“My ex-husband. And he didn’t give me anything.” The last gift he’d given her had been the diamond-and-ruby heart pendant he’d presented to Morgan on their sixth anniversary. It had been too expensive and ostentatious to wear, and after the divorce Morgan hadn’t felt at all bad about selling it and all the other jewelry he’d given her to help finance her gallery.
“Maybe it’s packed away in a box somewhere. Is it possible he slipped it into your belongings without you knowing it?”
“No offense, Jackson, but I’ve been asked these questions at least a dozen times by three different deputies. I’d rather not answer them again until Sheriff Reed gets here.”
Morgan eased down into a chair by the window. She wanted out of the hospital and out of the mess she’d suddenly found herself in. A mess of Cody’s making.
Of course.
That seemed to have been the pattern of their lives while they were married. Cody messing up. Morgan cleaning up.
“You okay?” Jackson asked, crossing the room and crouching down in front of Morgan, his hand touching hers for just a moment, the warmth of it remaining after he let it fall away.
“Fine. I’m just ready to get out of here. I’ve got things to do before tomorrow.”
“You look pale. How about I call the nurse?” He leaned closer, his eyes deep blue and flecked with gold and deep brown. An interesting color. The kind a woman could get lost in if she let herself.
Morgan wouldn’t let herself. She’d been down that path before, been interested, attracted and then in love. All she’d gotten from that was trouble. “Look, I appreciate your concern, and I’m grateful for everything you did tonight, but I really am fine.”
“And I can go back to wherever I came from?”
“Something like that.”
“Sorry, I don’t work that way,” he said, straightening, stretching. He was tall with a lean, hard build. More runner than bodybuilder, but he had a presence that made him seem larger than life.
“What way do you work, then?”
“I stick with what I start. I started protecting you from two men who wanted you dead. I’m not going to walk away until I’m sure I’ve achieved that goal.”
“You can’t be serious.” Appalled, Morgan stood, trying not to wince as the throbbing in her head and jaw increased. The last thing she needed was a man like Jackson hanging around trying to play hero. She’d worked too hard to become independent, she’d struggled too long to convince herself that going it alone was better than working as a team. There was no way she was going to allow herself to depend on someone, to believe in someone again.
“Sure I can,” he said, dropping a hand onto her shoulder, offering her support she didn’t want to need. “Why don’t you sit down before you fall down?”
“Why don’t you—”
A soft knock sounded on the door, and a pretty blonde stepped into the room, cutting off Morgan’s words. “Morgan! Thank goodness, you’re all right.”
“Lacey, what are you doing here?” Surprised, Morgan allowed herself to be pulled into a quick hug. Slender and lovely, Lacey Carmichael had proven to be a good friend during the months since they’d met. Morgan was cautiously excited about her friend’s engagement to Jude Sinclair and hopeful that Lacey would have a lot more happiness in her marriage than she’d had with Cody.
“Jude called to let me know you were in the hospital. I insisted he pick me up before he came here. He’s parking the car, but he’ll be here in a minute.”
“Are you both nuts? You’re getting married in a few hours. You should be home sleeping, dreaming of that happily-ever-after you’ve always wanted.”
“While you were here alone? Neither of us could do that.”
“I’m not alone,” Morgan said, shooting a glance in Jackson’s direction. He smiled, obviously amused by her attempt to use him despite her insistence that he leave.
“And you won’t be. Are you okay? Have they found the men who did this to you?”
“No, but it’s over, and I’m all right. That’s what matters.”
“And we’re going to make sure you stay that way. Jude and I discussed it on the way here. We’re going to postpone our honeymoon until the men who attacked you are caught.”
“There is no way I’m going to let you stay here babysitting me.”
“Your well-being is more important than a trip to Paris,” Jude Sinclair said as he walked into the room. Tall and lean, he’d come to Virginia to recover from a nearly fatal attack. When he’d showed up at Morgan’s gallery asking questions about her ex-husband, she’d recognized him immediately as the homicide detective who’d put Cody in jail.
To say it had taken a while for them to become friends was putting it mildly. Morgan was thrilled that Lacey had found someone to love, but being around Jude still put her on the defensive.
She forced herself to relax and to meet his probing gaze. “I appreciate the concern, Jude, but I’m old enough to take care of myself.”
“That’s not the point, Morgan, and you know it,” Lacey cut in. “This is about friendship. I can’t go to Paris and enjoy myself knowing that someone I care about is in danger.”
“Who said I was in danger? For all we know, tonight was a one-time thing.” Morgan lied deftly, not liking the taste of it on her tongue, but unwilling to let Lacey give up a honeymoon trip to Paris to keep her safe.
Nothing could keep her safe.
Nothing but running, and that was one thing Morgan excelled at. She’d been running for more years than she cared to admit. No sense in giving that up now.
“The fact is, I’m not sticking around. After your wedding tomorrow, I’m taking off.”
“To where?”
“Does Jake know this?”
Lacey and Jude spoke in unison, and Morgan decided to answer the first question and ignore the second. “Washington.”
“D.C.?”
“State. It’s where I grew up.”
“I thought you were from New York,” Jude said, eyeing Morgan with suspicion.
“I moved there after I married Cody.” She didn’t offer more of an explanation.
“We were housemates for months and you never mentioned Washington.” Lacey sounded more hurt than suspicious and the throbbing in Morgan’s head increased. Guilt was something she didn’t need any more of, but somehow she always managed to find it.
“I haven’t been back there in years. Now seems like a good time to visit.”
“Do you really think you can outrun the guys who came after you tonight?” Jackson asked. He’d moved a few feet away, but still seemed to take up more than his fair share of space.
“That’s not why I’m leaving. I have some…loose ends to tie up in Washington. Some family I need to reconnect with.”
“I’ll go with you,” Lacey said, her green eyes filled with worry and anxiety. She should be happy and excited about her wedding the following day. Not worrying about Morgan.
And guilt clawed another path up Morgan’s throat. She felt sick with it. Or maybe she was sick from the pain in her head and in her jaw. “I’m ruining what should be the most fantastic time in your life. I’m sorry.”
“I’m marrying the man of my dreams. There’s nothing that can ruin that.”
“There’s