The Seraphina Donavan Collection: Contemporary (2 page)

“What? No. It was just Lexi.”

There must have been something in his tone, because Jess began to nod sagely, mouthing an 'O'. “Lexi's certainly a looker—not a boney thing like most women these days,” Jess offered the bit of wisdom with a speculative glance.

“She's very attractive,” he agreed, keeping his eyes focused on the road and hoping his uncle would drop the subject, but not expecting to be that lucky.

Jess sighed. “Morgan, you haven't been on a date with a woman or even talked to one, as far as I know, since you got home.”

“Leave it alone, Jess. I've got other things on my mind.”

“Dammit, Morgan. You're the closest thing to a son I've got, and if you don't present your aunt with some babies to spoil, I'm never gonna hear the end of it.”

Morgan didn't respond. There wasn't much he could say that wouldn't sound like self pity.

“Just think about it, will you?”

Morgan nodded, but it was simply to appease the man who'd been the only father figure in his life. Dating wasn't for him. He was too broken and too damaged to ever be what any woman would need.

CHAPTER TWO

I
t was Saturday night and Lexi was in the mood to dance. It’d been a long week. Morgan had begun the kitchen renovation and it turned into a nightmare. Every time she turned around, she was saying something embarrassing or getting caught mooning at him like a lovesick school girl. It didn't help that her shop was so small that she kept bumping into him with her gigantic rear end. Trying not to think about that, she focused on the task at hand, instead. She intended to have a good time even if it killed her.

Climbing out of her sister’s car, she practically danced across the parking lot as they made their way to the bar. Since her shop was closed on Sunday and Monday, Saturday became her fun night, no matter how weird the week had been.

The heels she'd chosen would undoubtedly be regretted later, but they looked amazing with her black leggings and the new bustier that made her more than a little nervous. Nude with a black lace overlay, it showed a lot of cleavage. Well, actually, she just had a lot of cleavage to show…probably the more accurate description, she thought. With the cropped blazer and heels, it was a little dressy for a dive bar in Falls Creek, but nervous or not, it made her feel sexy.

Tugging at the bustier a little, she gasped when her sister smacked her hand. “Ow!”

“Stop it. You look fine. It’s not like you can hide those things anyway!”

If it’d been anyone but Ashley, she might have been offended. Elbowing her sister sharply, she moved past her toward the leering doorman. “Last one in...”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “It’s The Store. Everything in there is rotten.”

It was true.
The Store
was the only bar in town. It used to be called something else but the last owner said he got tired of all the patrons having to lie to their wives about where they were, so he changed the name.

Ten dollars poorer and wearing a black stamp on her hand that was probably tattoo grade, Lexi claimed the last empty booth in the bar. The band was setting up and if one thing was always true at The Store, the beer would be cold and the music would be awful. But the chili cheese fries would be to die for.

Ashley scooted into the booth across from her, squinting toward the bar. She needed bifocals but refused to even consider it since she was only forty. “Who is that?”

Lexi followed her gaze and immediately wanted to crawl under the table—Morgan, and it shouldn't have been a surprise. There was literally nowhere else in town to go. On a heavy sigh, she answered her sister, “That is your former fiancee!”

Ashley grimaced. “I didn’t recognize him!”

“Because he’s more than two feet away from you. Just give in already and get your damn bifocals!”

Ashley gave her a hard stare. “I don’t need them. I’m not old, dammit.”

Lexi shrugged. Brent would eventually just haul Ashley to the optometrist and with quiet stubbornness, force her to do what was best for her. “He’s working with his uncle—he's also handling the kitchen remodel.”

Ashley gaped at her. “I know I'm your silent partner, but I must be living under a rock to have missed all that!”

“I emailed you everything!” Lexi protested. Sometimes, she wondered if going into business with her sister had been a wise choice, but she would never have gotten the business loan otherwise.

“Honey, you know I don't read your emails. Unless they have cute kittens in them…Jesus! Morgan Donnelly!” Shaking her head in wonderment, Ashley looked wistful for a moment. “Well, wait here for Brent. I gotta at least go say hi—you think he’s still pissed?”

Lexi rolled her eyes. “You were engaged and you did sleep with his best friend, but I’m going to assume that in twenty plus years, he’s managed to get some closure.”

Ashley scrunched up her face, repeating, “Closure, schmosure. Sometimes…you’re just a raging bitch.”

Smiling sweetly, Lexi fired back, “Must be a family trait.”

With another eye roll and what appeared to be an extended middle finger, Ashley rose from their booth and headed toward the bar.

~*~*~

Morgan sipped at his beer as he watched the muted game on the flat screen mounted over the bar. He’d already given up hope of them winning. His favorite team had botched the game horribly, but he was committed.

He’d known the instant they’d walked into the bar. He’d felt it and his eyes were drawn in her direction. It was probably his imagination, or maybe a brain tumor, but he could’ve sworn he caught a whiff of sweet vanilla, despite the smell of cheap beer and deep fried everything in the bar.

For the past week, he'd been tormented by her. She was always nice, pleasant, cheerful and so damned sweet that it made his own surliness feel just plain mean. Even though he'd sealed off the area where they'd been tearing out the steps and dry wall, the thin veil of plastic did little to dampen his awareness of her.

Over the sawdust and plaster, he could still smell her. Whenever the hammers and saws stopped, he could hear her humming as she worked. There was always a treat too. She kept the coffee flowing and offered muffins or cookies or some other delicious thing which made him unable to refuse politely.

She’d burrowed so far under his skin, he couldn't escape from her even when she wasn't around. So, why the hell was it pissing him off so badly that she'd walked into the bar? From the corner of his eye, he saw her shrug out of the jacket she wore, revealing soft skin and the upper swells of her breasts. He frowned. A lot of skin, very tempting skin, and The Store was a shit hole of a bar full of drunk, horny men. Or in his case, just horny.

“Why the hell are you ogling my sister, Donnelly?”

Morgan stared at the woman who stood beside him, the shock of recognition flowing easily into embarrassment. He’d been well and truly caught. “I wasn’t ogling,” he denied. “But if you’re going to play the protective older sibling, you might want to tell her to put that jacket back on.”

Ashley laughed at him. “Don’t let that sweet smile of hers fool you. Lex does what Lex wants to do and not a damn thing else.”

His gaze drifted again.

“Hey...I’m talking here! Eyes on me.”

Luckily, the bar was dark enough to hide the guilty flush that crept up along his neck. “What do you want, Ashley?”

“Is this weird? I mean, I know I cheated on you…and we were supposed to get married and all—”

He laughed, actually belly laughed at that. “Jesus, Ash! It’s been twenty years!”

“You left town, never came back. No one saw or heard anything from you for two whole decades and now, out of the blue, you just show up?”

“I was in the military, Ashley. I came home because I’m no longer in the military. It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“Why Falls Creek?”

“Why the third degree? I have family here. I wanted to come home.”

She cocked her head to one side, looking much like she had in high school. After a few seconds, she gave a nod, just a slight jerk of her chin. Ashley always had plentiful attitude. “Fine.”

“Jesus,” he muttered. “Now that it’s settled and I have your permission to be in my own home town, think I can go back to the game and my beer?”

Ashley yelled to the bartender, “A pitcher for me, three glasses and another long neck for the prodigal.”

When the bottle was plopped down before him, he glanced it. “Thank you.”

“She’s single, ya know.”

Instantly on alert, Morgan eyed her warily. “What?”

“I remembered you being smarter than this!” Carefully, enunciating each word slowly, “My...sister...is...single.”

Playing dumb seemed the safest course of action. “Well, I’m happy for her. It makes life simpler.”

Ashley shook her head. “Look, Brent will be here in a few minutes. He’d love to catch up with you since you seem to be okay with the fact that he was sleeping with me when I was engaged to you...You should come over. Chat. Hang out. Ogle my sister’s boobs up close for a bit.”

Trying to wrap his head around just what exactly was going on, he demanded, “Are you seriously trying to set me up with your sister? Don’t you think that’s just a little bit weird?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s a small town, Morgan. If everyone got weird about dating someone who dated someone you knew or were related to…This town would have died out eons ago.” She took two steps, then turned back to him. “I’m not fixing you up, I’m just letting you know there aren’t any obstacles if you want to go down that road. But if you do go after her, it had better be for more than a roll in the hay, or so help me god, I’ll put your fucking dick in a blender and I may not detach it first.”

Morgan watched her walk away, shaking his head.
No obstacles
? He was old, with so many rods and pins in his leg it took Congressional approval to get him through an airport, and then there were the nightmares. He wasn’t a prize by any stretch of the imagination.

Turning back to the television, he sipped his beer. It didn’t stop him from stealing glances at her though, or thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to at least go over and say hello.

~*~*~

Lexi was working on her second beer. She’d acquired just enough of a buzz, so that the band only sucked and wasn’t causing her actual physical pain. She held up her glass. “Another one of these and I might even be able to dance to this.”

Brent frowned. “Hell, if it’ll make these guys sound better, I’ll drink straight from the tap.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Lexi joked with a laugh.

Ashley leaned over and whisper-shouted, “He’s looking over here again!”

Lexi blushed. “Stop it! It’s probably weird for him to see you all here!”

Ashley threw up her hands. “It’s not me he’s looking at! He’s watching you like he wants to take a bite out of you...and I know that look from experience.”

Lexi cringed visibly. “Oh, well that’s just gross!”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Not personal experience with him, you dip! Brent looks at me like that.”

Lexi made vomiting noises. “I’m not sure which is worse.”

Ashley made cutting motions across her throat and gave a less than subtle jerk of her head.

“He’s coming this way, isn’t he?” Lexi whispered.

“He’s kinda already here.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.
Turning, Lexi pasted a smile on her face.

Morgan stood a couple of feet from the table, looking momentarily uncertain of whether or not he wanted to take the last few steps.

Brent took the decision out of his hands. He stood up and pulled Morgan into a bear hug. “It’s damned good to see you, man!”

Lexi watched Morgan’s face, noticing how uncomfortable he looked. “Come on, Brent, let the man sit down!”

Brent stepped back, his eyes looking suspiciously moist. “Yeah. Sit. Let me get you a beer.”

Morgan lifted his bottle. “I’m good. I’ve sort of hit my limit. I just wanted to say hey, before heading out.”

“Aw, no! Come on. Hang out, dude. It’s been too long!”

Lexi scooted over in the booth as the only empty seat was beside her. The booths were small, and his thigh brushed against hers. She felt the spark and when she saw him tense, his jaw firming, she wondered if he felt it too.

Brent kept talking, nervously, but he kept at it, “So, tell me what the hell you’ve been up to? Married, kids?”

Morgan shook his head. “No. Just the Army. Didn’t leave much time for settling down.”

Lexi knew there was more to it. She didn’t know how, but it was like she could feel the tension in him. He obviously didn’t want to talk about his past. She kicked Brent under the table.

Brent glared at her as he continued, “Surely, there’s some special lady? I’ve never known Morgan Donnelly not to have women chasing him down!” At that point, Brent let out a whoosh of air as Ashley elbowed him in the ribs.

“I want to dance.”

Brent looked at her. “You hate dancing here. The music is awful.”