MVP (3 page)

“Hell yeah.”

“Good, I’m going to grab some chow. Where’s your momma?”

“Over there talking to Bodine.”

“First, I kiss your momma, then I’ll grab some grub. Morgan, how about I sing you this new song I’ve been working on around the bonfire tonight?” Tate flashed a pearly white grin.

Seth shook his head. “You ain’t serenading my wife, McGill.”

* * *

Most of the party goers from the barbeque had gone home; only about a dozen people remained. As promised, Tate was sitting by the bonfire with his guitar in hand, ready to entertain. Ray and Josh, two of the ranch hands, worked on the fire while Bodine poured some mysterious contents into jelly jars.

“Here you go, Morgan.” Bodine handed her a jar and gave her a thumbs up.

Morgan, who was on the phone with Michelle, her assistant at the bookstore, took a sip of the contents and winced. She ended the call thanking Michelle for taking over while she was away and told her she’d make it up to her.

“Everything all right?” Seth dropped a few logs on the bonfire.

“Michelle is just curious about what’s going on down here. And she wants me to bring her back a hunky Texas man like you.”

Seth rubbed her shoulders.

“Is this moonshine or bathtub gin?” Morgan took another sip from the jelly jar. “It tastes awful.”

“Something like that. Bodine, don’t give my wife that swill. You’ll rot her insides.” Seth took the glass out her hand.

“Trust me, you’ll thank me in the morning.” Bodine laughed.

The stars illuminated the night sky. Morgan leaned against a fence, counting as many as she could. Seth retrieved blankets from his truck, insisting she put one on to fend off the night air.

“Your mother warned me about your over protective nature.” She grinned slowly at him as he draped the blanket over her shoulders.

“I got it honest. My father taught me many things about women.”

“Yeah, like what?”

“That the stubborn ones need the most attention.”

“I think I like the word feisty better than stubborn.”

Seth kissed her. “Look it up in the dictionary some time, your picture is next to both words.”

Tate’s hand slipped off the guitar and Bodine burst out laughing. Seth put a few more pieces of wood on the bonfire before pulling Morgan down with him to sit on a blanket.

Morgan stole his Stetson and placed it on her head. “So can we play hot cowboy when we get back to Philly?”

“The hat stays here. So, if you want to see Reed’s Fire, this hat, and those cowboy boots, you have to come here to the ranch.”

“That’s not fair, we play naughty librarian at least twice a week.”

“The things I do to avoid a library fine.” Seth grinned. “Come here.”

Morgan purred like a kitten when Seth pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

Tate laughed. “Oh yeah, she’s feeling it.”

Morgan looked at Tate. “So you two went to high school together?”

Seth brushed a stray hair out of her face. “Actually, Tate and I have known each other since we were five. We did everything together. He even lived with us the last two years of high school. He’s a pretty decent football player, but he turned down a college scholarship to pursue music.”

Tate cleared his throat. “My best friend is exaggerating. I was OK on the field but nothing compared to the feats he performed. Sometimes I think he has a robotic arm. It was clear which one of us was going to take it all the way to the NFL.”

Seth scoffed. “That’s not true.”

“It is. If it weren’t for him I would have been cut from our high school team the first year. Seth told our coach if I didn’t play, neither would he. Can you believe that?”

Seth leaned in close to Morgan’s ear. “He just needed a little direction.”

“I knew the best thing to do was to get him the ball.”

Morgan smiled. “So singing was your true calling?”

“Yeah, I’ve always been good with a guitar. Besides, with all the girls falling all over him, I had to come up with a gimmick.”

Seth laughed. “You definitely got more action than me, Tate. He’d whip out that guitar and girls would be all over him. He was having concerts in high school.”

“I remember one time when that cheerleader Rebecca tried to date both of us.” Tate howled with laughter.

Seth put his hand over his face. “That was a nightmare. Thank goodness we found out before either of us sealed the deal. We always had one rule: no fighting over women.”

Morgan nodded. “That was a good rule.”

Tate paused, but his fingers remained on the guitar. “Rebecca figured neither of us would tell the other. But we’d compare notes to make sure we weren’t crossing over into each other’s territory.”

“We both dumped her on the same day.” Seth raised his beer bottle in salute.

“And then there was this time I saved his ass.”

“When did you save my ass, Tate?” Seth crinkled his brow, puzzled.

“That time I uncovered the plot the cheerleaders had to kidnap you. I don’t know how twelve dainty girls did it but they somehow kidnapped my boy and had him tied up in the girls’ locker room. They all got tired of fighting over him and decided that it was only fair that he deflower all of them at the same time.”

Seth let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Luckily I caught wind of it and told the principal. They found him backed into a corner fighting for his life.” Tate laughed. “They all got suspended for a week and couldn’t cheer for three games. The whole high school was in an uproar.”

“Those girls were aggressive and had a thorough plan. I’d never done that much talking in my life.” Seth ran his hand through his hair.

Morgan gave Seth a suspicious look. “Being trapped in a locker room with a cheerleading squad didn’t appeal to you?”

“Men have the right to say no too.”

“Seth has always been a one woman at a time kind of guy,” Tate said. “He was hung up on Penny at the time. I tried hostage negotiating and taking his place but they wouldn’t go for it.”

“Penny was your high school sweetheart?” Morgan asked.

“Something like that,” Seth mumbled.

When Seth wouldn’t elaborate, Morgan just smiled. “Sounds like friendship is important to the two of you?”

“Good friends are hard to find.” Tate nodded.

“Amen.” Seth raised his beer bottle in salute again. “But it did give you a lot of song writing material.”

“Hey McGill, I thought you were singing me a song?” Morgan murmured.

“Your husband doesn’t look like he’s in the mood for another man to be singing to his woman. But I will be thinking about you while I sing it.” Tate winked at her.

Morgan erupted in a fit of giggles.

The sweet sound of Morgan’s giggles sent waves of pleasure to Seth’s heart. He loved her carefree laughter, a close second to the soft feel of her skin. The first time they had made love after their wedding ceremony, the feel of her skin was burned onto his hands, every part of him aware of the silky feel of her.

As Tate sang his sweet love song, the words echoed what Seth felt. Morgan stretched her legs and
crossed them, her pale pink cowboy boots catching the light of the fire. She had been so excited when she had gotten out of the truck, showing them off.

He wished they could stay like this, by the fire, under the stars at the ranch with those he loved around him. He was finally ready for love, ready for the children Morgan told him she wanted. She surprised him with that one. He thought he’d have to convince her to have at least one child, but she was open to a litter of kids. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that the Blake men had a long line of boys in the family and the chances for a girl would be slim. He remembered how rambunctious he and his brothers were and how they drove his mother crazy.

Morgan looked up at him, studying his face. “I love you, Seth Blake.”

“I love you too.” Seth placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“Are we going to go riding tonight?

“I’m afraid it’s too dark. We can go out in the morning after breakfast.”

“Can you teach me how to ride bareback?” she whispered in his ear.

Seth rose to his feet with Morgan in his arms. “Gentlemen, we are turning in for the night.”

Bodine laughed. “I told you. One sip of that and a woman is putty in your hands. Why do you think Bonnie is still married to me?”

“Because you knocked her up twenty-eight years ago.” Tate plucked one of his guitar strings.

“Goodnight, everybody,” Morgan murmured, her eyes on Seth and Seth alone.

“Good night, darlin’.” Tate raised his jelly jar in salute. “As usual, I sing the love songs and Blake gets the girl. Brings back memories.”

* * *

When Morgan woke the next morning, she felt like a jack hammer was going off inside her head. Seth was still sleeping peacefully beside her with his Stetson covering his face. She tried to turn in the bed but her legs felt heavy. Morgan peeked under the covers to find she was still wearing her cowboy boots. What the hell were they doing last night?

She lifted the Stetson and put it on the night stand. Seth didn’t make a move until she pulled back the covers to remove her boots.

“Morning.” He her gave a lazy smile.

She winced. “Please don’t shout.”

“I’m not. It’s that damn whiskey you drank last night.” Seth held up the jelly jar that was on the night table.

“Why didn’t you take it away from me?”

“I did. You grabbed another one on the way back to the house. Then you threatened to divorce me if I took it again.” He shook his head and chuckled.

“And you believed me?” She laid her pounding head on Seth’s shoulder.

“There was a lesson waiting to be learned. Listen to your husband and you won’t get hangovers from illegal whiskey.”

Morgan ran her hand through Seth’s hair. “Why do I still have my boots on?”

“Because you gave me the ride of my life last night.” Seth flashed a devilish grin.

She groaned. “I don’t remember what happened after we left the bonfire.”

“Did you, by any chance, take any gymnastics classes when you were in school?”

“Two semesters in high school. Why?”

“I’d like to make a donation to your high school’s athletics program. Your dismount is of an Olympic caliber.” He leaned in to kiss her.

“Exactly how much fun did we have last night?” Morgan moved away, shooting him a suspicious look.

“Well, we stopped short of you taking pictures of my ‘hot body’ and sending them to Michelle.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“I don’t care how drunk I was, I never would have done that.”

“Don’t worry, baby, your super freak status is safe with me.”

Morgan gasped as she spied bruises on his chest. “Oh my goodness, did I bite you?”

“Yes.” He laughed. “This one is my favorite.” Seth turned over onto his side, displaying his back.

Morgan searched his back, arms, and shoulders. “I don’t see anything.”

“That’s because you’re looking for New York when you should be looking for Florida.”

Morgan’s eyes drifted lower until she reached his ass. There were two distinct bites marks. “Why did you let me bite you?”

“We were trying something new. I went with the flow. You don’t hear me complaining. Any other sports you took up in high school?”

“Fencing.” She smirked. “Let’s see you turn that into something dirty.”

“I can lunge at you with my saber any time you like.”

“You know fencing?”

“Good for hand-eye coordination. I like to watch if I catch it on TV. Besides, you never know when sword fighting will come back in style.”

She laughed while rubbing her temples. “Do you have something for a hangover?”

“I don’t know if you deserve it.” Seth tickled her sides.

“Ouch! Don’t make me giggle, it makes my head hurt.”

“Damn. I suppose I can mix up something I call the Morning after Mixer. I make it for the guys when they party too hard when we’re on the road.”

She peered from behind the pillow. “What’s in it?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Raw eggs?” She shuddered, remembering the concoctions he made daily.

“And tomato juice, some lime, a little cooking lard—”

Morgan clamped her hand over his mouth. “Just bring the drink.”

* * *

Seth kissed his mom when he entered the kitchen. “Good morning, my beautiful mother.”

“Good morning, baby. Where’s Morgan?”

“Upstairs. I have to whip her up a patch of my hangover cure. She drank some of Bo’s paint thinner last night.” He looked through the window and saw the landscaper outside looking at sketches. “What’s going on out there?”

“I was thinking Morgan might like to change some of the flowers. Maybe we can plant some things she likes.”

“That’s a great idea. Thank you for making her feel at home.”

“I like Morgan. She’s not one for wasting words. She says exactly what’s on her mind.”

“Reminds me of another woman I know.” He chuckled.

“I always knew you’d end up with a fireball. But can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” Seth perused the fridge for the ingredients for his hangover concoction.

“Did you tell Morgan about Penny?”

Seth froze while moving aside a carton of milk. He hadn’t thought about Penny in a long time. The day he had seen Morgan on that island, his daily thoughts of his high school sweetheart had diminished.
I want to be more than Mrs. Seth Blake,
were the last words she had ever said to him.

Seth continued his rummaging. “Not much to tell.”

Teri-Lyn sighed. “You are a generous man but now it’s coming back to bite you on the ass no matter how noble it was.”

“Momma…”

“Don’t Momma me. You wrote a pretty big check so Penny could start that clinic. How are you going to explain that to Morgan?”

“Penny and I went our separate ways when being with Seth Blake became too much for her. The money for the clinic was a friendly gesture and a sound investment.”

“But you were still hung up on her for a long time.”

“Penny was my first love.” He shrugged.