Kathleen sat nervously in a large leather reclining chair wrapped in a blanket, watching news reports on her iPad while listening to the rain. Everyone was standing around as if nothing was happening. It was like they were all just hanging out at a friend’s house. It was after midnight, and everyone had just enjoyed a huge barbecue dinner that Ms. Monica and a few guys prepared under the back patio. A number of the staff had called it a night. Others were playing card games and watching movies. Even though Adrian and others assured her that Morgan was okay, Kathleen needed to see it for herself.
Her phone beeped. She was receiving yet more calls and texts from her family. Kathleen had told everyone that she was safe and fine, but like her, they wouldn’t be satisfied until they saw it for themselves. Kathleen promised to call everyone in the morning. She was too tired, physically and mentally, to deal with anyone right now. All she wanted to do was find Morgan so they could talk. However, Kathleen knew she wouldn’t make it out the door without someone stopping her. Plus, she had no idea where he was, so she played what she would say to him over and over in her mind until she fell asleep.
It was after eight the next morning when Kathleen woke to the sound of laughter and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She scanned the room, but there was still no sign of Morgan. “You can run, but you can’t hide from me for long, Mr. Kingsley,” she murmured to herself. Kathleen picked up her bag and made her way to the ladies’ room, where she freshened up and put on a new set of clothes. After changing into a clean pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, she slipped her feet back into her boots and returned to the lounge.
“There you are,” Adrian said, walking up to Kathleen.
“Here I am. Good morning.”
“Good morning to you too. I came to tell you that we just got the all clear.”
“All clear?” Kathleen’s brows knitted together.
“Yes, the freeway is open, so you can go home.”
Kathleen shook her head. “Did Morgan send you to tell me to go home?”
“Yes...no. I mean, he told me to tell everyone.”
Kathleen turned her back to him. “Sure he did,” she replied, fighting back tears.
“Look, you can ask him yourself. He just walked in.”
“What?” Kathleen turned in time to see Morgan walking across the room with purpose toward her. Her heart rate increased with every step he took. He looked tired, and his beard was way past its five-o’clock expiration. The black jeans, white company T-shirt and work boots he wore screamed sexy.
“Good morning, Kathleen,” Morgan greeted her.
“Good morning,” she replied, searching his face for any signs of anger but finding none.
“That’s my cue,” Adrian said, walking away.
“Did Adrian tell you—”
“That it was safe for me to go home? Yes, he delivered your message.” Her voice was curt.
“I’m sure you’d like to sleep in your own bed.”
“Yes, I would. Care to join me?” She held his gaze.
Morgan held his hands at his sides, dropped his shoulders and exhaled noisily. “Actually I—”
“Morgan,” Adrian yelled from across the room. “Morgan, you need to hear this.”
They both turned toward Adrian, who had a worried look on his face. Kathleen followed Morgan over to where Adrian stood. “What’s going on?”
“The hurricane missed us but Port Arthur got hit pretty bad, and Main Street is impassable. There’s debris everywhere. They’re opening an emergency shelter in the old meatpacking warehouse outside town.”
“Let’s pack up all the excess supplies we have here and get them over to the warehouse,” Morgan ordered. “We can set this place up as a rest station for the first responders. We can open the kitchen here and if anyone can make it in to help out, great.”
“They also need access to our heavy-duty vehicles for a few rescues. Some communities got flooded, and they don’t have a way to get to the people who need help.”
“Of course, whatever they need,” Morgan assured him.
“Here.” Adrian handed him a pink piece of paper. “The mayor wants you to give him a call.”
“Thanks.” Morgan turned and faced Kathleen. “You should probably go home.”
Kathleen reached for his hand. “I can stay and help.”
“You need to go home and get some rest. It’ll be safer for you too. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’ll call you as soon as I can.” Morgan leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before turning to leave.
Kathleen wiped away a lone tear that fell as she watched Morgan walk away. She walked over to where she’d left her purse and pulled out her phone. “You have no idea who you’re in love with. I’m not going anywhere without you, Mr. Kingsley,” she said as she dialed and waited for her call to connect. Kathleen knew that there was a way she could help the town and its people who had been so wonderful to her whenever she was in town.
“Kathleen, thank God you’re all right. I’ve been worried sick.” His accent was thick and his voice full of fear.
“I’m fine, Daddy, but I need your help.”
* * *
Morgan and his team spent the rest of the day and most of the evening helping the small town start to recover, from aiding with rescue operations to setting up smaller shelters. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, Morgan wanted Kathleen by his side. He knew they had a lot to work out and he certainly had a lot of questions, but Morgan loved Kathleen, and he wasn’t letting her go. Morgan prayed he hadn’t blown it by pushing her away, trying to keep her safe. He knew she thought the worst of him because he hadn’t had time to explain. Morgan only hoped she wasn’t too upset. He wanted to call Kathleen and ask her to come back but how could he after insisting that she leave?
As they drove through the town on their way back to the plant, Morgan noticed a path down Main Street had been cleared, allowing easier access from one side of town to the other. Several lights had been set up, illuminating the way. Large Dumpsters, cranes and trucks were parked on the outskirts of town. The name on the side of each vehicle—Winston Construction—caught his attention. Several black SUVs were parked in the parking lot of the largest hotel still in full operation.
“Pull over,” Morgan ordered.
“What’s up?”
“That’s what I want to find out,” Morgan stated, his curiosity aroused. He knew this had to be Kathleen’s doing.
Adrian pulled into the lot, parked near the door and cut the engine. “Now what?”
“Now you go inside and have a beer at the bar.”
“There’s beer and food back at the plant, you know. Are you buying?”
“Don’t I always?” he reminded Adrian as he exited the truck.
Both men entered the quiet lobby, waved at the familiar faces behind the desk and walked into the bar. Several men unfamiliar to him were drinking, eating and watching different sports games and the news coverage of the storm on the different TVs.
“How about that beer?” Adrian asked as he took a seat at the bar.
“Sure.” Morgan sat on the stool next to Adrian and took in the environment.
“Now what?” Adrian asked, trying to get the bartender’s attention. “Two long-neck Budweisers.”
“Coming right up,” the bartender replied.
Morgan scanned the room and noticed an older brown skinned, gray-haired gentleman wearing a gray suit sitting at a corner table alone near the bar’s front window, nursing what appeared to be a glass of whiskey.
“Here you go.” The bartender handed both beers.
“Thanks,” they chorused.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“How about a little information?” Adrian asked.
“Information is my specialty,” he replied, leaning across the bar.
“You know anything about these cats in here tonight?” Adrian asked.
“They’re from out of town, and they all work for the dude in the corner,” he said.
“How do you know that?” Morgan asked.
“A couple of the guys told me. They’re in town to help the town recover from the storm.”
“That’s cool,” Adrian said, reaching for the peanut bowl and pulling out several packages.
“Thanks,” Morgan replied, turning to face the room.
“No problem.”
“What are you looking for?” Adrian asked.
“I’ll know when I see them,” he replied, taking a long pull from his bottle.
“Wow, who is that?” Morgan followed his friend’s line of sight.”
“Wait, is that Kathleen? No...but she looks like her,” Adrian said.
“Yes, she does,” Morgan agreed, knowing who she had to be.
A beautiful woman wearing a red pantsuit and heels had joined the older man at the table. Before Morgan could react, Kathleen entered the bar, wearing an off-the-shoulder blue denim dress that came to just above her knee and heels that made her legs look longer than normal. Her exposed skin was like a siren’s call to him. Kathleen headed for the table, offering a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“There’s Kathleen,” Adrian said, pointing with his beer bottle.
“I see.” Morgan stood, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and dropped it on the bar. “You can take off if you want. I’ll get a ride.”
Adrian laughed. “I bet you will.”
Morgan made his way over to the table. As he approached, he heard Kathleen and her guest conversing in French. Before he could introduce himself, Kathleen whipped her head around and caught sight of him. She flew out of her chair and into Morgan’s arms.
“You’re okay. I was so worried,” Kathleen confessed.
Morgan felt whole again. He tightened his hold on Kathleen and replied, “I’m fine, baby. I’m also sorry. I should have never tried to send you away,” he whispered.
Kathleen leaned back and looked up into his eyes. “I’m the one who owes you an apology and anything else that will make things right between us again,” she insisted, raising her head to meet Morgan’s kiss. The moment their lips touched, Morgan’s body responded, and he had to force himself to remain in control.
“Kathleen Winston,” a stern baritone voice called out.
“Before you two embarrass us any further, Kathleen, why don’t you introduce us to the reason we had to pull our team off a multimillion-dollar job and get here so fast?” The other woman’s annoyance was coming through loud and clear.
Kathleen turned in Morgan’s arms. “Sorry. Daddy... Kennedy, I’d like you to meet Morgan Kingsley.” Kathleen looked up at Morgan, and the look of love and happiness on her face made him weak. It was a feeling he was beginning to relish. How could he have ever doubted her?
She directed his attention toward her family. “Morgan, this is my father, Jonathan Winston, and the one with the sour look on her face is my older sister, Kennedy.”
Morgan held on to Kathleen with one hand and reached to shake Kathleen’s sister’s and father’s hands with the other. “Pleased to meet you both.”
“Join us,” Kathleen’s father ordered, his voice stern.
Morgan recognized the tone in her father’s voice and he felt Kathleen squeeze his hand. He knew she was assuring him that she was with him, no matter what, which made him relax.
* * *
“Be nice...please. He’s extremely important to me,” Kathleen told her family in French, taking the seat she’d abandoned that Morgan now held out for her.
After helping Kathleen into her chair, Morgan took the seat to her right. Kathleen’s father tossed back his drink and waved over the waitress. “Young lady, bring me another and bring him more of whatever he’s having.”
“Yes, sir. Will you be having your usual, Mr. Kingsley—whiskey neat—or would you like another beer?”
“My usual, Susan, thank you,” Morgan replied.
Kathleen’s sister gave Morgan the once-over before saying, “Mr. Kingsley—”
“Please, call me Morgan.”
“Morgan, I recently had the chance to see your mother in action. She’s quite formidable,” Kennedy complimented him.
Morgan’s eyes cut to Kathleen. Oh no. Kathleen had to make sure Morgan knew their relationship had nothing to do with her family’s business. “You had the opportunity to work with Victoria. When did we get in the oil and gas business, Kennedy?” Kathleen frowned at her sister.
Kennedy matched her sister’s confused look. “We aren’t. I know you’ve been away from the business for a minute and that I’m the company’s CEO, but you should know that too, Kathleen,” she said before reaching for her wineglass and taking a sip. “We were at Sotheby’s for an auction a few months ago. I saw her decimate the other bidders in pursuit of a stunning painting that she just had to have. It was impressive.”
Morgan reached for Kathleen’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “That sounds like my mother.”
Kathleen breathed a sigh of relief when Morgan squeezed her hand. “I asked my father to send help for the town, and fortunately we had a crew nearby,” she explained to Morgan.
“Yes, it is. I saw the equipment parked at the edge of town, not to mention all the lights illuminating the town square and Main Street.” Morgan turned to Kathleen’s father. “Thank you, sir.”
“Here you go.” The waitress returned with both men’s drinks.
“Thank you and please add their drinks to my tab,” Morgan instructed.
“Yes, sir.” The young woman smiled and walked away.
“That wasn’t necessary but thank you,” Jonathan said, reaching for his glass.
“It’s the least I can do.”
“Actually it’s not,” Kennedy stated.
“Kennedy,” Kathleen admonished.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. What else can I do?” Morgan asked Kennedy, reaching for his drink.
“You can convince my sister to come work with her family where she belongs now that she’s left OSHA.”
Morgan’s head snapped to Kathleen. “You quit OSHA?”
Thanks, Kennedy. “Yes. That’s one of many things I needed to talk to you about.”
“What is there to talk about? You’re a Winston with engineering and architectural degrees going to waste. We could use you at the company we will inherit someday,” Kennedy said.
Kathleen loved her sister, but right now she wanted to strangle her. Kennedy’s practical side annoyed the hell out of her. “Kennedy, I have plans of my own.”
“Looks like I have a lot to learn about you still,” he whispered. “And I’m looking forward to it.”
Kathleen giggled. “Kennedy, I—”
“Kathleen, you can’t seriously be considering taking another government or low-paying job. Not that you need the money, but most places can’t pay you nearly what you’re worth.” Kennedy’s mouth was set in a hard line.
“Why is everything about money and status with you, Kennedy?” She scrutinized her sister.
“Because you’re a Winston.” Kennedy turned to their father. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“Kathleen, are you in love with this young man?” their father asked in his preferred language.
She held her father’s gaze as she felt Morgan’s eyes on her face. Kathleen raised her chin, turned her attention away from her father to Morgan and replied in English, “Yes, Daddy. I love him very much.”
Morgan released an audible sigh, brought Kathleen’s hands to his lips and kissed them. He turned to her father. “I love your daughter too, sir...very much.”
“Well, that’s that.” Jonathan Winston turned his attention to Morgan and in English said, “When you two decide to marry, Kathleen—”
“Daddy—”
“—there will be a proper wedding. There will be no elopement. Is that understood?” he stated, ignoring Kathleen, who was shaking her head.
“Yes, sir,” Morgan replied with a wide smile.