Hidden Gifts (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance) (16 page)

The situation was all too damn complicated. Bo inhaled deeply, desperate to fill his lungs with air. He focused on the trail in front of him and carefully avoided looking behind him, even when Morgan’s sweet laughter rang through the air.
 

~ ~

Once they returned to the Lodge, the group split up. Bo managed to hang out in the barn just long enough to avoid Morgan, who he knew had to hurry and get ready for her shift. It was a chicken move, but he didn’t know what to say to her. He’d spent the rest of the ride back going over his options and the only conclusion he’d reached was that he had no clue what to do.
 

By the time Bo finished with his duties, Ella was asleep in a pile of blankets in the tack room. He scooped her light weight into his arms and started back to the main building. She instinctively snuggled close to him and his heart clenched. He took his time walking the trail, enjoying his daughter in his arms because only in sleep did she seem to trust him. No matter what Morgan said, Bo wasn’t sure Ella had bonded with him yet. Or if she ever would.

Instead of heading straight back to the condo, Bo had to stop in the main building to sign off on the trip and check his schedule. Carmen was the first person he saw when he walked through the doors. She was talking to a woman and a man; they had their backs to him but something about the woman was familiar.

Carmen saw Bo but didn’t smile. She said something to the couple, who turned around and looked at him. Bo’s first instinct was to squeeze Ella a little tighter against the penetrating stare of Clara Kersey, the social worker. He looked to the man. Bo had never seen him before, but the man’s familiar brown eyes told Bo exactly who he was and more important, why he was there. Clara had found Ella’s uncle.
 

Chapter Eighteen

It had only been one day since they’d returned from their overnight trip, and although Bo was busy, Morgan was still hoping to see him soon after they returned. She felt like a teenager caught up in the bliss of a crush and she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She couldn’t wait to get down to the Cub’s Club for the start of the day because of course Ella was scheduled, which meant she’d get to see two of her favorite people.
 

“I didn’t think your shift started for another hour.” Sleepy eyed, Astrid appeared from her bedroom and made a beeline to the coffeepot.
 

Morgan took another big gulp from her own cup and smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with getting a head start on the day, is there?”

Astrid shook her head, the beads in her hair clicking together, and slumped into the chair.
 
“The energy is just way off with you morning people. Besides, you wouldn’t be nearly so perky if you’d come to the party last night. That would’ve settled you down a bit.”

When she’d returned from her private babysitting job the night before, Astrid had tried to drag her to a party in another of the staff buildings, but Morgan had been worn out after a day on horseback and then working, so she’d begged off.
 

“I wasn’t in the party mood,” she said. “But it looks like it must have been a good one.”

Astrid grabbed her head. “I have to think there’s some bad spiritual karma for whoever thought beer pong was a good idea.”

Morgan laughed, but handed her friend a glass of water and some Tylenol. “Take this.”

Astrid dutifully swallowed the pills. “I think I would hate you for looking so good this morning if I didn’t love you for taking care of me.” She crossed her arms on the table and rested her head.

“Aw, I love you, too. Now go back to bed,” Morgan ordered. “You don’t start till three, which means you have lots of time to rest. Why are you even awake?”

“I wanted to ask you something.” Astrid’s voice was mumbled in her arms.

Morgan glanced at her watch. She still had time so she poured some more coffee. “What’s that?”

Astrid propped her head up with one arm. “Jeff was saying something last night about Bo.”

Her face immediately burned with heat, and she was sure her face was probably the same shade as the bowl of apples on the table. Her brain spun with what Jeff could have said. Surely Bo wouldn’t have told his friend about them. Not before they’d even figured anything out.

“Oh?” was all Morgan could manage.
 

Astrid took a tentative sip of her coffee before continuing. “Yeah, and I just wondered if he’d been acting weird on the trip. The whole thing seems so strange that I couldn’t even believe it when Jeff told me. But Jeff was pretty pissed about it—his aura was flaming red and black. And I’ve never seen it so dark. Jeff is normally a blue and green kinda guy—”

“Wait.” It took Morgan a second to catch up with Astrid was saying. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s usually so bright and vibrant.” Astrid rubbed her eyes and blinked hard. “But last night he was so dark. Stormy almost.”

“Jeff was?” Morgan struggled to keep up with what Astrid was talking about. “Why would he be angry? It doesn’t have anything to do with him.”
 

She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until Astrid said, “Jeff was pissed because he thought Bo made the wrong choice.”

“With me?” Morgan blurted before she could stop herself.
 

Her outburst seemed to shake Astrid from her sleepy stupor. She sat up and examined Morgan. “Wait,” Astrid said. “What are you talking about? Did you and Bo—“

“No.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow.
 

“We didn’t,” Morgan insisted. The heat in her face grew more intense but she didn’t look away. “Why would Jeff be upset about
…
well, whatever he was upset about.”

“You don’t know? I thought for sure you’d be upset too. I’m actually shocked to find you so-”

“No,” she whispered, cutting Astrid off. The hair on the back of Morgan’s neck stood up and a tingle of what could only be fear streaked through her landing in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, she shook her head from side to side.
 
“Tell me.”

“Bo sent Ella away.”
 

The words reverberated through Morgan’s skull before she could process them. “What? With who?” They were the only two questions she could manage to get out.

Astrid took another sip of coffee before answering. Morgan had to force herself not to rip the mug out of her friend’s hand and force her to tell her everything she knew. “Some lady from Social Services was here when they got back from the trip. I guess there was a guy with her, too.”
 

“And they took Ella?”

Morgan’s chest ached for what Bo must be going through. For them to just come and take his little girl, after everything they’d been through. And Ella. She must be terrified. Morgan put her mug on the counter, and turned to leave. She had to find Bo and help him.

“They didn’t take her,” Astrid said. “He gave Ella to them. I guess he’d called them and asked them to come. That’s why Jeff was so angry.”

Time froze as Morgan turned around and looked at Astrid. “He gave Ella to them?”
 

Astrid nodded. “Are you okay, Morgan?”
 

She nodded and rubbed absently at her arms. It couldn’t be true. Bo wouldn’t do that.
 

“Morgan?” Astrid put her hand on Morgan’s arm. She hadn’t even noticed that Astrid had gotten up from the table. “Do you need to sit down? You don’t look so good.”

Morgan shook off her friend’s touch. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “I have to go.”
 

~ ~

Morgan went straight to Bo’s condo and banged on the door. She needed to hear it directly from him. She needed to hear him tell her that he’d sent his beautiful, broken daughter away. Disbelief had given way to anger on the short walk through the wooded trails and Morgan was ready to demand answers.

“Bo!” She hit the door again. “Let me in.”

Before she could bang again, the door swung open and a girl that Morgan recognized from the staff BBQ and had only met once or twice, appeared, wearing only Bo’s denim shirt over bare legs. Morgan took a shaky step backward, and swallowed hard.
 

“Morgan, right?” The girl leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms. “I’ve seen you—“

“Where’s Bo?”

The girl’s face hardened and she stood straight. “He’s not here.”

She was lying. She had to be lying. Morgan forced herself to make eye contact with the girl whose name continued to elude her. “I need to talk to him.”
 

“That makes two of us,” she said. “When you find him, you can let him know that I’m not impressed.”

Morgan stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock before turning and walking down the trail. She heard the door close behind her but she didn’t look back. Despite the storm brewing inside her, she still had a job to do. She needed to get to the Cub’s Club. People were depending on her, and there was no point wandering around, anyway. Bo would have come to her if he’d wanted to talk about whatever it was that happened. He hadn’t. And the half-naked girl—Morgan refused to let herself think about what seeing her meant. Bo didn’t owe her anything. Obviously, despite what she’d thought only a short time ago, they didn’t have a relationship; he could do what he wanted.
 

But even as she tried to rationalize it in her mind, Morgan’s stomach knotted and a sense of heaviness descended on her. For just a moment, she’d allowed herself to believe that it could be possible to fall for someone. She dared to think it might work with Bo, that not only could she accept his situation, but welcome it. And maybe, they could even be a—no, she wouldn’t even think the word. Because now she’d never know. As quickly as it had come, the possibility was gone. She kicked at a stray pinecone on the trail and sent it skittering into the bush.

By the time Morgan walked through the doors to the Cub’s Club, she was resigned that whatever she may or may not have had with Bo was nothing more than a convenient distraction for him while he sorted things out with Ella and got back to his regular life.
 

“Are you okay, Morgan?” Lisa asked when Morgan wandered into the office.
 

Morgan nodded and took the clipboard from the desk. Only four kids were signed up for the day. Ella’s name had been crossed out. Her stomach flipped and the tightness in her chest grew as she stared at the clipboard.
 

“Morgan?”

She blinked back the unwelcome tears and thrust the clipboard back at Lisa. “The kids should be here soon,” Morgan said, changing the subject. “We should get ready.”
 

~ ~

The morning went by in a haze and for Morgan, everything felt wrong. More than once, she caught herself looking to the pile of pillows where Ella liked to curl up and nap. When the kids had popsicles, she couldn’t help but think of Ella and her sticky red fingers the first time they’d met. It was crazy how in only a few short weeks, one child could wrap herself around Morgan’s heart so completely. And then break it with her absence.

Thankful for Lisa, Morgan wandered from one activity to another all day, only half-heartedly engaging with the kids. She needed to snap out of it and do her job, but no matter how much she told herself she was being ridiculous, Morgan couldn’t stop thinking about Bo and Ella. She remembered the way Bo had rushed into the room with Ella in his arms the day she’d tripped and skinned her knee. He’d been so concerned, so caring. How could that be the same Bo who had given his daughter to Social Services? How could the same man who had grilled Morgan for ways to connect with Ella turn around and get rid of her?
 

“Morgan?” Lisa’s voice broke her thoughts and it took her a moment to realize that Lisa was speaking to her. She lifted a hand in response and Lisa continued, “I thought we could do some paintings with the kids today. Could you go mix them up?”
 

Morgan nodded her response. Normally, it would be her asking Lisa to get the supplies ready. But nothing was normal and nothing made sense. She went to the supply station and started taking the powdered paints out of the cupboard. Without measuring, Morgan dumped some blue powder in the red cup and went back to her thoughts.

The more she went over what had happened, the more questions she had. The Bo she’d gotten to know, the one she was falling in love with, wouldn’t do what everyone said he’d done. But then again, she reminded herself, maybe she didn’t know Bo at all. Their kisses had been passionate and deep and had definitely left her craving more. And she’d been so sure that Bo felt the same way. After all, hadn’t she seen that same desire reflected in his eyes, and felt it in the way he touched her? She had. She knew she had.
 

A flare of anger ripped through her and she jerked back, spilling the red powder she was measuring all over the floor. “Crap!” She slammed the container down on the cupboard and tried to wipe up the mess. The powder smeared into a red smudge. “Oh, come on,” Morgan said to herself and the increasing mess. Tears flooded her eyes as she stopped and stared at the mess.
 

“Morgan?” Lisa appeared at her side.
 

“I don’t know what to do,” Morgan whispered.
 

“It’s just paint. It’s okay.” Lisa took her arm and led her to the private office.
 

“No, it’s not okay.”
 

Lisa sat her in the chair and handed her a tissue. “You don’t seem like yourself today.”

That was an understatement and they both knew it.
 

“I miss her, too,” Lisa said softly. “If you want to talk
…
”
 

Morgan shook her head.
 

“Okay, well, I have everything under control out there. Why don’t you just stay in here for a bit until you feel better?”
 

Morgan nodded and laid her head on the desk, cradling it in her arms. Of course, Lisa knew what had happened. News travelled fast at the Lodge. Everyone probably also knew about how Morgan had fallen for his act. She’d been played, by Castle Mountain’s biggest player. She’d known about his reputation, and let it happen anyway. Morgan’s tears fell on the desk, splashing against her skin. She’d been a fool and now, nothing made sense.