Double Shield controller. He should have told Aiden to keep that news under his hat.
“I’m planning on seeing Golden Sunset reopen,” he said. “Double Shield can wait awhile.”
In truth though, Ryan wasn’t sure how long the corporation would continue to let him stall. His controller in North Carolina was cutting him some slack, but the higher-ups at HQ wanted answers sooner rather than later. Ryan wasn’t sure exactly how he was going to handle that problem. But given what was happening with him and Morgan, he was more committed than ever to staying until he’d done all he could to get the B&B back up and running.
In fact, he was beginning to hate the idea of walking away from her, although he knew damn well he’d have to do it eventually.
“Well, if you ever get tired of being a hired gun, I figure you could make a good living doing repairs and renovations around the islands.” Micah wiped his grimy hands on some paper towels. “There aren’t many handymen around. Brendan’s so busy that people often have to bring in guys from the city. That really ratchets up the cost.”
“Kind of surprises me,” Ryan said. “I guess because Dad does almost all his own work, I always figured that must be true for most lobster fishermen. They’re a self-sufficient lot.”
“Not every guy is handy like your dad, and most are so wiped at the end of a long day fishing that they just want to rest up. Besides, look at how many summer residents we’ve got these d
ays. They’re only here for a few weeks or months, but they need work done too. Most of them can afford to keep their homes in top condition or even build additions.”
“Maybe, but it’s not really how I see things working out for me.”
His friend gave a little shrug. “I guess it’s crazy to think you’d want to come back here when you get to travel all over the world like that. Seashell Bay must seem pretty boring after Paris and Berlin and Singapore and . . . what were some of the other places you said you spent time in last year?”
“Johannesburg? Lagos? Port-au-Prince?” Some of the most dangerous places in the world, in fact. People rarely needed bodyguards in Paris or Singapore.
“Right,” Micah said. “Those don’t sound all that great, come to think about it.”
Every city had presented its particular dangers to the people Ryan had been tasked with protecting. Those three, though, had been the worst of his globetrotting odyssey. Nobody in his party was allowed to go anywhere without at least two heavily armed operators from the Double Shield team at their side. Kidnapping was an ever-present danger, and there was often a good chance of being struck down by intentional or stray bullets.
“That’s an understatement, my friend,” Ryan said.
“No wonder you needed a break,” he said, giving Ryan a little grin. “So maybe you should think about making it a permanent one and just stay here.”
Ryan shook his head, wondering if there was some kind of coordinated campaign going on to bring him back to the island. Morgan, Sabrina, Aiden, Lily, and now Micah had been banging away on that subject since he got here. It gave him a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach every time somebody brought it up.
“Oh, come on, I see how Morgan looks at you,” Micah protested. “I’ve known that girl for a long time, and I’ve never seen her look like that at anybody else, dude. Yeah, she won’t want to admit it, but the woman’s obviously got it bad for you. Of course, I’m not sure why somebody so fine as Morgan would want to hook up with you, but there it is.”
“Since when did you turn into a fucking matchmaker?” Ryan asked.
“Hey, I get to give you some free advice, asshole. After all, I am the law of the land around here.” Micah gave Ryan a friendly punch to the shoulder. “Now I’ve really gotta run.”
Ryan watched him climb down from the attic, annoyed that his friend was so spot-on when it came to him and Morgan. With every day he stuck around Seashell Bay, he could feel himself getting pulled in, both head and heart. Yeah, he’d been pretty surprised by how much he was enjoying his time on the island, but it was Morgan who was the real draw. She had burrowed her way into his heart like no one had in a long time. Or ever.
Which pretty much sucked. While he couldn’t leave yet and didn’t want to anytime soon, he knew the day would come soon enough that he would go. That day might just bring some pain that would be a long time healing.
For both of them.
When Ryan slid his callused hand across the pickup’s console and rested it on Morgan’s bare thigh, the sudden rough warmth almost took her breath away.
“Happy to be moving back into your room?” he asked.
He’d offered to drive her when she went to Lily’s to pick up her things. With Sabrina and Micah and a raft of utility crew guys working around the inn, they hadn’t had a chance to talk about, well, things. Things like what was going to happen between them after last night, for however long Ryan remained in Seashell Bay. Morgan had spent the day cleaning and organizing the kitchen and generally tidying up, her mind coming back every minute or so to Ryan and what had happened between them. It felt like the Earth’s axis had shifted, throwing her completely off-kilter. Mostly it was wonderful and exciting, but an undertow of anxiety had her mentally going sideways.
“Yes and no,” she said. “The way Lily fussed over us, it was like a minivacation. But don’t get me wrong—I’m glad to be going home. Anything that moves us closer to getting Golden Sunset back to normal is a step forward.”
Normal? Morgan had probably chosen the wrong word. The B&B hadn’t been in any state of normality for months and certainly not since her father died.
Ryan’s long fingers went down her leg in a sexy glide that produced a sweet little ache between her thighs. “I don’t suppose we’re going to be doing it in your bed again anytime soon,” he said. “Not with your sister on the other side of a thin wall.”
Morgan could barely stop herself from grabbing his hand and pulling it right up to where she wanted it to be. But sex in a pickup truck wasn’t going to happen no matter how much she wanted him at that moment, especially with the very likely chance that a neighbor or friend or—God forbid—Ryan’s parents could drive by in the opposite direction.
But, oh, she did want him.
“She does go into Portland once a week for therapy,” she said helpfully.
“Once a week? Man, I can’t wait to get into my own place.”
Morgan almost laughed at the frustration coloring his voice.
“I hear you, dude,” she said with a grin. Every minute she was with him, she wanted to crawl on top of him and get busy.
He gave her thigh another little squeeze. “How about we head back into Portland tonight? Same time, same place?”
She tipped her sunglasses down, looking at him over the top of the frames. “Are you a sex fiend or something? How many times did we do it yesterday?”
“Why? You have a weekly limit on orgasms or something?”
She laughed. “Hardly, but hotels cost a lot of money.”
He glanced over and waggled his eyebrows. “Money well spent, in my book. And it’s no problem. Double Shield paid me a ton to babysit those corporate guys.”
Morgan had a clear impression that money didn’t mean a lot to Ryan. Though he still hadn’t told her much about how he lived his life, she knew he rented a one-bedroom apartment in a Raleigh high-rise and drove an older SUV. But he’d also said that one reason he’d been attracted to the high-paying life of the private soldier was because having a solid nest egg would buy him the freedom to walk away after a few years and not worry about what he did for a living. As skilled as Ryan was at many things, he seemed to think he didn’t have many options given his lack of formal education.
“Sabrina and I had a talk this morning,” Morgan said a bit abruptly. “It turns out she wasn’t mad at me for . . . for you know.”
“No? That sounds like progress.”
“I think it’s got something to do with the fact that she’s come to think that Ryan Butler walks on water.”
Ryan blinked as he pulled his hand back. “You’re joking, right?”
She wished he’d left his hand right where it was. “Well, as one example, she said she wished you could stick around permanently and help us run the place. She likes everything we talked about yesterday—the fund-raising, the focus on kayaking, the whole package. But I had to deflate her hopes about you staying.”
That wasn’t strictly true, but she didn’t want him to worry. “I get where she’s coming from,” she went on, stifling a sigh. “Because sometimes I can barely imagine you not being here anymore.”
There. Let’s see what you do with that.
Ryan didn’t say anything for a few moments, turning his head as if to check out the homes that bordered on Island Road. “I’m trying not to think too much about that,” he finally said.
Oh, boy. Don’t let me in on your feelings or anything.
“Right. Take it one day at a time,” she said. That was probably what he wanted to hear. “Like Buddhists say, yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is the unknown. The present is all there is.”
“Um, yeah,” Ryan said, clearly uncomfortable.
She had to stifle another sigh, this time of frustration. She’d never met a more generous or kindhearted man—or one who had such a hard time expressing his feelings.
“So,” he finally said just before they reached the turn to Lily’s cottage, “we’
ve talked about me and what I’m going to do, but what about you, Morgan? Can you see yourself staying on the island even if the B&B started turning a profit? Because I didn’t think that was ever in your plans.”
It isn’t. Not without you anyway.
But that was just her gut reaction. In truth, Morgan didn’t know what she was going to do. She couldn’t imagine not teaching, yet that meant going back to Pickle River or somewhere else on the mainland. The chances of a job opening up anytime in the near future at the Seashell Bay elementary school were minimal, given the ages and plans of the current teachers. That left the enormous problem of what to do about her sister.
“I don’t know anymore,” she said. “That’s the honest answer, Ryan. I dread the idea of not ever teaching again, but . . . this isn’t just about me. You know I have to take care of Sabrina. I want to do everything I can to help her find a happy life. If it turned out that the only way I could do right by my sister was to stay here and keep the B&B afloat, then, yeah, that’s what I’d have to do.”
He gave her one of his trademark enigmatic looks, then nodded. Whatever his opinion was, he was obviously keeping it to himself.
Chapter 21
Morgan’s heart felt lodged in her throat. This was finally it. In just a few minutes her best friend would finally be married.
She stood at the front of Saint Anne’s church with Aiden and his best man, Bram. Lily hadn’t wanted some big march up the aisle, so the small wedding party had simply gathered up front, waiting for the bride to appear. But at the last minute, Father Michael had inexplicably bustled over to the sacristy, apparently looking for something. It was a departure from what they’d rehearsed last night, and it had Morgan tapping her toe with irritation.
Today, everything had to be perfect. Lily deserved perfection, especially since she and Aiden had been forced to fight so hard for their life together. That Aiden had returned to Seashell Bay and that he’d finally decided to make a life on the island because of his love for Lily still seemed nothing short of a miracle.