Chapter 24 Like Superglue #2
“More than that.” Morgan, too, glanced out of the window. The snow was whirling in thick flakes, and a car crawled along the road, which was already covered in white.
“A snow week would be awesome, except I’d lose pay. And if it continued into next week, then I’d have to reconsider my road trip.”
“Road trip?” Morgan frowned. “Are you going somewhere?”
Heidi nudged her in the side. “I am. I’m off to Leadville to—oh no!” she groaned and covered her eyes. “Did I forget to tell you? About the investigator? About Serena? I’ve had it in my head for so bloody long, I must have dreamed I told you.”
“You haven’t said a word since you hired Brandon.” They were well-matched. Even if Heidi wasn’t deliberately keeping it secret from her, both of them were being less than forthcoming about their situations.
“Brandon found Serena. She’s in Leadville.
Of all places in the United States, she’s less than four hours from here.
I’ve got three days off next week and thought I’d drive down and pay her a visit.
I have an address and a phone number, that’s all.
Lula wants to come, if she can get the time off, but I’ll have to rent a car—Lula reckons her wreck won’t make it.
I’d love it if you could come too, but I’ve probably blown that, seeing as I forgot to tell you. ”
“What days?” Morgan bit her lip. Her calendar was as blank as a snowy field, but she couldn’t tell Heidi that.
“Tuesday to Thursday. Lula’s checking if she can get the time off.”
“I should be able to swing that.” Three days in one of Colorado’s cute mountain towns?
The walls of her town house closed in on her.
How long since she’d been in the mountains, gazed at the Collegiate Peaks, had a frosty beer on a patio in the winter sunshine, hiked mountain trails in the thin air?
Of course, there was also confronting Heidi’s ex. With Lula.
Well, every silver lining had a cloud.
“That would be great!” Heidi’s grin broadened.
“Only because we can take my car.”
“No. Well, yes, but no. If you’re driving, I’ll pay for the motel. It won’t be five-star, though.” She cocked her head. “Are you okay sharing with Lula and me?”
“As long as it’s clean and has comfortable beds, that’s fine.
” Her pulse shuddered as she realized what she’d said.
Beds. She’d said beds. Plural. That was good.
But even that didn’t stop the image of the two of them in a motel room, drapes drawn against the night, secure and secret in their private cocoon.
Except Lula would be there too.
Damn.
Heidi stilled, as if she, too, was suddenly aware of the implications. “Uh, Morgan, are you really okay sharing a room? I can’t afford two rooms. I’ll make sure I book a family room—”
“Ssh,” Morgan pressed a finger to Heidi’s lips.
Heidi stared wide-eyed at her.
“One room is fine. I’m sure we can behave like adults.
” Oh no, that was worse. Because adults—consenting adults—could do all sorts of things.
Anything they wanted, especially when boundaries were lowered, such as sharing a room.
She swallowed hard. Retract. “I mean, we can behave like kids at a sleepover.”
Heidi’s grin reached her eyes. “My sleepovers involved sneaking out to sit by the creek and drink beer someone had stolen from their parents. We also smoked what we thought was weed, but it turned out to be just an actual weed, not marijuana.” She tilted her head.
“We did grow our own on the edge of the rainforest, but that was later.”
“No sneaking out required. We can drink beer in our room, if you want, and weed is legal in Colorado, so there’s that too.”
“You don’t smoke,” Heidi said. “I remember your roommate ad.”
Morgan lifted a shoulder. “It makes me paranoid, so I don’t. And I don’t like the smell of any smoke, not even campfires.”
Heidi’s mouth fell open. “No campfires? No sitting around staring into the flames, lapping whiskey-laced coffee out of plastic cups? No port and chocolate biccies?”
“None of those. I’m not sure any motel in Leadville would let you do that in the parking lot anyway.”
Heidi laughed, then sobered. “We don’t have to have this fire. I didn’t realize.” She waved to the open fireplace, where the fire now crackled.
“That’s fine. The chimney draws well, so there’s no smoke in the room.” Morgan sipped her wine. “So, once we get to Leadville, what are we going to do?”
“Snowshoe in the mountains. I’ve never done that. There’s hot springs—”
“I meant about Serena.”
Heidi sank lower into the couch and stared at the fire. “I don’t know. I’m not holding out on you, but I don’t have a clue. Knock on the door, I guess. Ask for my money back.”
Morgan chewed her lip. “That’s it? Your grand plan? And when she slams the door in your face?”
“I don’t know. I’m shit at confrontation. I guess I’m just hoping she’ll take one look at my quivering chin and the tears dripping down my cheeks as I tell her how she’s stolen my American dream and write me a check.”
“If she does, it’ll bounce.” Was Heidi really so na?ve? Her sunny personality had its downsides, it seemed.
“You come up with something better? Preferably legal.”
“Definitely something legal.” Getting arrested was not in her life plan and certainly would not help her job prospects. Not that she had any of those. “I’ll think on it.”
“Maybe you could pose as law enforcement—”
“Not legal.”
“As a debt collector, then.”
“Morally gray. Why don’t you try an actual debt collector?”
“According to them, there’s no actual debt.”
“Right.” Morgan chewed her lip again. “We’ll think of something.”
Heidi scooted closer on the couch and rested her head on Morgan’s shoulder. “Right now, all I can think of is how comfortable and cozy I am with this fire. We were going to walk off dinner, but I think this couch and me have bonded. We’re partners now, and we don’t go anywhere without the other.”
“We haven’t had pie yet.” Morgan glanced out the window. “And it’s snowing harder.”
“It is?” Heidi bounced up and went over to the window.
A chill replaced the warmth on Morgan’s side where she’d been.
“Oh! Big, fat flakes too. Maybe they’ll make snowballs.”
“Maybe. But no fights today. I’m too comfortable.”
“We needn’t have bothered shoveling the path. And I don’t think your snowplow method will work with this much snow. There must be a foot already.”
Morgan watched the flakes whirling out of the sky. “There’ll be more by morning. You might get your snow day after all.”
Heidi turned from the window. Her top had ridden up, and her jeans gaped where she’d undone them earlier.
A slight belly curve showed in the gap. Morgan traced the line lower with her gaze.
Heidi’s thighs weren’t slender—they curved pleasantly—and her flaring hips begged to be gripped, for Morgan to pull Heidi flush against her own body.
Morgan froze and looked away. Dangerous thoughts. Especially when in a few days, she and Heidi would be sharing a motel room. But Heidi’s hips—and when she turned back to the window, the enticing curve of her ass—drew Morgan’s gaze like superglue.
Heidi was definitely dangerous to Morgan’s willpower.