Chapter 25
Morgan tiptoed into the hospital room. She caught Kelly’s eye and crept closer. “How is he?”
“See for yourself.” She stepped aside, giving Morgan a clear view of Wyatt, who was wide awake.
“Morgan.” His eyes followed her across the room. “You’re here.”
Glen touched his son’s shoulder. “Morgan has been here every day, for hours on end, keeping you company while your mother and I got some rest.”
“I thought I was dreaming. I thought I dreamed you were talking to me about how we found the Shifting Sands Medallion, the day you crashed your bike and I found you tangled up in a bush.”
Morgan grinned. “I talked to you about how we met plus a lot of other stuff. I told you that you had better wake up soon, or I was going to have your parents sell your motorcycle because it was too dangerous.”
Wyatt laughed, his deep, low laugh that always sent a shiver down Morgan’s spine. “Now I know I wasn’t dreaming.”
“Thank God you’re going to be okay.” Morgan sensed Wyatt’s parents move away and slip out of the room, leaving the couple alone. “Do you remember the accident and what happened?”
His brow furrowed. “No. The only thing I remember is pulling a driver over to give them a ticket. I heard someone scream. Next thing I know, I’m in this bed and my parents are leaning over me.”
“Dr. Houghton promised you would be okay.” Morgan’s voice cracked. “I was so scared,” she whispered. “All I could think about…”
Wyatt placed his hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Morgan. I love you.”
“And I love you.”
The couple talked in low voices. Finally, Kelly and Glen returned to wait for an update from the doctor.
All three were on hand when she arrived to give them the good news. Wyatt would be able to return home within the next few days. “He’ll be on desk duty until his follow-up visit, but I don’t see any reason he can’t be back to chasing down the bad guys soon.”
“As much as this hurts me to say this, I know you love being a cop. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to a life of worrying.”
Kelly put her arm around Morgan’s shoulder. “It’s a life we bear for the men we love.”
The afternoon passed quickly, all celebrating Wyatt returning to the land of the living. Following their new routine, Morgan left to get some rest, promising to come back later in the evening so Wyatt’s parents could take a break.
She was halfway home when Quinn called, asking if she could meet her at the gallery.
“I’m on my way.”
Easton Harbor was busier than normal, and she finally found a parking spot near the end of the main drag. Trekking down the sidewalk, Morgan strolled past Burnie, her grandmother’s car, which meant she was at the gallery too.
She stepped inside and found Quinn and her grandmother standing at the counter. They stopped talking when they noticed Morgan.
“Hello, dear. Thank you for the text letting me know Wyatt is out of the woods and recovering nicely.”
“It’s the best news I’ve had since this nightmare began. Another bit of good news is that Amber is gone.”
“Quinn was filling me in. Grady got rid of her.”
“At least for a year. If she steps foot on Easton Island.” Morgan snapped her fingers. “Off to jail, she goes.”
“Maybe by then she’ll be preoccupied with something else.” Elizabeth told her she mentioned the situation to her close friend, Mary, who was still friends with Amber’s mother. “She’s on some heavy-duty meds.”
“Heavy-duty meds?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Amber has been prescribed some sort of anti-anxiety, anti-depressant. Reading between the lines, it’s affecting her mental stability.”
“This explains a lot,” Quinn said. “I think her meds need adjusting.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Elizabeth tilted her head. “We have had a nice long chat, Quinn. I think it’s time for you to share your news with Morgan.”
“What news?”
“I’m moving back to Easton Island.”
Morgan’s jaw dropped. “What about your new job in Naples?”
“Elizabeth has graciously agreed to let me keep my position. I called Mr. Odell and told him I couldn’t take the job after all. I let my parents know that, as much as I missed them, I wanted to come home…home to Easton Island.”
“What made you change your mind?” Morgan asked. “I mean, you’re giving up your dream job.”
Quinn waved her hand. “This. Wyatt’s accident. Do you remember when I was trying to decide whether I should take the job, and you told me to never live with the what ifs?”
“Yes.”
“Well, here’s the thing…the flip side. What if I really gave my relationship with Brett a chance to see what happens? What if Elizabeth retires or turns the reins over and Easton Harbor Art Gallery is mine to run? What if I took the job down in Naples, and I made big bucks but missed out on being here with the people I love?”
“I suppose it would be a risk you took,” Morgan said.
“When Elizabeth called me and told me about Wyatt’s accident, I knew I had to come. She helped every step of the way. Brett offered to charter a jet, fly down, pick me up, and fly back. Denver dropped everything and helped coordinate getting me from Detroit to Port Huron.” Quinn’s eyes misted. “And when I got out of the car at the port and saw Captain Davey waiting for me…to take me home, I almost lost it.”
Morgan could feel tears burn the back of her eyes. She understood exactly how her friend felt, not only about the people who had moved heaven and earth to get her there so quickly, but reaching Easton Island…stepping off the plane or, in this case, onto the ferry. It was magical.
Easton Island wasn’t just an island, it was love. It was acceptance. It grabbed hold of your heart and wrapped you in its warmth. Home where your heart sang, surrounded by those you loved.
“I’m glad. More than glad.” Morgan flung her arms around Quinn and hugged her tightly. “As long as this is your decision, and I didn’t influence you in any way.”
“Nope. Not one iota. There is something else.” Quinn jangled a set of keys. “I’m moving out.”
“Out of Looking Glass Cottage?”
“Yes, and into a place of my own. I want to be near Easton Harbor and the gallery.”
“You already found something?”
“Amber’s rental.”
Morgan burst out laughing. “You’re renting Amber’s cottage?”
“You know it. It’s in the perfect location. The leasing agent even gave me a discount on the first month’s rent. Probably because he has Amber’s forfeited deposit to cover it.”
“This is awesome.” Morgan whistled loudly. “Good for you.”
“I can’t take all the credit. It was your grandmother’s idea.”
Elizabeth tapped the side of her forehead. “Never waste an opportunity.”
“Amber’s loss is my gain,” Quinn quipped.
“And I couldn’t think of a better person to benefit.”
A customer arrived, inquiring about a piece of art.
Morgan stood off to the side, watching her grandmother and Quinn chat about the piece. It had been a long stretch…a rough stretch. She studied her friend, noticing she was more relaxed, at ease, not as tense as she had been when she first arrived.
Maybe it was because Wyatt would recover. Or maybe it was because she made the decision that made her heart happiest.
Easton Island might not be everyone’s idea of paradise, but it was Morgan’s. By all accounts, it was also Quinn’s.
The end.