Chapter Seven
Morgan took her sweet time riding Pepper up the trail to her Uncle’s cabin.
It was such a warm summer day and the scenery on the mountain was beautiful.
The two of them made this trip so many times, Pepper could do it by himself.
After passing the Christmas Pines, it wasn’t much further so she decided to walk, leading the way with Pepper in tow.
This was going to be a special day today.
It was her birthday and she was meeting the love of her life in their special place.
It seemed like they’d been together forever.
Maybe at twenty-two love could be blind but it seemed only logical, at least to her, that they take the next step. Did he feel the same way?
Ten feet or so from entering the clearing beside the cabin she heard a woman’s voice.
Wasn’t she supposed to be meeting Luke alone?
She tied Pepper to a small sapling with just enough tension so he wouldn’t follow her and then tip-toed the last few feet to the edge of the woods.
This way she could see whoever was there but they wouldn’t see her until she was ready for them to.
“Margie, thank you so much for being here with me. You were my savior…” She heard Luke say right before he wrapped himself around her best friend.
Margie’s words were mumbled thanks to her face being buried into Luke’s chest but she was sure she heard “There’s no place I’d rather be right now.” Then her lips found his neck.
Could this even be possible? Did she really hear what she thought? Luke and Margie? How could they?
“She was supposed to be my best friend and he was supposed to love me.” The tears came before she realized it. Her heart was breaking.
At a complete loss, Morgan only knew she had to leave, had to get out of there and quick.
Except she couldn’t move; her feet seemed frozen to the ground.
She must have rustled some of the underbrush even though she didn’t hear it because both Luke and Margie turned to look right in her direction.
She carefully backed away from the clearing, made a bee-line for Pepper and loosened the reigns as she mounted the saddle, spurring the horse to move quickly down the trail.
She prayed neither of them caught a glimpse of her.
Then from somewhere in the near vicinity, Morgan heard what sounded like a big tree hitting the ground, startling her…
“What in the world…”
“Damn, I am so sorry” Luke tried to explain as he picked up the two pieces of cut log from the cabin floor.
“I was trying so hard not to wake you. I think you were having a dream because you were all over that couch. I’ve covered you back up twice now.”
Morgan felt as if she were in a daze, a confusing daze. That dream was so real, like it was six years ago and she was actually standing at the woods edge watching her dreams shatter. And then he’s here, doing whatever it is he’s doing here.
“Was I asleep?” She rubbed her fingers over the soft spots at her temples.
“Oh yeah, out like a light except for the dream. You mumbled a lot and moved around even more.”
“Oh shoot, I forgot all about the potatoes on the cook stove.” As she threw off the blanket attempting to get up from the couch, Luke stopped her.”
“Hold up there. I already took care of them, they’re mashed. Stew’s done too. Are you hungry?” The look on Morgan’s face told him she thought he’d gone nuts.
“You mashed the potatoes?”
“I do know how to do a few things you know. I’m no super chef but I don’t starve on my ranch. Now sit still, I’ll bring the food to you.”
“No, you don’t…” but this time Luke placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her seated on the couch.
“Yes I do. Just sit will ya? I’ll bring our dinner in the living room. Besides, it’s more comfortable in here anyway.”
Morgan sat back on the couch and closed her eyes, still a little shaken from that horrible flashback.
It was his fault. She knew him showing up here would bring back too many memories.
Horrible memories she only wanted to forget.
She’d been so angry with him that day and had locked herself in her room.
Uncle Bill even tried to talk to her but it didn’t matter.
She knew what she saw and it was over. She’d stayed awake all night thinking and come morning had decided she needed to go away.
So, how is it that after running away for six years, I’m stuck in the one place I tried so hard to leave? With him of all people. Is it karma? She hated the thought.
* * * *
Luke dished up two plates with a stack of mashed potatoes covered in beef and noodles.
It smelled so good his stomach growled. The food he cooked never smelled or looked this good.
It got him by but Morgan had always been the better cook.
After finding a large serving platter down in one of the kitchen cabinets, he’d boiled water for cocoa.
Placing both plates and drinks on the tray, he carried everything in to the living room.
Should he dare get his hopes up she might be coming around. At least she hadn’t yelled at him yet.
When he walked around the front of the couch, she as leaning back with her eyes closed. Was she sleeping again? She might need the sleep but she also needed to eat.
“Okay, here’s our supper. I made some hot chocolate too. I know you like it.”
After placing the tray on the coffee table, he handed her the plate and sat her hot chocolate on the end table closest to her.
“Hope that’s enough for you. I wasn’t sure how hungry you were.”
“Starved actually. I’m sure I’ll be able to eat it all. Thanks.” She took her first bite and sighed. “Oh that’s so good.”
She had such a beautiful natural smile.
“You did a great job. These beef and noodles are awesome.”
“Thank you. You did pretty well yourself, these mashed potatoes are actually good. No lumps.” She smiled sweetly at him right before she stuffed another huge bite in her mouth.
Finally, it felt like she was her old self again, teasing him and being her general happy self.
“Why thank you ma’am. I’m not totally inept at cooking you know.”
“I didn’t mean for it to sound like that Luke, I never thought you were. Just surprised is all. Guess a lot has changed in six years.” She didn’t look up, just kept her eyes focused on her plate. Those usual avoidance issues rearing their ugly heads.
“Yeah a lot has changed Morgan, but not everything. You’re still the same.” He took a bite and set his plate on the floor in front of him. He crossed his long legs as best at Indian style as he could and waited for her to look at him. Took her a minute but she didn’t disappoint.
“I’m not the same.” She shook her head and a shadowed glaze took over her face. “Not at all.” He could see tears hovering in the corners of her beautiful green eyes; he felt bad for wanting her to talk.
“I think you are. You’re still beautiful as ever. When you smile it lights up the room. You’re a wonderful cook too which hasn’t changed.”
“Just stop Luke. I don’t want to talk about any of this.
I don’t want to rehash the old times or how I’m feeling or even what I’m dreaming.
You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be just fine.
” She stopped eating then, put her plate back on the coffee table and grabbed the blanket to wrap around herself.
“I am worried about you. It’s that haunted look you’ve had on your face since you woke up. What was that dream about anyway that it spooked you so much?”
“It’s not really important.” She shook her head.
“If it’s got you this upset, it is important. Please?” Hesitation was evident in her features.
“It was about the day I was supposed to meet you here at the cabin six years ago but I said I don’t want to talk about it.
” At this point, she’d gathered her legs up in front of her so she could rest her forehead on her knees.
He assumed it was to enable her not to have to look at him.
However, that subject was one he was anxious to talk about whether she wanted to or not.
“Well since you brought it up…what I don’t understand is why you never showed up. I waited there most of the day for you. I tried calling hundreds of times and stopped by almost as many. Bill said he had no clue what was wrong and that you wouldn’t come out of your room.”
Luke had positioned himself a little bit closer to the couch while she wasn’t paying close attention. He didn’t dare touch her but continued to talk while she was pretending not to listen.
“Tyler didn’t even know what was going on when I called him, said he hadn’t been in touch with you in a few weeks, he’d been too busy at work.
I tried for two days straight, calling and stopping and on the third day when Bill answered the door, he said you were gone.
He asked me to come in and I told him everything that happened. ”
“You actually told him you were cheating on me?” She looked at him now with a shocked expression.
“What? I never cheated on you!” Is she nuts? “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you dare try to deny what you did Luke Walker.” She threw the blanket on the floor, grabbed her plate from the table and stomped into the kitchen to dump the uneaten portion of food in the trash.
“I didn’t do anything Morgan.” Luke scrambled to get off the floor and follow her. “Who in the world would you think I could ever cheat on you with? I loved you.”
“You loved me? Well you had a funny way of showing it.” She was so furious she couldn’t stand still while the water boiled on the stovetop to wash dishes with.
“I really thought we were at a point where we could move on to the next level in our relationship. I was ready for the next step. You ruined it all.” She abruptly stepped into her boots, grabbed her coat off the hook and ran out the back door, slamming it in her wake.
“Shit.” What in the sam-hell just happened?
Luke grabbed his boots and coat as well and ran out after her.
However, it proved to be an impossible task.
It was really dark and even if it hadn’t been, the snow was still coming down so hard he couldn’t see a thing.
On a mountain this high, the dang stuff never stopped once it started.
“Morgan.” He yelled at the top of his lungs but it seemed as though the sound stopped five feet in front of him like it hit a wall.
She knew this mountain much better than he did.
He’d never find her by wandering around and getting himself lost. Been there, done that!
He couldn’t just leave her outside by herself though.
“I’ll just sit here a while and see if she comes back. She can’t stay out there forever, she’ll freeze.”