Page 75 of Chasing the Dream

“Wear a dress tomorrow.”

She smiled and nodded, and he stayed in the driveway and watched her until she’d gone inside.

“Morgan? Is that you?” Maria called from somewhere in the back.

She took a couple of deep breaths and went to find Gabe’s sister.

Maria was sitting on the patio. She was wearing a pretty sundress and had her long, dark hair caught up in a swingy ponytail.

“You look nice,” Morgan said, stepping outside to join her.

“Thanks. I wore this to lunch with Matt.”

“How’d it go?”

“Great. We talked for a long time, and I was surprised at how much we had in common.”

Maria had a glow about her that Morgan hadn’t seen in a long time. Am I glowing too?

“How’d it go with Gabe?”

“Huh?”

“After I left. Did you guys go hiking?”

“Oh. Yeah. We did Fatman’s Loop.” And then each other.

“Great views, right?”

“Magnificent.” But not as magnificent as what I saw after.

“What did you do after? Did he take you to lunch?”

No, but he took me to paradise. “We ate at home with your mom and dad.”

“How come your hair’s damp?”

After they’d swam, she’d towel-dried her hair, thinking she’d have time to blow-dry it before Maria got home. Since there hadn’t been time, she’d hoped Maria wouldn’t notice, but she should have known. Maria missed nothing.

“We went for a swim before I came home.”

“At Gabe’s place?” Maria eyed her curiously.

“Yeah.”

Maria smiled. “I’m glad you two are becoming better friends.”

Lovers. We’re lovers now. “Me too. But enough about that. Tell me more about Matt.”

After Maria shared some more details about her lunch date, the conversation rolled back around to include Gabe.

“I told Matt that you’re staying with me, and he asked if you wanted to join us for dinner one night this week.”

“Oh. Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“You won’t be. I’d like you to meet him and vice versa.”

“Does he know that you tried to set me up with him?”