The next morning, when she woke up, there was part of her that believed it may all have been a dream.

More snow could only mean that the conditions up on the mountain were going to become more difficult.

She just hoped it would only be with the weather, and not between the two of them.

She crinkled up her face and sighed.

“You certainly know how to get yourself into some situations,” she whispered as she forced herself to sit up and look around the room. She caught sight of herself immediately in the mirror and winced. She hadn’t removed any of her make-up and her mascara was running down underneath her eyes, making her whole face look grubby and dirty.

It reminded her of the first time she had been kissed way back when she was a teenager. The following morning, she had awoken and had felt the same.

She held her hand against her heart and tried not to cry. She wanted him so badly, and she had spent all night tossing and turning, thinking and replaying everything that had happened between them. Everything had felt so raw and powerful, and now she knew that he felt the same way.

She couldn’t help but think back to what Emma had said…

He’s in love with you…

How had she known?

Did she just know her father so well that she could see it? Or had he said something? Surely not… She thought on it over and over, as she rose to her feet and started to remove her make-up with cleanser and cotton wool.

Maybe Emma was just perceptive, and her innocence had led her to say that without even thinking. What was love to children anyways? They didn’t know a whole lot about it when it came to soul mates and affairs of the heart.

She showered and dressed and tried to calm herself down, before she worked up the courage to go through to the house. It was Saturday, and she was, therefore, technically off duty. She had to check out the roads and make sure they were passable before she headed back home to collect her paints, easel and canvasses, but she had the distinct feeling this day was not going to go how she had planned.

She walked out of the laundry room and through into the kitchen. The house was silent apart from the low sound of the television drifting through from the living area, and she peered around the corner to see if she could catch sight of Emma. Cartoons were playing, and her toys were all laid out and scattered across the floor, but there was no one there.

The beer cans and the bottle of wine had been cleared from the night before, and Morgan leaned against the counter and sighed.

She had been so caught up in what was happening between them, she had completely neglected to address the fact that he had been drunk. What had been the matter with him? Was he okay?

She chewed her bottom lip, and just before she was about to grab her car keys and head for the door, suddenly the front door burst open bringing with it a flurry of snow and the sound of Emma laughing. She clomped into the hallway dressed in a ski suit, big boots, hat and gloves, and she was covered in snow.

“Morgan! You should see it out there!” she called over to her as Trent appeared behind her and came into view. He too was wearing snow gear and was covered in it from head to toe. He started to help Emma get her boots and her coat off, before he removed his own.

Morgan walked across to them without even thinking and started to collect up all their wet and soggy outerwear.

“I’ll get these hung up near the stove,” she said as she took Trent’s from him and he looked at her with a warm smile.

“Thanks,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the wall.

“What’s going on out there?” Morgan asked as she looked from one of them to the other.

“The snows come again!” Emma grinned. “And we’re blocked in!”

“Blocked in?” Morgan asked with wide eyes.

Trent nodded his head slowly, as he studied her and waited for her reaction.

She never would admit it, but her heart did a little dance in her chest.

“The roads seem to be impassable,” he said as he closed the door behind them and they all began to walk through into the kitchen. “When we woke up this morning, I didn’t think it was going to be as bad as it is… But when we went to check it out, it’s pretty terrible, isn’t it, Em?” he looked down at Emma.

“I don’t think it’s terrible,” Emma said with a grin. “I think it’s great. And it’s super beautiful! We should light a fire on the veranda and sit out there and watch it fall.”

Morgan smiled, and she had to admit, she couldn’t think of a better idea even if she had tried.

She looked at Trent and he shrugged his shoulders.

“We have the outdoor stove and the firepit,” he said. “And the seating is all undercover.”

“Let’s do it,” Morgan grinned as she nodded her head to let him know that she was more than eager.

“Okay,” he smiled. “Emma, head upstairs and get on some dry clothes.”

Morgan watched as he held her gaze and he walked toward the French doors that led out onto the veranda.

She didn’t know what was happening, but something had definitely changed. After they had both run away from each other the previous evening after their kiss, now it only felt completely natural that they should spend the day together…

And what better way than on the top of a mountain in the snow, with bonfires to keep them warm?

 

Morgan watched from the windows as Trent marched around outside on the deck that overlooked the forest and the valley and began to build fires in both the fire pit and the outdoor stove. The seating area was big and comfy, and it was under the slope of the roof, so it had been kept dry and free from snow. She knocked on the window and motioned toward it and mouthed, where are the cushions?

Trent looked up at her and gave her the best smile she had ever seen, his whole face was open and full of adoration, his pupils were wide, and she could tell that he was feeling what she was feeling. It made her both nervous and turned on, but she felt herself blushing, so she looked away coyly before she managed to catch his eye again and smile.

He walked close to the window and tapped on it, she looked up into his eyes and she was suddenly annoyed that there was a pane of glass between them. He smiled at her again. They were only inches apart, but they were separated by the window. Morgan’s heart was racing, and she could barely keep her composure.

He pointed behind her and tapped on the window to show her where the cushions were hiding. When Morgan turned to follow his direction, she could see a big, leather ottoman on the outskirts of the living area. She turned back to him and smiled and then she went toward it.

Once they had set up the outside, Emma was so excited she was bounding around on the veranda and kicking up snow. Morgan and Trent sat on the couches and looked out at the incredible view, and they kept sneaking looks at each other when the other wasn’t looking. If they caught each other’s eye, they both laughed, and then they would look away again.

“Can I build a snowman?” Emma asked cheekily.

“We spent all morning doing that, sweetheart,” Trent said with a knowing smile. “Why don’t you just come and sit with us?”

“I want to play,” she said as she started to walk toward the door. “I’m going to go up to my room and get out all of my snowman toys and make an indoor ski slope.”

Morgan laughed and looked at Trent.

Trent nodded his head and raised his eyebrows, before Emma disappeared inside and the two of them were once again left alone.

Trent cleared his throat and turned to face Morgan. She could already feel the incredible tension building between them again and she knew she was going to have to fight to compose herself.

“It really is beautiful up here,” she said to break the silence as she looked out over the valley and toward the forest. The snow was falling heavy and silently, and it looked like something out of a dream. The snowflakes were thick and fluffy, and the whole world around them was white. The fire was warming them perfectly, and it felt all so surreal. Morgan still couldn’t quite get her head around how she had ended up there, and the way she was feeling.

Trent was literally her perfect man, and she had never felt so settled and happy. She felt like she truly belonged.

“That’s why I love it up here,” he said before he leaned back and spread his arms out along the back of the couch.

Suddenly, Morgan felt very brave and she knew she was going to have to ask him.

“Last night,” she began, and she took a deep breath. “You were drinking…”

“Yes,” he said with a hint of shame. “I know… I don’t make a habit of it, it’s just…” he trailed off and looked back out over the mountain. “Yesterday, all that stuff with the guy in town, it set me back…”

There was so much running beneath his exterior, Morgan couldn’t help but be drawn to it. She wanted to know it all.

“When Emma’s mother walked out on us, we were lost. It took a long time for us to build our life back up, for me to be settled and happy with who we were. And I vowed never to get with anyone again.”

Morgan felt her face flame red.

“But when I saw that man screaming at the pair of you… Something inside me clicked… it made me so mad, it made me want to kill him, it made me want to defend you and Emma to the death.”

He turned, and his eyes focused in on hers. Her heart was racing so hard, she honestly would have thought that he could hear it.

“I’m not her,” Morgan whispered. “I’d never hurt you…”

“I know,” he smiled. “And trust me, no one has ever had the effect on me that you have… For a while, I thought I was losing my mind.”

He laughed and scratched the back of his neck.

“But the situation,” she said. “It’s complicated. We shouldn’t.”

Trent looked beaten and he nodded and sighed.

“Today has been lovely,” Morgan smiled as she got to her feet. “Thank you so much.”

She turned and headed back toward the door to the house. She didn’t want to leave him, but she knew if she stayed there, they were going to cross lines they could never go back over.