TJ
Satisfied. The word popped into TJ’s head as he watched Morgan push her empty plate aside. He wasn’t referring to Morgan finishing her meal. He was thinking of his own state. Physically and emotionally, he was fatigued, but it was a feeling of fulfillment, not exhaustion. Their time together last night had strengthened their bond. And what she’d shared with him about her parents had been mind-blowing. Finally, he’d met someone who understood his complicated family situation. And for the first time ever, he’d connected with a woman who really cared about him and who made him want to do better and be better. If there was such thing as a soulmate, he’d found it in Morgan.
The person who was constantly in his thoughts leaned across the table toward him, clasping his hands. “You know, we can’t show up at home at the same time. And we can’t be seen together in town anymore. Not until we figure out how to tell my dad about us.”
He met her halfway across the table with a wistful kiss. “I know,mi dulce. But sneaking around is not my thing. It’s mentally exhausting. And expensive.”
“But you have to admit it’s exhilarating! I haven’t had this much fun in years!”
Her joy was infectious. Watching her demeanor change from stressed and worried to the sassy, fun country girl he’d so quickly fallen for warmed his insides. He was willing to wait a bit longer for her sake. He felt like they could conquer anything together.
“Glad to hear you’re having fun with me. And honestly, you’re worth every minute of lost sleep and every penny spent.” He paused, wrinkling his brow in an attempt to alleviate the building tension at the issue that still plagued them. “I have to be honest with you, though. I don’t like having to hide that we’re together. Especially from your father—my boss. We need to figure it out soon.”
“I know. I don’t like it, either. But we can’t risk him finding out right now. You can’t lose your job. And I can’t lose you.”
He knew it was time for their weekend getaway to come to an end. He was stalling, avoiding the inevitable, looking down at their clasped hands joined across the table. He couldn’t bring himself to let go of her just yet.
He rubbed the top of her hands with his thumbs. “Why don’t you head on back home now? I can stop by the feed store to pick up the supply order and run a few errands. That’ll take me a while.”
After settling their tab, they slowly made their way to the parking lot
“Give me your keys. I’ll open your door for you.” He clicked the key fob to unlock the driver’s door, then opened it wide and ushered her in. When she sat in the car, he leaned down beside her at eye-level. It was then he noticed the tears sparkling in her eyes. “Why the tears,mi dulce?”
“I don’t know. Just sad, I guess. I feel like a kid about to leave for summer camp. I’ll miss you.”
He gently wiped away the wetness from her eyes with his thumbs. “I’ll miss you, too. But I’ll see you soon, and we can always text and talk on the phone. Now kiss me and then get your sweet ass home.”
When he made it back to the farm, he noticed Morgan’s car in its usual spot near the house. As he began unloading the truck, he was grateful for some physical labor to release his pent-up frustration at the thought of her being so close, yet so far away. He wished he could barge into the house right now and take Morgan in his arms, job and Sean be damned. His heart ached at the thought of losing her. But how was he going to keep working here, atherhome, surrounded byherlife, and not lose his mind? He hadn’t wanted to upset her any more than she already was about their situation, but something had to give—and soon. Before they’d left Tupelo, they agreed to keep things on the down-low all week and figure out later how to spend next weekend together.
As he threw the last bale of hay up into the hayloft, he growled in frustration. Five days physically apart from Morgan seemed like an eternity.
15
MORGAN
Morgan’s mind was in turmoil. Memories of the weekend flashed through her brain, colliding in conflict. Her happiness with TJ was tempered by anguish over the situation with her father. She knew she couldn’t continue like this much longer. It was absolutely overwhelming, filling her with guilt and anxiety. She needed to focus on coming up with a solution soon that would make everyone happy.
When Tegan locked the front door of the salon so they could take their lunch break, she pounced. “Okay girl, you’ve been moping around here all morning. What’s going on? Did you see TJ this weekend?”
“Yes.” At the mention of the man’s name, her expression changed from that of a sad puppy to a contented kitten. “We had a wonderful weekend.”
“Then why the troubled look all morning? I’m sure your clients noticed you weren’t your usual chatty self.”
Her smile disappeared, her lips pressing together in a slight grimace. “I’m sorry about that. I just can’t handle the sneaking around. Not being upfront with Dad. He’ll fire TJ if he finds out about us and it’s tearing me up inside. Something’s gotta give, and soon.”
“Speaking offire, if you play with it, you’re bound to get burned. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I know it looks hopeless to you, but from the outside looking in, it’s not that bad. Please, just talk to your dad. Before he finds out from someone else.”
Her shoulders slumped forward and her limbs felt heavy. The situation definitely felt hopeless. “But you know how unreasonable he can be! Unjustifiably so. I’m an adult; he needs to let me live my life and stop worrying about me.” She knew she sounded like a petulant child rather than a strong adult, but she couldn’t help it.
“Put yourself in your father’s shoes for a minute. It’s always been just the two of you. I’m sure it’s hard for him to realize his little girl is all grown up. Being your dad has been his number one priority all these years. Maybe he’s afraid you’ll leave him behind like your mother did.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, becoming defensive at the perceived lack of sympathy from her friend. “But he’s got Angela now. He’s finally letting himself love again. She’s good for him. So why is he acting the way he is? He knows I’ll always be his daughter and in his life. That won’t change.”
“But does he know? Maybe you need to remind him.”
“Maybe.” She chewed on her lip, no closer to a solution and still wallowing in self-pity.
* * *
