Page 50 of Pierced Pages
And think about that text.
Morgan had been insistent on dropping something off, which had made Danielle equal parts excited and terrified. And if she was being honest, completely smitten with the idea of someone caring for her.
Sure, Gerri and Melanie were excellent caregivers. Melanie especially. But they had been her friends for a long time. And they weren’t Morgan.
She let her head lie back against the couch pillow and allowed herself a moment to picture Morgan. To remember that kiss. That meeting in the park the day before.
“Mom! Wake up.”
She jerked her head up and looked around the room. She must have dozed off for a moment.
“What is it?” She turned toward her daughter near the kitchen and discovered that Lila was not alone.
“We have company,” Lila said.
Danielle looked to the side of her daughter at the tall, dark-haired woman, who wore a look of concern.
She suddenly felt equally concerned, although probably for a different reason. Her hair was a rumpled mess from the couch pillows, and she was in her rattiest T-shirt and sweatpants. Her sick uniform. She hadn’t expected company after all. She knew Morgan was stopping by, but she’d expected to hear a knock at the door and have time to at least wrap a robe around herself.
“Lila, I can’t believe you let a complete stranger into this house.” She turned to Morgan. “No offense.”
Morgan put her hands up as her pierced lips curled upward. “None taken.”
“She’s not a complete stranger,” Lila argued. “You told me to look out for her.”
“I did?”
That didn’t sound right. She remembered watching TV, then turning it off and closing her eyes for just a second.
“You were watching that boring documentary about some king or whatever, and you told me to keep an ear out for Morgan.”
Danielle didn’t remember any of that. Darn cold medicine that wasn’t even working, but it was still making her brain fuzzy.
“And how did you know that’s who was at the door?”
“Because I saw her outside Aunt Melanie and Aunt Kim’s window when she dropped you off,” Lila said. “Plus, you told me she was pretty and had really cool piercings.”
Danielle felt her cheeks grow hot as her gaze darted wide-eyed in Morgan’s direction.
“I—”
“I’m just kidding,” Lila said with a laugh. “You didn’t say anything except to watch the door. I know what she looks like, so I let her in. And now I’m going to pull out my science stuff and pretend like I know any of it.” Then with a wave as she headed toward the hallway, she said, “Nice to meet you, Morgan.”
“You too.” When Lila disappeared into her room, Morgan aimed a thumb down the hall. “She seems like fun.” Then she put up both hands again. “No sarcasm.”
“She is,” Danielle said. “Sorry about that.”
“No, I’m sorry. I should have just texted you and left it on your doorstep.”
“It’s fine,” she said, even though she still didn’t feel fine in her outfit.
Morgan, on the other hand, looked perfectly not sick in her tight, light-wash distressed jeans and loose black T-shirt that hung off one shoulder, revealing an aquamarine bra strap. Danielle had a hard time not thinking about what the rest of that bra looked like.
“I just wanted to drop off some comfort food.” She held up the stapled paper bag in one hand. “Potato soup.”
Tingles ran through Danielle’s insides at the mention of her favorite soup being brought to her by her new favorite person.
Scratch that.
