Allowing her father to wheel himself ahead of her, she passed through the doors of Sharkie's, a small bar off Popp's Ferry with a rustic motif and an ancient feeling about it. Standing there a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, she tried scanning the faces for Morgan or Lily, or anyone else she knew for that matter. While she had driven past the place a few times, she had never been inside, and unlike the bar she visited out by I-10, this one she could appreciate. The booths were quaint with leather couches and the tables were of an old finish that glistened when they were polished. The clientele was also of a higher caliber and not leftovers from the day labor place. "Jacqui!" Glancing in the direction her name had been shouted from, she spotted Morgan waving as he crossed the room to meet her. Behind him, she noticed Faith, Lily, Kari, Vince, and a few others she had not met yet. Faith's sendoff party had a decent turnout, it seemed. Her stomach did a small curl
Faith began telling Bert about life on the East Coast, Morgan filling in his comments here and there, as Jacqui half-listened. Her mind drifted to her parents, specifically her father at the moment. He just insinuated that he was having sex with Sophia and it wasn't so much that it bothered Jacqui because it was her housekeeper, but because her father had moved on with his life. He lost his wife only a year before she had lost Marc, and yet, here he was joking around about being with another woman. She knew he loved her mother. She witnessed his grief at her passing while she was deep in the throes of her own mourning over the loss of her mother. Yet, here he was getting on with his life while she was struggling with being stuck in the past. She couldn't just up and leave the memory of Marc and all they had shared, even though another great man stood in front of her, wanting to take the next step with her. Truth was, she wanted to take that step as well, but still had bouts of guilt ab
A knock came at Jacqui's office door and before she could give permission to enter, Lily sashayed in, her hands clasped in front of her. "I just thought I'd check on you, see if you needed stronger coffee…some aspirin…an ear to tell how the rest of your night went." Her eyebrows bounced up and down as her tongue grazed over her lips.Jacqui just laughed. "I'm not the one who went home with someone last night. I should be asking you for the dirty details." Lily had taken Faith back to her hotel at the casino before the party at Sharkie's ended. When Jacqui questioned Morgan about it, wondering about Faith being married, his response had been "Describing Faith's relationship is a lot more complicated than just saying she's married." Jacqui wasn't exactly sure what that meant and was afraid to ask for an explanation. However, when Lily arrived at work that morning, the personal assistant was in the best mood she had been in for a while. Of course, she said the same thing about Jacqui that
Morgan stepped out of his office, pulling his keys from his pocket. He was leaving early, but he had promised Jacqui he would have her father's place finished tonight and he still had a few more things to finish up. With the farewell party last night for Faith, he was still a little behind. Kari and the others were still at their desks, working on the inventory that had been delivered to the warehouse earlier. The Maggie Karston Community Center would be breaking ground Monday morning and Rutherford Construction was ready to get to work. Neal would be proud, and Jacqui could finally see that everything he said about his company was true. She'd be proud as well.And she'd be surprised. Neal had agreed to make him in charge of the area as long as he agreed to help branch out all over Mississippi. That was one obstacle hurdled. He'd reach out to Jeannie after the groundbreaking and start the custody discussions. Of course, all of that was centered around Jacqui's reaction to him staying i
One of the things Morgan enjoyed about working with his hands was that it left his mind free to travel its own paths of thought, which was good because there was quite a bit going through his mind at the moment. He role-played the conversation he was going to have with Jacqui about his decision to stay in Biloxi, trying to predict every question or objection that would come up. He wanted to be prepared for every detour of the conversation or reaction she might have. Then, he worried he was making a major mistake. He had been married twice and royally screwed those relationships up. Of course, he wasn't the same man he was back then. He had never ceased chasing skirts before and yet, with Jacqui, he didn't want her love while he was checking out another woman's ass. He wanted Jacqui. Period.Morgan old man, perhaps you've finally grown up.He finished installing the ramp on the back porch, leading down to the yard, and went inside to wash his hands and grab one of the beers he had broug
You got home late last night," her father said from where he sat at the kitchen table, nursing his morning coffee. Sophia could be heard in his bedroom, packing up the few items that remained. Jacqui's mind quickly went to her dad's conversation at the bar, but she shook it away, not wanting to even wonder such things about Sophia and her dad. "Out with anyone I know?"She went to the coffee and poured herself a mug. "Actually, I was at your house, watching Morgan finish getting it ready for you to move in today."He chuckled behind her. "Uh huh, sure that's what you were doing. Why don't you just come out and tell me you like the man. I can see that sappy looking smile on your face when you think about him."Joining him at the table, she just laughed. "I never said I didn't like him.""So you do like him. Good. I like him, too.""Oh? Should I be jealous?""What? Don't be rude. I'll run you over with my chair." Bert took a sip of his coffee. "I meant I like him for you. You're happy wh
Following her into the house, Morgan couldn't keep his eyes off the way her ass swayed as she walked. Her jeans were snug, cupping her firm cheeks, making his hands jealous. He remembered the way she felt in his arms last night, the warmth of her body under him. He smiled as he remembered her little whimpers when her orgasm hit her, her fingers clawing at his back. God, how he wanted to feel her legs wrapped around him again.She locked the door behind them, then proceeded to the kitchen where she dropped her purse and keys. "How about some wine before that shower?" she asked.He leaned closer to her. "Sounds perfect to me."He watched as she pulled two wine glasses out of the cabinet and a bottle of wine from the stand behind her. He could watch her move all day, the way her body just seemed to flow with each movement. "Would you open it?" She noticed him watching her then and cocked her head at him, her brows bunched up in her own question mark. "What?""Just enjoying the way you lo
Morgan spent the entire weekend at her house, only going home Monday morning to get ready for work and the groundbreaking ceremony. The weekend was a whirlwind of emotions, from elation to guilt to pure joy. In the end, she was simply happy. Happy to be in Morgan's arms. Happy to be caring about someone and having them care for her in return. Happy to be starting her life again. She had gone so long trying not to feel anything that now she relished every emotion that pumped through her, each one making her feel more and more alive.She stared at herself in the mirror over her dresser, her blond hair framing her narrow face, her cheeks pushed up as her lips curved into a continuous smile. She stood there, but not in her stark gray business attire. Instead, she wore a bright lavender blouse with a darker lavender skirt that never reached her knees. Her jewelry was shiny and caught every light that winked at her. She felt alive and she was going to dress with that liveliness.Today began