Chapter 30 And They Have to Share It
And They Have to Share It
They decided to leave Serena until morning. As Morgan said, it would give them more time to figure out a plan.
After checking in, Heidi flicked through the tourist brochure she’d taken from reception. “The Silver Dollar Saloon is the oldest continuously operating bar in Colorado. Let’s go there.”
It was a short but cold trudge through the snow to the Silver Dollar.
The old two-story hotel was worn and shabby on the outside, its dark timber lit with neon beer signs.
It took a moment for Heidi’s eyes to adjust to the dim interior.
The polished wooden bar ran the full length of the long room.
Behind the bar, rows of were bottles lined up, some obviously used regularly, others covered in a layer of dust. A massive old mirror reflected nearly the entire room.
Lean cowboy types in worn jeans and thick jackets sat at the bar nursing beers, while a couple who looked like tourists sat at a table with margaritas.
A shuffleboard stood along the other wall, and a shout of laughter drifted over from the far end of the bar.
The bartender ambled up to them. “What can I get you folks?”
“A margarita please,” Heidi said. “On the rocks with salt.”
“Make that two.” Morgan nodded.
“Coming right up.”
Heidi collected a complimentary tub of popcorn from the machine and brought it and a bottle of Cholula over to Morgan. “Margs and spicy popcorn. I might not need dinner.”
“You will,” the bartender said as he set down two margs on the counter. “Popcorn ain’t enough to fill a chipmunk.” He passed across two menus. “Burger with bourbon sauce is good.”
When he’d gone, Heidi turned to Morgan. In the dim light, her blond hair almost seemed to glow.
Her long fingers curled around her margarita glass, one finger idly drawing pattens in the condensation.
The old saloon seemed a long way from her modern town house, from the hipster surroundings of the Park Grille and coffee shops that seemed her natural habitat, but Morgan appeared at ease here.
She’d hooked her feet on the barstool and was staring at the huge gilt-framed mirror that rose to the ceiling.
With a start, Heidi’s gaze connected with Morgan’s in the reflection. Morgan smiled a slow, lazy smile, and she raised her margarita glass.
“Cheers,” Morgan said. “This is good shit.”
It must be strong shit, too, if Morgan was swearing. The tequila burned warm in Heidi’s stomach. How long since they’d had lunch in Fairplay? At least three or four hours. Heidi’s fingers itched to grab a handful of popcorn, but Morgan’s gaze in the mirror had her captivated.
Morgan sipped her drink, and her eyes in the mirror never left Heidi’s.
Heidi shifted closer on her stool, and her knee nudged Morgan’s.
Another shuffle and their thighs touched.
And still they stared at each other over the dusty bottles of unpopular spirits, over the oak bar.
Somewhere, someone laughed. The tourist couple finished their drinks and came to the bar to order more.
The cowboys took another swallow of beer.
The bartender walked into Heidi’s line of sight. She blinked, the connection broken. “Decided?” he asked.
Decided? On what? She stared at him. On Morgan?
On what they might do? The queen bed at their motel flashed into her mind.
Morgan on the left, Heidi on the right. That was what they’d decided.
And it was a big enough bed that they would be fine sharing.
That was also what they’d agreed. And now the bartender was asking them…
Wait. No.
“Food,” he said, tapping the menu with a bitten fingernail. “You going with the burger and bourbon sauce?”
“Er, yes, please.” Heidi heaved a shuddering breath. If the bartender wanted to make her dinner choice for her, that was fine.
Morgan flushed, and she gave the menu a cursory study. “The chicken burger, please.”
“Sauce?” the bartender asked.
“Uh, just plain.”
“Suit yourself.” He scooped up the menus. “But the pesto sauce is good on that one.”
“I’ll have that, then.” Morgan looked as if she would have chewed cardboard if someone suggested it.
“On it. And a couple more margs?”
Heidi nodded. They were good. They were about to eat. They could handle this.
For a moment, they were silent. Their thighs still touched.
Heidi wrapped her hands around her nearly empty glass simply so she didn’t drop her hand and rest it oh-so-casually on Morgan’s leg.
Didn’t slide her palm around to Morgan’s inner thigh and feel the heat through her jeans.
Didn’t trace a fingernail along the seam of her jeans just to hear Morgan’s breath hitch.
The bartender watched them in the mirror as he shook their margaritas. He took the lid off the shaker, added something from another bottle. Shook again, then poured the cocktails into two glasses. They seemed larger than the previous one.
“Here you go, ladies.” He slid the glasses across the bar. “Premium margs. See what you think. No extra cost for you tonight.”
“Thanks.” Morgan’s fingers shook as she picked up her glass and took a sip. “It’s good. And strong.”
The bartender nodded and moved away.
Heidi turned on her stool, picked up her glass. It was very good. And very strong. “I think I need food before I drink much more of this.”
Morgan leaned forward. “Do you think the bartender is trying to influence what happens between us this evening?” Her voice was husky, laced with amusement. “Maybe he knows someone at our motel. Knows we’ve got the last room with one bed. He’s seen how you stared at me in the mirror.”
Heat crawled up Heidi’s neck. “You were staring at me!”
“We were staring at each other.” Morgan tilted her head.
“You’re an interesting person, Heidi. Attractive.
Why wouldn’t I stare at you?” She tapped the back of Heidi’s free hand where it lay on her own thigh.
One tap, another, and then the tap turned into a caress, and Morgan’s fingers slid over the back of Heidi’s hand, running down her fingers, back to her wrist. Slow, so slow that Heidi closed her eyes as the image of Morgan’s fingers running over other parts of her body surged into her mind.
She was melting, caught in the moment. “What are you doing?” Her voice croaked.
Abruptly, Morgan sat back, and her hand lifted away. “Sorry. I guess the tequila is talking. I won’t—”
No, that wasn’t what she meant, and certainly not what she wanted.
They’d kissed. And always in the back of her mind was the thought that this trip could lead to more.
She’d hoped Morgan thought the same, and her fingers seemed to echo that.
“Don’t stop.” She slid forward on her stool, faced Morgan, and pushed the stool closer, so that Morgan was forced to part her thighs.
Then Heidi leaned in, rested her hands on Morgan’s thighs and kissed her.
Took her mouth as if they’d been lovers forever.
Took her mouth in a kiss that was an instant ignition, that took off from the last time they’d kissed.
No tentative, delicate kiss, this was a clash of lips, a taking, an acceptance that this was what they both wanted.
Heidi’s body took flight. Morgan leaned into her, and she curled her hands around Morgan’s shoulders to ground herself. Her head spun, a little from too-strong margaritas and a lot from how Morgan made her feel.
“Wow.” Morgan eased back from the kiss. “Did the world just tilt?”
“Maybe.” Heidi’s lips tingled, and she wanted nothing more than to resume their kiss. But, no. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bartender approach with their meals.
“Burger with bourbon sauce for you.” He set one plate down in front of Heidi. “And chicken pesto for you.” The other plate went in front of Morgan.
They sat back on their stools. Even in the dim light, Heidi could see Morgan’s eyes, wide and dark. Her hair floated on her shoulders in a pale cloud.
Later, Heidi wanted to say. Later, when we get back to our room and there’s no one to disturb us.
But later might bring reality, and that she’d have to accept, so she remained silent.
Instead, she took a fry, dunked it in the paper cup of barbecue sauce.
Took a sip of the oh-so-delicious marg and swiveled to face the bar so she could eat her dinner without dropping it all over herself.
Morgan, too, turned to face the mirror and picked up her burger.
The burger was good—great even—but Heidi ate mechanically. Sipped her drink. Watched Morgan in the mirror, watched Morgan watching her, until their gazes collided once more and Heidi looked away first.
They finished their food in silence. Heidi licked the last of the salt from the rim of her glass, took the final sip of her drink. “Do you want another?”
Morgan shook her head and nodded at the bartender to get the tab. “I’ll get this.”
“No, you drove.” Heidi pulled out her credit card—the Aussie one. She’d let her brother know she’d used it. “The deal was you drove, but I’d pay meals and accommodation. After all, this trip is for my benefit.”
“Just your benefit?” Morgan smiled a slow, wicked smile, and instantly, Heidi’s pulse spiked again.
Maybe their evening was not over yet.
They shrugged into their coats and left into the sharp cold outside. It had stopped snowing, but the plows were yet to clear the main street. The few cars on the road crawled through the inches of snow that had accumulated.
Heidi pulled her beanie more firmly over her head and turned up the collar of her coat, hunching into it. Her feet were already cold, but her body burned hot with anticipation. “At least we haven’t far to go.”
Morgan jammed her hands into her coat pockets and set a fast pace down the street. Heidi’s breath came fast and shallow as she walked next to Morgan. “Can you slow down a little?”
“Sorry.” Morgan slowed. “We’re at two miles high here. Even though you’re used to Denver at a mile high, the change in altitude affects most people.”
“I didn’t expect it to make so much difference.
” Heidi tucked her arm through Morgan’s.
She told herself it was to steady them both on the snowy sidewalk, or to ground her in her lightheadedness—altitude or alcohol, she wasn’t sure which.
But really, it was because she wanted to.
Wanted that connection to Morgan and didn’t want to lose it on the short walk to their motel.