Free Acquiring Trouble by Kathleen Brooks Page A

was nothing but a little chess - playing nerd when I left town."
    Annie broke out in laughter again and this time Morgan would’ve sworn she s aw tears rolling down her face. "Last time I saw Cy his hair was in a short buzz cut, he had a scar along his jaw and was built like an action movie star . He was the mystery. He claim ed he's a farmer, but since he was never here we 're all guessing he's doing something very bad and / or dangerous. Underground MMA fighter is my guess."
    "No way!" Morgan laughed. She stopped suddenly, realizing this was the first real conversation she'd had that didn't involve explaining herself or doing her sales pitch. It was certainly the first time she laughed since she got back to Keeneston.
    "Well, I'll let you get back to work. I just wanted to introduce myself. Feel free to stop by anytime and chat. From what I ’ve heard you know where the sheriff's office is. I’ll be back to work in eight weeks, but I like to drop by a lot to make sure they keep in line . " With a wink Annie got back in her cruiser and left Morgan shaking with laughter. Wow ! Had she just made her first friend in Keeneston? It ha d only taken just over thirty years.
     
    Morgan sat down in the back booth at the Blossom Café and ordered a tall glass of sweet tea. After meeting Annie , her day went back down the drain. The other three farmers she met with rejected her outright. One even threatened to shoot her. Then she had to drive the two and half hours back to Keeneston. About the time s he hit Elizabethtown , her boss had called her .
    Her ears were still ringing from that chewing out. He had told her that her time was limited before he fired her . She had three months , and i f she didn't secure this takeover by any means necessary , she would be out of a job. After she had hung up the phone, she had an overwhelming desire to go home. Not to her condo in DC, but to Keeneston. She wanted the war m and comforting food from the c afé. She wanted to hear the voices of those she grew up with and she wanted to pretend for once she belonged.
    "Everything okay, dear?" Miss Daisy asked reluctantly as she put down a plate with a huge slice of red velvet cake, dripping with rich cream cheese frosting.
    The red of the cake matched the red hearts the Rose sisters had decorated each table with for Valentine’s Day. Just one more thing to make her feel like crap. She wondered if Hallmark made a card for women like her —“ Happy Valentine’s Day. One more year celebrating your spinsterhood.”
    "Why would you think it's not? And why would you even care? " Morgan asked as she forked in a large bite of cake.
    " Maybe be cause you have this sorta dazed look in your eyes and you forgot to or der dinner. And we do care , we always have .”
    Morgan just raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
    “Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. May I recommend t he chocolate chess pie for your next course."
    "Yum . Sounds perfect." Morgan gave Miss Daisy a hesitant smile and was rewarded when she received one back. It was a slightly awkward moment, but as she watched Miss Daisy walk away she suddenly felt relieved. Something shifted inside her, just like it had when she talked to her mother all those years ago.
    " May I join you?"
    "Hmm?" Morgan broke from her thoughts and looked up, then up so me more into Miles' s hazel eyes.
    She noticed they were greener tonight. Morgan also remembered that they turn ed dark brown when she had kissed him . Her eyes traveled to his lips bringing memories of the office kiss flooding back. He had so gotten better with age like rich bourbon ag ed to perfection. And, man, was he aged to perfection.
    "Um, Morgan?"
    "Yes?" s he as ked, still lost in her fantasy.
    "You ’ve got something…"
    She watched as Miles reached out toward her. She closed her eyes in breathless anticipation. He w as going to kiss her again. S he just knew it. H er body yearned for his touch. For t he feel of his hand caressing her face before bringing