No Strings Part 30

"Come into my office, Morgan."

Morgan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Charlie was playing the father figure, she knew. But she just wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

"Close the door," he said as she followed him in. "Now, you want to tell me what's going on? I've heard bits and pieces from Tina and Berta, but I'd rather hear it from you."

She shrugged. "Reese is leaving. We ended things. That's it."

"Yeah, I heard Winter Park offered her a job. Ron Brightmen said Reese had called asking out of her contract so she could leave now."

Morgan's eyes widened. Wow. Reese couldn't wait to get out of here, could she? Oh, well. The sooner the better. She'd just as soon not have to spend the next three months avoiding her at Sloan's.

"Anyway, I got something I want to talk to you about." He leaned back in his chair and smiled. "You know, I'm out of here at the end of August."

"You don't have to remind me, Charlie. The calendar with the big Xs on it does just fine."

He laughed. "When you get close to retirement after nearly thirty years, you'll be marking off the days too."

"I'm happy for you. I really am. It's just, for us, they're going to bring in some old blowhard with rules, and I'll have to go back to wearing those G.o.d-awful uniforms again."

"Well, then that's where I think you'll be happy." He pa.s.sed her a letter to read. "I recommended you for the job, Morgan.

They agreed."

"What? Me?" She glanced at the letter, words jumping out at her- promotion, manager, new budget, new position. She looked up.

"What the h.e.l.l?"

"You deserve it. You put in your time. Plus, as I pointed out to them, you know the area, you know the people."

"Yeah, but I don't know anything about running this office, Charlie. How am I going to put together a budget each year?

And those d.a.m.n monthly reports you have to send in, how am I-""Oh, h.e.l.l, Morgan, you already do the work. I just put it all together. It's mostly BS paperwork anyway. You know that."

She stood and walked across the room, still holding the letter. To say she was floored, to say she was shocked was an understatement. It never even occurred to her that they would promote her. She was too young, she was a female, and she only had fifteen years in the service. All strikes against her. She turned slowly and smiled at him. "d.a.m.n."

"I also got a new full-time position approved. I know we don't need it in the winter, but in the summer, you run yourself ragged. And knowing you, you're not going to sit your a.s.s in this chair like I do. You're going to want to be out."

"When I first started here, you were out too, Charlie."

He nodded. "Until I knew I could trust you to do all the things that needed to get done."

She smiled as she went to him, bending down to give him a quick hug. "Thank you, Charlie. This means so much to me. It really does."

"Like I said, you deserve it."

"Thanks. You've brightened up my rather miserable week."

But that night, as she sat at home alone-staring at the muted TV-she couldn't muster up the enthusiasm she'd had earlier in the day. It was news she wanted to share with someone. Not a friend, like Tina or Tracy. But with a lover. Someone who would be proud of her accomplishment, someone who would smile and bring her into a tight hug, and someone who would tell her she loved her.

She turned the TV off and stretched out on the old sofa, folding her hands behind her head as she stared off into s.p.a.ce, unable to stop her tears, unable to ease the awful ache in her heart.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE.

Reese drove slowly past Sloan's Bar, thankful Morgan's truck wasn't parked out front. Hopefully, it meant she was at home.

Because Reese couldn't go another day without speaking to her.

If Morgan wanted to end things, fine. But Reese thought she at least was owed an explanation. She didn't believe for a moment Morgan's excuse of not enjoying it any longer.

She stood on Morgan's porch for the longest time, surprised by how nervous she was, afraid of what Morgan might say to her.

She finally took a deep breath and knocked. She waited a few minutes longer, then knocked again.

"Morgan? Come on. I just want to talk to you." She heard movement, but the door didn't open.

"Just go away," Morgan said from behind the door.

"No. I want to talk to you."

"Please, Reese? Just leave."

"Why won't you talk to me?" She tilted her head, listening.

"Look, I don't want to come in. We can just stand here on the porch. I just want to talk. Please?" She leaned her head against the door. "Please?" she asked quietly.

She stepped back when the door slowly opened. Morgan's eyes were damp, her nose red. Had she been crying?

"I miss you," she whispered. "I miss you so much."

Morgan shook her head. "Don't. Don't do this."

"Do you miss me?" she asked.

Morgan wiped her cheek then met her eyes. "Yes. Yes, I miss you.""Then why? Why are we doing this?"

"Because you're leaving, Reese. That's why."

"I'm not leaving until November."

Morgan's tears fell freely now, and Reese didn't know what to do. She took a step forward, but Morgan held her hand out, stopping her. "No. Don't. Just leave. I can't do this."

"Why, Morgan?" Why are we doing this? Why are you crying?

"Do you think I won't miss you when November comes?"

Morgan tried to smile through her tears. "I thought I'd practice first. Maybe by November...well, maybe I won't miss you so much."

Reese stared into her eyes. "Tell me why you're crying."

Morgan shook her head and backed up. "Please go now, Reese. Don't come by anymore, okay?"

"Wait," Reese said quickly. She stuck her hand out, stopping the door before Morgan closed it in her face. She felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest, and she couldn't stand to see Morgan cry.

"No. Just go. Please?"

"Did you fall in love with me, Morgan? Is that why you're crying?"

The pained look on Morgan's face told her everything she needed to know. That, and the sobs that shook her as Morgan closed the door. She stood there, listening to Morgan cry, hating her own tears that were falling. She put her palm on the door, knowing Morgan was leaning against the door on the other side.

Leaning against the door and crying. Crying for her.

Because she loved her.

She turned, as if in a daze. Morgan loved her. She didn't end things because she was tired of it. She ended it because Reese had told her Winter Park had called. She ended it because Reese was leaving.

She stared into the night sky, the stars twinkling overhead, their light blurred by the dampness in her eyes.

"Morgan loves me," she said out loud. She finally smiled.

"She loves me and she doesn't want me to leave."

She drove quickly to her office, unlocking the door but not bothering with the main lights. Inside her private office, she pulled out a piece of paper where she'd scribbled a phone number. She didn't hesitate as she picked up the phone and dialed.

"Michael? It's Reese Daniels." She paused. "I changed my mind."

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX.

For the first time ever, Morgan called in sick. For one thing, she looked frightful. Her eyes were red and puffy, evidence of how she spent her night. And frankly, she couldn't muster the energy to pretend she was fine any longer. She was miserable. As miserable and depressed as she could ever recall being.

One look into Reese's eyes brought the depth of her love to the surface and only served to magnify her aching heart.

Did you fall in love with me, Morgan? Is that why you're crying?

"Yes," she whispered.

She wrapped her arms around herself, desperately wanting- needing-a hug. She knew she had to snap out of this. She knew she had to get over it. But right now, she hurt too much to do anything. So she sank back down into the corner of the sofa and tucked her legs under her, staring at the far wall, staring at nothing, fearing she was falling apart.

Reese couldn't get the silly grin off her face. And she couldn't wait to get to Morgan. She wasn't answering her cell, but that wasn't surprising. What was surprising was Tina's admission that she'd stayed home sick. Morgan was never sick.

Reese knew it was her fault. She knew Morgan's tears were because of her. And now she was about to put an end to those tears.Last night after she'd called Michael Stewart to tell him she wasn't going back to Winter Park after all, she'd also called Ron Brightmen. He was thrilled to learn she was staying. And he was more than happy to extend the use of his cabin for as long as she needed.

And this morning, bright and early, she'd driven into Gunnison, and spent the next hour touching, holding and cuddling puppies at the animal shelter.

She looked over at the ball of fur beside her and scratched the little ear. "I hope your new mommy isn't mad at us." They'd told her his mother was a yellow Labrador, but the father was unknown. There were four puppies in the litter and they all looked like labs to her, but the staff picked this one out, saying he looked just like his mother. Now she only hoped his new mother would love him.

She parked beside Morgan's truck, then rolled the windows up some in hers so the puppy wouldn't crawl out. "Don't chew on anything important," she told him as she got out. The nervousness she felt last night was magnified tenfold today. Today she would tell Morgan she loved her. Today she would ask Morgan to share her life with her.

But this time she didn't hesitate as she knocked on the door.

They'd wasted enough time.

"Morgan? It's me. Open up." She knocked again, then heard footsteps on the other side.

"Please go away."

She smiled. "Are we going to do this again? You know I'm not going away, now open the door."

"No."

"Please open the door, Zula," she said.

Finally, the door opened and Morgan stood there, her eyes swimming in tears. "You're killing me," she whispered.

"No. Never." Reese reached for her. "Come here."

"No."

"Yes," she said. She pulled Morgan into her arms, her heart breaking as Morgan's sobs shook her. "Don't cry, sweetheart."

"I'm sorry," Morgan whispered as she clung to her. "I'm dying here."

Reese closed her eyes, holding Morgan tight, feeling complete again, whole again with Morgan in her arms.

"I can't leave you," she said. "I fell in love with you too, Morgan." Morgan tried to pull away, but Reese held her tight.

"When I told you Winter Park called, I wanted you to ask me to stay. But you didn't. You seemed almost happy."

"Oh, my G.o.d. I thought you wanted to go. That's why I pretended to be happy." Morgan wiped at her tears. "You love me?" she asked weakly.

"With all my heart." Reese tilted her face up, meeting her eyes. "I never thought I could have this, could feel this way about someone. I never thought I'd find someone to love me. I never thought I'd want to share my life with someone. I don't want to leave here, Morgan. I don't want to leave you."

"Oh, Reese," she whispered. "I love you. I've loved you for so long." Her tears fell again and she let them. "When you said you were leaving, I just wanted to die. I just wanted to curl up and die."

"I'm so sorry." She kissed her lips softly, tasting her tears. "I love you, Morgan. I want you to come back home."

"Yes." Morgan smiled as she buried her face against Reese's neck. "Yes."