Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Seventeen
Morgan stood at the window, supported with extremely uncomfortable non-padded crutches watching for Luke’s truck to pull in the lot. She’d called him over an hour ago and woke him up. She felt a little bad for doing it but she was ready to go home.
A knock on the wood entryway had her expressing her joy at his arrival before she’d fully turned around. “Oh, I thought you were someone else.” As if trying to protect or guard herself, Morgan moved away from the window to the other side of the bed. “What are you doing here?”
“Now is that any way to treat your best friend?” The visitor pushed the door mostly closed and moved further into the private sleeping area.
“We are not best friends Margie. We haven’t been in a very long time and I don’t see it happening in the near future either.
I’m not sure what you’re doing here or what you could possibly want from me but you can leave now!
” To emphasize the finality of her demand, Morgan locked her fingers across her chest as best she could and turned her back on her ex-best friend.
She didn’t hear footsteps again or a door clicking in place from being shut but a voice suddenly whispered into her ear at the same moment she felt something hard poke into the middle of her back.
“What’s going on…?”
“Shut up Morgan, it’s my turn to talk now and if you even think about screaming, I’ll shoot you and be gone before they ever have a clue what happened.”
Oh my God, really? Morgan began to panic now.
Never in her wildest dreams would she think Margie capable of pulling a stunt like this but her best instincts told her this was serious and that was a gun stuck in the middle of her spine.
Margie wasn’t bluffing and this sure wasn’t the friend she remembered.
Cooperation was the key, that and a lot of prayers. Luke had to be showing up any minute and she’d love him forever if he could make it right now.
“Alright, I already know they released you and I told the nurse’s desk I was your sister and would be taking you home, I just never specified whose home. Have a seat in that wheel chair and we’ll be on our way.”
Was she being serious right now? This cannot be happening.
Hurrying as fast as her crutches would carry her, she made it to the wheel chair.
Struggling with the sitting part, she managed to prop her casted leg on the kick plate where the feet rest. Margie dropped the duffle bag into her lap them pushed her into the hallway.
“Remember, don’t try anything stupid.” She pushed the gun into the base of Morgan’s neck and bent down close in order to use her arms to help steer.
“I don’t understand Margie. What did I do to you?”
“What did you do to me? Little Miss Princess in her own little world, I’m not surprised you have no clue.
You walk around like you’re God’s gift to men.
Everybody stares, they all want a piece of the unattainable orphan.
Oh but wait, there is one certifiable idiot who for some reason is blinded by your holier-than-thou Queen of Sheba bullshit.
I never did understand what he saw in you but that won’t matter after today now will it? ”
Tears hovered at the edges of her lashes, afraid someone would notice and approach them but equally afraid Margie had gone off the deep end and was taking her somewhere to kill her.
Both women had gone right past the front desk at the main entrance and no one, not one person had noticed the gun pushing into her skin.
She never should have agreed to be checked out early.
After roughly being loaded into a beat up truck, the tears ran freely and Morgan could only thing of Luke as she watched the medical center become further and further way.
* * * *
Luke could hardly contain himself as he approached the hospital.
Morgan had called early and woke him up to tell him she’d been released and was ready to leave.
He stumbled out of bed and rushed through a hot shower, poured out a weakly made pot of coffee and ran out the door.
Even though she’d told him she’d call, he feared the prerogative to change her mind would have her calling her Uncle Bill to get her instead.
“Hey watch it! Damn women drivers.” A truck going faster than usual blew right through the stop sign at the entrance.
As it went by, the passenger looking through the back glass window caused him to do a double-take.
It looked just like Morgan. “Nah, it couldn’t be.
She’s waiting inside.” He hurried to park and run in the rotating double doors, sprinting down the hallway to make sure Morgan was still there.
“Excuse me sir?”
Luke turned to see an on-duty nurse he recognized from a few nights ago.
“Oh, sorry, I’m just here to pick up Morgan Masters. She called me a little while ago.” He continued walking toward her room.
“Sir. Please sir, she’s already gone.”
“What? What do you mean gone? She called me to pick her up. Why would she be gone?”
The nurse looked genuinely unaware. Shaking her head, she explained that she’d just come on shift and Morgan was already gone.
“I could try to locate the head nurse for you. She’s here for a few hours yet.” Without waiting for his response, she picked up the phone and sent a page out over the loud speaker. While he waited, he paced down to her empty room and back to the nurses station a couple times.
“Ok sir, I’m so sorry about this. My supervisor told me that a woman claiming to be Miss Masters’ sister was taking her home, not more than ten minutes ago. The doctor had already released her so there was no reason to detain her.”
“Miss Masters doesn’t have a sister. Damn it.” He walked away from the desk and dialed his cell.
“Tyler, we have a serious problem. Your sister is gone and the people here say she left with a woman.”
“You’re kidding? Do you really think Margie would be that stupid? I really can’t see my sister leaving with her.”
“Not willingly no but I wouldn’t trust Margie further than I could throw her. I’m calling the police, you call Bill.”
“Hold up, I’m already at the farm. Come by here and get me, we’ll go looking for her. I know where that stupid woman lives.”
Luke made it out of the hospital in two seconds and was speeding down the highway toward the Masters farm. “What in the hell is going on?”
He hit 911 on his phone’s key pad and waited for dispatch to pick up.
He explained everything in short order and demanded they get an officer on it right away.
But what would they chase? Wait…less than ten minutes, it had to be that pick up speeding out of the lot.
“No wonder that looked like Morgan.” He explained to the officer the truck he’d seen but could only remember a couple of the letters on the license plate.
“Not a problem sir, any information will help.”
Then they explained to sit tight and let the officers do their job and stay by the phone in case they needed anything.
I don’t think so. He couldn’t sit by and do nothing and he knew Tyler wouldn’t like that either.
When he pulled up to Bill’s house, Tyler flew off the front porch and jumped in the truck as Luke came to a stop.
“Well here we are again, chasing after my sister. How does she get herself into these messes?”
“I feel like this one actually is my fault. If it really was Margie that took her, she’s out for revenge. She was pretty mad when I told her I didn’t have time for her.”
“Where did this infatuation come from? I didn’t think you two ever even talked.”
“We haven’t really.” Luke stopped long enough to back out of the drive and head back into Holly. “The only time we spend any kind of time together was six years ago when I was planning this big weekend at the cabin for Morgan. I was going to ask her to marry me. It all went wrong that day.”
“And I bet you money she had something to do with that too. I tell ya I do not trust her.”
“You said you know where she lives?” Luke slowed as he came into town.
“Yeah, take a left at Midtown Circle and go west a couple miles out of town. Her family owns a run-down farm out there. And no, please don’t ask me how I know.” Tyler shook his has as if he were ashamed that he did know.
Chapter Eighteen
“Margie you need to stop all this nonsense. I promise I’ll forget all about it, just let me know and we can go about our lives as usual.”
“Yeah you say that now but my life hasn’t ever been normal, not since I met you.”
“We were in grade school together, what could I have possibly done to you then?”
Margie was nervous, looking out the barn window every couple minutes. Morgan recognized the massive structure from their childhood. They spent a lot of hours playing in every nook and cranny, chasing barn cats and jumping from the hay mow.
“Can’t you just shut up? I’ll tape your mouth shut if I have to.”
“It’s too quiet in this barn. I was just trying to make conversation. I’m confused about all of this. Mainly why you have such a grudge against me. We grew up together playing in this place, don’t you remember?”
Morgan could tell what she was saying was getting to Margie. She was shaking an awful lot, jiggling the gun in her hand.
“That was a lot of years ago. I never liked you, even then. You know what they say, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. And an enemy you were. Every chance you got you tried to show me up with prettier hair or new clothes that your uncle bought you. You rubbed in that this boy or that boy liked you and stared at you during lunch or asked you to a movie. You didn’t care that every time I had genuine feelings for a boy, they never noticed me, only you.
Even now, the one man that I’m in love with only seems to have eyes for you and I’m sick to death of it.
If you just go away for good, he’ll be mine. ”
Holy shit! Is she going to shoot me? No one even knows we’re here. I need to convince her I’m not a threat or I’ll never get out of this alive.
“You know, I think you and Luke would make a good couple.” It was a long shot and it made her sick to her stomach to even say it but she needed to make Margie believe it.
“You must think I’m stupid. I told you he only has eyes for you.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t live here and I have a job in Colorado to get back to. That gives you free reign to pursue him for yourself.”
“You’re just saying that.” But she must have believed a little because it distracted her enough to put the gun down on the table.
“No really, I told him to his face at the cabin that I didn’t want to have anything else to do with him ever. As far as I’m concerned, that puts me out of the picture.”
“No way will he give up that easy.” Margie was shaking her head but her wheels were definitely turning. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely, good riddens I say.” Damn this woman. I swear to all that’s holy, I’m never letting that man go if I get out of this. Now if I could only move.
Margie seemed to be thinking a little bit more as she moved away from the barn door, her attention wavered from her hostage enough that Morgan could scan the area for anything that might help defend her from the psycho woman.
Along with noticing a clear path to her doorway to escape, Morgan also became aware that Margie was no longer holding the gun and had found a perch on some hay bales on the other side of the barn.
When she heard scuffling on the other side of the wall where she was sitting, she knew her freedom was in sight. Lord she hoped that was Luke.
Keeping an eye Margie the entire time, Morgan quietly pulled out the cell she’d hidden in her inner coat pocket.
She texted a message to her brother and Luke and waited a few more minutes.
She was a little afraid to stand and be noticed and she’d have to attempt walking a few feet to reach her crutches but she knew she needed to try before Margie changed her mind about having a future with the man Morgan loved.
When the barn door creaked, Morgan turned quickly to Margie and sure as shit, she’d heard it too and was on her feet heading that way quickly.
Morgan let out a scream and the door flew open to welcome a couple of Holly’s finest aiming at their target.
She’d stopped dead in her tracks and raised her hands.
When she turned back, the relief she felt left a lump in her chest at seeing Luke and Tyler standing inside the door behind the sheriff’s men. Morgan stood carefully and painfully limped her way to Luke. He caught her in his arms as she sobbed.
* * * *
“You’re safe now baby, just let it all out.” Holding Morgan in his arms was the best way to end the horrible nightmare. “Why don’t we get you out of here and safe in my truck? Tyler’s got the police taken care of for now.”
“Can you please take me home?”
“Whatever you want honey. Uncle Bill’s waiting for you as we speak.”
“No, I want to go home with you. Please?” Luke looked at her in confusion.
“But you said… I mean I thought…” Morgan placed her fingers over his lips in the most loving way.
“I know what you thought and I know what I said but this is me using my prerogative to change my mind. I’m over all the accidents and kidnapping, I just want to go home with you and be loved. Can you do that?”
If Luke smiled any bigger, his face would break.
“Yes ma’am, I can do that.” He caressed her cheeks and touched his lips to hers, finally taking a little comfort in the idea that he might just get to do that as often as he wanted.
“Hey what do you two think you’re doing?” Tyler. He was Luke’s best friend and Morgan’s brother but he was also a nosy son of a gun. He jumped up on the side rails of the truck and stuck himself into the passenger window.
“I’m taking my woman home and you are not going to stop me.”
“Sheriff wants to talk to her, you gonna let him?”
“Nope, not today. Don’t you think she’s been through enough? I’ll take her to the station tomorrow…afternoon. After we wake up at some point.” Tyler’s knowing grin made Luke smile.
“Why do you guys always do this? I’m right here ya know.
Tyler hugged his sister through the window and shook his best friend’s hand. “Call me when you go and I’ll meet you there. Then he jumped down and smacked the side of the truck bed as Luke drove away.