Page 43 of Valentines In The Presidential Suite

“Oh?” said Ashley. “We’d better talk. You’ve got a lot to tell me, girl.”

Grinning, Morgan followed Ashley to the kitchen table and took a seat. She was more than willing to share her news with her best friend.

“First, I’ll get us some coffee and something to eat,” Ashley said. “I have a feeling this is going to take a while. Mark and the kids went out for breakfast, so we have all the time in the world.”

Morgan began with her visit to Simon and the situation there. “For a while, I wondered if Constance was setting Simon up for a fall by buying him those shoes. Brad told me not to go there, but to keep an eye on things.”

“That’s sensible. You don’t want to get too entangled in his family,” Ashley said. “Besides, I’m sure he’s seen a lot worse behavior than that.”

“Yes, for sure,” admitted Morgan. “He invited me to bring Blue to his house to play with the dogs and to have dinner together. You can imagine my relief at being able to relax after that tense afternoon with Simon.”

“How was ‘dinner’?” Ashley asked, giving her a sly look.

Morgan laughed. “Very special. Oh, Ashley, I’m falling in love. He told me he is, too. We’ve been fighting it, thinking it wasn’t appropriate, but as Brad said, to heck with the rules. He doesn’t care what people think, and neither do I. Our feelings are genuine, and I trust him. He wanted me to spend the night, but he understood my feelings about wanting to take things slowly.”

“He has a solid reputation in town as a very decent man,” said Ashley. “And I hear his house is stunning.”

“Yes, it is. Painters have to finish some interior walls, but it’s a beautiful home. Brad asked them to stop working while I was staying there.”

Ashley reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m happy for you, Morgan. You deserve to have a good man in your life.”

“He’s very kind, but he’s still wrestling with guilt over his wife’s death. I don’t see how it’s his fault that an angry man crashed into them because of a custody suit. Think of all the judges fearing for their lives.”

“It’s terrible,” Ashley said. “But it’s important that he’s being open with you about his feelings. That can be difficult for some men to do.”

“I broke down and told him everything about my childhood and my marriage to Dale. Once I got started, I couldn’t stop. I was embarrassed when I realized what I’d done, spilling my guts like that. But Brad was very kind about it. I’ve never felt so safe with a man.”

“And I’ve never heard you talk about someone in such glowing terms,” said Ashley. “It’s all happening fast, but the way you look when you talk about him says a lot about the depth of your feelings.”

“I never felt this way with Dale, and then what warm feelings I had for him were erased by his behavior,” admitted Morgan. “I told Brad I needed to trust him, and I do.”

Ashley studied her. “That’s important. I’m really happy for you, hon. I look forward to having him and Simon join our group for Thanksgiving dinner. My mother-in-law will appreciate having someone close to her own age in the group. And Mark will be delighted to have Brad and Simon join us.”

“That’s decided, then. I’ll call Simon and invite him today. I’ve already mentioned it to Brad, and he’s accepted the invitation.”

“It’ll be fun. I’m excited to have the chance to spend some time with them,” said Ashley. She looked up as Mark and the kids entered the room. “Hi. Did you have a nice breakfast?”

“It was great,” said Ben. “I had five pancakes.”

“I had French toast,” Lizzy said. “Just one piece. Daddy had eggs, like always.”

Ashley chuckled. “It sounds like everyone had a good time. Thanks for the break. Morgan and I are planning Thanksgiving. We’re adding two new people to the group. Simon Weaver and Brad Hamlin.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Mark. “It will give some balance to hosting my mother and her sister.”

“It was nice to see you, Mark. Thanks, Ashley. I’d better go.” Morgan stood and waited while Blue got a few more pats on the head from the kids, then headed for the door. She could hardly wait to call Simon to invite him to join them.

On her walk, Morgan decided to ask Simon if she could stop by. She wanted to ask him in person to join them for Thanksgiving and take a moment to make sure he was all right. She was still worried about his shoes, and if he allowed her, she’d check his other shoes as well.

###

That afternoon, Simon was delighted to have her stop by. He even asked her to bring Blue.

Morgan headed out. She hoped Simon would be as excited about the invitation as she was to offer it.

At his house, she parked the car, walked up to the front door, and rang the bell, listening carefully to see how well Simon responded. She heard footsteps and relaxed.

Simon opened the door. “It’s so nice to see you!”