Chapter Four
After she’d gotten the man into the cabin, she’d radioed dispatch on the hiker’s condition then contacted her uncle as well.
She’d proceeded to tell her uncle what she thought of his shenanigans, but he claimed the reception was bad and he couldn’t hear her.
Bad reception my ass, he’d set this whole thing up.
Holly Search and Rescue probably played right along with his plan, that old fart.
Back up at the crack of dawn after little or no sleep, Morgan sulked at the cook stove, furious her uncle had purposely left out that tiniest but most important detail of who she had been going out onto the mountain to save and she was one hundred percent positive he’d known all along that it was Luke.
How could he do it, damn him? Her uncle knew how she felt about that man and what he’d done to her years ago.
She wondered to herself, if he hadn’t been wearing his face mask when she found him and she could see his face, would she still have saved him?
“Yes dammit because that’s what I do.” She wasn’t happy with her revelation but she’d taken that oath to serve and protect in any crisis. No human being deserved to die like that even if it was him.
Morgan fished the bacon strips from the icebox just outside the back door and slapped them in the cast iron skillet on the counter.
A few droplets of water splashed on to the cook stove proved it to be hot enough when it sizzled.
Ten or fifteen minutes to fry, add in some eggs and the man would be well fed.
Mix in a whole day worth of sunshine and she could get that heart breaker off her mountain with ease.
Only one problem…no sunshine. Morgan took another glance out the kitchen window where it continued to snow just as hard as it had throughout the night. Damn.
For six long years she’d stayed away from her home and family, had been working her ass off to keep Luke and his cheating ways out of her mind and heart for good.
Then just one look this morning of him sound asleep on her couch opened the flood gates on her damned bruised and battered heart.
All that time away hadn’t really been enough to make her forget him no matter how much she tried.
Why on earth did they have to make guys like Luke? Why couldn’t she just forget him?
“Ouch!” Figures, every time he or at least thoughts of him managed to distract her, she got hurt. Now there would be little burn marks on her hand from the bacon grease popping out of the iron skillet. “That’ll teach me to not be paying attention.”
“Probably outta be careful with that bacon.”
“Ah! Jesus, you scared me.” Morgan dropped the fork she used for the bacon, then pointed it directly at him once she’d bent to pick it up. “Don’t sneak up on people like that.”
“No sneaking involved.” Luke raised his hands as if to surrender.
“You cook all that for me?”
“Yes, so you’ll leave and never come back.” Maybe if she didn’t turn around again, he’d just disappear into thin air.
After a couple minutes of silence Morgan turned to the living room, hardly believing it would be that simple, but relieved he was no longer standing in the doorway.
“That was easy.” But damn it all if the way he looked just about stopped her in her tracks. Took all her strength to keep a straight face.
With no idea where he disappeared to so quickly, and because she just knew it couldn’t be that easy to get him to leave, she took a deep breath to calm herself and walked to the fireplace to add more wood. When she turned to grab the last log, he was there handing it to her.
“I don’t need your help thank you.”
“You’re welcome and I didn’t figure you did. You’ve never needed anyone have you?”
What did he mean by that? Her parents left her when she needed them most. When she needed him, he sure hadn’t been there for her. Only person she could really rely on was herself.
* * * *
“What the hell are you doing here?”
So much for the warm welcome Luke had been hoping for. He pasted on a smile, praying she wouldn’t bite it off.
“I thought maybe you’d be happy to see me honey.”
“Shows how much you know and I am not your honey so don’t you ever call me that.”
She walked away toward the kitchen, busying herself he assumed, so she wouldn’t have to deal with him because that’s what she did. Avoidance issues. Luke followed right on her heals. Maybe if he pushed her until she got so spitting mad she’d just give in.
“Come on sugar, are you at least a little happy to see me?” By the look on her face, maybe pushing wasn’t the smartest thing he could do to win her over. It would definitely get her talking though.
“No! Now, get out of here. Right now!” Her finger pointed to the back door.
“What?” He stared at Morgan as if she were nuts, gesturing toward the snow-covered window for emphasis.
“I can’t leave now, there’s a blizzard out there.”
“Well that’s not my fault Mr. Walker; I didn’t ask you to come up here and get lost or get yourself stranded. I’m here for some peace and quiet, meaning just me. Alone. As in not with you or anyone.”
“So we’re now relegated to pleasantries?
Calling me Mr. Walker, after all we’ve been through together; I’m a little surprised and hurt.
” Luke moved to lean against the counter crossing his arms for protection just in case she tried to stab him with that bacon fork.
She only fiddled at the cook stove, ignoring him.
“I would love nothing more than to catch up on old times with you.” If anything would get her goat that sure should. Her angry words and scowl told him how pissed she was that he was even there.
“Oh…oh…no, no, no. Not in this lifetime buddy. We have nothing at all left to say to each other.” Morgan was so furious her face had turned all shades of crimson, the bacon fork gone from sight but she was now deftly swinging a large chef knife in her hand as she rambled on.
“I don’t know who you think you are but… ”
“Stop right there!” Luke slyly grabbed the hand wielding the knife for fear she might accidentally snag him with it. “You know exactly who I am.” He then had to grab her other hand so she wouldn’t wrestle free from his grip with her armed limb.
“As a matter of fact, there isn’t anyone out there that knows me better.
” Like a light switch turning on in his head, he knew exactly what he wasn’t going to do; let her push him out of her life again.
Because sure as shit, that’s what she’d try to do.
He took the knife from her hand, laying it in the empty sink basin before releasing her other hand.
“And just for your information Miss Morgan Masters, I’m not going anywhere.” Then like he owned the place, he walked right out of the kitchen and settled in on the couch, kicking his legs up to relax.