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“He did.”
“Did she take the map and a flashlight?” she asked.
Now Bash was worried. “Don’t think so. Why?”
She let the shovel drop and held her arms out to form a large u shape. “This is how this side of the campground is shaped. We are in a large crescent flanked on the outside by the stream. The campsites are spaced out along the bend. In other words, if you get off the road and walk beyond any of the campsites, you’ll end up in the water. It’s wider and deeper around the crescent. That’s why this is a prime spot unless there’s a lot of rain and it floods. We’ve been coming here every fall for the past five years.”
“Shit. It’s been raining too! Thanks,” he called back to her as he ran, screaming Morgan’s name.
When he reached a sharp curve to the left, he stopped. Did she come this far, or did I miss her? Turning in a slow circle, it occurred to him that had he been running in the dark, he might not have stopped and would have plowed right into the woods. As the blood pounding in his ears began to slow, he thought he heard something muffled. Coming from the trees. He isolated the sound of the rippling water in the stream. Walking to the edge of the road, he strained to hear the sound coming from the brush. It was crying. Morgan. He fought panic as he pushed branches out of the way. Only a few more steps, and he found her. Laying on the ground, crumpled in a fetal position. Soaking wet next to the edge of the water. He fell to his knees and pulled her into his arms. Instead of the relief he hoped she would feel, her sobs increased until she was gasping for air. Her body was shaking uncontrollably. He pulled her into his lap, tucked her head into his neck, and held her close.
“It’s okay, baby,” he said in a soothing tone. Holding his cheek against the top of her head, he gently rocked her in his arms. “I’ve got you. It’s going to take more than falling in a creek to get rid of me.” Her arms squeezed around his waist as she violently shivered against him. She was freezing, but he didn’t want to move her until he knew she wasn’t physically hurt.
Morgan had been the strong, level-headed soldier who had kept him safe. Every step of the way, she had been a positive ray of sunshine, refusing to let his grumpy ass get away with anything. He had been so wrapped up in how his life had been upended that he hadn’t noticed how broken Morgan must be. She guarded herself, not letting anyone get close enough to see her pain. Masking it with her sunny disposition. He had selfishly ignored it. Despite his drama, he still had his home, friends, and a career to go back to in Chicago. Morgan wasn’t so lucky. Her Pops had sheltered her. Isolated her. Taught her all the survival skills he thought she would need to stay safe. Unfortunately, she had little experience with building relationships and trust, things her Pops didn’t have the personal experience to teach. Now that he was gone, so was her support system. Her only friend, who had been granted access to her life, was now married and moving on. Bash wanted to be there for Morgan, but would she let him? Believe she could count on him?
“I…I’m sorry,” Morgan whispered.
“There is nothing to apologize for. Your life has been a train wreck ever since you met me.”
“M…my f…family brought its own level of dysfunction into the mix. I think we’re even,” she tried to force a smile despite the chattering teeth and blue lips.
“I’d love to continue this discussion on a deeper level, but you’re drenched and appear to be freezing to death. Seems you’re also missing your boots. Can you walk? Or do I need to carry you?”
“You’re not carrying me. M…My boots are stuck on the side of the creek bank.”
“Got it.”
Bash gingerly sat her on the pine straw and pulled off her soaked jacket, replacing it with his dry one. He stood up and located her muddy boots. She had just slipped them on when they heard a car pull up, a door slam, and Max screaming their names.
“Over here,” Bash called. Within seconds, Max appeared in front of them.
“My God, Morgan. What happened?” Max asked in disbelief.
“I…I…” Morgan struggled with where to begin.
“We’ll let her tell us after she gets a hot shower and some dry clothes. Where did you get a car?” Bash asked.
“When neither of you came back, I called the owner. He offered to help me look for you guys.”
“I…I…I’m o…o…kay,” Morgan stuttered.
“Sure you are, baby,” Sebastian said, then scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the car.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Wrapped in a blanket and dressed in dry clothes, Morgan sat on the fold-down sofa, drinking hot tea. Max and Bash patiently waited for her to tell them what happened after she fled the RV. They deserved the truth, but she struggled with how to best explain the conversation with her attorney. How it had made her feel. The fight or flight instinct Pops had instilled in her had taken over during the phone call. His words thundering in her head. “You can’t trust anyone but yourself, Chip. Whenever you’re in doubt, run as fast and as hard as you can. If you can’t run, you fight.”
“That’s silly, Pops. I can trust you,” she remembered saying the first time he imparted that Popsism.
“Not everyone tells the truth all the time,” he had answered.
His response had been confusing. Only after reading his letter did she understand what he had meant. The one person she had loved and trusted above anyone had lied to her, too.
His words may have protected her when she was a child, but now that she was an adult, they were preventing her from living a full and healthy life. Except for Beth, she had never developed any meaningful relationships, nor was she sure how to tell who was genuine from who was deceitful. She never seemed to shake the feelings of suspicion with every attempt anyone made to get close.
As she lay face down in the stream with her head underwater, she believed she was going to die. In that moment, she thought about Bash and the realization that she would never see him again. Wondered if he would miss her. If he would give Max a chance. She wanted to find out. That’s when her fight reflex kicked in. She wasn’t sure what she meant to Bash, but she wanted to know.
“I shouldn’t have run out like that. It was foolish. There was no preparation. It was dark. I was unfamiliar with the terrain. And worst of all, I let my emotions get the better of me,” Morgan said contritely. “I’m sorry I disturbed your sleep.”
