Page 31 of Shelter for Morgan

He was different with her.

"Come on, Rhett!" Cowboy stopped in the doorway and jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Abe shouted as he caught up to their lieutenant. "Time to 'Go with the Wind.'"

Rhett ground his back teeth together. "It's 'Gone with the Wind.'"

And he was off running and jumping into his bunker gear by the side of the truck. They made it to the medical call before the EMTs.

CHAPTER SIX

MORGAN

It was one of those mornings...

Morgan hadn't been able to sleep very well. Her brain was struggling to let her sleep.

Not only had she napped overly long at Station Seven, she was still struggling to get through to some of her students. She knew that she wasn't going to get through to everyone, but she also knew that students learned in different ways and while she could only teach in one way at a time, she could vary her lessons to reach out to all of her students in some way. It wasn't easy to find that balance, but she was determined to do it. To find those alternative ways of teaching, Morgan had been up and down all night trying to wear herself out so she could sleep.

And failed miserably.

That's why she stumbled into the bathroom, bleary and zombie-like before she realized that the bathroom was already occupied.

Palmer was standing at the sink shaving and all he was wearing, or not wearing, was a towel.

His gaze lifted and he looked at her from his reflection in the mirror.

"Oh my god. Palmer, I'm... I'm sorry."

She retreated into her bedroom and sat heavily on the bed waiting for him to finish.

He was going to be leaving around the same time as she was, but this hadn't happened before, and she was too tired to pull herself together.

She swiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands and tried not to bark at Palmer when he knocked on her door.

"Morgan?"

"I'm sorry, okay?"

There was a moment of quiet before she heard his voice again.

"Morgan? Can I come in?"

Oh god. She knew she had to look like death warmed over, but she knew that Palmer didn't care.

"Yeah... okay."

The doorknob turned and the door swung in. She wanted to keep looking at the floor but apparently, she had a masochistic side. She looked up at Palmer and groaned inwardly. He was a gorgeous man in clothes. Bare-chested and in a towel, he was unforgettable.

She was going to be dreaming of this sight... for the rest of her life.

He was wiping the shave cream off of his face. "Are you okay?"

No, she was trying not to stare at his chest and those abs... OMG.

"I'm just tired. Sorry. I didn't sleep well."

He moved closer and reached a hand toward her shoulder but seemed to think better of it, backing up a step.

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