Chapter 32 A Purple Door
A Purple Door
Morgan woke to the sun slanting through the gap in the drapes. Beside her, Heidi lay on her side facing her, still asleep. One hand, the fingers loosely curled, rested on the pillow, and her hair stuck out at weird angles.
What a night. What an amazing, intense night. Morgan’s lower body twinged pleasantly as she stretched. Her thighs were sticky, and she smelled of sex and Heidi. Sex with Heidi.
She lifted her head. There were her clothes, folded on the desk. She must have moved them there before they went to sleep. And there were Heidi’s clothes, scattered on the floor, along with Morgan’s panties.
Carefully, she shifted across the bed from Heidi.
Heidi’s eyes opened. “Hey.” Her eyes widened, and her fingers groped for Morgan’s and squeezed. “Hey, gorgeous naked person.”
Morgan couldn’t help the smile that spread like the sunrise. “Hey yourself.” She bent to kiss her. “You look beautiful when you sleep.”
Heidi rolled onto her back and stretched, arms over her head. “Thank you. I slept like a log. Like the dead.” She propped herself on one elbow. “How about you?”
Morgan considered. She, too, had slept like the dead, which was unusual for her. Was it the late night, after all the sex? Or was it the comfort of sharing a bed with Heidi? “I slept like a baby.” She bent to kiss Heidi’s lips. “And I’d love to keep lying here with you, but I need to pee.”
They both used the bathroom and then shared a shower, which led to more kisses, more cuddles, more mouths, hands, fingers, and tongues, plus another bone-shaking orgasm for each, which then made them take another shower.
Heidi made coffee, and they sat at the small table by the window, staring not at the gray sky outside but at each other.
They’d done it. Had sex. Slept together.
Fucked. Whatever you wanted to call it, it had happened, despite Morgan being so sure it was the wrong thing to do.
She dived deep into her head. How did she feel?
Her stomach churned, not with hunger but with nerves.
She was putting so much on the line: If things went wrong, if Heidi moved out, she’d be left to find another roommate.
And it wasn’t just her comfort level with a stranger.
There was Linda to consider, and the money she’d need.
Morgan pushed down the worry and faced Heidi. “Okay?” she asked.
“Okay. More than okay.” Heidi set down her coffee and picked up Morgan’s hand, turning it over so she could entwine their fingers. “Last night was amazing. This morning was too. The only thing not okay about this morning is this shitty coffee, but I guess we can’t have everything.”
“We’ll get a better cup somewhere else.”
Heidi tilted her head. “Are you okay? For a moment there, you had a panicked look on your face.” She squeezed Morgan’s hand. “We’ll work it out, whatever it is. We’re both adults.”
The worry came rushing back, but she managed a tremulous smile.
“And today we’re going to confront Serena. At least I hope we are. And I hope I think of something to say to her before we do.”
“Still no plan?” Morgan raised an eyebrow. “You, who are never at a loss for words, doesn’t know what to say?”
“I can think of lots I’d like to say, but none of it is wise. Or polite. Or likely to make Serena write me a check.”
“We don’t even know if she’ll be home.”
“That’s not reassuring. We’re booked here for tonight, but after that, we have to get back to Denver.”
Morgan stood and tugged Heidi’s hand until she stood as well.
She wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
Heidi sighed and rested her head down. For long moments, they stood together.
The warmth of Heidi’s body pulsed heat into Morgan, and the wave of affection took her by surprise.
She tightened her grip on Heidi and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll think of something.”
“Mm.” Heidi raised her head. “Right now, I’m not thinking of Serena.”
“Wicked.” Morgan kissed her, brushing her lips over Heidi’s, soft nibbling kisses that swiftly grew more heated, more intense.
Her lower body throbbed, and a mist filled her head.
Sex. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so consumed by it as she was now.
The urge to remove Heidi’s clothing and drag her back to bed nearly overwhelmed her.
Reluctantly, she stepped away. “We better go.”
After breakfast sausage links and eggs at the diner next door, plus coffee that was only marginally better than that in the motel, they headed for the address Brandon had provided.
Heidi zoomed in on the mapping app. “She’s two minutes away.”
In less than that, they arrived at Serena’s street and parked a short distance down from where she supposedly lived.
Morgan looked around at the houses. They were mostly small, and older than many of the other houses nearby reflecting Leadville’s history as a silver-mining town.
While some were cared for, painted in bright colors, others were run down, with peeling paint.
“It’s that one,” Heidi said. She nodded at what looked like a storefront, now converted to a residence with wide windows and a purple door. The mailbox was covered in snow, and no footsteps marked the path to the front door.
“I’m not sure if she’s been home since last night, going by the path,” Morgan said. “Or maybe she hasn’t left yet this morning.”
Heidi’s lips twisted. “Either of those would be Serena. Although there could be a back entrance.”
They walked around to the back lane and studied the rear of the cottage. The snow in the backyard was pristine, and no tire marks exited the small garage.
“I don’t think she’s home,” Heidi said. “There’s no smoke from the chimney either.” The houses on either side had a steady stream of smoke rising into the sky.
“Do you want to knock on the front door?”
“We’ve come all this way. It would be stupid not to try.”
They continued on around the block and back to the front of the house. The metal gate creaked open, pushing a smooth curve into the snow. The bell was an old-fashioned rope pull type, which echoed loudly in the house when Heidi tugged it.
There was no answer.
“What do we do now?” Heidi’s shoulders slumped, and she trudged back to the sidewalk.
“Find a decent cup of coffee. Explore the main street. Have lunch somewhere. Maybe return to our motel for a rest.” Morgan slipped her gloved hand into Heidi’s. “Keep checking here between all of that to see if she’s home.”
“A rest, huh?” Heidi’s cheeks glowed pink from the cold air. “I don’t know that we’ll get much resting done.”
~ ~ ~
They found a coffee shop with freshly ground coffee from a local roaster and then took a stroll along the main street.
“I love that there’s so many rainbow flags,” Heidi said. She pointed to a sign in a bicycle repair shop window listing all the things the business supported. “If I had a bike, I’d definitely get it repaired here.”
They browsed the shops along the main street. Heidi bought a new beanie, and a T-shirt for her niece. They walked past Serena’s house once more, but it was still deserted, the only footprints were theirs from earlier.
“What does she do for work?” Morgan asked. “Maybe we should try and track her down there? That could put extra pressure on her to do the right thing.”
“She’s worked retail, bar, the service industries, but she’s also worked as a personal carer. She could be anywhere. Most likely, she’s still curled up in a bed somewhere with last night’s conquest.”
After lunch and another check that Serena wasn’t home, they returned to their motel room.
Once the door was closed, Morgan turned to Heidi and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. “I hope we find Serena, but to be honest, I’m enjoying this: Leadville. Mainly, though, I’m enjoying being here with you. It’s an adventure.”
“Thank you for coming here with me.” Heidi leaned in and kissed her, their icy lips warming quickly as they kissed. “If you weren’t with me, I wouldn’t have the confidence to see this through.”
“You would have been okay. I think you’ll always find a way through. It’s part of your magic, Heidi.”
Heidi’s lips worked their magic as her hand burrowed under the layers of outside clothing to find her skin. Thoughts of Serena, Morgan’s own future, even the perils of sleeping with a roommate faded away. Now was for falling naked into bed and allowing herself to enjoy the moment.