by Lori Foster
Jordan murmured to the frightened animal as he gently toweled it dry. “A mixed breed. Part shepherd by the looks of him, maybe with some Saint Bernard. He’ll be big when he’s full grown.” Jordan investigated the pup’s throat and scowled where the too small rope collar had rubbed off much of the fur. “I’ll need my bag.”
Gabe turned to the door. “I’ll get it.” He pulled the hood of his slicker over his head and stepped into the rain without hesitation.
Misty started unbuttoning Morgan’s shirt as if she did so every day. “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t get some dry things on.”
Sawyer nodded. “Go change, Morgan. And take Misty with you. Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”
Morgan stood still while Misty peeled off his wet shirt. “What have you been up to now, Malone?”
Sawyer didn’t give her a chance to answer. He waved a few bills under Morgan’s nose. “She wants to pay for staying here.”
Morgan scowled. “I thought we had all that resolved.”
Taking his hand, Misty tugged him from the room. “I won’t be a freeloader. If I stay I have to contribute. I’ve been eating here almost every day….”
Morgan allowed her to lead him away from the others, but the second they were out of sight he pulled her around and pinned her to the wall, then gave her a deep, hungry kiss. Against her lips, he whispered, “Damn, I missed you.”
She looped her arms around his neck and smiled. “I was starting to wonder. I thought you’d be home hours ago.”
“I had to do a class, and one of the women got hurt, and then I found the pup.” He groaned. “God, it’s been a hectic day.”
He knew his wet slacks were making her damp, too, but he couldn’t seem to let her go. He’d thought about her all day long.
“What kind of class?”
Oh, hell. He hadn’t meant to say that. He took her hand and now it was he leading—straight into his bedroom. He closed the door and turned the lock. “Let me change real quick and we’ll run up to the house. I’ll drive you straight into the garage so you won’t get wet.”
“Morgan.” She crossed her arms and leaned against his door while he hunted for a towel to dry himself. “What class?”
Trying to make light of it, he said, “I teach some of the women self-defense two Fridays of the month. Especially the women who work as park guides for the mountain trails. Sometimes they end up alone with a guy, so they need to know how to defend themselves.”
Eyes soft and wide again, Misty asked, “You said one of them got hurt?”
“Yeah, but not in the class. I’m careful with them, and the high school gym lets us use the mats. But she slipped on the front steps when she was leaving and twisted her ankle. She couldn’t drive, so I took her to the hospital and then had to go fetch her husband because they only have the one car and it was still at the high school. The only good part is that I found the pup when she fell. If I hadn’t bent down to lift her, I’d never have heard it whimpering.”
“So you bundled them both up and did what you could?”
“Don’t get dramatic, Malone. Anyone would have done the same.”
“Obviously not, or that poor little puppy wouldn’t have been there in the first place.” She sauntered over to him and touched his bare chest, smoothing her hands over his wet skin. “I don’t think you control things so much as you try to take care of everyone.”
Morgan kicked off his wet shoes even as he bent to kiss her again. Her hands on his flesh were about to make him nuts. “Let me change,” he growled, “so we can get out of here.”
She nodded and stepped away, then sat on the edge of his bed. If she had any idea what that did to him, seeing her there, she wouldn’t have dared test his control. Morgan opened a drawer and pulled out dry jeans and socks. He was just about to unzip his slacks when she asked, “Morgan, am I just another person you’re trying to take care of?”
He halted, unsure of her exact meaning, but angry anyway. “You want to explain that?”
She shrugged, then quickly looked away when he jerked his pants open. Hands clasped in her lap, she said, “You wanted me gone until you thought I needed to stay. And you not only try to coddle me, you said you’re trying to prove me innocent of stealing. I just wondered if I was…I don’t know. Another project of sorts. Like the scholarship at the school, the puppy you just brought home, that other woman you helped today.”
“What other woman?”
“Gabe told me about the woman with the flat. He said you do stuff like that all the time.”
She looked at him with deep admiration again, when what he wanted was something altogether different. “Gabe has a big mouth.”
His dry jeans in place, Morgan sat beside her on the bed. He bent to pull on socks and shoes, his thoughts dark. He could feel her looking at him as he hooked his cell phone to his belt and clipped his gun in place.
“You might as well save it, you know.”
Startled, Morgan glanced at her. “Save what?”
“The look. I’m immune to it. You’re not nearly as much of a badass as you let everyone believe. Ceily told me you haven’t even been in a fight in ages, and the last one was over too quick to count.”
Displeasure gnawed at his insides. “You were talking about me with Ceily?”
“Oh, quit trying to intimidate me.” She waved a hand at him. “You got a reputation when you were a hotheaded kid, but even then, you were never a bully. I’ve heard plenty, and any fights you got into were because you were defending someone else. The last fight was in a bar in the neighboring town. Ceily said some guy tried to drag his girlfriend out of there and you stopped him. Rather easily, as a matter of fact, which I suppose only added to your reputation, right?”
Morgan decided that when he got hold of Ceily he’d strangle her. “Did she also tell you how that woman was most…grateful?”
Misty snorted. “Yeah, she did. But that’s not why you did it, so don’t even bother running that by me. You’re the sheriff now because you hate injustice and abuse and you take a lot of satisfaction in setting things right and taking care of others. Admit it.”
The hell he would. His reputation had worked to his advantage for most of his life, and he’d damn well earned it. He pulled a loose black T-shirt over his head then twisted to face her. “You still going to the house with me?”
Her dark, silky hair swung forward and hid her profile as she stared at her hands. She looked a tiny bit nervous. “If you want me to.”
Morgan caught her chin and turned her face toward him. “What do you want?”
She bit her lip, took a deep breath, then smiled. “To be with you.”
His heart punched up against his breastbone and his vision blurred. He stood up before he decided to forget about the tour and took her right now. They needed privacy, not for what he wanted to do, but for all the things he wanted to say. “C’mon.”
Her hand caught securely in his, he led her out of the room. She looked cuddly in a soft, oversize sweatshirt and worn, faded jeans. Unfortunately, she wore sneakers, but he’d keep her feet dry. He looked forward to holding her close. When they got into the kitchen, everyone leaned over watching Jordan and the pup. Now that it was dry, the dog resembled a round matted fur ball with a snout and paws. A stubby tail managed to work back and forth, and it gave a squeaky bark at Morgan.
Morgan grinned. The dog was incredibly cute in an ugly, sort of bedraggled way. “Is it going to be okay?”
“It is a he, about three months old, I’d say, and yeah, he’ll be fine. He just needs to be cleaned up and loved a little.”
Morgan nodded. It was obvious the poor thing had been abandoned, and if he ever found out who’d done it, a very hefty fine would be presented. “I’ll keep him. I was thinking of getting a dog anyway, for when I move into the house. This one’ll do as well as any.” At his pronouncement, Misty squeezed his hand.
Honey predictably grumbled about him moving out. She protested any time he men
tioned it, saying she wanted him to stay, then went on to tell him how wonderful his house was and offered to help him decorate. He adored her.
Jordan watched as Morgan pulled two raincoats off the hooks. “I can keep him with me tonight if you want, since you appear to have plans to brave the storm again.”
“Misty hasn’t seen my house yet.”
The brothers all grinned and cast knowing looks back and forth.
Sawyer handed Morgan the money Misty had tried to give him. “Make her take this back.”
Misty held up her hands, palms out. “I can’t continue to eat here if you won’t let me pay for my share of the food and stuff. That’s just tip money—I can afford it. Honest.”
Sawyer’s eyebrows shot up. “Tips? You made this much in tips already?”
“According to Ceily,” Morgan grumbled, “every male that came in wanted to show her his gratitude, even if she hadn’t done a damn thing for him. She said Misty kept the restaurant packed most of the night.”
Misty blinked at him. “You talked to Ceily? When?”
He flicked the end of her nose. “Before I came home. She felt the need to page me and let me know how…successful you were. She even suggested she might want to lure you away from the station so you could work more hours for the diner. She claims she wouldn’t even need to show up with you there drawing in customers and raking in the dough.”
Gabe laughed, Jordan bit his lip and Sawyer rolled his eyes. Morgan didn’t think it was the least bit amusing. “I told her you were going to continue working for me. That’s right, isn’t it, Misty?”
Her eyes narrowed. “As long as you all let me pay my way.”
She was the most cursed stubborn woman he’d ever met. He caught her chin on the edge of his fist. “Most of the time, the food is given to us.”
With a wholly skeptical look, she murmured, “Uh-huh.”
“It’s true, damn it. Sawyer barters with his less fortunate patients. Hell, he gets paid more often with food than with money. That’s why we’re always overloaded with desserts and casseroles.”
“You’re serious?” When he nodded, she said, “I had no idea.”
Sawyer looped one arm around Honey and added, “I have vitamins I can give her, too, so she won’t have to go to the pharmacy, but of course she refused them.”
And Honey piped in, saying, “I know for a fact she’s embarrassed about getting them in town. Everyone will know she’s pregnant if she does. Make her accept them, Morgan.”
Morgan took one look at Misty’s inflexible expression and laughed out loud. Were they all under the misguided notion that he had some control over the woman? Hell, she butted heads with him more than anyone else!
Knowing it would only prompt her stubbornness more, he said, “Yeah, sure, I’ll take care of it.”
Her brows snapped down, her mouth opened to blast him with invective, and Morgan kissed her—a quick, grinning smooch. She gave him a bemused look, and he dropped the coat over her head, then lifted her in his arms.
She fussed and wriggled, but he contained her with no effort at all and when she saw all the brothers watching intently, she made a face at them, but at least stopped struggling. “You have the worst habit of hauling me around.”
“I don’t want your feet to get wet going out.”
“Oh.”
Sawyer said, “Finally, he’s listening to me.”
Honey acted as if it was all par for the course. “Here, Misty, I packed a basket so you could both eat. I doubt if either of you have had dinner yet. Take your time. You’ll love Morgan’s house and maybe the rain will have stopped by the time you head back.”
Morgan watched Misty balance the large basket with one arm while looping the other around his neck. “Don’t wait up for us,” he said to the room at large.
He darted out the door and made his way cautiously to the Bronco. Misty opened the car door, and he slid her inside. The rain wasn’t coming down quite so fiercely now, and Morgan hoped Honey was right, that it would stop soon. Too many wrecks happened in weather like this, and he didn’t look forward to his evening getting interrupted. Already his anticipation was so keen he had to struggle for breath. He was semihard and so hot the windows started to steam the second he got behind the wheel.
“Will you accept the vitamins?” He drove from the driveway to the main road, hoping the conversation would work as a distraction. “Sawyer offered them because he wants to, you know.”
With her arms around the basket, she grumbled, “He offered because I’m Honey’s sister.”
“Bull. If you’d just stumbled into our lives the way Honey did, he’d do the same. Sawyer cares about people and likes doing what he can. It has nothing to do with you being related. Except that he takes it more personal when you refuse.”
She shook her head. “All right, fine. I’ll take the vitamins, but I insist on paying my own way. I won’t be swayed on that. Regardless of where the food comes from, I’m still staying there and taking up room.”
Morgan smiled at her. “Stubborn as a mule.” He pulled up in front of his garage and hopped out to open the door, then drove inside. “I’m going to have the driveway poured soon, and then we’ll install a garage door opener, but that’s stuff I can take care of after I move in.”
Misty didn’t wait for him to open her door after he’d turned off the engine. She hefted the heavy basket in her arms and climbed out. “I want to see the outside of the house, too. From down the hill, it looks gorgeous.”
Morgan felt like a stuffed turkey, he puffed up so proud. “Let’s go through the inside first and maybe the rain will let up.” He opened the door leading into the house and reached in for a light switch. The first-floor laundry looked tidy and neat, a replica of the one in the house where he’d grown up, with pegs on the wall for wet coats and hats, a boot-storage bench and plenty of shelving. “All the fixtures aren’t up yet, but there’s plenty of light.”
He turned to look at Misty and caught her wide-eyed expression of awe as she stared from the laundry room into the kitchen. “Oh, Morgan.”
Like a sleepwalker, she went through the doorway and turned a circle. “This is incredible.”
The kitchen had an abundance of light oak cabinets, high ceilings with track lighting and three skylights. Right now, the rain made it impossible to see anything but the blackness of the sky, but Morgan knew on a sunny day the entire kitchen would glow warmly, and in the evening, you’d feel like the stars were right on top of you.
“C’mon. I’ll show you around.” He took the basket from her and set it on the counter.
She kept staring at his cathedral ceilings. “I love the design. It’s like you’re in a house, but not, you know? Everything is so open.”
“I don’t like closed-in spaces.” He laced her fingers with his own and said casually, “I figure it’s easier to keep an eye on kids when they aren’t behind doors getting into mischief. Other than the four bedrooms and the two baths, all the doorways are arches.”
She stalled for a moment inside the dining room. He turned to look at her, and she shook her head. “How many kids do you plan on having?”
He held her gaze and said, “Three sounds about right. What do you think?”
Her fingers tightened on his and she said quietly, “I think I’ll worry about raising this one before I even contemplate adding any more.”
He wanted to tell her she didn’t have to worry, that she wouldn’t need to raise the baby on her own, but he had to bide his time. He didn’t want to scare her off. “I don’t have the dining-room furniture yet. I’m still working on that.”
She went to a window and looked out. “The view of the lake is gorgeous.”
“Yeah. Back here in the coves the lake is almost always calm, not like farther up where all the vacationers keep it churning with boats and swimming and skiing. It’s peaceful, nothing more disturbing than an occasional fishing boat.”
“I bet in the fall it’s really something to s
ee.”
“Yeah. And in the winter, too, when everything is iced over. I figure I’ll need to hire someone to keep all the windows clear, but what’s the point of living on a hill with great scenery if you can’t see it? The view from the master bedroom is nice, too.” He slipped that in, then added, “The deck runs all the way around the house.”
The next room was the living room and he watched her inspect his choice of furniture, wondering if she’d like it.
“Everything looks so cozy, but elegant, too.”
Morgan rubbed the back of his neck. When he’d chosen the blue-gray sofa and two enormous cranberry-colored chairs, elegance hadn’t entered his mind. It was the saleslady who’d suggested the patterned throw pillows to “pull it all together.” He’d been going strictly for comfort. The softness and large dimensions of the furniture had appealed to him. “I’m glad you like it.”
“You could fill this place up with plants. You know, like you did around the fireplace at the station.”
Morgan watched her closely as he admitted, “One of the women I used to see on occasion brought in those plants. I’d never have thought of it. It’s the cleaning lady that keeps them watered and healthy.”
She sent him a narrow-eyed look over the mention of a girlfriend. “Well, I can just imagine a lot of plants really blending in here. With the stone fireplace and the light from the windows, it’d be great. What do you think?”
“I think maybe you should help me pick some out.”
She blinked at him in surprise, then smiled. “I’d love to.”
Satisfied on that score, he took her hand and continued on the tour. He opened the first door they came to. “This is the hall bath.”
Misty stuck her head in the door, and her mouth fell open. “It’s…decadent.”
Grinning, Morgan gently shoved her the rest of the way in. “Yeah. I kinda like it. Other than my bedroom, it’s my favorite room. It turned out just the way I wanted.”
Morgan watched her run her hand over the cream-colored tiled walls, the dual marble vanity. A large, raised tub took up one entire corner, looking much like a small pool. You could see the water jets inside the tub, and all the fixtures were brass. There was a skylight right above it and a shelf surrounding it for lotions and towels and candles—things he’d noticed Honey was partial to, so he assumed other women would be, too. In the adjacent corner was a shower with two showerheads, one on either side of the stall.