Back to the Start - Excerpt

Chapter Three

Morgan

Dinner with friends is good. You need the distraction. If you weren't going to Carina's right now, you would just be sitting at home thinking about him. Yep, a few wings and a beer or two are exactly what you need.

The brisk October air whipped through her hair as Morgan rounded the corner. Again, Morgan silently praised herself for purchasing her townhome. Not only was she in walking distance to work, but Carina and Josh had officially moved into their new apartment just three blocks from Morgan. In the winter she may need to take a cab, but for now she would enjoy the crisp, refreshing air. She was just a block away when she spotted a couple on the sidewalk ahead of her. They were young, still teenagers, holding hands and walking as if no one else shared their side of the street. The girl leaned into the boy, which only made him pull her closer. They were carefree... fearless. Morgan didn't want to resent them, but she couldn't help it.

"Why won't you hold my hand?" Morgan asked.

"Because," Jake said in a gruff tone, one that sounded strange... and mean.

Morgan looked up at him. She had to increase her pace if she was going to stay even with him. "But you always hold my hand when we walk to school."

"Not anymore." Jake kept his eyes on the sidewalk ahead.

"Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad... I'm just..." Jake stopped walking, but he didn't look at her. He gripped the strap of his backpack tighter. "I'm not your boyfriend and you're not my girlfriend. Okay?"

Morgan didn't want to cry, but she felt her eyes begin to well. Gabe and Brennan would often tease Jake and sing the "Morgan and Jake sitting in the tree" song, but he never got mad at them.

And then she remembered Colin. That annoying punk in Jake's fifth grade class. Yesterday, that brat had run around the recess yard telling everyone that Jake liked her. Jake had told Colin to shut up or he was going to punch him in the face. Colin didn't say anything after that.

"Colin's a..."

"Colin's an idiot," Jake said, interrupting her.

Morgan giggled despite feeling like her world was being turned upside down.

"Yeah, I know, he's a real..."

"And he's wrong." Jake shook his head and started down the sidewalk again. "I'm not your boyfriend and you're not my girlfriend. Got it?"

Morgan felt the first tear dribble down her cheek. She brushed it away with her sleeve. She needed to get away from him. Carina was less than a block away and walking with Gabe. Morgan yelled for Carina to wait up and took off running as fast as she could. She heard Jake tell her to stop, but she didn't. And she didn't look back either.

"Earth to Morgan... come in, Morgan."

Morgan halted, though she couldn't help but sneak one last glimpse at the young couple. The boy had just swooped in and stolen a kiss when Morgan fixed her gaze on Carina, who at the moment was looking a bit too curious for her own good.

"Forget where I lived already?" Carina asked with a raised brow.

"Give this girl some latitude. I did just move to this city, you know?" Morgan walked over and gave her friend a hug.

"I'm so happy to have you back. Now when I need a Morgan fix, all I have to do is walk three blocks."

They linked arms and walked into Carina's apartment. It was the first time Morgan had been there, though she had driven by it twice over the last several days. Josh greeted her immediately with a hug and a beautiful smile. "Thanks for coming, Morgan," Josh said. Morgan saw his arm encircle Carina's waist. As he drew her close Carina blushed, which was so lovely to see. Morgan never got tired of seeing her friend happy.

"I'm foreseeing a lot of these get-togethers in our future," Morgan said.

Carina's eyes lit up, which always made Morgan's heart ache a little. Carina and Jake had the same haunting green eyes. They were forest green but could turn darker on occasion to a rich moss color. But where there was a playful spark in Carina's eyes, there was a seriousness in Jake's that had always drawn Morgan in. Even when they were kids, he could look at her and know what was going through her sometimes-scattered mind. He could tell with just a quick glance that she was scared, angry, or later when they were teenagers, horny as hell. No one could read her like he could.

"You bet your ass. Now let's grab you a beer. The game's about to start," Carina said.

Thursday night football. Great.

Josh released Carina, only to return less than a minute later and put a beer in Morgan's hand. Good man. She would need a few of these tonight.

Carina brought her to the living room, where her guests were taking their seats and getting ready for kickoff. Mia, Carina's roommate from college, came over and hugged Morgan. Morgan had always liked Mia. From the moment Carina had introduced them on winter break of their sophomore year, Morgan had known Mia was a keeper. She was kind and devoted and as it turned out, strong as hell. And from the looks of it, one of the happiest women on the planet. Her fiancé came up from behind and kissed Mia on the back of her neck. Her cheeks grew pink. "Paul, you remember Morgan from Erin and Chase's wedding reception?"

Paul moved to shake her hand without taking his other hand off Mia's waist. "Hi, Morgan. It's nice to see you again. I heard you've moved to Philly."

"Yep. I'm officially moved in. It will be nice to live so close to friends and family again," Morgan said, appreciating the view. The two men she had encountered thus far were painfully gorgeous and so obviously in love with their women.

"And just when I thought I had gotten rid of you."

Morgan smiled. She turned and faced the man who had helped make her tough. "You'll never be rid of me, Brennan. Like it or not, I'll always turn up," Morgan said, folding her arms. They stared each other down and before she knew what hit her, Brennan swooped her up and hugged her against his ridiculously large chest.

"So, you're back for good?"

"It appears so," she said. Though he was just a year older than she was, he would always be her big brother, the McGinnis son who wouldn't take shit from anyone. To this day, she didn't know how he had avoided being expelled from school when he was a kid. Brennan had gotten in so many fights on the playground and even started one at Sunday Mass. He had been quick-tempered during those first few years after the adoption. But after some time and therapy, he had calmed down and his conflicts with the neighborhood boys were few and far between.

"And what was his reaction to your news?" Brennan asked, nodding to the television.

Morgan looked into Brennan's deep blue eyes and smiled. Though there was no denying that Brennan, Gabe and Luke were brothers, with their brown hair, blue eyes and bodies built for sin, their personalities were drastically different. Morgan was amazed that although they had lived through the same hell before they were adopted, the repercussions had manifested differently in each of the three brothers.

Morgan didn't want to play dumb. Everyone in the McGinnis family knew that something had existed between Jake and Morgan ever since they were children, some connection that no one could define with clarity. "I think he was a bit surprised... like your sister was," Morgan said. She wasn't really lying, but she wasn't going to offer anything up either.

Brennan stroked his five o'clock shadow and looked at her with a smirk.

"Surprised, huh?" He chuckled. "I imagine he's wondering if this city is big enough for the two of you."

Several shouts and loud clapping captured her attention and she looked at the television. Jake had just run in for a touchdown, putting the Eagles up over the Dallas Cowboys. She smiled, enjoying his success as she always had.

"We were neighbors before, we can be neighbors again," she said as confidently as she could.

He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Let's be real, M. You and Jake were never just neighbors."

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