Page 89 of Spindrift

“Ican grab it for you.” Morgan walked to the front door. Emilia and Nellfollowed.

Shecaught Morgan’s hand as soon as they were hidden from view by the clinic truckand pushed Morgan up against the warm metal. Morgan grabbed her by the hips andheld on as Emilia kissed her, all of the frustration she’d felt since Sally’sboiling over into the embrace. Her hands were underneath Morgan’s shirt andfeeling the line of muscle down her abs before she remembered they were stillvisible from the road.

“Staythe night,” Morgan asked when Emilia let her up for air.

“Whatabout your friends?”

“Idon’t fucking care.” Morgan leaned in to kiss her again, but Emilia keptherself just out of reach.

“Ilike your friends.”

“Ilike them too, but they’re not what I am interested in right now.”

“Itwon’t bother them?”

“They’llbe thrilled.” Annoyance flickered across Morgan’s expression. “And then they’llfind a way to take credit for it.”

“Ohyeah?”

Morganattempted to kiss her once more and growled when Emilia held her at bay by barecentimeters.I could invite you to my place, she wanted to say, but thewords refused to form. It wasn’t her place, not really, regardless of what thedeed now read. It was her father’s, and she wasn’t ready to claim it or tobring someone else into it as completely as she knew Morgan’s presence wouldfill it.

“Please,”Morgan said. Her sea dark eyes stole Emilia’s breath.

“Yes.”She let Morgan pull her in, and the sweet smells of clean barn, horse, hay, andsunshine surrounded her.

Theothers had dispersed when they returned. Lillian sat on the couch with a mug oftea and a copy ofClinician’s Brief, Hermione curled up on her lap, andMuffin sprawled beside her. Angie and Stevie laughed from down the hall, andshe heard what sounded like a video game in the background.

“Comeupstairs.” Morgan linked her hand with Emilia’s and gently tugged. Shefollowed, caught up in a riptide of inevitable longing.

Morgan’sroom overlooked the orchard. A window seat framed the sunset view, and Emiliasat there while Morgan hopped in the shower. She still hadn’t set foot in theorchard. Old, gnarled apple trees spread across the sloping hill.No wonderAngie bought this place.

Therest of Morgan’s room was plain. Her queen-sized bed took up one wall, adresser another, and a large, comfortable looking dog bed occupied the floor bythe window. A painting of a field of cows hung over the bed, and a few smallerphotographs lined her dresser. She left Nell on the window seat—Kraken had beenquick to claim the human bed—and approached for a closer look.

Thefirst photo showed a small child with a profusion of dark curls holding a sheepby a blue ribbon-festooned halter. The second featured the same child, younger,held in the arms of a woman who was clearly Morgan’s mother. The familyresemblance was almost uncanny. A taller man with Morgan’s broad shouldersstood behind them with his arms around his wife’s waist.Happy families areall alike,she thought, a line from a college English class floating intoher head. The other two photos were of an older Morgan. Lillian and Morgansmiled out of one, dressed in graduation robes with the Cornell sign behindthem, and the last could have been taken yesterday. Stevie, Lillian, Angie, andMorgan stood in front of 16 Bay Road surrounded by their dogs. James hissed inAngie’s arms.

Shewondered again what it would be like to have friends like that. She set it backdown on the dresser. Kraken sighed deeply and stretched out further on the bed.

Morgan’sbedside table caught her eye.

Alamp with a sheep-patterned shade adorned the top. She checked to make sure theshower was still running, then opened the top drawer, curiosity overridingguilt. A pair of reading glasses. A dog-eared reference book. Notepad. And atthe bottom a small velvet box and another photo frame. This one was turned facedown. She eased it out, careful not to disturb the drawer’s contents, and heldit up to the light.

Morganstood with one of the most beautiful women Emilia had ever seen. Her smile litthe frame, and her face radiated warmth and kindness. Morgan gazed at her withtotal adoration.

Sheput the photo down as if it had scalded her.You shouldn’t have snooped,she told herself, but that look on Morgan’s face cut through her. Nausea boiledin her gut. Morgan washers. She opened the velvet box with shakinghands. Two rings nestled in their grooves. One had a small diamond set withsapphires, and the other was comparatively plain, just a simple golden bandwith a tiny stone set in the center. Both looked like they’d been worn.

Thesound of running water stopped. She shut the box and the drawer hastily, butcouldn’t resist opening the bottom drawer, wondering what other shatteringthings she might find.

Threedildos stared up at her. Jealousy still reigned supreme among her emotions, buther body reacted to this new find regardless, with a deep pulse of desire. Allwere a deep blue. She stroked the middle one, passing over the smallest, andthen turned to the third and largest. Ridged silicone met her fingers and shefelt herself give at the thought of it entering her.

Herperch on the window seat was less comfortable after that. She throbbed withneed while her mind fixated on the rings and the overturned photograph. Thestory seemed obvious. Morgan had an ex-fiancée, one who was recent enough thatshe hadn’t gotten rid of the picture and rings, serious enough that she hadn’tgotten over the breakup, or both.

Good,she tried to tell herself. IfMorgan had baggage, it would make it easier for both of them to keep anemotional distance.I’ll be gone in a month or two anyway. I have no rightto be jealous about anything in Morgan’s past.The woman’s face flashedbefore her again, sun-kissed and smiling.

Emiliahated her.

“Sorryabout that.” Morgan reentered the room in sweatpants and a men’s V-neck T-shirtloose enough to almost cover up the fact that, like Angie, she had forswornbras. The sight distracted Emilia from her confusion.

“Ihad hay in places I didn’t think possible.” Morgan stopped talking, as ifconsidering the implications of her words.

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