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
"Are you fucking Edwin?" Glen Lansky stood in their kitchen, palms down on the Formica counter, his eyes begging Cherish to say no and just laugh it off.She didn't laugh it off, however. Instead, she became pissed. Really pissed. "What the hell are you talking about? Faith's the one fucking Edwin. Not me. He barely talks to me anymore, too busy bending my sister over his desk more than likely. Where the hell did that come from, anyway?" How the hell did their evening escalate to him accusing her of having an affair? Glen came home just like always, played with Jordie for a bit, the two of them on the floor playing with plastic dinosaurs all over her living room, the living room she just finished cleaning, actually. Of course, they didn't clean up after themselves, assuming Mom would do it just like she always did. Not that Cherish didn't bust her ass all day at Rutherford Construction. Hell, she had to do twice the load at work with Faith on the West Coast with Morgan, not that Edwin
Glen's head hurt, his stomach a twisted mess, his heart… His heart broke. He kept taking deep breaths, doing his best to keep the tears from falling. Everything made sense now. All the time Cherish spent working late, the weekends where she had to go in suddenly, the texts and late-night phone calls. He should have known, should have seen it happening. Yet, he had closed his eyes and stuck his head in the sand, ignoring the signs and pretending his family wasn't falling apart. But it was falling apart, collapsing around him. He turned down New Haven Avenue, heading to the one person he knew he could talk to about Rutherford Construction and the drama that was Edwin Coldwell and the Driscoll sisters—Selby Greer. Glen tried Selby's house first, but he wasn't there, so Glen assumed his brother-in-law stayed busy at the bookstore he owned while Faith was in Tampa. Glen stopped, bought a six-pack of Shock Top, and headed downtown for advice more than company. Faith and Selby were the happ
Cherish sat on the couch, sipping wine, when Glen finally returned home. He said nothing, at first, just dropped his keys on the small table by the front door and went into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. She decided not to start any conversation, waiting to see where his mood was at the moment. She didn't want to start another fight. She heard him pop the top and take a long swallow before he returned to the living room and plopped down into the recliner. He still said nothing, the silence deafening.For a moment, Cherish debated asking where he went, but only for a moment. She didn't want to know, wasn't even sure she had a right to ask right then. Instead, she decided to just pretend nothing happened earlier and life was normal. Deny all accusations, even when the evidence stared you dead in the face. She took a sip of wine, and then said, "Mom called while you were out to talk about Jordie's birthday. She's offered her house for the party again.""Now, there's a gre