Epilogue
M organ and I worked together as seamlessly as ever. One of the first things Morgan did was divide up our responsibilities. He was the Events Director, and he was definitely in charge. But he’d insisted my title be Operations Manager and that’s what I did. He came up with the ideas and made contact, I figured out logistics. It meant we handled different aspects of the job, so we weren’t in each other’s pockets day in and day out. We were always in constant communication, both professionally and personally. So far, neither of us had needed a break. Three months in, and we were still going strong.
It was one of those rare days where Morgan and I had barely seen each other. I’d spent the morning at the field getting the temporary buildings set up for the Spring Market. We’d added a fifth one to accommodate all the vendors. At this rate, we’d have to run electricity underground. And probably have another bathroom outbuilding built.
What I really needed to do was spend time on a proposal for permanent buildings. The Markets were too big a draw to keep renting structures every few months. Morgan had said that’s what he wanted, but he still hadn’t had the time to complete it. That was partly because I made him come home a decent hour and actually take lunch breaks. I could never be sorry about that. He was happier, healthier, and a hell of a lot less tired than he was used to.
Though I’d made it back to the office in the afternoon, by the time I got there, Morgan had been running between Wayfair Ranch and the Marquis, dealing with last minute details for the Spring Fling Charity Dinner and Auction, which was only a week away. The dinner was in the Marquis grand ballroom, and the auction would be held the next night at the Ranch. Morgan wholly adored Christmas, loved fall, and enjoyed summer, but this event was his favorite. The auction items were outrageous and proceeds went to a grant fund for the betterment of Hickory Hollow. Past recipients included Ridge Holloway and Elliott Barlowe, who’d both used the funds to relocate, renovate, and open their shops. Morgan was already reviewing applications, and had several candidates in mind, for the next grant. He did the first pass before presenting his top choices to the grant committee.
I was still gloating about getting Mrs. Poirier to step down from the committee. She was a sweet old lady, but the key word there was old. Her ideals were old-fashioned, and while there was nothing wrong with that, she just didn’t have a vision for what Hickory Hollow could be. Morgan did, and she’d been in his way. Even better, I convinced Lisa Costa to fill the empty spot. We’d renew our friendship. Actually, it was better than it had been in school, because we were actually friends now. Even though we had a perfectly good coffee maker at home, I still stopped into Costa’s most every morning, just so I could shoot the shit with her for a few minutes.
I was settling into my new life well. Did I care if Hickory Hollow thrived and became even better than it was? Not exactly. I was working on that. What I did care about was Morgan’s happiness. He cared, therefore, so did I. If he told me tomorrow he wanted to move to Africa, then I’d start packing. Well, first I’d check that he didn’t have a concussion or had been replaced by a pod person or something. But if it was what he really wanted, then I was behind him 100%.
I did like getting to see Arlo in person instead of through a phone screen, though. Our relationship was better than ever, and we were both the better for it. Should I seek out therapy? Probably. But now that I was talking to Arlo about all the things we’d avoided for twenty-eight years, I was in a better place. All those thoughts and emotions I’d buried were starting to heal. I’d always liked who I was, at least from the moment I joined the Marines. That me was still there. But I was also a bit more centered now too.
Morgan and I had kept in touch throughout the day, but as of his last update, I’d expected to be home first. All plans of cooking dinner for him went out the window when I pulled into the drive and his car was there. I liked it better when we cooked together anyway. I kind of sucked at it. It wasn’t my fault. I’d lived on base even after I’d gained a rank that allowed me off base housing. The mess had been right there. Why would I need to cook? Morgan was teaching me though, and I was getting better. The thought of us in the kitchen, me chopping while he sang along to the radio and told me I was doing it wrong, caused a smile to stretch my mouth. I double timed it up the walk.
“Baby? I’m home,” I called the instant I opened the door. And it really was home for me now. Even though we’d called his house home from the start, and I spent more nights than not there, I’d still technically lived with Arlo until a month ago. I liked the house the way it was, so not much had changed, though there were hints of me, like my shadow box and sword hanging on the living room wall, that proved it was my place now too.
“Hi.” Morgan was lying on the couch, blanket covering him. While it wasn’t exactly warm yet, it definitely wasn’t cold enough for that throw. I instantly frowned. Was he getting sick? He didn’t do well with illness. The smallest thing knocked him down for days and I hated seeing him miserable. Back in February, we’d both caught a cold. I had a runny nose and sneezing. He’d spiked a fever, lost his voice, and been unable to breathe out of his nose.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Morgan smiled wickedly and tossed the blanket off. To reveal his very naked body. I stared, never able to get enough of it. Very deliberately, he bent his knee and spread it to the side. So I could see the plug in his hole. It was a new one. We had a bit of a collection now. I wondered if this one did anything fun.
I growled. “You started without me.”
“So come finish it.”
He lifted his other leg and draped over the back of the couch so there was no mistaking how very turned on and ready he was. Like I could have missed it. I locked the door, shrugged out of my jacket, dropped it on the floor, then kicked off my shoes. I prowled closer. His breath caught and his eyes went dark. At the last second, I pounced.
His shout of laughter was the best sound in the world.