CHAPTER 17
Arson. It had been confirmed. Not only was the fire intentional, but the main sliding doors were tampered with so they couldn’t easily slide open as they are supposed to. Blocks were wedged in the narrow tracks, behind the wheels, so they wouldn’t budge. Dunny was formally interviewed and although his timing was suspicious, there wasn’t a shred of evidence suggesting it was him.
Guy was certain it was Dunny, but Morgan couldn’t believe it – wouldn’t. He understood her loyalty and desire to believe him, they had a history, and she saw the best in everyone. She also saw the best in Guy, despite knowing little to nothing about him prior to coming to Pinecrest. He couldn’t help but worry and want to protect her.
Feelings he had suspected were made utterly clear the moment he couldn’t get to her and he was faced with the idea of losing her. Smoke inhalation was the bulk of their injuries. Colton and Guy experienced a few superficial burns and singed hairs. They were all lucky, so incredibly lucky.
The fire had been strategically set. It was ignited and fueled on the furthest side of the building, away from where anyone might be in a fairly empty area of space. This spoke volumes to Guy. It was as if it was set as a rouse, not to harm anyone, but provide a shocking event where one
could play hero. Dunny?
No matter how he recounted the series of events, his conclusion remained the same. For that, he vowed to keep his eyes on Morgan and not let her out of his sight. She was only in the hospital a few hours, unwilling to stay longer.
Meg, far worse off, inhaling too much smoke in her panicked state, stayed overnight. Released from the confines of her hospital bed, late the evening before, Morgan spent the next day locked in her office.
Guy knew she hadn’t slept well the night before. He spent the majority of the night watching her from the chair that was placed adjacent to her bed, or standing in the doorway, leaning against its frame. Stirring in her sleep, during the early morning hours, Guy woke up in the chair where he had inevitably fallen asleep only hours before. He pulled her blankets over her restless body before exiting the room to get ready for the day.
When he finished showering, and made his way to the kitchen, Morgan had already been through, grabbed a cup of coffee, and holed up in her office. Guy gave her the space she needed, bringing her lunch, then dinner, and refilling her coffee a few times. Little was said, she was clearly sorting through her feelings, trying to understand the events from the day before.
He kindly gave her the space she needed, but didn’t leave for very long or stay too far out of reach. Brief, loving kisses were exchanged, as well as endearing touches to show their affection for one another. By day’s end, Guy saw the weight of the world hanging heavily over Morgan.
“Hey, can you take a break?” he asked her, anxious to address the weight on his own shoulders.
“Uh, sure, I guess. I’ve been at this a while, the numbers are starting to dance on the screen!” She pointed to her computer screen where spreadsheets filled the view.
“What are you working on? Anything I can help with?”
“Guy, if you can help with this, I’ll never let you leave!”
Guy smiled, not just at her admission, but the scarlet coloring that crept across her cheeks in embarrassment. “I don’t think it would take much for me to stay,” he said, his tone serious and full of promise.
Her smile met her eyes, pleased with his answer, but unsure where to go next with this conversation. She wanted nothing more than for him to stay. Especially after her close call, but fear of rejection crept in and she diverted his attention back to what had initiated the conversation.
“Well, um, so I am working on the ranch financials. Trying to balance my books and find a way out of the hole we’re slowly digging – especially after yesterday’s events. It could have been worse, but it’s still expensive all the same.” Her voice took on a pitchy sing song tone laced in defeat and what felt like desperation. “Then there’s the broken fences, the solar panel on the windmill going out to the pump on the irrigation system isn’t running. Oh, and the Cowboy Dinner event isn’t making as much money as it used to…should I go on? Thank God none of this nonsense has happened around or in front of guests or we’d lose money there too.”
A nervous chuckle escaped her while water filled her eyes and her hands raked through her hair.
Guy’s hands landed on her shoulders before pulling her close, “Hey, hey…it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“You promise? This place is falling apart around me, operating in the red, but you promise it will be okay? I appreciate the optimism, but it’s pretty clear I wasn’t made for this, I’m not good enough, and will eventually lose a hundred years’ worth of my family’s hard work. I should stick to being a cop – I kind of have that down – well, everywhere but in my own backyard.”
“Okay, I have an idea. Let’s get out of here.” Her brow furrowed in confusion, her dilemma clear. She was pouring her heart out, and he wanted to leave. “Let me rephrase that, will you take a walk with me, get some fresh air, catch the sunset? I have a surprise for you.”
She shook her head in laughter, his murky explanation made his plan no more clear than the initial delivery.
Tossing his head back in amusement, Guy cut to the chase. “Do you trust me?” His question was meant to be light but felt heavy in nature. “Do you…trust me, Morgie?”
Eyes locked in his stare; she gave him a sweet smile and said, “Always.”
Holding Morgan’s hand all the way, Guy led her to the special spot at the property’s edge that overlooked the valley below and boasted the magnificent views, sunrises, and sunsets. Their spot. The spot where they first became intimate, and their relationship became so much more. They spent nearly every evening there, together, talking about everything imaginable and nothing at all. It was quiet, peaceful, and entirely theirs. The previous day’s misfortune left so many emotions unexplored, unexplained, and Guy felt it was the right place, and perfect time to express exactly what needed to be said.
As they approached the area, Morgan slowed her pace, taking in what was coming in to view. “What? What on earth?”
Guy’s proud grin spread ear to ear, his excitement obvious. He had spent many early mornings, and hours while Morgan was at work, making her something special.
“Guy, did you make this?” Her hand slid across the smooth back of a rustic log bench sitting in their
spot.
“Do you like it? Chappy helped me with a few things, but yeah, I made it.” His hand followed hers, taking in the joy he felt radiating from her. “Here, sit! I sanded this thing for days, and then layered on the varnish – no splinters!”
Morgan snickered as she circled the beautiful work of art before her. A large log, sawed in half, each half making up the seat and back. It was smooth to the touch, he hadn’t been exaggerating about sanding for hours, and it was evident.
The heavy layers of varnish reflected the setting sun, casting a glow about the bench as if it were under the spotlight it deserved. As she rounded his gift to her, she noticed something she missed at first glance – carved initials. A simple G
and M
. It was entirely youthful, maybe silly, but so incredibly sweet. He sat, pulling her down next to him, sprawling her bare legs across his lap where he held them close.
“I…love it, Guy.” She bashfully said. “No one has ever done anything like this for me.”
Tracing her cheek with the back of his hand he held her stare, “And you deserve so much more. As much as it pains me to hear that you’ve not been given the love you deserve, I’m entirely disappointed. I’m sensing a trend here. Morgan, I want to be the one…”
“Guy…” he held up a hand, indicating he wasn’t finished then ran it through her long dark locks.
“Morgan, I don’t know how, but I can tell you when. I fell for you completely, that first day. I can’t explain it, didn’t even think I believed it…until yesterday.”
Her voice raspy from emotion as much as it was her smoke injury; she reached for his hand and closed her eyes. “Guy, I… I can’t…”
“Can’t what, Morgan? Do a relationship? Put yourself out there? Love me back?”
Her eyes widened and expression tightened, completely surprised by his word choice. Love. He saw her fear, it was evident and she was reeling.
Pulling her closer, until she was in his lap, he gently kissed her forehead. “You said you trusted me. Please trust me with your heart. Yesterday, I could have lost you and that idea is more than I can bare. I realized, in that moment of not knowing if you were okay, hurt, or worse. That there was so much I haven’t said. That I didn’t realize I needed to say.”
“Guy, I… I had similar thoughts – fears. At the end of the day, though, you might…leave. I don’t know if my heart could go through that again.” She hiccupped a small cry, her honesty genuine, and her emotions raw.
“Leave? Honey, I’m not going anywhere. I may not know who I was before I came here, but I know who I am now – with you. It feels right. I have to believe if being here with you feels this right – my life before you wasn’t.”
A single tear drifted down her cheek, completely consumed by his words, she was speechless and near breathless as this man swept her off of her feet and spoke to her heart. Words she fearfully accepted and of a life she badly needed. Morgan gave Guy a simple nod, her previous look of anxiety replaced with a look of hope, and desire. He pulled her in, and kissed her. They had kissed before, but this was different – it was hard, and passionate, full of promise and protection. He wasn’t just promising to protect her person, but her heart, her love, and their love for each other.
“I love you Morgan Jameson,” he softly delivered, looking into her warm dark eyes, his forehead against hers.
“I love you too, Guy… Her eyes shifted, as if searching for something – his last name. Smiling, she shrugged her shoulders, gave Guy a wink and said, “Just Guy, my…Guy.”
He kissed her again, with a snicker between them, it didn’t matter that he was still just
Guy, after all of this time, and that’s all either of them needed.
“Well, since nobody has claimed
me, after all these months, I think it’s safe to say, you’re stuck with me.”
The nonchalant tone and dismissive approach, paired with an oh well
shoulder shrug, had Morgan laughing. He could take a less than desirable situation and laugh at it – make her laugh at it even. She began to cough, a consequence of what was left of her smoke injury from the previous day’s events.
Straightening his posture, he laid concerned hands on both of her shoulders, “You okay? What can I do?”
Kindness and concern were his signature and what she loved most. “No, I’m okay. Just no more laughing, it still burns a little.”
“Well, in that case, how about we go inside, I’ll make you some tea and whiskey, and you can show me those spreadsheets. Let’s see if we can figure out how to turn Pinecrest around.”
“Whiskey?”
“Lou said honey and whiskey heals everything.”
“Of course she did. Let’s skip the whiskey,” She laughed. “We have numbers to crunch.”