Chapter 28

McCoy left the stone path that ran between two buildings and cut across the grass of the small park. He quickly spotted Morgan and decided to take advantage of the shade under the near-by trees to wait for her.

He watched as she continued to run, her eyes never straying from the path in front of her. It wasn’t until she was even with him and he called out to her that she looked up, clearly startled, and left the path to head toward him.

Slowing to a walk, she placed her hands on her hips as she approached him.

He took down what he assumed was her water bottle from a low branch of one of the trees and held it out for her. “You look like you could use this.”

As her breathing slowed somewhat she noted, “Either I’m really slow today or you’re early.” She reached for the bottle with one hand and took hold of his wrist with the other. Turning his arm slightly she checked his watch as she gulped down some water, then concluded, “You’re early.”

“Not by much.”

“I thought we were meeting at my place.”

“I was hoping we could get started a little earlier.”

“I still have four laps left to run.”

Reaching out he ran a finger down her bare arm, watching as the sweat beaded up around it. “Looks to me like you’ve already had enough of a workout. Can’t you just call it even and leave now?”

“I suppose I could,” she agreed slowly.

“Then let’s go,” he suggested, trying not to sound as eager as he felt.

Morgan shook her head. “I’m not going with you. I’m running home.”

He gave her an exasperated look. “You promised you’d go with me, Calea, and I’m not letting you back out.”

“I’m not backing out. I’m just not going with you this minute. I’m drenched with sweat and I smell like a goat. I’m going to take a shower and change clothes first. Besides, since I agreed to skip the last few laps, the least you can do is let me run the mile back to my place.”

He considered a minute and then nodded reluctantly. “All right. I’ll meet you at your place.”

Bending down, she untied the laces of one shoe. When she stood up she handed him the small elevator key. “You can wait for me inside since you’ll get there first. I’ll call from the security desk and you can send the elevator down for me.”

“Hurry,” he advised, pocketing the key. “I’ve been waiting all morning for this.”

***“Am I dressed okay?” she asked, coming to a stop beside the barstool where McCoy was sitting.

Looking her up and down he took note of her attire, which was very similar to his own: jeans, hiking shoes, and long-sleeved tee-shirt. “Looks like it.”

“Do I need to take anything besides a jacket?”

“Not unless you want to bring a change of clothes. We could always find a little place somewhere out of the way to spend the night.”

Giving him a disapproving look she warned, “You’ll get me back home well before dark or it’ll be the last time I go anywhere with you.”

With a grin he replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

Walking to the refrigerator she asked, “Would you like for me to take some water along for you, too?”

“Sure,” he agreed, sliding from the stool to place a glass in the dishwasher. “There’s a little place along the way that makes great sandwiches and the best potato salad you’ve ever tasted. I thought we would stop there and pick up something to eat.”

“Sounds good to me,” she acknowledged, pushing the call button for the elevator.

Once they were on their way down, McCoy took his water bottle and her jacket from her. “You won’t need this just yet. Once we get out of the city, though, you may. It’ll be a lot cooler once we leave the concrete behind.”

She followed him to the second elevator and then out to the parking garage.

Unlocking the side compartment, he stashed her jacket and water and took out a helmet. Handing it to her he advised, “Make sure the chin strap is snug but not too tight.”

After pinning her hair up, she put it on and did as he recommended.

“Ready?” he questioned after securing his own.

Morgan took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. I must be losing my mind.”

He swung a leg over the motorcycle, then looked over his shoulder to give her a broad smile. “You’re gonna love it!”

***The skyscrapers and congested streets had given way to rolling hills covered with trees. They had left the main highway some time before and were cruising down a side road dappled with patches of shade from overhanging tree branches. As they made another turn, McCoy leaned into the corner just a little more than was necessary and smiled to himself as he felt Morgan’s arms tighten around his torso in response. He had taken it slow and easy to give her time to get used to riding but he was eager to have a little fun with her and prove to her that she had nothing to fear.

As the tree cover became more dense, he slowed to turn off onto a narrow dirt road. The bike beneath them purred quietly as he eased it through the trees. After a few minutes he pulled it onto the grass and stopped.

Morgan unlocked her arms from around his ribs and climbed off. Unbuckling the helmet, she pulled it off. “I was beginning to think we were going cross-country instead of for a day trip.”

McCoy took her helmet and put it in the side compartment. Indicating their surroundings he asked, “So was it worth it?”

Surveying the scene, she took a deep breath of the pine-scented air and let it out slowly. “Definitely. It’s just beautiful.”

“I found this place three or four years ago. I come here every now and then,” he explained. “Even though it’s public land, I’ve never seen another soul here. It’s probably just a little early-morning fishing hole for some of the locals.”

As she unpinned her hair to let it cascade to her shoulders, she looked at him curiously. “Fishing hole?”

After first handing her two plastic bottles of tea, he took a blanket and the bag containing their food from the opposite compartment and gave her a smile. “Come on.”

He led the way down a foot path carpeted with pine needles. After walking a few yards, the sound of running water could be heard coming from somewhere ahead of them. A short distance later they broke through the trees to stop on the bank of a small, clear stream flowing over rocks.

“The water is ice cold,” he told her. “You can take off your shoes and put your feet in it if you want to cool off.”

After first setting the drinks on a near-by boulder, Morgan made her way to the edge of the water and bent to trail her fingers through it. “Mmm, feels great. I might have to take you up on your suggestion later.” Standing up she turned back to him. “Right now, though, I’m starving. The bowl of cereal I had for breakfast was gone after about the third lap I ran this morning.”

“Well I wouldn’t want you to faint from hunger or anything, so I’d better feed you,” he said with a smile. Looking around them he asked, “Shade or sun?”

“It’s nice and cool here. How about sun?”

“Sun it is.” He walked a few feet and spread the blanket on the grass between trees while Morgan retrieved the drinks. After they sat down McCoy passed her a sandwich and small Styrofoam container. “Tell me what you think of the potato salad.”

She opened the container and sampled a bite, then nodded. “It’s pretty good.”

“Only pretty good?” he asked incredulously. “I’d eat it every day if the place that makes it weren’t so far from where I live. How can you say it’s only pretty good?”

Morgan shrugged. “I don’t really care for mustard in potato salad. I like it the way I make it, which is the same way my Mom and her mom made it, with mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar.”

“You know how to make potato salad? Why haven’t I ever found any in your fridge?” he demanded teasingly.

“The recipe serves a lot so I don’t make it very often. But now that I know you’re a potato salad fan, I’ll have to make it for you sometime.”

“Well, it’s going to have to be fantastic to beat this,” he observed, taking another bite of his own.

“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” she smiled. Nodding she added, “My sandwich is great. This was a good suggestion.”

“What, specifically, was a good suggestion?” he queried pointedly. “The choice of food, the setting, or the way we got here?”

She contemplated for a moment before replying, “All of it, I guess.”

“Even the ride here?” he prompted.

With a smile she agreed, “Even the ride here.”

His eyebrows arched in surprise. “So I was right? You did enjoy it?”

“All except that last little corner you took,” she acknowledged. “I didn’t much care for that.”

McCoy grinned. “I was testing to see whether or not you had fallen asleep.”

“I don’t see how there could’ve been any doubt. I’m surprised I didn’t crack at least one of your ribs with as tightly as I was holding on.”

He chuckled quietly. “There were a couple of times when I thought I might need oxygen but I can’t say I really minded.” Giving her a hopeful look he asked, “Since I’ve proven myself to be such a competent driver, does that mean you’ll go with me again sometime?”

She wrapped up the remaining half of her sandwich and laid back on the blanket, stretching lazily in the sun. “I’ll answer that if and when you get me home in one piece.”

He nodded agreeably, his eyes twinkling. “In one piece, before dark. Got it.”

***“My favorite part of the day would have to be the hike through the woods,” Morgan answered in response to McCoy’s query, scrunching the pillow under her chin as she lay stretched out on her sofa.

He gave her a wounded look. “Not the ride on my bike? I thought you said you enjoyed it.”

“I did. But it’s going to take me a while to get used to it. It was the first time I had been on one since I was a kid, you know.”

“And did I in any way dispel your fears?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not afraid, just … cautious,” she contended.

“Cautious, huh? Is that why I could barely breathe for the first hour of our ride?” he questioned teasingly.

“That’s exactly why,” she insisted indignantly. “It pays to be careful. You never know what can happen.”

Giving her a smile he asked, “Can I take it that you’ll go with me again sometime?”

Returning the smile she replied, “You did meet my conditions. I suppose it’s only fair.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he vowed. He checked his watch and then stood up. As he made his way to the kitchen to put a glass in the dishwasher he said, “Maybe we can take in a movie tomorrow afternoon and go out to dinner afterwards.”

“All right,” she agreed, sitting up and stretching. “Did you have a particular movie in mind?”

After retrieving his shoes he returned to sit on the sofa to put them on. “Not really. We can check the paper tomorrow and see what’s playing.”

“There’s always the place in the Village that features old movies if we can’t find anything else,” she reminded him.

“True.” He finished tying the laces and got up, holding his hand out for her. “Do you want to just plan on going there?”

As she allowed him to lead her to the elevator door she answered, “Let’s see what else is playing first. Something might catch our eye.”

When he reached the elevator, instead of pushing the call button, he leaned a shoulder against the wall beside it, still holding Morgan’s hand. “I had fun today, Calea. I’m glad you went with me.”

“I had a great time, too, Jack. It was a perfect day. Thanks for asking me,” she replied with a warm smile.

Something about her smile and the way she was looking at him reassured him that the time was right.

Looking down into her eyes he asked quietly, “May I kiss you good-night?”

Morgan blinked in surprise, then dropped her gaze to the floor between them. McCoy was sure she was going to turn him down, but after a few seconds she replied softly, “If you want to.”

He reached out with his free hand to brush her hair back and stroke her cheek with his thumb, wondering how she could possibly not know…

“I want to,” he said simply.

As he took a step closer and leaned toward her, she looked up at him somewhat hesitantly, watching him cautiously until just before his lips touched hers, when she closed her eyes.

Slipping his fingers into her hair, he barely brushed her lips with his, keeping the kiss feather-light. After several seconds, he exerted the smallest amount of pressure on them before breaking it off gently.

Her eyes were still closed as he pulled back enough to see her face. When she slowly opened them and they met his, they were filled with surprise.

Pleased by her response, he rested his hand on her shoulder, entwining his fingers in her soft hair. Smiling down at her he admitted, “I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time.”

“Since when?” she asked, giving him a doubtful look.

He grew thoughtful for a moment, his eyes twinkling. “Do you remember the first time we appeared together before Judge Rivera during Peter Fairchild’s case?” At her nod he continued, “Well, after we left his office and were walking out together, I said something and you turned to me and smiled. I thought it was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen … and I wondered what it would be like to kiss you.”

Morgan’s eyes widened. “We had only met for the first time the evening before! You didn’t even know me!”

His dark eyes grew intense and his smile faded slightly. “I know you now. And I still feel precisely the same way.”

Sliding his hand to the back of her neck, he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time with slightly more force. Morgan’s response was hesitant but it was all the encouragement he needed. While he slowly explored her lips, he carefully moved her arm behind her with the hand that still held hers, bending it until it rested against the small of her back so that he could pull her closer to him without letting go of her hand.

As the kiss deepened, he became lost in the scent of her hair, the warmth of her skin, the softness of her lips. When he felt her free hand move up to rest tentatively against his chest, his arm behind her gradually tightened, drawing her into him. But after a moment he became aware of the unmistakable pressure of her hand pushing slightly against his chest. With a great deal of reluctance, he ended the kiss.

Keeping her wrapped in his arms, he rested his cheek against her hair. She was looking down, with her forehead lightly touching his chest. He was so caught up in the moment it was several seconds before he realized that she was trembling.

He frowned and let go of her hand. Placing both of his hands on her shoulders, he gently pushed her back from him until he could see her face. “Hey. Are you okay?” he asked with concern.

Morgan nodded without looking up at him. “I’m fine.”

“Then why are you shaking?” he asked softly. When she didn’t answer, he placed a hand under her chin and carefully raised her head until she was looking at him. “Don’t shut me out, Calea. I know something is wrong. Tell me what it is. I need to know.”

Under his intense scrutiny, she took a half-step back. Chewing her lip, she regarded him silently for a moment before replying, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

“What do you mean?”

With a shrug she explained haltingly, “You and I have become good friends … maybe we should leave well enough alone.”

McCoy smiled and shook his head. “I hate to tell you this, but that kiss went well beyond simple friendship.”

“But maybe we shouldn’t,” she insisted, her expression remaining serious. “I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the relationship we have. I don’t want to see that change.”

Reaching to smooth her hair he assured her, “Nothing is going to jeopardize what we have.” Moving closer to her again, he rested his hands at her waist and explained gently, “I already know I have feelings for you. And I think that kiss proved, maybe to both of us, that you have feelings for me. You don’t have to be afraid of those feelings. I know you’re scared to get close to someone again but with all the time we’ve spent together recently, you should know by now that I would never hurt you in any way. I think you know you can trust me.”

“I do,” she agreed. “But I told you before I don’t want to see either of us hurt, Jack. I don’t want you to read more into this than there really is. I think we should keep things between us the way they have been and simply remain friends.”

McCoy studied her carefully, taking note of the apprehension he saw in her eyes and the tension he felt in her body, an abrupt change from how she had at first responded to him as he kissed her. After debating with himself for several seconds, he reached past her to push the button beside the elevator.

“When I said I already knew I had feelings for you, I meant that I already knew I was in love with you, Calea,” he explained quietly. As her look turned into one of shock he added, “The question now is whether you could ever feel the same for me.”

When the elevator door opened, he placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Good-night. Sweet dreams,” he said softly before stepping inside.

Morgan stared at him in stunned silence as the door thumped to a close between them.

***The initial feeling of relief and odd sense of calm that he had felt upon revealing his feelings to Morgan, and to himself, had begun to fade. Although the thought had crossed his mind, he hadn’t been absolutely sure of his feelings himself until the moment she had told him she wanted to remain only friends. Telling her how he felt had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, in order to reassure her of just how much he cared. But the closer he got to home, the more he questioned the decision he had made. By the time he reached his apartment he was convinced he had made a mistake in telling her so soon and so abruptly, without thinking it through first. He had promised not to push her into something she wasn’t ready for, to allow her to set the pace. He was sure his revelation was going to make her feel as though he was doing just the opposite.

Once inside his apartment, he dropped the blanket and motorcycle helmets onto the sofa and headed to the kitchen to pour himself a drink, hoping it would help him relax enough to sleep. He toyed with the idea of calling Morgan but decided against it since he had no idea what to say to her at that point. Taking the drink with him, he made his way toward the bedroom. The blinking red light on the answering machine caught his eye as he passed the desk and he stopped to touch the “play” button.

He waited as the automated voice informed him that he had missed two calls. As the machine played the first recorded message from a colleague asking if he could sit in on a particularly sticky plea agreement meeting first thing Tuesday morning, he slumped into a chair and sipped his drink. But upon recognizing the voice of the second caller, he sat up straight and listened intently.

“Jack, I’m calling when I know you haven’t had time to get home because I don’t know if I could say this to you otherwise. … I’m going to go to Peter and Leslie’s tomorrow and spend a couple of days with them. I need some time to sort things out. I know this isn’t fair to you but I’m asking you to give me some time alone. I don’t think we should see each other for a while, until I can think things through. When I feel like I’m ready to talk, I’ll let you know. I’m sorry to be this way but I … I just need some time. I hope you’ll understand.”

McCoy let his head fall against the back of the chair with a muffled thump. He had been right – it was too much too soon. She wasn’t simply pulling away, she was running…

“And about your question…” the voice from the machine interrupted softly. “I’m going to think about it.” After another pause she added, “Good-night, Jack.”

He stared at the machine as it beeped shrilly, signaling the completion of all messages. It wasn’t so much the words she had said. It was what he thought he heard in her voice as she said them.

He punched the replay button and listened again, leaning toward the machine so as not to miss a word. And when the message reached the end, he was sure he heard the same thing as before: a distinct note of hopefulness in her voice.

Snatching up the phone, he quickly dialed Morgan’s number. But before it began to ring he slowly replaced the receiver and let out a sigh. She had asked him to give her time, to not contact her. Whatever his own feelings, he knew the right thing to do was respect her request.

Picking up his Scotch, he took another drink, then pushed the replay button on the answering machine once again.

Chapter 29